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.

This invention relates to the field of internal combustion engines and compressors in general and to linear compressors, in particular these used as in U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,527, by accurately controlling the pressure being delivered into the combustion chambers of said engine while returning unused energy of the compression phase into the motor for complete expansion.

Another improvement relates to a pressure compensated vane to be used inside grooves of the motor assembly rotor. This invention enables the vane to seal against the cavity of the housing tightly with minimal force.

A double-working-medium expander used for a two-stage organic Rankine cycle, comprising a cylinder body, a rotor disposed inside the cylinder body and provided with a plurality of slip sheets in a radial direction of the cylinder body, and a rotary shaft fixedly connected to the center of the rotor, wherein, the cylinder body is of an annular structure formed by two semi-oval structures which are in butt joint with unequal semi-major axes and equal semi-minor axes; the outer peripheral surface of the rotor can be rotationally tangent to the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder body at the butt joint position of the two semi-oval structures of the cylinder body; a low-temperature cycle volume for expanding the low-temperature working medium with a large flow and a small expansion ratio and a high-temperature cycle volume for expanding the high-temperature working medium with a small flow and a large expansion ratio are formed among two sides of the rotor and the cylinder body, respectively; and, a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet, which are arranged on the wall of the cylinder body, are communicated with the low-temperature cycle volume, and a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet, which are arranged on the wall of the cylinder body, are both communicated with the high-temperature cycle volume. In the present invention, two working mediums in the two-stage organic Rankine cycle can do expansion work in an expansion mechanism.

A rotary vane air motor comprises a rotor, stator and vanes. The rotor has slots for the vanes, and the vanes may move between a retracted position and a contact position in which the vanes contact the cylinder. Each vane may have a longitudinal portion whose shape conforms generally to the slot, and a transverse portion that is radially outside of the slot and extends at least in part in a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal portion and that may be tangential to the perimeter of the rotor at the slot. The shape of the perimeter may be a polygon with rounded corners. The vanes may also include a magnetic portion or a rotating portion.

A rotary vane pump or rotary vane motor including a rotatable rotor being eccentrically arranged within a rotatable cylindrical housing sleeve defining a freely rotary working chamber which takes out the relative sliding movement and friction inside to outer housing bearing. A partition element of a vane hingedly attached to the rotor; wherein the partition element travels with the rotor following the orbit of the housing incident to the expansion and contraction of the working space performing as a true dynamic radial seal; The rotor assembly along with the housing assembly being sandwiched between end-plates to fulfill dynamic side seal; The end-plates may contain pressure and non-pressure ports as well as holes for shaft, bearings, brackets and mounting hardware.