Rotating piston internal combustion engine

Abstract

A rotating piston internal combustion engine including a housing which includes a housing wall that forms an operating chamber, and in which housing a rotatable rotating piston is arranged which extends through the operating chamber and moves edges of the rotating piston along the housing wall that forms a running surface, wherein a portion of the operating chamber functions as a combustion chamber together with an associated combustion chamber wall for igniting a fuel that is arranged in the operating chamber, characterized in that at least one microwave window is arranged in the combustion chamber wall, wherein a device for injecting microwave energy in a form of microwaves into the combustion chamber of the operating chamber is arranged at a side of the microwave window that is oriented away from the combustion chamber.

Claims

1. A rotating piston internal combustion engine, comprising: a housing which includes a housing wall that forms an operating chamber; a rotatable rotating piston that is arranged in the housing and extends through the operating chamber and moves edges of the rotating piston along a portion of the housing wall that forms a running surface; a portion of the operating chamber that functions as a combustion chamber together with a combustion chamber wall so that a fuel that is arranged in the operating chamber is ignitable; at least one microwave window that is arranged in the combustion chamber wall; a device configured to inject microwaves into the combustion chamber of the operating chamber; and uneven local geometric metal structures that are arranged in the combustion chamber wall, wherein the device configured to inject microwaves is arranged at a side of the at least one microwave window which side is oriented away from the combustion chamber, wherein the device configured to inject the microwaves is separated by the at least one microwave window from the combustion chamber, wherein at least the combustion chamber wall is at least partially made from a material that is permeable for microwaves and suitable for combusting fuel in the combustion chamber, and wherein the uneven local geometric metal structures reflect microwaves that were initially reflected out of the combustion chamber back in into the combustion chamber in a concentrated or scattered manner.

2. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber wall and the housing wall have an identical running surface structure, and wherein the combustion chamber wall and portions of the combustion chamber wall that form the at least one microwave window that is permeable for the microwaves have an identical running surface structure without gaps or indentations between the combustion chamber wall and the portions of the combustion chamber wall that form the at least one microwave window.

3. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the combustion chamber wall and the at least one microwave window are integrally provided in one piece.

4. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the uneven local geometric metal structures are formed from particles that are introduced into the combustion chamber wall or as a metal powder layer.

5. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the rotating piston includes a reflective layer made from a material that is permeable for the microwaves and adapted to a combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber, and wherein the reflective layer includes uneven local geometric metal structures which reflect microwaves impacting the rotating piston back in to the combustion chamber in a concentrated or scattered manner.

6. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein at least the combustion chamber wall and the reflective layer are at least partially configured as a pre-fabricated sintered insert which is insertable into the housing wall or the housing or a piston wall.

7. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the material is a ceramic material or sapphire glass.

8. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the combustion chamber wall is provided with a metal layer that extends in a longitudinal direction of the combustion chamber wall, and wherein the metal layer is impermeable for microwaves and includes at least one opening for passing microwaves through.

9. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to inject the microwaves includes at least one microwave pulse generator that is arranged at the housing in an axial direction of the housing.

10. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein at least one microwave channel is arranged in the housing wall, and wherein the at least one microwave channel is connected with the at least one microwave window.

11. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein at least the combustion chamber wall or the reflective layer are at least partially configured as a pre-fabricated sintered insert which is insertable into the housing wall or the housing or a piston wall.

12. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the uneven local geometric metal structures are formed from particles introduced into the reflective layer or as a metal powder layer.

13. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein at least the combustion chamber wall or the reflective layer are at least partially configured as a pre-fabricated sintered insert which is insertable into the housing wall or the housing or a piston wall.

14. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein at least the combustion chamber wall and the reflective layer are at least partially configured as a pre-fabricated sintered insert which is insertable into the housing wall or the housing or a piston wall.

15. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the material is a ceramic material or sapphire glass.

16. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to inject the microwaves includes a microwave spark plug or a microwave generator which directly adjoin the at least one microwave window in the combustion chamber wall.

17. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to inject the microwaves includes a microwave generator which generates microwaves with a frequency of 25 GHz to 95 GHz-and which includes a control for at least one of a point in time, a frequency, an amplitude and a type of the injection of the microwaves.

18. The rotating piston internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to inject the microwaves includes a microwave generator which injects the microwaves in impulse packets controlled by a control device; and wherein the microwave generator maintains the microwaves also after an ignition of fuel has occurred.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is subsequently described in more detail with reference to drawing figures. Additional features of the invention can be derived from the subsequent description in combination with the patent claims and the appended drawing figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic view of a rotating piston internal combustion engine with a microwave pulse generator which is arranged in the housing of the rotating piston internal combustion engine at a slant angle in a face view,

(3) FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic cross sectional view of the housing of FIG. 1A along the line AA of FIG. 1A;

(4) FIG. 1C illustrates an embodiment of a detail X of FIG. 1B of the housing wall and the rotating piston wall oriented towards the operating cavity;

