Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090057438 | Ultrasonically activated fuel injector needle - A fuel injector intended for use on an internal combustion engine contains an injector needle that is longitudinally driven by an ultrasonic actuator during the time the injector valve is open to provide an atomized fuel spray output of sub-micron droplet sizes. A piezoelectric disk stack is mounted within the injector housing to surround a portion of the injector needle component and is used to provide the mechanical ultrasonic stimulation to the injector valve at the end of the injector needle and set up a corresponding wave-front at the injector valve to atomize the fuel as it leaves the injector nozzle. | 03-05-2009 |
20090139476 | INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - A two-stroke internal combustion engine is disclosed having opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons, with all the pistons connected to a common central crankshaft. The inboard pistons of each cylinder are connected to the crankshaft with pushrods and the outboard pistons are connected to the crankshaft with pullrods. Each opposed cylinder further comprises an integrated scavenge pump for providing positive intake pressure. This configuration results in a compact engine with a very low profile, in which the free mass forces can be substantially balanced. The engine configuration also allows for asymmetrical timing of the intake and exhaust ports through angular positioning of the journals on the crankshaft. | 06-04-2009 |
20090183491 | Internal continuous combustion engine system - A continuous combustion system for an internal combustion engine includes a reaction vessel external to the engine cylinders. The reaction vessel contains a combustion chamber for sustaining continuous combustion of an air fuel mixture during the operation of the associated engine. The reaction vessel contains an incoming air chamber and an exhaust gas chamber that are each in communication with the combustion chamber. Injected fuel vapor is mixed with scavenged exhaust gas for pre-heating and with compressed air from each cylinder provided during the compression stroke of each piston. The compressed air and fuel vapor mixture sustains the ignited combustion continuously, while exhaust gas is fed to the cylinders to provide working fluid to the engine during the power stroke of each piston. A valve mechanism is provided to control the flow of air from and working fluid to the cylinders at the appropriate times in order to sustain operation of the engine. | 07-23-2009 |
20100050978 | Lubrication system for the piston ring and cylinder liner of an internal combustion engine - An improved lubrication system for an internal combustion engine that includes an inertia reactive oil injector in a piston that reacts to the movement of the piston and conveys a predetermined measure of lubricating oil to the space between the piston and its adjacent cylinder wall immediately below the upper piston rings as the piston reaches top dead center of its stroke cycle. A first embodiment utilizes a tunnel passage and reservoir formed beneath the side surface of a piston with inlet and outlet ports at each end. The oil injector receives oil under pressure when the piston is at its BDC position and the carries the oil past the intake/exhaust ports of the cylinder until the piston decelerates while approaching its TDC position. During that deceleration, the oil carried by the injector reservoir is delivered through the outlet port into the space between the piston and the cylinder liner. A second embodiment utilizes a groove of predetermined length formed in the outer surface of the piston. A reservoir is formed in the groove and defines inlet and outlet ports at each end. | 03-04-2010 |
20100056327 | Hybrid engine system - A hybrid engine and coupling system for use with a vehicle or other load which employs a motor/generator unit connected through controllable couplers to a kinetic energy storage device and to one or more internal combustion engine modules in a programmed manner. Several embodiments provide varying configurations to satisfy various power and packaging design requirements. | 03-04-2010 |
20100082192 | Hybrid Engine System - A hybrid engine control system for use with a vehicle or other load which employs a motor/generator unit connected through controllable couplers to a kinetic energy storage device and to one or more internal combustion engine modules in a programmed manner. Several embodiments provide varying configurations to satisfy various power and packaging design requirements. | 04-01-2010 |
