SE2130296A1

SE2130296A1 - twin-cylinder converse-rotation machine

Info

Publication number: SE2130296A1
Application number: SE2130296A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Henrik Johansson
Original assignee: Henrik Johansson
Priority date: 2021-11-05
Filing date: 2021-11-05
Publication date: 2023-05-06

Abstract

SummaryA machine based on two tightly connected rotors with opposite rotation contained within an 8-shaped twin-cylinder. The rotors are equipped with cog sets (cogs and openings) as well as valves within the rotors to allow fluid floating between compression and expansion side. The space between the cog-set and the point where the rotors connect, creates a space that will vary in size as the rotors rotate. The variation of this space is used for the creation of useful work when used as engine or reversely to separate heat and cold when operating as heat pump. The machine makes use of centric rotary operation, which involves less waste of mechanical energy compared to reciprocating as well as concentric rotary operation.The construction can be used as heat engine, heat pump, combustion engine and direct integrated electrical generator.SummaryA machine based on two tightly connected rotors with opposite rotation contained within an 8-shaped twin-cylinder. The rotors are equipped with cog sets (cogs and openings) as well as valves within the rotors to allow fluid floating between compression and expansion side. The space between the cog-set and the point where the rotors connect, creates a space that will vary in size as the rotors rotate. The variation of this space is used for the creation of useful work when used as an engine or conversely to separate heat and cold when operating as a heat pump. The machine makes use of centric rotary operation, which involves less waste of mechanical energy compared to reciprocating as well as concentric rotary operation. The construction can be used as heat engine, heat pump, combustion engine and direct integrated electrical generator.

Description

Twin-Cylinder Converse-Rotation Machine Description of a Twin-Cylinder Converse-Rotation machine (TCCR) that can be applied as heat engine, heat pump, internal combustion engine as well as directly integrated electrical generator.

Most existing engines are based on reciprocating movement of a piston within a cylinder. These suffers from losses due to the returning movement required to move the piston back to its starting point before the power cycle can be resumed. Rotary engines, such as Wankel engines do exist, but due to other deficiencies are still limited in use.

This paper describes the idea of machine based on "twin cylinder converse rotation" (TCCR) principle.

The machine is based on the effect created by the difference in space by two circle segments when they are overlapping vs non-overlapping. This effect is used for creating compression and expansion of a volume that generates useful work. The basic principles and definition of terminology is found in picture 3.

The machine also makes use of the flywheel effect from the two rotors to push fluid from the compression to the expansion side during a passive part of power cycle. ln addition, the cog-sets of the rotors can be partitioned in the axial dimension into sections such that at any given moment there is at least one section that will produce active work (expansion and/or compression). Example, a rotor with three cog-sets (120 degrees between each cog) can be divided into 2, 3, 4 or more sections. For rotor with 2 sections: 60 degrees shift between cog sets, 3 section: 40 degrees, 4 sections: 30 degrees etc. this will assure active power cycle somewhere along the "multi-section rotor" at all times. This provides similar effect as multiple cylinders/pistons in reciprocating engines.

The invention is also making use of openings in the rotors that allows fluid/gas to flow from the compression/contraction side to the expansion side during a defined period of the power cycle. The symmetry of the openings is made such that fluid can start flowing when both connecting cogs on the lower side has reached the twin cylinder cross point. The flow will end when both connecting cogs on the upper side has passed the upper twin cylinder cross point.

Each full revolution of the rotors consists of equal number of power cycle as the number of cog-sets, for example a 3 cog-set rotor involve 3 power cycle for one full rotor revolution. This paper primarily focus on the use of 3 cog sets, however other configurations may also be used.

The twin cylinder needs to be extended with additional components depending on application as described below, such as heat sink, valves, insulator, gates, spark plugs etc.