(5) FIG. 1D illustrates an embodiment of a detail X of FIG. 1B of the housing wall and the rotating piston wall oriented towards the operating cavity;

(6) FIG. 1E illustrates an embodiment of a detail X of FIG. 1B of the housing wall and the rotating piston wall oriented towards the operating cavity;

(7) FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic view of a rotating piston internal combustion engine with a microwave pulse generator which is arranged an axial direction in the housing of the rotating piston internal combustion engine in a face view;

(8) FIG. 2B illustrates a plan view cross section of the housing of FIG. 2A in an attachment portion of the microwave pulse generator in a schematic cross section of the housing along the line AA of FIG. 2A;

(9) FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1B with a microwave spark plug in place of the microwave pulse generator;

(10) FIG. 4A illustrates a schematic view according to FIG. 1B with a plan view cross section with plural metal coatings of the combustion chamber wall on a side oriented towards the operating chamber,

(11) FIG. 4B illustrates a schematic view according to FIG. 1B with a plan view cross section with plural metal coatings of the combustion chamber wall on a side oriented away from the operating chamber;

(12) FIG. 5A illustrates a view similar to FIG. 1B;

(13) FIG. 5B illustrates a blown up cross sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 5A with a first arrangement of metal coatings and reflection layers formed therefrom; and

(14) FIG. 6A illustrates a view similar to FIG. 1B

(15) FIG. 6B illustrates a blown up sectional view along the line B-B of FIG. 6A with a second arrangement of metal coatings and reflective layers formed therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(16) FIGS. 1A-E and 2A, B illustrate two different embodiments of the engine 1 which differ in that the microwave pulse generators 10 are arranged differently. FIG. 3 illustrates an arrangement of a microwave spark plug 18 in place of the microwave pulse generator in FIGS. 1A-E. The description of the engine 1 with a housing 2 and the arrangements included therein furthermore applies to the embodiments in FIGS. 1A-E, 2A, B and 3. This also applies for the details X in the figures which are only illustrated in FIGS. 1C, 1C and 1E.

(17) The engine 1 includes a housing wall 3 with a wall layer 22 which envelops an operating chamber 5 in which a rotating piston 6 is supported rotatable about a rotating axis 7. The edge 17 of the rotating piston 6 moves along the wall layer 22 of the housing wall 3. The portion of the operating chamber 5 in which a fuel is arranged that is compressed by a rotation of the rotating piston 6 is designated as a combustion chamber 9 and a portion of the wall layer 22 that is associated with the combustion chamber 9 is designated as combustion chamber wall 4. At least the combustion chamber wall 4 is made from a microwave permeable material, namely a ceramic material. In the embodiment, however, not only the combustion chamber wall 4 but the entire portion of the housing wall 3 enveloping the operating cavity 5 is fabricated with a wall layer 22 made from a ceramic material. The wall layer 22 is made from inserts. The rotating piston 6 also includes a reflection layer 8 made from a ceramic material. In FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B the microwave pulse generator 10 is arranged at a slant angle relative to the housing 2 and is arranged substantially perpendicular to the divider space wall 4 at the location where it contacts the divider space wall 4. The microwave pulse generator wall 10 can be threaded into the housing 2 or can be attached at the housing 2 with a bayonet closure. The microwave pulse generator 10 is subject matter of the parallel patent application EP 15 17 00 29.1 and includes suitable control devices for controlling the microwaves. The portion 4 in the combustion chamber wall 4 adjoining the microwave pulse generator 10 represents the microwave window through which the microwaves exiting from the microwave pulse generator 10 are injected into the combustion chamber 9. This portion as illustrated in FIGS. 4A, B can also include metal guide surfaces 15 introduced into the divider space wall.

(18) As a matter of principle microwaves are reflected by metal so that the microwaves injected into the combustion chamber 9 are disposed in the entire combustion chamber 9 and can energize and ignite the entire fuel in the combustion chamber 9. Since the rotating piston 6 as well as the housing 2 are typically made from metal the microwaves injected into the combustion chamber 9 are typically reflected back and forth between the rotating piston 5 and the housing 2. When the walls forming the combustion chamber 9 are made from a microwave permeable material like in the embodiment the combustion chamber wall 4 or the reflecting layer 8 on the metal housing 2 or a metal core 14 of the rotating piston 6, the microwaves are attenuated slightly but are still retained in the combustion chamber 9.

(19) Additionally a microwave permeable metal layer 11 can either be arranged in the combustion chamber wall 4 and/or in the reflection layer 8, wherein the metal layer 11 was configured in particular during production of the combustion chamber wall 4 or the reflection layer 8 to guide the reflections of the microwaves or also to shorten a path through the combustion chamber wall up to the reflection. Thus, for example in order to achieve a controlled scattering or concentration during the reflection for example in the combustion chamber portions 9 or 9 a metal layer 11 with wave form according to FIG. 1C or a structured uneven metal layer according to FIG. 1D can be provided as an uneven local geometric structure. At locations where no controlled scattering or concentration is desired the metal layer 11 is flat or adapted to a curvature of the wall layer 22. It is also possible to fabricate metal particles 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1E as illustrated in the combustion chamber wall 4 or the reflection layer 8. Since the metal layer 11 reduces the path through microwave permeable layer of the combustion chamber wall 4 or the reflection layer 8 also the attenuation of the microwaves along the path is reduced. In so far also a flat metal layer 11 or a metal layer 11 that is adapted to a respective curvature can be integrated.

