Abstract:
A sealing assembly is disclosed for use in providing a dynamic seal between a rotor and the surrounding housing of a rotary internal combustion engine. An apex seal of considerable height is arranged to fit within a first receptacle in at least one location along the periphery of the rotor; the apex seal has a transverse opening separating the body of the seal into first and second support portions. A second receptacle is defined about the ends of the first receptacle for receiving a corner seal adapted to engage the side housing. The seals are comprised of a material having volatile impurities. Resilient expanded silicone sponge material is utilized to either or both urge the apex seals and corner seals to their respective engaging surfaces; mechanical springs may be embedded in the sponge material for assisting the uniform nature of the resilient force of said sponge material. In one or both of said apex and corner seals, grooves are defined for receiving an embedment comprised of a friction smearable fluxing agent in the form of polyarylsulfone.
Abstract:
A method for preparing and applying a thermoplastic resin base coating to the surfaces of a seal assembly for a rotary regenerator in a gas turbine engine, the coating comprising a high-temperature, thermoplastic resin filled with a lubricating material, said method including preparation of a bond coating on the surface of a seal assembly shoe portion, preparation of coating material having a percentage of graphite and a percentage of boron nitride, dissolving the coating material in a suitable solvent to form a paste which may be applied to a seal shoe portion of the seal assembly used with the ceramic rotary regenerator matrix, curing the coating material and finish grinding the seal assembly following curing whereby the seal assembly is conditioned for operation with reduced friction and improved sealing characteristics at the elevated temperatures that are characteristic of gas turbine regenerator installations.
Abstract:
A rotor housing for a rotary internal combustion engine is disclosed having a wear-resistant coating system characterized by high temperature hardness stability and controlled porosity to improve the lubricating characteristics of the surface-to-surface engagement with the rotary apex seals. The coating system comprises a self-fused composite of martensitic stainless steel powder and an equally hard powder consisting of a nickel-based alloy. Powder particle size is controlled to render a smoother machined surface and sub-surface porosity. An intermediate transition coating may be used consisting of a composition selected from nickel aluminide, arc sprayed nickel, molybdenum, all effective to operate as a bonding intermediate to a supporting aluminum structure. A method of producing the wear-resistant coating system for a rotor housing is disclosed, comprising preparation of an aluminum casting having a supporting epitrochoid end wall, machining a reference, embedment of thermally resistant plugs about certain openings in the end wall, removing a uniform layer of said casting end wall to a predetermined depth, soft grit blasting of the removed surface, coating of the margins about ports in the end wall with an anti-bond material flame spraying the entire end wall with a mixture of martensitic stainless steel and a nickelbased alloy, immersing said coated casting in oil for a predetermined period of time immediately after coating, and grinding off a portion of said coating to the depth of said reference.
Abstract:
An improved wear-resistant surface preparation is used on the inner side walls of the combustion chamber of a rotary piston engine. The improvement comprises deposition of two distinct but admixed metallic powders of generally equal hardness; one of the powders contains fluxing agents which enable the deposited powders to self-sinter if deposited in a semiplastic condition. The powders are deposited on a previously undercut cast iron side-housing. The resulting coating composition is characterized by minimum hardness value of Rc 30 at elevated operating temperatures of 400*F. The composition retains a stable hardness at elevated temperature levels up to 1100*F. The coating may have a porosity of 3-9%, but particle size is controlled to limit the porosity to 5% which is compatible with lubricating requirements of a rotary engine. The coating composition is deposited across the entire area circumscribed by the path of the outer most side point of the apex seals carried by the rotary piston; the path is substantially commensurate or approaches the entire shape of the epitrochoid chamber. The coating is compatible with the composition of the rotor side seals, oil seals and corner seals bearing thereagainst. The rotor side seals are comprised of cast iron, the oil seals are cast iron coated with limited chromium, the corner seals are prepared from cast iron, and the apex seals are strips of metal coated with an alloy of iron and titanium carbide with graphite. A method is disclosed comprising: (1) machining a cast side housing structure to a depth sufficient to accommodate a slightly oversized finish coating. The cast structure is undercut, grit blasted and preheated to 200*F., (2) a coating of admixed martensitic stainless steel and an equally hard nickel-based alloy is flame sprayed upon the machined area including approximately three-eights of an inch margin beyond the undercut area, the spraying being conducted by rotating the surface to be sprayed along with radial and rotative movement of the spray gun arranged to direct the spray perpendicular to the surface, (3) soaking the flame sprayed coating immediately after deposition with oil, and (4) grinding the surface finish to a predetermined reference thickness.
