Meccanica 39: 4761, 2004.

c 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.

On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines
B. LIBROVICH, R.W. TUCKER and C. WANG

Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK

(Received: 28 November 2002; accepted in revised form: 21 January 2003)
Abstract. A discussion of the dynamics of a multistage rotary vane engine is given in terms of a simplied model
for combustion driving torques, power dissipation, and torque transmission. Torque transmission is effected by
conjugate gear pairs attached to each unit of the engine. An argument for the design of such pairs is presented so
that unwanted torque uctuations in a ywheel attached to a member of the pair can be signicantly attenuated. It
is suggested that a variant of simple Cosserat dynamics offers a useful modelling tool for discussing the complex
interaction between interacting gear teeth. A quasi-stationary analysis is used to place bounds of a particular choice
of conjugate gear coupling in the presence of such interactions. It is concluded that a multistage rotary vane engine
with at least two units can be usefully coupled to a single ywheel via a well-dened conjugate gear system that
attenuates unwanted torque uctuations over a broad range of rotary speeds.
Key words: Internal combustion engines, Gear modelling, Non-circular gears, Rotary engines.
1. Introduction
The conventional reciprocating internal combustion engine is often regarded as one of the
most efcient mechanical devices for producing rotary motion ever invented. Despite con-
tinuous development few rotary engines (RE) have challenged the market supremacy of the
reciprocating engine [15]. However with increasing concern over the environment and the
need to conserve energy resources a number of RE designs are again being actively recon-
sidered here and overseas. There are a number of reasons for the resurgence of interest in
this engine. Early designs were often given only cursory investigation and the limited success
of the Wankel-type engine may have had an adverse effect on the development of viable
alternatives. It also appears from the published literature that many alternative proposals were
not exposed to a unied dynamical analysis based on rm physical principles that correlate
the design of the combustion chamber with effects of inertial forces and gas dynamics [6].
Furthermore in recent years a number of developments have made feasible the possibility
of more critical scientic assessments of the basic concepts behind the RE and the means
to enhance its relevance in the new millennium. These developments include the fabrica-
tion of new engineering materials, improvements in sealing techniques, the sophistication
of computer controlled ignition, fuel injection and torque feedback, and the degree to which
mathematical simulations based on computationally inexpensive methods can replace costly
bench testing of performance characteristics. This paper is concerned mainly with the latter.
A mathematical model of a novel RE is explored, based on the authors experience with
vibrational analysis and the control of torsional vibrations in rotary feedback systems [7].
Preliminary mathematical investigations presented here suggest that a number of innovations

Author for correspondence: Tel.: +44-1524-593281, Fax: +44-1254-844037,

e-mail: c.wang@lancaster.ac.uk
48 B. Librovich et al.
offer dramatic improvements in both the stability characteristics of the system and the control
of torque vibrations.
The analysis is based on a system of non-linear differential equations that model the
rigid body dynamics of the engine. The deviation from rigidity due to gear deformation is
estimated by modelling gear teeth as Cosserat rods. A quasi-stationary analysis used to place
bounds on such a deformation shows that the rigidity assumption is well maintained for a
wide range of practical ywheel rotary speeds. Each rotary vane unit consists of a cylinder
(with appropriate ignition, intake and exhaust ports), partitioned by two pairs of vanes (rotary
pistons) into four compact combustion chambers as shown in Figure 1. Each vane-pair rotates
through a nite angle on independent concentric shafts aligned along the axis of the cylinder.
Each shaft is coupled to a common ywheel via a pair of conjugate gears (see Figure 2).
The geometry of the gear mechanism is largely responsible for the nature of the vibrational
characteristics induced by the driving torques in the thermodynamic cycle. A major concern
with most designs to date has been the presence of vibrations arising from the variable angular
speeds of the rotary pistons leading to amplied stresses among the coupled gears and torque
uctuations in the ywheel as rotary speeds increase. The purpose of this investigation is
to ameliorate these problems by exploring the following two directions: A multistage rotary
vane engine (MRVE) is envisaged by connecting thermally isolated rotary vane units via a
specially designed gear mechanism in such a way that torque vibrations interfere to minimise
torque uctuations. Secondly a mechanism is proposed for maintaining a regular oscillatory
motion superimposed on a steady rotation of the rotary pistons based on recent technological
developments in the manufacture of robust non-circular gears [810].
Figure 1. Aschematic representation of a rotary vane unit used in a MRVE. It consists of a cylinder with intake and
exhaust ports, partitioned by two pairs of vanes into four combustion chambers: I for intake, II for compression,
III for combustion and IV for exhaust.
1
denotes the angular position of vane-pair 1 consisting of vanes 1 and 3
while
2
denotes the angular position of vane-pair 2 consisting of vanes 2 and 4 as indicated with circled numbers.
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 49
Figure 2. AMRVE composed of two combustion units. This represents a possible layout of the power transmission
connecting rotary vanes with the ywheel (shown on the right side). The outer walls of the units are omitted in
order to show the vane-pairs. Dark and light vane-pairs are connected to the dark and light non-circular gears,
respectively.
2. Equation of Motion for a Multistage Rotary Vane Engine
A simple mathematical model based on rigid body dynamics is constructed here to simulate
the dynamics of a MRVE consisting of m rotary vane units. The kinematics is formulated in
terms of the angular positions of the ywheel, (t ), and of the rotary vane k in unit ,
k;
(t ),
at time t . Here 1 k 4 and 1 m. Within each unit the constraints:

