Rotary machines are disclosed that include, in one embodiment, a rotatable shaft defining a central axis A, the shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft can have a first hub that defines a first gearbox disposed thereon with a plurality pivots. At least one contour also having pivots is connected to the first gearbox pivots by two linkages exterior to the first gearbox. The contour has a convex outer surface that cooperates with an inwardly facing curved surface of a housing to form a working volume. A gearbox mechanism including gears, crankshafts, bearings and connecting rods creates an oscillatory motion 2 times per revolution in the linkages such that the contour is forced to navigate about the arcuate cavity without contacting the cavity at a high rate of rotating speed.

An illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pump having a rotor and a plurality of vanes. The rotor is attached to a motor that rotates it in first and second directions and is located in a cavity. The plurality of vanes are each pivotally coupled to the rotor so as the rotor rotates, the vanes selectively push fluid from an inlet port out through an outlet port. The plurality of vanes each have an end selected from the group consisting of a lobe, no lobe, and a rod located in the lobe. Each of the plurality of vanes also includes a pivot pin configured to fit in a corresponding receptacle located in the rotor so that each of the plurality of vanes is pivotable with respect to the rotor inside the cavity.

An illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pump having a rotor and a plurality of vanes. The rotor is attached to a motor that rotates it in first and second directions and is located in a cavity. The plurality of vanes are each pivotally coupled to the rotor so as the rotor rotates, the vanes selectively push fluid from an inlet port out through an outlet port. The plurality of vanes each have an end selected from the group consisting of a lobe, no lobe, and a rod located in the lobe. Each of the plurality of vanes also includes a pivot pin configured to fit in a corresponding receptacle located in the rotor so that each of the plurality of vanes is pivotable with respect to the rotor inside the cavity.

The disclosure provides rotary machines that include, in one embodiment, a rotatable shaft defining a central axis A, the shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft can have a first hub disposed thereon with a plurality of cavities. At least one contour is slidably received into an arcuate cavity in an exterior surface of the hub. The contour has a convex outer surface that cooperates with an inwardly facing curved surface of a housing to form a working volume.

A rotary drive includes a housing; a shaft rotatably mounted within the housing and rotatable about a drive axis; a passage internal the housing and extending circumferentially about the shaft; a stator vane within the passage; and a rotor vane within the passage. The stator and rotor vanes are movable between respective closed positions in which the stator and rotor vanes separate the passage into a circumferentially expanding chamber in fluid communication with an inlet in the housing and a circumferentially collapsing chamber in fluid communication with an outlet in the housing, and respective open positions in which the rotor vane is movable circumferentially past the stator vane during rotation of the shaft.

A rotary drive includes a housing; a shaft rotatably mounted within the housing and rotatable about a drive axis; a passage internal the housing and extending circumferentially about the shaft; a stator vane within the passage; and a rotor vane within the passage. The stator and rotor vanes are movable between respective closed positions in which the stator and rotor vanes separate the passage into a circumferentially expanding chamber in fluid communication with an inlet in the housing and a circumferentially collapsing chamber in fluid communication with an outlet in the housing, and respective open positions in which the rotor vane is movable circumferentially past the stator vane during rotation of the shaft.

The invention comprises a method for heating a fluid in an engine, including: a rotor rotating relative to a stator about a shaft and a set of vanes extending radially outward, relative to an elongated axis of the shaft, between the rotator and the stator, the set of vanes separating a set of expansion chambers, where the method comprises the steps of: (1) applying a shear force to the fluid to form a gas with a rotatable chamber within the shaft of the engine; and (2) exhausting the gas from the shaft to a rotor-vane chamber, the rotor-vane chamber comprising a void in a vane slot on a shaft side of a first vane, of the set of vanes. Optionally, the gas applies a rotation force by passing the gas from the first vane to a trailing expansion chamber of the set of expansion chambers.

An improvement to an expander is disclosed. The expander is of the type that has vanes that extend and retract from a rotor body during rotation and create chambers that increase and decrease in size. The improvement comprises, for each vane, for each vane, a pivot axis orientated parallel to the rotational axis and about which said each vane pivots between the extended and retracted positions.

The invention comprises a rotary engine method and apparatus configured with a self-actuating/self-damping vane system. In the rotary engine apparatus, a set of vanes extend from a rotor to a housing, whereby the rotary engine is divided into expansion chambers. Each of the vanes enclose a stressed band wound at least partially around two or more rollers. Potential energy of the stressed band, which is optionally a smart metal, provides a radially outward force on the vane toward the housing, aiding in seal formation of the vane to the housing.

A fixed-rail rotor pump and fixed-rail rotor pump combined supercharging internal combustion engine are described. In the fixed-rail rotor pump, a rotor shaft runs through a rotor; the rotor is internally tangent to the inner wall of the cylinder; the inner side of at least one side of a cylinder-end cover is fixed with a convex fixed-rail disposed concentrically with the cylinder; the rotor runs through the cylinder end cover and the fixed-rail; a piston is provided along the external periphery of the rotor and is rotatably connected to the rotor via a rotating shaft of the piston; the rotor is provided with a piston comprises a top arc surface, a bottom arc surface the three angels of the piston constitute an equilateral triangle; the top angle of the piston keeps contact with the inner wall of the cylinder; the bottom arc surface of the piston is externally tangent to the outer peripheral surface of the fixed-rail; the piston moves in a curved path around the fixed-rail.