Cooling a rotary engine

摘要

The present invention relates to a system for cooling a rotary engine, the system comprising a drive shaft having a bore hole and at least one of a coolant transmission hole in fluid communication with the bore hole. At least one of a coolant distribution channel is in fluid communication with the coolant transmission hole. A coolant fluid channel receives a coolant liquid from the coolant distribution channel, wherein the coolant liquid is circulated between the bore hole and the outer coolant fluid channel to cool the rotary engine. Other exemplary embodiments include a centripetal force pump formed by at least the rotation of the drive shaft, which circulates the coolant liquid between the drive shaft bore hole and the outer coolant fluid channel to cool the rotary engine, and adjusting the coolant liquid flow rate based, in part, on the RPM of the drive shaft.

主权项

1. A rotary engine operable by way of combustive fuel or thrust force injection into the rotary engine and being cooled with a flow of liquid coolant therethrough, the rotary engine comprising:
an outer case defining an inner opening therethrough, the outer case including an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining at least one outer coolant fluid channel disposed adjacent the inner opening; at least one coolant connector being affixed to the outer surface of the outer case and having fluid communication with the at least one outer coolant fluid channel; a drive shaft received in the inner opening of the outer case, the drive shaft defining a bore hole and further defining at least one coolant transmission hole in fluid communication with the bore hole; and at least one rotary engine component of a plurality of rotary engine components of the rotary engine being received in the inner opening and attached to the drive shaft in a manner so that when the drive shaft rotates during the operation of the rotary engine, the at least one rotary engine component also rotates, and the at least one rotary engine component further defines at least one coolant distribution channel formed into an outer surface of the at least one rotary engine component, the at least one coolant distribution channel having fluid communication with the at least one coolant transmission hole of the drive shaft and extending radially along the outer surface of the at least one rotary engine component from the coolant transmission hole of the drive shaft to the at least one outer coolant fluid channel of the outer case so as to also have fluid communication with the at least one outer coolant fluid channel of the outer case; wherein when the drive shaft rotates so that the at least one rotary engine component rotates, the rotation of the at least one rotary engine component produces a centripetal force which is applied to at least the liquid coolant disposed within the at least one coolant distribution channel which causes the liquid coolant disposed within the at least one coolant distribution channel to flow within the at least one coolant distribution channel in a direction away from the bore hole and the at least one coolant transmission hole of the drive shaft to the at least one outer coolant fluid channel of the outer case which facilitates the flow of the liquid coolant through the rotary engine to thereby provide cooling for the plurality of rotary engine components of the rotary engine, and wherein the flow of the liquid coolant through the rotary engine during operation of the rotary engine includes a routing of the liquid coolant flowing from the bore hole to the at least one coolant transmission hole to the at least one coolant distribution channel to the at least one outer coolant fluid channel and out through the at least one coolant connector to exit the rotary engine external to the outer case for subsequent recirculation into the rotary engine through the bore hole.