An engine comprises a housing and a combustion assembly carried by the housing. The combustion assembly comprises an annular bore defined by the housing, at least one combustion piston disposed within the annular bore, and a sealing mechanism configured to selectively seal the at least one combustion piston relative to at least one corresponding wall of the annular bore. The engine comprises at least one rotary valve configured to move between a first position within the annular bore to allow the at least one combustion piston to travel within the annular bore from a first location proximate to the at least one valve to a second location distal to the at least one rotary valve and a second position within the annular bore to define a combustion chamber relative to the at least one combustion piston at the second location.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a modular rotary engine with a rotating valve shaft assembly. The rotating valve shaft assembly controls the timing of operations that alternately load and seal compressed air in a plurality of adjacent combustion chambers and alternately unload the high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gases from the adjacent combustion chambers into one or more expansion modules. The rotating valve shaft assembly includes at least two rotating valve shafts. Each rotating valve shaft includes ports that alternately open to allow a flow of compressed air from the compression module into a combustion chamber; and close to allow the injection of fuel into the combustion chamber and ignition of the compressed air and fuel mixture. The rotation of the drive shaft of the rotary engine is powered by the expansion of expanding combustion gases that turns the expansion rotor.

A rotary engine, parts thereof, and methods associated therewith is provided. The engine is modular and adjustable to accommodate a variety of requirements and preferences. The system includes a combustion assembly having a housing and a power rotor positioned therein. The power rotor rotates in a first direction from the beginning of each combustion process through the end of each exhaust process. The system also includes a compression assembly linked to the combustion assembly such that the compression rotor rotates in the first direction from the beginning of each intake process through the end of each compression process. A tank assembly in fluid communication with the compression assembly and the combustion assembly provides stability to the system while eliminating or otherwise reducing transitional loses.

There is provided a free rotary fluid machine including: a main body which is provided in a hollow cylindrical shape, and has an elliptical inner circumferential surface; a rotor which is provided in the main body, and rotates about the same rotation center as the main body; tip seals which are provided at one side of the rotor so as to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the main body; and blades which are provided between the tip seals provided adjacent to each other, and supported by the tip seals, in which the blade has one end surface that faces the inner circumferential surface of the main body, and the other end surface that is opposite to one end surface, and centers of radii of curvature of one end surface and the other end surface are positioned at the same side. As described above, a space formed among the inner circumferential surface of the main body, the rotor, and the tip seal is sealed by the auxiliary tip seal, and as a result, it is possible to reduce friction between the tip seal and the main body and to prevent a leak of an introduced working fluid.

Scroll fluid machine (1) in which the dislodgement of a slide bush (56) and a spring (61), which are provided in an eccentric bush (36), is prevented. Provided in receiving hole (58) of eccentric bush (36) are slide bush (56), which is movable in the direction of eccentricity, and spring (61), which biases slide bush (56) in a moving direction. A spring holding section (56b) and engagement projections (56a) are formed on slide bush (56). After slide bush (56) is placed in the receiving hole (58), engagement projections (56a) engage with eccentric bush (36) in a state in which slide bush (56) has been moved by the biasing force of spring (61), thus preventing slide bush (56) from falling off the receiving hole (58), and the spring holding section (56b) prevents the spring (61) from falling off the receiving hole (58).

A positive-displacement unitary pump and turbine is operable as a fluid energy exchanger using a charging fluid as motive force and acting upon a separate feed fluid that exits the turbine at an elevated energy state. The rotor casing defines a rotor chamber having a contoured wall that forms a plurality of lobes, typically in an even number. Each lobe has an inlet port and an outlet port defined by the contoured wall, and the rotor has a plurality of vanes that follow the contoured wall as the rotor spins. The rotor is driven by the charging fluid entering first and second lobes, located generally opposite one another, and exiting the lobes at a lower energy state. The driven rotor is operable to elevate the energy level of a feed fluid in third and fourth lobes, located generally opposite one another.

An engine comprises a housing and a combustion assembly carried by the housing. The combustion assembly comprises an annular bore defined by the housing, at least one combustion piston disposed within the annular bore, and a sealing mechanism configured to selectively seal the at least one combustion piston relative to at least one corresponding wall of the annular bore. The engine comprises at least one rotary valve configured to move between a first position within the annular bore to allow the at least one combustion piston to travel within the annular bore from a first location proximate to the at least one valve to a second location distal to the at least one rotary valve and a second position within the annular bore to define a combustion chamber relative to the at least one combustion piston at the second location.

A gas-cycle system operable using a Bell-Coleman cycle, the gas-cycle system comprising an expander (23) and a compressor (27) incorporated in a flow path (13). The expander (23) and compressor (27) are integrated in a rotary machine (41), and each comprises a rotor assembly (70) configured to define one or more zones (80) each of which changes continuously in volume during a rotation cycle of the rotor assembly. The expander (23) and compressor (27) are drivingly interconnected whereby rotational drive applied to one is transmitted directly to the other. Each rotor assembly (70) comprises an inner rotor (73) and an outer rotor (75) adapted to rotate about parallel axes at different rotational speeds. The inner rotors (73) are each drivingly connected to a common shaft for rotation therewith. The two outer rotors (75) are coupled together such that rotational drive applied to one is transmitted directly to the other. An air-cycle system and an air conditioning system (10) based on the gas-cycle system are also disclosed.

A variable volume chamber device is disclosed. The chambers may be defined by the space between four pivotally connected vanes contained within a housing. The vanes may be connected so as to create a sealed interior chamber that may be used as a combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine, or as a pumping chamber in a pump or compressor. The four-vane assembly may also form additional variable volume chambers between the vanes and a surrounding structure. The plurality of variable volume chambers may be interconnected to progressively act on a working fluid.

A rotary engine, parts thereof, and methods associated therewith is provided. The engine is modular and adjustable to accommodate a variety of requirements and preferences. The system includes a combustion assembly having a housing and a power rotor positioned therein. The power rotor rotates in a first direction from the beginning of each combustion process through the end of each exhaust process. The system also includes a compression assembly linked to the combustion assembly such that the compression rotor rotates in the first direction from the beginning of each intake process through the end of each compression process. A tank assembly in fluid communication with the compression assembly and the combustion assembly provides stability to the system while eliminating or otherwise reducing transitional loses.