Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
PATENT APPLICATION
A LIQUID AIR ROTARY ENGINE
WITH RECIRCULATING AIR
INVENTOR:
CRAIG ANTROBUS
Antrobus Consulting Ltd.
13705 Summergate Drive
Summerland, British Columbia. VOH1Z8
CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
A LIQUID AIR ROTARY ENGINE
WITH RECIRCULATING AIR
by CRAIG ANTROBUS
Antrobus Consulting Ltd.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0001] Not applicable.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material that is
subject to copyright protection by the author thereof. The copyright owner has
no
objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or
patent
disclosure for the purposes of referencing as patent prior art, as it appears
in the Patent
and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all
copyright rights
whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE RELEVANT PRIOR ART
[0003] One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to an
Engine
system. More particularly, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a
Liquid Air
Rotary Engine Power System.
[0004] The following background information may present examples of
specific
aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or
common wisdom)
that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to
additional aspects of
the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or
any embodiments
thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
[0005] Relevant prior art is CIPO application 3,131,964 A Liquid Air
Rotary
Engine filed 2021/09/26 by myself which I am claiming a Priority Claim
against. The
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
critical design changes between this application and CIPO 3.131,964 are first,
the intake
air heater is removed and the intake port is directly connected to the exhaust
port so that
the engine exhaust air is directed to the intake port and intake chamber, and
second, that
an air pressure and air flow regulator is installed on the exhaust system to
maintain air
pressure in the exhaust chamber as well as the intake chamber. This eliminates
all
outside air intake which was required on the previous design and is required
on all other
combustion engines, and ensures the engine runs at a constant temperature.
[0006] The original Petroleum Rotary Engine patent expired. This
invention may be
mechanically similar to a conventional Rotary engine, but several major
differences are
incorporated in this design.
Description of Invention
[0007] This invention is of a highly modified rotary engine with all the
modifications being to address the temperature and pressures of a liquid air
energy source
in the engine design.
[0008] The intake chamber of this Rotary engine is directly connected to
the
exhaust chamber to allow air from the engine exhaust chamber to be introduced
into the
intake chamber increasing temperature and pressure of the air engine and
eliminating all
outside air requirements.
[0009] The engine exhaust air is directed into the intake air chamber
which
provides an entirely sealed system with no outside air entering the engine.
The engine
exhaust air will be at a higher temperature and pressure. The intake air will
increase in
pressure approximately 20 times into the expansion chamber which performs two
new
functions it provides more power to the engine and increases the temperature
of the air to
assist in the expansion of the Liquid Air injected into the expansion chamber.
[0010] The location of the liquid air injection is placed in the
expansion chamber
near the exhaust chamber which provides increased power to the rotation
movement of
the rotor due to leverage.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
[0011] Hot water heating flow is provided in the engine housing which
provides
two new functions it keeps the engine housing from freezing due to the cold
Liquid Air
temperature and it provides a second source for the heating of the Liquid Air
expansion.
[0012] An electric element is installed in the Liquid Air injection port
which
becomes the third source of heating the Liquid Air injection.
[0013] The recirculated sealed air system dramatically modifies the
physical design
of a the rotary engine design and the applications to which priority is
claimed. These
modifications make this design dramatically different from the original
standard rotary
engine and previous attempts at a Liquid Air engine.
[0014] These design changes to the Rotary engine have never been
contemplated
before which leads one to see that the changes are Not Obvious in Nature.
[0015] In view of the foregoing, it is clear that traditional and
previous attempts and
techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches such as
this
design.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not
by way of
limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like
reference
numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a section through
one rotor
of a Liquid Air Rotary Engine power system, in accordance with an embodiment
of the
present invention;
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily
drawn to scale.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The present invention is best understood by reference to the
detailed figure
and description set forth herein.
[0019] The present invention is similar to an existing conventional
Rotary Engine
in its mechanical operation, with the major difference being the fuel source
is Liquid Air
and the intake air is recirculated air from the engine exhaust.
[0020] The present invention is similar to the previous invention priority is
claimed over
with the major difference being the intake air is recirculated air from the
engine exhaust
and there is no outside air engine requirement.
[0021] The present invention produces no greenhouse gas emission as its
supply
fuel source is Liquid Air and its exhaust is clean atmospheric air.