The paper describes four applications for the machine: l. Heat engine based on Stirling cycle 2 Heat pump based on "reverse" Stirling cycle 3. Internal combustion engine based on Otto cycle 4 Direct integrated electrical generator .\.:.;+_. :-§_,-: n.. Nö The benefits of the TCCR machine are: l. Minimum number of moving parts, essentially only the two rotating rotors 2. Rotary engine allowing for high efficiency as each power cycle perpetuates an already ongoing motion 3. Using a centric rotary design, as oppose to many other rotary machines like Wankel etc. that are concentric, also allows for more efficient operation Low vibrations and minimum noise, due to the centric rota ry design Modular design, cylinder/rotors can be scaled in both length and radius and in addition several smaller systems can be interchained Operate as heat engine In case of heat pump, no "hazardous" or environmental unfriendly fluids required Can be applied as an Internal combustion engine (ICE) Possible to directly integrate electrical generator >°9°N9* 91% Fet/v rnoxfireg parts The described machine consists of minimum of moving parts, essentially only the two rotors. The "cog-wheel rotors" serves the purpose of both piston and fly wheel in reciprocating engines, and in the case of Stirling engine it also acts as displacer (moving air between hot and cold side).

The simple configuration allows for high efficiency and durability as well as low production and maintenance costs.

Rotary engine, high efficiency' The machine builds on principles of a rotary engine that is conceptually more efficient compared to reciprocating engines where part of the generated work is required to move piston back to its starting position before the working cycle can repeat. For rotary engines the force applied is simply perpetuating an already ongoing motion.

Loxlv xfilaratior; The lack of reciprocating movements and minimum number of moving parts caters for minimum vibration and thereby also low operational noise and other negative vibration effects. ln addition, the centric rotor design creates less vibrations compared to concentric rotary engines. švflodušëzr design The machine can be easily scaled by increasing the radius of the twin-cylinder and rotors, but it can also be increased by extending the length (axial dimension) of the twin-cylinder and rotors. ln addition, several smaller systems could be connected in "daisy chain", where multiple smaller units make up a larger scale system. This could be achieved by connecting the axis from one system to the next increasing the overall length.

Heat; erigšrwe The TCCR can operate as heat engine following the Stirling cycle. ln comparison with traditional Stirling engines the TCCR has the benefits of following the Stirling cycle (P-V diagram) more stringent. Today's practical implementations of Stirling engines deviate from the ideal cycle model due deficiencies in construction. For example, piston-based Stirling machines follows a P-V diagram with a more kidney-shaped cycle due the sinusoidal behavior of piston motion derived from the flywheel. However, in the TCCR, the cooling part of cycle is strictly constant volume and heating is close to constant volume. ln addition, traditional Stirling engines are best suited for "point" heat-source, whereas TCCR is well suited for heat sources that is stretched out both in length (for example along a heat pipe or chimney) as well as area (for example as solar heat panel).

Heat paiiïip As the machine can be applied to the Stirling cycle it can also operate reversely as a heat pump. When applied as heat pump, no need for hazardous or environmental unfriendly gases like CFC and similar. The TCCR would work with environmentally friendly gases like Hydrogen or Helium or even "air" even if heat exchange/efficiency would be lower. šnternal cornbustion e-awgine The principles can also be applied as an internal combustion engine. ln this configuration additional gates and valves for inlet and outlet will needed, as well as spark plug. Üirectšy' Integrated Electricitgf gerle-rator As the TCCR is already operating a centric rotary motion, by applying magnets onto the rotors and coils on the twin-cylinders the TCCR will automatically also work as a directly integrated electrical generator.

\ Heat engines, often referred to as Stirling eng|ne named after its inventor, makes use of the temperature difference between the heat source and sink. There are three types of Stirling engines described in literature referred to as Alpha, Beta and Gamma, all based on the idea of two pistons or one piston and one displacer. Fluid/gas is heated at one side where it is expanded pushing a piston. The movement of the piston causes a flywheel to rotate. The force of the flywheel is used for moving the fluid/gas between hot and cool side causing the process to start all over.

All well-known Stirling engines types (Alpha, Beta and Gamma) are based on reciprocating pistons. This paper describes a variant based on above described TCCR concept (making this invention the Delta version of Stirling engines).

With the TCCR engine two tightly connected rotors are rotating in opposite direction. With "sparsely" placed cog-sets, two specific volumes, hereafter referred to as "connected chambers", of entrapped fluid/gas is created delimited by 1) one cog from each rotor, 2) the core of the rotors and 3) the twin cylinder as the outer shell. As the rotors rotate, the volume of the connected chambers will vary. ln the pictures described in this paper, the right rotor rotates counterclockwise and left rotor clockwise. Applying heat at the bottom and cold at the top of the twin-cylinder will lead to fluid on the upper side connected chambers to compress/contract and fluid in the lower connected chamber to expand.