(20) As evident from FIGS. 1A and 1B the engine includes a narrow housing 2 in which the operating cavity 5 with the schematically indicated rotating piston 6 is arranged. It is an advantage of rotating piston combustion engines of this type that a plurality of such disc shaped rotating piston internal combustion engines can be arranged adjacent to each other which power a common drive shaft that is not illustrated with different ignition timing. In particular for this case it is advantageous to arrange the microwave pulse generator 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 2A, B. This facilitates the distribution of the injected microwaves to all housings 2 of the engine arranged adjacent to each other through accordingly configured channels. As evident from FIG. 2B the microwave pulse generator 10 is arranged so that it injects the microwaves into the microwave permeable combustion chamber wall 4. In this simplest embodiment the combustion chamber wall 4 forms the microwave conducting channel in which a wall of the channel can be formed by the metal housing wall 3 and the other opposite wall can be formed by a metal layer applied to the combustion chamber wall 4 or introduced into the combustion chamber wall 4 which metal layer includes an opening for microwaves to pass through (not illustrated). Without this layer the entire surface oriented towards the combustion chamber 9 already represents the microwave window 4 through which the microwaves are coupled into the combustion chamber 9 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Laterally additional metal surfaces 15 can be introduced into the combustion chamber wall 4 (FIG. 4A, B). FIG. 2A illustrates the metal housing wall 3, wherein the microwaves pulse generator 10 is run through an opening 16 in the lateral wall 3. In case only a disc shaped housing 2 is used the metal opposite wall 3 of the housing 2 is closed. When plural housings 2 are arranged adjacent to each other only the wall 3 of the last housing 2 is closed, whereas all other housings 2 include a respective opening 16 (with or without ceramic filling) in both walls 3 and 3 in order to conduct the microwaves. It is also possible to make the lateral walls 3, 3 for this housing from a ceramic material with metal surfaces in the walls 3 3 forming the channel.

(21) This microwave conducting channel in a particularly advantageous embodiment can also be configured in the metal housing wall 3. In this case the ceramic layer 22 with its metal inserts forms the microwave openings or the microwave window or the hollow conductor terminal. When the additional microwave permeable metal structures 11 are also arranged in the combustion chamber wall 4 it is required that the portions associated with the openings 16 also include openings in this microwave permeable metal layer 11 (not illustrated). The channel 13 can certainly also include branch offs and can be connected with subsequent additional housings 2 as stated supra.

(22) In the arrangement of plural engines 1 as described supra the back side of the housing 2 of one engine 1 forms the front side of the housing of the other engine 1. Thus, for a respective configuration of the front and back sides of the disc shaped housing 2 also the distribution of inlet air and outlet air into the operating cavity of the respective housing 2 can be configured accordingly. Thus FIG. 2A illustrates a slotted hole shaped outlet air opening 21 which transitions into a circular air outlet opening 20 in FIG. 2B. Accordingly the air inlet 19 in FIG. 2B is connected with a non-illustrated air opening on another side of the housing 2. An engine that is configured with individual discs as recited supra and thus includes plural pistons is particularly powerful and has a particularly low level of vibrations.

(23) Instead of the microwave pulse generator 10 according to FIG. 1B a microwave spark plug can be inserted into the housing according to FIG. 3, wherein the microwave spark plug 18 contacts the combustion chamber wall 4 with its end. The remaining optional measures described supra with respect to directing the microwaves based on reflections can be maintained. FIG. 3 illustrates the microwave spark plug 18 with a microwave window 18 associated with this microwave spark plug 18, wherein the microwave window however is not mandatory because the ceramic wall layer 22 forms the microwave window 4. The microwave spark plug 18 is then connected with a suitable non-illustrated microwave pulse generator 10 through microwave hollow conductors.

(24) In FIGS. 4A, B the wall layer 22 in the portion of the combustion chamber wall 4 is provided with an additional metal layer 13 on a side oriented away from the combustion chamber 9, (FIG. 4A) and provided with an additional metal layer 13 on the side of the combustion chamber 9 (FIG. 4B), respectively with an opening 23 for the microwave window 4 and lateral metal surfaces 15. The remaining elements that are identical with the elements in the preceding figures are designated accordingly.

(25) FIGS. 5A, B and 6A, B illustrate optional embodiments of the openings 23 etched out of the metal layer 13 in FIGS. 5B and 68 for influencing the reflections of the microwaves injected into the combustion chamber 9. The remaining elements which are identical with the elements described with respect to FIG. 4 are designated accordingly.