TOROIDAL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

摘要

A rotary engine (10) with one or more toroidal chambers defined by rotors (14) that rotate within cylindrical housings (12). Pistons (18) project into the chambers from the rotors. The pistons cooperate with valves (22, 22') to define compression regions (26) and expansion regions (28) in the chambers. The rotors, the pistons, the valves, or a combination thereof define or include combustion regions (30) of constant volume wherein a fuel-air mixture compressed in the compression regions burns and then is ejected to the expansion regions. Fuel is injected into both the compression regions and the expansion regions. In a first embodiment of the engine, the valves are rotary and include recesses (24, 24') that accommodate the pistons as the pistons pass the valves. As a piston transits from a compression region to an expansion region via a valve, the space in the valve recess not occupied by the piston is the combustion region.