20100224162 | Piston-pin bearing lubrication system and method for a two-stroke internal combustion engine - An improved lubrication system and method for the normally contacting and abutting piston pin and connecting rod journal bearing surfaces of an internal combustion engine that includes an inertia pump in a connecting rod. The inertia pump reacts to the movement of the connecting rod and conveys a predetermined measure of lubricating oil at a high enough pressure to overcome the forces which cause the surfaces to normally maintain contact. By separating the normally contacting surfaces of the pin and the connecting rod journal, the surfaces become lubricated. Several embodiments of inertia pumps provide variations in implementing the invention. | 09-09-2010 |
20100229836 | GUIDED BRIDGE FOR A PISTON IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - An improved configuration for internal combustion engine that reduces side forces on pistons during the engine cycle. The improvement is an intermediate and guided bridge element located between pull rods and pistons with articulated connections that allow side forces to be dissipated away from the pistons. | 09-16-2010 |
20100308685 | ELECTRIC MOTOR ROTOR - A rotor for use in an electrical motor which includes an anti-expansion ring centrally mounted on the rotor to restrict the extent rotor elements mounted on a rotatable shaft may expand outward due to centrifugal forces generated when the motor is operated. Such motors are suited for use in high rotational speed environments such as electrically controlled turbochargers. | 12-09-2010 |
20100326394 | SCRAPER RING LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR THE UPPER PORTION OF A PISTON AND ADJACENT CYLINDER LINER OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine that includes a scraper ring with an oil collector located mounted immediately beneath an upper piston ring on a reciprocating piston. The scraper ring serves to deposit oil onto the inner surface of the upper cylinder liner near the combustion chamber in reaction to the decelerating movement of the piston as the piston approaches TDC. The oil scraper collects oil in a collection groove as the piston travels along the lower portion of the cylinder and carries the oil past the intake/exhaust ports of the cylinder until the piston decelerates while approaching its TDC position. At that point, oil carried by the scraper ring in the collection groove is deposited by its inertia onto the cylinder liner. | 12-30-2010 |
20110022289 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING AN ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED TURBOCHARGER - Suitable for retrofitting conventional turbo charged engines, an electrically controlled turbocharger is installed in a Compression Ignition Direct Injection (CIDI) Engine and controlled to maintain a predetermined optimal air/fuel ratio throughout the operating range of the engine. Electrical energy is applied to the motor/generator of the turbocharger to boost its operation when the engine is being operated at relatively low speeds or under high torque loads and the engine exhaust gases applied to the turbine are insufficient to drive the turbocharger to maintain the predetermined air/fuel ratio. Electrical energy is produced by the motor/generator of the turbocharger when the engine is being operated at higher speeds and the engine exhaust gases applied to the turbine are excessive in driving the turbine to maintain the predetermined air/fuel ratio. By capturing the electrical energy produced by the motor/generator and adjusting the load, the turbine is slowed down to maintain the predetermined air/fuel ratio. | 01-27-2011 |
20110057049 | Supercritical-State Fuel Injection System And Method - A fuel injector system for raising fuel to its supercritical state and injecting the supercritical-state fuel to the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. A plurality of injector embodiments provides alternative ways to heat the pressurized fuel to its supercritical state. Injection of supercritical fuel into the combustion chamber is known to improve fuel entrainment and reducing ignition delay to thereby increase combustion rate, which leads to an increase in fuel efficiency. According to some embodiments, the system provides for preventing coking that may otherwise occur in an exhaust gas heat exchanger used for preheating the high pressure fuel. In other embodiments, engine cold start assistance is provided by storing pressurized, heated fuel in an insulated container. | 03-10-2011 |
20110215575 | Electrical Generator - An electrical generator utilizing two internal combustion engine having an expanded range of power output is disclosed. A primary internal combustion engine is coupled to the magnet rotor assembly. The primary engine is operated solely in a lower power range. A secondary engine, coupled to a coil assembly is locked in place in such lower power range to make the coil assembly stationary. In a higher power range, that overlaps the lower power range, the secondary engine is unlocked and operated to rotate in a counter-rotating direction with respect to the first engine. The secondary engine can be started by operating the generator (consisting of the magnet rotor assembly and the coil assembly) as a motor by appropriate application of current. | 09-08-2011 |