3;
(t ) =
1;
(t ) + ,
4;
(t ) =
2;
(t ) + (1)
hold and hence the pairs of vanes 1, 3 and 2, 4 are referred to as vane-pairs 1 and 2, respec-
tively. In this manner the vane angles
k;
(t ) for k = 1, 2 are treated as vane-pair angles
and they are measured counterclockwise as opposed to the ywheel angle (t ) being measured
clockwise. This simplies the formulation of the coupling of these angles through conjugate
gears:

k;
(t ) =
k;
((t )) (2)
for some coupling functions
k;
() to be specied.
Suppose the ywheel has an effective rotary inertia I and is coupled to the rotary vane
units via a gear whose axis is parallel to that of the rotary vane units and with a separation L.
When a combustion chamber is undergoing a combustion phase, the resulting increase in gas
pressure applies a driving torque on the corresponding rotary vanes. This torque will depend
on the actual ignition processes as well as specic geometries of the vanes. In modelling the
dynamic torque acting on any rotary vane assumed to have identical shapes, it is useful to treat
the torque due to atmospheric pressure (in the absence of ignitions) as a reference value and
denote it by Q. We introduce scales of length, time and mass:
L

= L, T

=
_
I
Q
, M

=
I
L
2
. (3)
50 B. Librovich et al.
Henceforth quantities are non-dimensionalised using these scales. Thus the equation of the
rotary motion for the ywheel subject to a reaction torque K(t ) due to engine output and
torques C
k;
(t ) transmitted from vane-pairs k in units is

(t ) =
m

=1
2

k=1
C
k;
(t ) + K(t ), (4)
where the dot in superscript denotes the time derivative. The equation of motion for vane-pair
k in unit with common effective rotary inertia I subject to the gas dynamic driving torques
G
k;
(t ) and reaction torque C
k;
(t ) from coupling with the ywheel is similarly expressed as
I

k;
(t ) = C
k;
(t ) +G
k;
(t ). (5)
Each G
k;
(t ) contains contributions from torques G
ij,
(t ) (>0) due to gas dynamics in the
individual chamber between vanes i and j according to
G
1;
(t ) = G
2;
(t ) = G
12;
(t ) +G
23;
(t ) G
34;
(t ) +G
41;
(t ). (6)
The torque transmission between the ywheel and the vane-pairs is modelled by the set of
(power balance) equations
C
k;
(t )

(t ) +C
k;
(t )

k;
(t ) = F
k;
(t )

(t ), (7)
where the (non-positive) torque F
k;
(t ) represents the loss of power due to gearing friction.
The time derivative of (2) yields

k;
(t ) =

k;
((t ))

(t ) (8)
where

denotes differentiation and

k;
((t )) represents the corresponding rotary speed ratio.
It is assumed that

(t ) > 0 and

k;
((t )) > 0 hold so that the vane-pairs never reverse the
directions of shaft rotation. It follows from (7) and (8) that
C
k;
(t ) =

k;
((t ))C
k;
(t ) + F
k;
(t ). (9)
Furthermore by differentiating (8),

k;
(t ) =

k;
((t ))

k;
((t ))

(t )
2
(10)
and using (5) we have
C
k;
(t ) = I

k;
((t ))

+I

k;
((t ))