Abstract:
An apex seal construction in a rotary internal combustion engine is disclosed as well as a method of making same. The apex seal is carried within a slot of the rotor and is urged by gas pressure for maintaining sealing contact between a side of said slot and the rotor housing. The apex seal has a supporting body formed of a light weight metallic material, such as aluminum, and a wearresistant coating applied by plasma jet as a substantial envelope thereabout, the combined heat of the plasma as well as the force of impact of the jet combine to provide an improved adherency between the coating and light weight body. Immediately subsequent to plasma jet deposition, the coated apex seal is subjected to a quenching medium to develop a hardness of at least 40 Rc, uniformly throughout the bulk of the material the coating having a controlled porosity of 2-5% and a thickness in the range of 1525 mils.
Abstract:
A SEAL MEMBER FOR RUBBING AGAINST A ROTATING CERAMIC REGENERATOR HAS A SURFACE LAYER CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF CALCIUM FLUORIDE, ZINC OXIDE AND STANNIC OXIDE. THE SURFACE LAYER IS SUPPORTED ON A METAL SUBSTRATE AND A BONDING LAYER OF NICKEL ALUMINIDE CAN BE APPLIED BETWEEN THE SUBSTRATE AND THE SURFACE LAYER. THE SURFACE LAYER HAS SURPRISINGLY LOW FRICTION AND WEAR AND EXCELLENT RESISTANCE TO SALT ATTACK WHEN OPERATIONG AT TEMPERATURES OF ABOUT 900-1600*F.
Abstract:
A method (and resulting product) is disclosed for making rotor housings useful in a rotary internal combustion engine. The housing is preferably sand cast; the internal epitrochoid surface is flame-spray coated with a thin layer of nickel-aluminide, flame-spray coated with a thicker layer of plain carbon steel, and then plated with chromium. The resulting casting-coating composite provides enhanced wearability, increased dimensional stability, and reduced internal stress of the coatings.
Abstract:
A side wall coating system is disclosed for use in a rotary internal combustion engine having a narrow chamber bounded by a pair of flat side walls and an epitrochoidally-shaped end wall joining the side walls. A rotor is mounted for planetary movement in the chamber and in close spacing with each of said side walls, the rotor carries annular seals sliding against said side walls to define a shifting oil chamber in the spacing between the rotor and each of said side walls. The coating system comprises a selffused particle coating across the entire area of each of said side walls and is comprised of an admixture of stainless steel and nickel-based alloy powders of generally equal hardness. A resin is impregnated in said coating effective to close the pores substantially below the surface of said coating but the pores adjacent the surface are devoid of such resin as a result of decomposition under engine operating conditions. The decomposition of the resin insures limited porosity for retention of a controlled amount of oil to facilitate an oil film between the scraping seals and the side housing wall and also assure a deposit of carbon acting as a dry lubricant to further facilitate the metallic contact therebetween.
Abstract:
Particles having a core of a glazing material such as calcium fluoride surrounded by a shell of a metal that oxidizes at operating temperature are sprayed on a substrate to form a rubbing seal for a ceramic regenerator. The oxide of the metal forming these shells is non abradable to the ceramic regenerator. During engine operation the shell oxidizes and wears to expose appropriate amounts of the glazing material.