20120204841 | Opposed-Piston, Opposed-Cylinder Engine With Collinear Cylinders - An opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder OPOC engine is disclosed in which the central axis of the two cylinders is collinear. In four-stroke engines, this is possible with a built up crankshaft. Disclosed are connecting rod configurations that are suitable for a two-stroke engine that can be assembled to a unitary crankshaft, including both pullrods in tension and pushrods in compression. The configuration includes pistons arranged symmetrically, but with offset timing of the intake and exhaust pistons. The offset timing leads to a slight imbalance which can partially overcome by having the center of gravity of the crankshaft offset from the axis of rotation. | 08-16-2012 |
20120207415 | Pullrod Connection to a Journal - Reciprocating motion can be converted to rotary motion through a crankshaft and a connecting rod. In a connecting rod that is primarily in tension, two opposing connecting rods can be coupled to a single journal. Two bearing caps are placed over the journal, the bearing caps having fingers that extend away from the bearing cap with the fingers of the two bearing caps being enmeshed. Fingers of each bearing cap are coupled to the connecting rods. The resulting joint is compact and lighter weight with a shorter journal than prior joints. | 08-16-2012 |
20120247419 | Pushrod Connection to a Journal - Reciprocating motion can be converted to rotary motion through a crankshaft and a connecting rod. In a connecting rod that is primarily in compression, two opposing connecting rods can be coupled to a single journal. Two bearing shell portions are placed over the journal with a pushrod placed over each bearing shell portion. The pushrods are normally in compression. To overcome the potentiality of the pushrods briefly being in tension, retainers can be coupled to the pushrods. Because both pushrods are coupled in-line, the width of the journal that can accommodate these pushrods is shorter than for a journal on which the two pushrods are side by side. The crankshaft can be shorter, stronger, and lighter weight. | 10-04-2012 |
20120266851 | Intake System for a Two-Stroke Internal Combustion Engine - A combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine has primary intake ports located a first distance from the crankshaft and primary intake ports located a second distance from the crankshaft. One or more unidirectional valves, such as reed valves, are place in an intake duct upstream of the primary intake ports. The valves prevent backflow from the cylinder into the intake when the pressure in the cylinder exceeds that of the intake. The backflow into the intake is reduced by having valves in the intake; therefore scavenging efficiency is improved. Furthermore, the asymmetry between the intake and exhaust port timing may be reduced by providing such valves. Additionally, the total intake port area can be increased with two sets of intake ports and valves disposed in the primary ports, thereby improving the volumetric efficiency in spite of the pressure drop presented by the valves. | 10-25-2012 |
20120297767 | System and Method to Control an Electronically-Controlled Turbocharger - By providing an electrically-controlled turbocharger (ECT) on a compression-ignition (CI) engine, the engine can be provided a desired lambda and a desired EGR fraction over the range of operating conditions. When lambda in the exhaust is leaner than the desired lambda, electrical energy to the electric motor of the ECT is reduced to bring actual lambda to desired lambda. Analogously, when lambda in the exhaust is richer than the desired lambda, electrical energy to the ECT is increased. | 11-29-2012 |
20130008406 | Seal Assembly for an Internal Combustion Engine - An improved oil and gas seal assembly for an internal combustion engine that includes a scraper ring retained within an annular containment groove that, in several embodiments, is formed in the side wall of the cylinder and sized to allow the scraper ring to be fitted therein. The depth of the annular containment groove is sufficient to allow the scraper ring to be expanded during assembly with the piston and during engine operation when the assembly is exposed to vibration and heat variations. A resilient element surrounds the scraper ring within the annular containment groove in order to apply inward forces to the scraper ring and keep it in contact with the movable piston skirt side wall, and also in contact with at least one wall of the groove to prevent an alternative migration path for oil or combustion gases. | 01-10-2013 |