2
G
k;
(t ). (11)
Substituting (9) and (11) into (4) gives the ywheel rotary equation of motion in the form
_
1 +
m

=1
2

k=1
I

k;
((t ))
2
_

(t )
=
m

=1
2

k=1
_
I

k;
((t ))

k;
((t ))

(t )
2
+

k;
((t ))G
k;
(t ) + F
k;
(t )
_
+
+ K(t ), (12)
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 51
which incorporates the effects of gas dynamics, gearing friction and external loading on the
ywheel in term of functions G
k;
(t ), F
k;
(t ) and K(t ), which in general depend on and

.
Since () is bounded in if the size of these terms do not increase with

faster than

2
,
the asymptotic rotary motion of the ywheel for

(t ) 1 is governed by (12) by neglecting
them. Therefore the angular speed of the ywheel for

1 tends to a constant if the coupling
functions
k;
() satisfy the relation
m

=1
2

k=1

k;
()

k;
() = 0, (13)
that is,
m

=1
2

k=1

k;
()
2
= constant (14)
for all t . Solutions to these having the properties

k;
() > 0,

2;
() =

1;
( + /2) and

2;
() =

1;
() require at least m = 2. For a MRVE with two units (14) can be satised
with the choice

1;1
() = (), (15)

2;1
() =
_
+

2
_
, (16)

1;2
() =
_
+

4
_
, (17)

2;2
() =
_
+
3
4
_
, (18)
where
() = + sin(2) (19)
for some constant amplitude parameter with < /4. The form (19) will be referred to as
a harmonic coupling function. A possible layout of the power transmission connecting the
rotary vanes with the ywheel using the above coupling functions is illustrated in Figure 2.
In order to compare the performance offered by (19) with the dynamical behaviour associated
with a non-harmonic coupling function we also consider
() = + {(1 + a) sin(2) + a sin(6)} (20)
with a (small) parameter a. If a = 0 then (20) simply reduces to (19). Hence the above repre-
sents a one-parameter family of coupling functions that deviates from the harmonic coupling
in (19). This choice allows the effect of non-harmonic coupling functions to be assessed by
varying the parameter a.
By taking advantage of the two expansions followed by two contractions of chamber
volumes per revolution of rotary vanes based on either (19) or (20), a four-stroke type internal
combustion cycle may be initiated in each unit.
52 B. Librovich et al.
3. Construction of Gear Pitch Curves
The coupling functions introduced in (2) are used to generate the corresponding pitch curves
of conjugate gears. To illustrate this procedure consider two families of closed curves in a
Euclidean plane with Cartesian coordinates (x, y):
P

: (x = 1 R() cos( ), y = R() sin( )), (21)

P

: (x = R() cos( ), y = R() sin( )) (22)

for , R and some functions R(), R(), where 0 , < 2 (see Figure 3). In the
xy plane the family P

represents the counterclockwise rotation of a rigid shape (associated

with R()) about the origin by increasing whereas the family P

represents the clockwise

rotation of another rigid shape (associated with R()) about the point (1, 0) by increasing .
If the rotations of P

and P

are to describe rolling of the two shapes with a contact point

along the x-axis, where = and = , then
R() + R() = 1. (23)
If the angles and are correlated by
= () (24)
for some function () (with (0) = 0, (2) = 2 and

() =

( + 2)) it follows
from (23) and the rolling condition that

() =
d
d
=
R()
R(())
. (25)
Figure 3. The closed curve P

represents the counterclockwise rotation of a rigid shape about the origin by

increasing whereas closed curve P

represents the clockwise rotation of another rigid shape about the point
(1, 0) by increasing . They give rise to pitch curves if the rotations are related by rolling as described in
Section 3.
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 53
Figure 4. Possible conjugate gear proles associated with the pitch curves illustrated in Figure 3. The gears
represented by the proles on the left and right may be connected to a rotary vane-pair and the ywheel of a
MRVE, respectively.
Hence (23) and (25) yield
R() =

()
1 +

()
, (26)
R() =
1
1 +

(
1
())
. (27)
Given a coupling function (), (26) and (27) dene a pair of coupled pitch curve families,
P

and P

. In the MRVE modelling these are used to dene the pitch curves associated with
the conjugate gears connected to the ywheel and a vane-pair, respectively. This is illustrated
in Figure 4.
4. Numerical Simulations Based on a Simple Gas Dynamic Model
To explore the behaviour of the MRVE model in the presence of driving and loading terms we
choose a viscous type external torque
K(t ) =