The TCCR engine follows the Stirling cycle of expansion, cooling, heating and contraction (compression) where chambers of the two sides are overlapping allowing fluid/gas to contract and expand. |nstead of pushing of piston, the motion is created by fluid/gas expansion and contraction in two connected chambers, leading to rotors to rotate in opposite/converse direction.

The machine continuously operates with the different stages of the Stirling cycle at the different parts of the system. contraction (compression) will take place in the upper part, cooling will take place at each side, at the bottom expansion will take place and finally in the middle (where the two cylinders in the twin-cylinder overlap) heat transfer will take place. See figure 2 When fluid has left the expansion part it will enter chambers of constant volume, where fluid can cool during constant volume at each side (left and right) of the twin-cylinders. ln addition, each rotor consists of openings allowing flow from cool to hot side during the heating part of the cycle (after contraction has ended). ln this paper rotor with cog sets of three cogs are used, however other configuration may be used as well. With three-cogs each rotor consisting of three chambers. For a system with three cogs per rotor each full rotation of the rotor will include three full Stirling cycles, with four cogs four full Stirling cycles and so on.

. For the Stirling engine application, the twin cylinder is equipped with heat sinks on the cooling side, insulators isolating the heat side from the cold side at each end of the twin-cylinder. Figure 1 A detailed description of the operation where the selected starting point is when fluid/gas has just passed from compression to expansion side through the openings in the rotors. This defines the starting point of the expansion part of the power cycle. 1, :start of emansitvr: (end of taeatirwg) This stage is depicted in figure 4.

Fluid/gas in the lower hot connected chamber CH is expanding and pushing on cogs CL1 and CR1, causing the left rotor to rotate clockwise and right rotor to rotate counterclockwise.

Fluid/gas in chamber CR1-2 and CL1-2 is cooling under constant volume as they rotate away from the hot side towards the cold side. CR2-3 and CL2-3 is just about to reach its end of cooling Siíage 2, start. of f;orrtrla<;titvr: (c;c>:npr'es:;ifar1), exrßarasifßfi coratiriiišrwg This stage is depicted in figure 5.

Fluid/gas in chamber CR2-3 is connected to fluid/gas chamber in chamber CL2-3, creating a connected cooling chamber (CC). The fluid in the connected chamber CC is cooling causing contraction that pulls cog CR2 and CL2 causing left rotor in clockwise rotation and right rotor in counterclockwise rotation. This adds to the already ongoing motion of expansion as described in previous section Fluid/gas in lower connected hot chamber CH continue expanding and pushing right rotor counterclockwise and left rotor clockwise rotation.

Fluid/gas in chambers CR1-2 and CL1-2 is cooling under constant volume Stage- 3, en-:š of iexgz-aawsi-ong, contraction continue- This stage is depicted in figure 6.

Cog CR3 of the right rotor reach the cross-point of the twin-cylinder and thereby disconnecting the two fluid/gas into two chambers of constant volume CR3-1 and CL3-1 respectively. This defines the end of the expansion cycle.

Fluid/gas in the connected cooling chamber CC is continue cooling and causing contraction pulling cog CR2 counterclockwise and cog CL2 clockwise motions.

Fluid/gas in chamber CL1-2 and CR1-2 continue cooling under constant volume f-l, :alsarï iaeatiwg, end :af conïrattl_icar1 (ttomprefssšcßrz) This stage is depicted in figure 7.

Cog CL3 in left rotor has reached the cross-point of the twin-cylinder and thereby created a new connected heating chamber (CH). Fluid/gas from upper connected cooling chamber (CC) can pass through opening into lower heating chamber (CH). As the fluid/gas in cooling chamber (CC) is starting to pass into heating chamber (CH) this defines the start of the heating cycle and end of the contraction/compression cycle.

The flywheel motion of left rotary piston (clockwise) and right rotary piston (counterclockwise) push the air in cool chamber CC throw the rotor valves to the hot connected chamber CH.