20130014718 | Toroidal Combustion Chamber With Side Injection - A toroidal combustion chamber shape with a side injector is disclosed for an opposed-piston engine. Fuel is injected into the toroidal volume from a fuel injector in the cylinder wall. In one embodiment, fuel is injected from each injector a plurality of times with the timing between the injections such that fuel clouds from each injection remain substantially isolated from each other. | 01-17-2013 |
20130025556 | Combustion Chamber Promoting Tumble Flow - A combustion chamber in an opposed-piston, internal-combustion engine is disclosed in which the pistons tops are designed so that when they approach each other, they induce a tumble flow in one or two hemispherical spaces defined in the piston tops. The combustion chamber further includes injectors side mounted in the cylinder wall. In one embodiment, the tumble flows in the two hemispheres are in the same direction and in another embodiment, in opposite directions. In yet another embodiment, there is only one injector and one hemisphere in which a tumble flow is induced. | 01-31-2013 |
20130098328 | Balancing an Opposed-Piston, Opposed-Cylinder Engine - An opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine in which the intake and exhaust pistons are symmetrically arranged has a small inertial force imbalance in the direction of reciprocation of the pistons. A center of gravity of the crankshaft can be displaced from the axis of rotation to at least partially overcome this imbalance. Such counterweighting of the crankshaft cancels a portion of the inertial balance due to the pistons but introduces an inertial imbalance in an orthogonal direction with respect to the piston-induced imbalance. By providing additional counterweights on pulleys rotating at the same speed, but the opposite direction, as the crankshaft, the imbalance can be substantially eliminated to yield substantially a perfectly-balanced engine. | 04-25-2013 |
20130146021 | Toroidal Combustion Chamber With Side Injection - A toroidal combustion chamber shape with side injectors is being developed for an opposed-piston engine. Favorable combustion characteristics of such configuration are transferred to a conventional engine, i.e., one with a combustion chamber delimited by a piston, a cylinder wall, and a cylinder head. At least one injector is disposed in the cylinder head at the periphery. The fuel is injected substantially along the plane of interface between the cylinder head and the cylinder block. The intake system is configured to provide a swirling flow in the combustion chamber. The fuel is injected in an angle that is displaced from the central axis of the cylinder and directed along the swirl. In some embodiments, a substantially torus-shaped volume is formed between the piston and the cylinder head when the piston is at top center. The injector or injectors spray fuel into the toroidally-shaped volume substantially tangent to the torus. | 06-13-2013 |
20130152547 | Toroidal Combustion Chamber With Side Injection - In systems in which there is insufficient pressure difference between the intake and the exhaust to drive the EGR, an EGR pump is provided. In a dual-engine system, disclosed herein, the EGR system, i.e., the EGR cooler and EGR pump, is shared to obviate the need for two of each. Shutoff valves may be provided between the EGR system and a secondary of the two engines to isolate the secondary engine when it is not operating. When the engines are OPOC engines, exhaust aftertreatment devices, such as diesel oxidation catalysts and/or diesel particulate filters, may be placed upstream of where the EGR gases tee off from the engine's exhaust to thereby maintain a high pressure ratio across an exhaust turbine located downstream in the engine's exhaust. | 06-20-2013 |
20130276762 | Symmetric Opposed-Piston, Opposed-Cylinder Engine - An opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine is disclosed that has the pistons symmetrically arranged in the opposed cylinders. In one embodiment, the inner pistons are exhaust pistons and the outer pistons are intake pistons. Alternatively, the inner pistons are intake pistons and the outer pistons are exhaust pistons. The pistons are coupled to the crankshaft that is situated between the opposed cylinders. Central axes of the two cylinders are offset by a predetermined distance. The connecting rods that couple between the crankshaft and the pistons are arranged adjacent to each other on journals of the crankshaft. The journal to which the pushrods couple is not a split-pin type. Instead, it is one that has a common central axis. Furthermore, the crankshaft is a one-piece or unitary structure. | 10-24-2013 |