(t ) (28)
with a (non-negative) damping parameter .
Furthermore a simple model is adopted for gas dynamics within the combustion chambers
between adjacent vanes with angles
1
and
2
belonging to a vane-pair satisfying (2). This
model expresses the driving torques:
G
12;
(t ) = G(
1;
(t ),
2;
(t )), (29)
G
23;
(t ) = G(
2;
(t ),
3;
(t )), (30)
G
34;
(t ) = G(
3;
(t ),
4;
(t )), (31)
G
41;
(t ) = G(
4;
(t ),
1;
(t ) + 2) (32)
54 B. Librovich et al.
in terms of some function G(
1
,
2
). Its form depends on the angular span of any rotary
vane, (0 < < /2), as well as the ratio of the maximum to minimum angular span
of any chamber denoted by ( 1). The chamber between
1
and
2
has an angular span

2

1
bounded by / and , where
=
( 2)
+ 1
. (33)
Since the volume enclosed by the chamber is proportional to its variable angular span, the
parameter may be identied as the compression ratio for internal combustion processes. It
follows that
=
1
4
. (34)
In terms of these parameters we take
G(
1
,
2
) =
_

_
I: 1 if 0 <

2
II:
_

if

2
<
III: h
_

if <
3
2
IV: 1 if
3
2
< 2
(35)
where = ((
1
+
2
)/2/2) mod2, is the ratio of the principal specic heat capacities
of the gas and the ignition factor h a positive parameter with typical value between 1 and
7. It models the increase of pressure due to ignition. As indicated the function G(
1
,
2
) is
expressed in terms of four phases (IIV) for each chamber per revolution and accommodates
the conventional 4-stroke type thermodynamic cycle (cf. Figure 1). Transitions between these
phases take place at the extrema of the chamber volumes (proportional to
2

1
). As
illustrated in Figure 5 each phase simulates the driving torque applied to the corresponding
Figure 5. Behaviour of the gas dynamic torque G(
1
,
2
) given in (35) with parameters = 3/2, h = 5,
= 2/5, and = 9 versus /2 where = ((
1
+
2
)/2 /2). This simulates the torque produced
by a chamber between adjacent vanes with angles
1
and
2
which are in turn determined by the ywheel angle
via a coupling function. There are 4 phases: I (intake), II (compression), III (combustion) and IV (exhaust).
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 55
vane due to
Phase I: an intake stroke where the chamber is open through an intake port. The resulting
gas torque is approximately that produced by atmospheric pressure. This gives 1
in the units adopted here.
Phase II: a compression stroke modelled by an adiabatic process where the gas torque in-
creases from 1.
Phase III: a combustion stroke also modelled by an adiabatic process. The energy input is rep-
resented by an initial gas torque which is h times that at the end of the compression
stroke.
Phase IV: an exhaust stroke where the chamber is re-open through an exhaust port with a
released gas torque 1, associated with atmospheric pressure.
Numeric integration of (12) is performed based on (28), (35) and neglecting gearing
dissipation:
F
k;
(t ) = 0. (36)
In these simulations the ignition factor h is chosen to be 5, viscous parameter chosen to be
1/5 and the vane angular span and compression ratio are set to be 2/5 and 9, respec-
tively, corresponding to amplitude parameter = /25. For the adiabatic processes = 3/2
is adopted. It is interesting to compare the simulation results using the harmonic coupling
function (19) with those using the non-harmonic coupling function (20) with a = 1/25 and
different initial ywheel rotary speeds.
With the above parameter values and initial conditions (0) = 0 and

(0) = 1, the equation
of motion (12) using either (19) or (20) yields numeric solutions that give rise to similar
behaviours in the ywheel rotary speed

(t ) and acceleration

(t ) (see Figure 6).
Figure 6. The simulated ywheel rotary accelerations

(t ) versus time in T

based on harmonic (full) and

non-harmonic (dotted) gear coupling with the initial rotary speed

(0) = 1 produce uctuations with comparable
amplitudes. It indicates that there is no signicant effect of gearing geometry on the MRVE dynamics at low rotary
speeds.
56 B. Librovich et al.
For the same parameter values but with initial conditions (0) = 0 and