[0022] Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference
to the
Figure. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the
detailed
description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory
purposes as the
invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be
appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of
the present
invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches,
depending upon
the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any
given detail
described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the
following
embodiments described and shown. That is, there are modifications and
variations of the
invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope
of the
invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and
masculine as
feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not
necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.
[0023] It is to be further understood that the present invention is not
limited to the
particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses,
and
applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood
that the
terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular
embodiments
only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must
be noted that
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and
"the" include
the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for
example, a
reference to "an element" is a reference to one or more elements and includes
equivalents
thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a
reference to "a
step" or "a means" is a reference to one or more steps or means and may
include sub-
steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the
most
inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word "or" should be understood as having
the
definition of a logical "or" rather than that of a logical "exclusive or"
unless the context
clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be
understood also to
refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be
construed to
express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly
dictates
otherwise.
[0024] References to a "device," an "apparatus," a "system," etc., in
the preamble of
a claim should be construed broadly to mean "any structure meeting the claim
terms"
exempt for any specific structure(s)/type(s) that has/(have) been explicitly
disavowed or
excluded or admitted/implied as prior art in the present specification or
incapable of
enabling an object/aspect/goal of the invention. Furthermore, where the
present
specification discloses an object, aspect, function, goal, result, or
advantage of the
invention that a specific prior art structure and/or method step is similarly
capable of
performing yet in a very different way, the present invention disclosure is
intended to and
shall also implicitly include and cover additional corresponding alternative
embodiments
that are otherwise identical to that explicitly disclosed except that they
exclude such prior
art structure(s)/step(s), and shall accordingly be deemed as providing
sufficient disclosure
to support a corresponding negative limitation in a claim claiming such
alternative
embodiment(s), which exclude such very different prior art
structure(s)/step(s) way(s).
[0025] From reading the present disclosure, other variations and
modifications will
be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications
may involve
equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which
may be used
instead of or in addition to features already described herein.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
[0026] Although Claims have been formulated in this Application to
particular
combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the
disclosure of the
present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of
features
disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization
thereof, whether or
not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and
whether or not
it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present
invention.
[0027] Features which are described in the context of separate
embodiments may
also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various
features
which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may
also be
provided separately or in any suitable sub combination. The Applicants hereby
give
notice that new Claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations
of such
features during the prosecution of the present Application or of any further
Application
derived therefrom.
[0028] References to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "example
embodiment," "various embodiments," "some embodiments," "embodiments of the
invention," etc, may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so
described may
include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every
possible
embodiment of the invention necessarily includes the particular feature,
structure, or
characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase "in one embodiment," or
"in an
exemplary embodiment," "an embodiment," do not necessarily refer to the same
embodiment, although they may. Moreover, any use of phrases like "embodiments"
in
connection with "the invention" are never meant to characterize that all
embodiments of
the invention must include the feature, structure, or characteristic, and
should instead be
understood to mean "at least some embodiments of the invention" includes the
stated
particular feature, structure, or characteristic.
[0029] Headings provided herein are for convenience and are not to be
taken as
limiting the disclosure in any way.
[0030] The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of
the items
are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
[0031] It is understood that the use of specific component, device
and/or parameter
names are for example only and not meant to imply any limitations on the
invention. The
invention may thus be implemented with different nomenclature/terminology
utilized to
describe the mechanisms/units/structures/components/devices/parameters herein,
without
limitation. Each term utilized herein is to be given its broadest
interpretation given the
context in which that term is utilized.
[0032] As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful
considerations and
compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture
of a
commercial implementation any system, and in particular, the embodiments of
the
present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit
and
teachings of the present invention may configured according to the needs of
the particular
application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s),
component(s),
approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment
of the
present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and
matched, or
improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average
skills and
known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the
needs of the
particular application.
[0033] It is to be understood that any exact measurements/dimensions or
particular
construction materials indicated herein are solely provided as examples of
suitable
configurations and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Depending on
the needs of
the particular application, those skilled in the art will readily recognize,
in light of the
following teachings, a multiplicity of suitable alternative implementation
details.
[0034] Numerous conventional teachings for engines and related systems
have been
generally provided above. They may differ from many embodiments of the present
invention in that they may not teach a Liquid Air Rotary Engine power system
in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention of which will be
described in
some detail below.
[0035] There are no measurements/dimensions or particular construction
materials
indicated herein as the size of the engine will change as required. Depending
on the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
needs of the particular application, those skilled in the art will readily
recognize, in light
of the following teachings, a multiplicity of suitable alternative
implementation details.