After stage 4 the process has completed one full cycle and is back at stage 1 and the rotors has revolved 120 degree. Consequently, three complete cycles are needed for the rotors to revolve one full turn (360 degree), for a system using rotors with three cog-sets per rotor. th. v' Previous sections describe the basic operation for the heat engine operation. ln order to further improve the efficiency of the system, regeneration of heat can be introduced. This could be achieved through a valve allowing excess of heated fluid to flow back during the heating part of the cycle as described in figure 8 and figure 9.

Start of heating of a heat chamber CH when left cog 1 (CL1) meets the lower part of the twin cylinder ,figure 8. The symmetry of the system is such that at the same time the valves in the cylinders will start to let cold compressed fluid from the cold chamber (CC) to heating chamber (CH). As the rotors continue to rotate the total volume CC+CH will remain constant, i.e. following the "heating under constant volume". However with the addition of the regenerator valves will allow excess heated fluid to also enter the CH and thereby regenerate part of the heat from CL1-2 and CR1-2.

The heat regeneration will continue until cog CL1 and CR1 rotates to the inlets of the regenerator valves and thereby blocking of further flow back to CH as depicted in figure 9. The symmetry is such that end of heating will defined by CR3 reaching the tip of the upper twin cylinder intersection point. At the same time the cylinder valves will close and allowing no more fluid to pass from CC to CH as well as CR1 and CL1 reach the inlets of the regenerator valves. From here on the system will enter compression (CC) and expansion (CH) cycles.

As the Stirling cycle is reversable, the same principles can be applied in opposite direction. i.e. by applying force to revolve the right rotor clockwise and left rotor counterclockwise, fluid/gas will be compressed and will generate heat at the lower "HEAT" side and fluid/gas will be expanded and cooling at the upper "COLD" side.

The TCCR engine can be applied also to ICE following the Otto cycle, wh re the fluid/gas is compressed on the upper side and passed throw the openings in the rotors to the lower part where it is ignited, see figure 10.

For the ICE application the twin cylinder is equipped with exhaust valves (VEL and VER) and inlet valves (VIR and VIL), plus gates (GL and GR) to allow cogs to pass.

As the TCCR is already functioning in a rotating motion it can easily be extended to operate as an electrical generator. ln figure 11 a 4 -cog rotor system is described where one of the cogs on each side is acting as magnet with north and south pole 180 degree separated and two coils (one on each side of the twin cylinder). As the rotors rotate within the cylinder it will induct electricity each time it passes by its respective coil. This electrical generation is directly integrated, i.e. without any additional components than the magnets and coils that can be directly integrated into the system. This example describes a system with two 4 cogs per rotor with only one north and one south end on each side, however other configurations may also apply.

Claims

1.An c|ppc|rc|tus consisting of twin-cylinder (two overlc|pping connected cylinders) c|nd two rotors with opposite rotc|tion direction. The rotors consist of spc|rsely spc|ced cogs c|nd cog openings c|s well c|s rotor vc||ves to c|||ow fluid pc|ssing through. The c|ppc|rc|tus will generc|te useful work bc|sed on the principle thc|t the spc|ce between rotor-cog c|nd the connection point between the rotors will vc|ry c|s the rotors rotc|te c|nd thereby crec|ting compression c|nd expc|nsion.

4.The use of the c|ppc|rc|tus mentioned in c|c|im l) forthe use c|s internc|l combustion engine by c|dding necessc|ry inlet/outlet vc||ves, gc|tes c|nd spc|rk plug

6.The use of c|dding regenerc|tor vc||ves the c|ppc|rc|tus mentioned in c|c|im l), 2) c|nd 3) to reuse excess hec|t from previous expc|nsion cycle to enhc|nce efficiency

7.The use of one-directionc|l vc||ves in the opening to secure thc|t fluid flows in the compression to expc|nsion direction. This c|pplies to rotor vc||ves in c|c|im l) c|s well c|s regenerc|tor vc||ves in c|c|im 6) Specificcilly, the use of Teslc| vc||ves c|s these cc|n operc|te without c|ny moving pc|rts c|nd works well for pulsc|tile flows. Clc|im l) c|nd 6) c|nd