Rotary cam fluid working apparatus
This patent describes an internal combustion engine comprising: a housing having housing walls which substantially enclose a housing interior including at least one intake passageway and at least one exhaust passageway through which one working fluid passes to and from the housing interior; a rotor mounted within the housing interior for rotation about a rotor axis of rotation extends longitudinally within the housing; the rotor has exterior surfaces which are substantially cylindrical about the rotor axis of rotation; the rotor further includes interior surfaces having cylindrically concave interior surface portions extending longitudinally within the rotor to define a rotor interior; having at least one rotor port communicating the rotor interior with the housing passageways to allow passage of a working fluid into and from the rotor interior; cam structures mounted substantially within the rotor for rotation with respect thereto; the cam structures including cam surfaces which are convex; exterior surfaces of the cam structures each include a major curvature surface which is at least partially defined by an associated major radius of curvature centered upon the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure; each major radius of curvature is greater than one-half of a separation distance existing between the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure and adjacent axes of rotation of adjacent cam structures; and cam synchronizing means for maintaining structures in approximately parallel relative angular orientations with respect to the housing as the rotor rotates and the cam structures revolve about each other.
- Assignee:
- NOV; NOV-87-072110; EDB-87-148403
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4677950
- OSTI ID:
- 6232916
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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