[0036] In some embodiments, the Liquid Air Rotary Engine power system
may also
work in conjunction with auxiliary equipment that can be powered by the
exhaust air
from the engine. The exhaust may power a turbine to generate electrical power.
The
temperature of the exhaust air may be used to heat the transportation system.
This
feedback functionality may make the Liquid Air Rotary Engine powering system
more
efficient and thus the cost of system operation may be quite inexpensive as
compared to
conventional engine systems.
[0037] It may be contemplated that in many embodiments, a cost to
manufacture,
use, and maintain a Liquid Air Rotary Engine system in accordance with an
embodiment
of the present invention, may be far less than conventional engine systems.
[0038] In many embodiments, greenhouse gas emissions will be far less
than with
conventional engine systems. In many embodiments, the Liquid Air Rotary Engine
power system may be much safer than conventional engine systems.
[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a Liquid Air Rotary
Engine
power system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In
the present
embodiment, the Liquid Air Rotary Engine power system may include an
electrically
heated hot water recirculating system 100, intake port 102, intake chamber
104, stator
housing 106 hot water circulating stator housing channels 108, an eccentric
shaft 110 a
rotor 112 expansion chamber 114, an liquid air electric heating element 116 a
liquid air
injection port 118 a crown gear 120 a pinion 122 an exhaust air chamber 124
and an
exhaust port 126, an oil separating system 128, and an air pressure and air
flow restrictor
130. Multiple rotor assemblies can be connected in line and the ends covered
with end
plates and seals not shown.
[0040] In many embodiments the Liquid Air Rotary Engine power system may
be,
for example, and without limitation, a power system, wherein the engine
exhaust air is
forced into the intake chamber 104 by the rotation of the engine rotor 112.
The air in the
intake chamber 104 is compressed to a high pressure into the expansion chamber
114 by
the rotation of the rotor 112. A liquid air injector 118 injects liquid air
being heated by an
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
imbedded liquid air electrical heating element 116 and the high pressure and
temperature
of the compressed air in the expansion chamber. The liquid air expands causing
the rotor
112 to rotate and the expanded air is exhausted through the exhaust chamber
124 and
through the exhaust port 126. The air exhausting will be hot and have a higher
pressure
with partial air being transferred to the pre-compressed air chamber 104 and
the
remaining air exhausted through an oil separating system 128 to remove oil
particulates
in the air and an air pressure and air flow restrictor 130 to maintain a
pressure in the pre-
compressed air chamber 104 and the exhaust chamber 124. The exhausted air may
then
be to be used to generate electricity and heat the transportation system and
then be
exhausted to the environment.
[0041] In the present embodiment water is heated and recirculated
through the
rotary engine hot water circulating stator housing channels 108 in the stator
housing 106
by the electrically heated hot water recirculating system 100.
[0042] In the present embodiment the exhaust port may be located in a
different
location for more efficiency depending on engine requirements.
[0043] In the present embodiment the electrically heated hot water
recirculating
system may be located in a different location for more efficiency depending on
engine
requirements.
[0044] Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and
in accordance
with the teachings of the present invention, that any of the foregoing steps
may be
suitably replaced, reordered, removed and additional steps may be inserted
depending
upon the needs of the particular application. Moreover, the prescribed method
steps of
the foregoing embodiments may be implemented using any physical and/or
hardware
system that those skilled in the art will readily know is suitable in light of
the foregoing
teachings. For any method steps described in the present application that can
be carried
out on a computing machine, a typical computer system can, when appropriately
configured or designed, serve as a computer system in which those aspects of
the
invention may be embodied.
[0045] All the features disclosed in this specification, including any
accompanying
abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the
same,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless
expressly
stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic
series of
equivalent or similar features.
[0046] Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or
lettered
solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and
lettering in
itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of
elements
and/or steps in the claims.
[0047] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of
all means
or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any
structure,
material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed
elements
as specifically claimed.
[0048] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of
all means
or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any
structure,
material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed
elements
as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been
presented for
purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive
or limited to
the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be
apparent
to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and
spirit of the
invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain
the
principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable
others of ordinary
skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with
various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
[0049] The Abstract is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and
not to
identify any key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. It is
submitted with
the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or
meaning of the
claims.
[0050] The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed
description,
with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-01-18