(0) = 57.5,
the equation of motion (12) using (20) produces numeric data for the ywheel rotary speed
and acceleration that exhibit uctuations noticeably greater than those using (19). These are
Figure 7. Comparison between the simulated ywheel rotary speeds

(t ) versus time in T

based on a harmonic
(full) and non-harmonic (dotted) gear coupling with the initial rotary speed

(0) = 57.5. Both curves have steady
mean angular speeds due to the external dissipation (28). However the rotary speed based on the non-harmonic
coupling displays a much larger uctuation. This highlights the advantage of the harmonic over non-harmonic
gear coupling at high rotary speeds.
Figure 8. Comparison between the simulated ywheel rotary accelerations

(t ) versus time in T

based on a
harmonic (full) and non-harmonic (dotted) for gear coupling with the initial rotary speed

(0) = 57.5. Both
curves have approximately zero means due to the external dissipation (28). However the rotary acceleration based
on the non-harmonic coupling displays a much large uctuation. This highlights the advantage of the harmonic
over non-harmonic gear coupling at high rotary speeds.
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 57
demonstrated in Figures 7 and 8. Such a dramatic contrast highlights the effect of gearing
geometry on the vibrational characteristics of MRVEs.
5. Estimate of Gear Deection
The above analysis has been based on the imposition of algebraic constraints between the
ywheel and vane-pair angles through (2). Given a prescribed coupling function such as (19),
the corresponding pair of pitch curves are constructed as outlined in (21)(27). The actual
conjugate gears are obtained by tting tooth proles around the pitch curves such that the
coupled angles of rotation are correlated by the prescribed coupling function assuming rigidity
of these gears (cf. Figure 4).
In reality the meshing of gears with teeth is imperfect. Even as rigid bodies they experience
periods of slipping that give rise to friction losses. As deformable structures the teeth undergo
a degree of bending and shear leading to further elastic hysteresis losses in general. In such
circumstances the idealised motion of the contact point along the line joining the centres of
rotation of the pitch curves can change. A complete description of this motion is a complicated
problem since it depends on a piecewise formulation of the gear system dynamics including
details of the free boundary elastodynamics of each gear under time varying transmission
torques and non-linear friction [11]. Such effects cause deviations from the pitch curve angular
correlation = ().
One can attempt to model the salient deformation features of the teeth by regarding them
as rigidly mounted elastic beams with free ends. A quasi-static approximation may be based
on the assumption that each gear-tooth tip responds to a slowly varying y-component of a
contact force derived from the torque being transmitted by the gear to which it is attached.
The deections of each gear-tooth tip, attached to the gears with pitch curves P

and P

, are
then expected to be dominantly in the y-direction. Denoting these deections to be y

(t ) and
y

(t ), respectively, to a rst approximation one expects that the angular correlation is modied
to


() = () +
y

(t )
R(())
+
y

(t )
R()
. (37)
It remains to estimate y

(t ) and y

(t ) in terms of the acting torques.

A variant of the simple theory of Cosserat rods [12, 13] offers one modelling strategy. Its
advantage over simpler beam models is that it can effectively accommodate the constitutive
properties of the gear tooth (including visco-elastic damping) and in principle predict the
effects of elastic wave excitations of different type in the gear tooth. In this article we do not
exploit this degree of generality, being satised with a rough estimate of bounds based on a
quasi-static analysis. The tip deformation of each contacting tooth is estimated from solutions
to the Cosserat equations of motion with a time dependent tip force where the acceleration and
velocity of the tooth (relative to the rigid gear to which it is attached) is neglected. It is part
of a continuing research programme to validate such an approximation scheme by exploring
beam deections in a fully dynamic environment in terms of Cosserat rod modelling.
A Cosserat rod of unstrained length is described by its axis rrr = rrr(s, t ) parametrised
by arc length parameter s (0 s ) at time t . The ends where s = 0 and s = dene
the root and tip of the gear tooth, respectively. The orientation of each cross-section with
area A = A(s) at rrr(s, t ) is specied by two orthogonal unit vectors, ddd
1
= ddd
1
(s, t ) and
ddd
2
= ddd
2
(s, t ), such that the unit vector ddd
3
= ddd
1
ddd
2
is normal to the cross-section. Within
58 B. Librovich et al.
such a cross-section each material point may be labelled by the coordinates (
1
,
2
, s) such
that this point has the position rrr(s, t ) +
1
ddd
1
(s, t ) +
2
ddd
2
(s, t ) in space.
Thus the axis rrr and triad of directors, {ddd
1
, ddd
2
, ddd
3
}, constitute six continuous degrees of
freedom associated with a gear tooth that can sustain deformations such as stretch, dilation,
shear, exure and torsion. Given a constant gear mass density it is convenient to orient the
directors {ddd
1
, ddd
2
, ddd
3
} with the principal axes associated with the cross-section such that in the
director basis the moment of inertia per unit length has non-zero components:
I
11
=
1
, I
22
=
2
, I
33
=
3
(38)
in terms of the area moments:

