Rotary engine with housing having silicon carbide plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11613995-B2
Application number	US-201916665428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A rotary internal combustion engine has: a rotor; a housing circumscribing a rotor cavity, the rotor received within the rotor cavity, the housing having a peripheral wall and a side housing assembly secured to the peripheral wall, the side housing assembly having plates located at spaced apart ends of the peripheral wall, the plates defining seal running surfaces in sealing engagement with opposed end faces of the rotor, the plates made of silicon carbide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:
a rotor; and
a housing circumscribing a rotor cavity receiving the rotor, the housing having a peripheral wall, end walls secured to opposed ends of the peripheral wall, and silicon carbide plates located on inner sides of the end walls and facing the rotor cavity, the silicon carbide plates defining seal running surfaces in sealing engagement with end faces of the rotor, the silicon carbide plates being movable relative to the end walls,
wherein peripheries of the silicon carbide plates are sandwiched between the peripheral wall and the end walls.

2. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the end walls define recesses at the inner sides thereof, the plates received within the recesses.

3. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 2 , wherein the end walls define abutment surfaces at the recesses and oriented toward the silicon carbide plates, the silicon carbide plates spaced apart from the abutment surfaces.

4. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the end walls are made of a material different than silicon carbide.

5. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein pockets are located between the end walls and the silicon carbide plates, the pockets configured for circulating a liquid coolant.

6. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 5 , wherein the end walls have a plurality of ribs circumferentially distributed around the rotor cavity, and the pockets in communication with spaces defined between the ribs.

7. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 6 , wherein the peripheral wall defines coolant conduits, the coolant conduits in fluid communication with the pockets.

8. A housing for a rotary internal combustion engine, the housing comprising:
a peripheral wall;
end walls secured to opposed ends of the peripheral wall, the peripheral wall and the end walls circumscribing a rotor cavity for receiving a rotor therein; and
silicon carbide plates located on inner sides of the end walls and facing the rotor cavity, the silicon carbide plates defining seal running surfaces in sealing engagement with end faces of the rotor, pockets located between the end walls and the silicon carbide plates, the pockets configured for circulating a liquid coolant.

9. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 8 , wherein the end walls define recesses at the inner sides thereof, the plates received within the recesses.

10. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 9 , wherein the end walls define abutment surfaces at the recesses and oriented toward the plates, the plates spaced apart from the abutment surfaces.

11. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 8 , wherein the end walls are made of a material different than that of the plates.

12. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 8 , wherein the end walls have a plurality of ribs circumferentially distributed around the rotor cavity, and the pockets in communication with spaces defined between the ribs.

13. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral wall defines coolant conduits, the coolant conduits in fluid communication with the pockets.

14. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 8 , wherein sealing members are located between peripheries of the plates and the peripheral wall.

15. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 14 , wherein the sealing members are located within recesses defined by the plates.

16. The rotary internal combustion engine of claim 14 , wherein the sealing members are located within recesses defined by the peripheral wall.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Gagnon-Martin David
• Villeneuve Bruno
• Bolduc Sebastien
• Simoneau Jean-Philippe
• Gauvreau Jean-Gabriel
• Vinski Johnny

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02B2053/005

  Wankel engines · CPC title

• F04C2270/16

  Wear · CPC title

• F01C21/108

  with an axial surface, e.g. side plates · CPC title

• F01C21/06

  Heating; Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heat insulation (heat insulation in general F16L) · CPC title