20140109877 | Integrated Piston and Bridge - A piston coupled to a crankshaft via pullrods presents challenges for coupling the piston to the crankshaft because the connections are provided outside the piston. A bridge is coupled to a piston skirt at the end of the piston away from the piston crown. The bridge structure includes: a central support structure, a first projection extending outwardly from the central support structure in a first radial direction, and a second projection extending outwardly from the central support structure in a second radial direction. The central support structure is substantially hollow with a series of internal braces to yield a lightweight piston. | 04-24-2014 |
20140298984 | Two-Part Stationary Ring for Devices Having Pistons - In some two-stroke engines, a stationary ring is disposed in a groove in the cylinder liner. However, it is a challenge to install such a stationary ring while maintaining a narrow gap to minimize gas flow through the gap. A ring system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed that includes an L-shaped, split ring with a reentrant angle and a nested, split ring with a convex quadrilateral cross section nested with the L-shaped ring proximate the reentrant angle. The two rings are affixed so that the two gaps of the split rings cannot align. Or, in other embodiments, the two are allowed to rotate relative to each other over a predetermined angle. | 10-09-2014 |
20140299090 | Ventilation Slots in a Cylinder Wall - In two-stroke engines, it is common to provide two compression rings on the piston and an additional oil ring. The oil ring can be on the piston, but yields a longer piston. Alternatively, the oil ring is placed in a circumferential groove in the cylinder liner. One problem with such a configuration is that the compression rings move with respect to the oil ring and the annular volume between the two is compressed during reciprocation of the piston, which can cause pumping of oil into the ports. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, axial slots are formed in the cylinder liner that extends from the circumferential groove toward the ports extending along the bridges and beyond the ports. This provides a vent for the annular volume to avoid pumping the oil into the ports. | 10-09-2014 |
20140326131 | Dual Ring Configuration for a Stationary Seal - In a piston-ported engine, a sealing ring may be placed in a groove in the cylinder. As the groove is of greater diameter than the cylinder, the sealing ring overlaps into a helix allowing it to be enter the cylinder. However, such a helix does not fit into a groove without when in the helix. Alternatively, a shorter sealing ring is placed into the groove. However, the gap is too large. According to one embodiment, a groove of double the width of the ring is provided and the helical ring is installed and caused to unwind in the groove so that the ring sits in a plane. A spacer ring is placed in the groove to fill the extra space in the groove. An elastomeric material or a tension spring in an outer groove in the sealing ring can be used to cause the ring to press against the piston. | 11-06-2014 |
20140345455 | Thermal Barrier for a Piston - It is important to maintain the temperature in the ring pack area of the piston of an internal combustion engine below about 270° C. to maintain proper ring function and lubrication. Disclosed is a piston with a heat barrier groove between the piston top and the ring pack and a method to construct such a piston. The heat barrier groove extends inwardly toward the center of the piston a greater distance than the compression ring grooves. In one embodiment, a low thermal conductivity material is placed in the inner portion of the heat barrier groove and a split ring is place in the outer portion. In another embodiment, a gas is provided in the inner portion and the split ring is welded to the piston so that the inner portion of the heat barrier groove is sealed, i.e., welding at the upper and lower edges and at the gap. | 11-27-2014 |
20150075209 | Heat Pump With Electromechanically-Actuated Displacers - A Vuilleumier heat pump is disclosed in which hot and cold displacers are controlled by first and second electromagnetic actuators, respectively. The first actuator is capable of moving the hot displacer between the first and second ends of travel while the cold displacer remains stationary and the second actuator is capable of moving the cold displacer while the hot displacer remains stationary. Prior art crank arrangements are unable to provide dwell in one displacer while moving the other displacer. Actuation of the displacers according to embodiments of the present disclosure provides a higher coefficient of performance than crank arrangements. | 03-19-2015 |