1
=
_
A

2
2
d
1
d
2
,
2
=
_
A

2
1
d
1
d
2
,
3
=
1
+
2
. (39)
In terms of the partial differential operator strain variables are chosen as vvv = vvv(s, t ) =

s
rrr and uuu = uuu(s, t ) such that
s
ddd
i
= uuu ddd
i
for i = 1, 2, 3. The angular velocity www = www(s, t )
of each triad is similarly dened such that
t
ddd
i
= www ddd
i
. Constitutive relations correlate
these strains to a contact force nnn = nnn(s, t ) and contact torque mmm = mmm(s, t ) and their director
components in turn give rise to tension, shear force, bending moment and twisting couple. The
dynamics of a Cosserat tooth in the presence of a body force fff = fff (s, t ) and body torque
lll = lll(s, t ) follows from Newtons laws:
A
t t
rrr =
s
nnn +fff , (40)

t
(III www) =
s
mmm +vvv nnn +lll. (41)
The partial differential system is closed by employing the classical Kirchhoff constitutive laws
for elastic steel:
m
1
= E
1
u
1
, m
2
= E
2
u
2
, m
3
= G
3
u
3
(42)
n
1
= GAv
1
, n
2
= GAv
2
, n
3
= EA(v
3
1) (43)
in terms of the Youngs modulus E, shear modulus G and vector components m
i
= mmm ddd
i
,
n
i
= nnn ddd
i
, u
i
= uuu ddd
i
, v
i
= vvv ddd
i
in the director basis.
The above general formalism can be used to estimate the static deection of a gear tooth
due to a contact force with magnitude F in the gear plane transverse to the tooth axis. For
simplicity this tooth is idealised to have constant cross-section area A and area moments

1
,
2
,
3
. As shown in Figure 9 we parameterise the conguration of this tooth in a local
Cartesian basis by
rrr = {s + x(s)}iii + y(s)jjj (44)
and
ddd
1
= sin

(s)iii + cos

(s)jjj, (45)
ddd
2
= kkk, (46)
ddd
3
= cos

(s)iii + sin

(s)jjj, (47)
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 59
Figure 9. Deformation of an idealised gear tooth in the xy plane with basis {iii, jjj} rigidly attached to the gear body.
Its tip (on the right) is subject to a force in the y-direction with magnitude F. This force induces a displacement
xiii + yjjj as well as rotation of directors ddd
1
, ddd
3
with an angle

.
where the planar translational and rotational displacements of the tooth cross-sections are
represented by x(s), y(s) and

(s), respectively. The position and orientation at s = 0 are
constrained:
rrr(0) = 0, ddd
1
(0) = jjj, ddd
2
(0) = kkk, ddd
3
(0) = iii, (48)
whereas the other end at s = is subject to the contact force and moment:
nnn() = Fjjj, mmm() = 0. (49)
It follows from (48) and (49) that
0 =

(0) = x(0) = y(0), (50)
0 =
s

() =
s
x() = GA{
s
y()

()} F. (51)
Substituting (44)(47) into (40), (41) for fff = lll = 0 and neglecting second and higher order
terms in x(s), y(s) and

(s) gives

ss
x(s) = 0, (52)

ss
y(s) =
s

(s), (53)

ss

(s) =
GA
E
{
s
y(s) +

(s)}, (54)
where =
2
. Solving (52)(54) with boundary conditions (50) and (51) yields
x(s) = 0, (55)
y(s) =
F
GA
s +
F
2E
s
2

F
6E
s
3
, (56)

(s) =
F
E
s
F
2E
s
2
, (57)
60 B. Librovich et al.
giving rise to the maximum transverse displacement
y() =
F
GA
+
F
3
3E
. (58)
Although based on a static analysis, (58) may provide a rst approximation to the tooth de-
ection with coupled gear wheels at a rotary speed that does not excite signicant elastic
deformation. In order not to excite elastic waves the maximum rotary speed of the gears
should be less than the angular frequency of the lowest eigenmode of a gear tooth. For an
axial excitation this demands

_
E

. (59)
In this case if (58) is used to estimate the tooth deection on a gear connected to, say, the 1st
vane-pair in unit 1, then the force magnitude F may be approximated by F C()/R() at
the vane angle () in terms of the associated reaction torque C(), radius R() and
coupling function (). For

1 with harmonic coupling it follows from (11) and (15)(19)
that
C(t ) I

((t ))

(t )
2
, (60)
and therefore (27) yields
F
C()
R()
I

()(1 +

())

2
. (61)
The tooth deection leads to a contribution to the deformation in the vane angle given by

=
y()
R()
=
F
R()
_

GA
+

3
3E
_
(62)
in coupling with the ywheel. For |

| 1 it follows from (27), (58) and (61) that the

condition on the ywheel rotary speed is given by

_
4I
_

GA
+

3
3E
__
1/2
(63)
provided < 1. With I 1, 0.01 0.1 and E, G 10
5
in units adopted here this
indicates (for deections, based on the approximations above), that the harmonic coupling
scheme is effective in smoothing torque oscillations of a typical MRVE with high angular
speed.
6. Conclusions
A discussion of the dynamics of a multistage rotary vane engine has been given in terms of a
simplied model for the combustion driving torques, power dissipation, and torque transmis-
sion. The torque transmission is effected by conjugate gear pairs in each unit. An argument
for the design of such pairs has been given so that unwanted torque uctuations in a ywheel
attached to a member of the pair can be signicantly attenuated. Effects due to the depar-
ture of a gear pair as idealised rolling rigid pitch curves have been discussed in terms of
On Gear Modelling in Multistage Rotary Vane Engines 61
elastic deformations of gear teeth modelled as attached rods. It is suggested that a variant of
simple Cosserat dynamics offers a useful modelling tool for discussing the complex interac-
tion between interacting gear teeth. A quasi-stationary analysis has been used to place bounds
on the usefulness of a particular choice of conjugate gear coupling in the presence of such
interactions. It is concluded that a MRVE with at least two units can be usefully coupled to
a single ywheel via a well-dened conjugate gear system that attenuates unwanted torque
uctuations over a broad range of rotary speeds.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to R. Carter and M. Widden for stimulating interactions and to EPSRC for
nancial support in this investigation.
References
1. Wankel, F. and Ansdale, R.F., Rotary Piston Machines: Classication of Design Principles for Engines,
Pumps and Compressors, Iliffe Books, London, 1965.
2. Norbye, J.P., Rivals to the Wankel: a roundup of rotary engines, Pop. Sci. (1967) 8085.
3. Shih, A.J., Kinematics of the cycloidal internal combustion engine mechanism, J. Mech. Des. 115 (1993)
953959.
4. Ashley, S., A new spin on the rotary engine, Mech. Eng. (1995) 8082.
5. Kovarsky, K., Kaftori, D., Gamzon, E. and Dgani, E., External combustion Wankel engine for solar
applications, J. Phys. IV(9) (1999) 475480.
6. Setright, L.J.K., Some Unusual Engines, Mechanical Engineering Publications Limited, 1975.
7. Tucker, R.W. and Wang, C., On the effective control of torsional vibrations in drilling systems, J. Sound
Vib. 224(1) (1999) 101122.
8. Litvin, F.L., Gear geometry and applied theory, Prentice Hall, 1994.
9. Tong, S.-H. and Yang, D.C.H., Generation of identical non-circular pitch curves, J. Mech. Des. 120 (1998)
337341.
10. Chang, S.-L. and Tsay, C.-B., Computerized tooth prole generation and undercut analysis of non-circular
gears manufactured with shaper cutters, Trans. ASME 120 (1998) 9299.
11.

Ozg uven, H.N. and Houser, D.R., Mathematical models used in gear dynamics a review, J. Sound Vib.
121(3) (1988) 383411.
12. Antman, S., Non-linear problems in elasticity, Applied Mathematical Sciences 107 (1991).
13. Tucker, R.W. and Wang, C., An integrated model for drill-string dynamics, J. Sound Vib. 224 (1) (1999)
123165.