CONTROLLED HOMOGENEOUS-CHARGE, COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINE
First Claim
1. An engine comprising:
- a plurality of combustion cylinders;
a first piston reciprocably mounted within each of said combustion cylinders, said piston presenting a first piston face defining one boundary of a combustion chamber within said combustion cylinder;
a head covering said combustion cylinders and having a plurality of cylindrical recesses, each opening into a respective combustion cylinder;
a second piston reciprocably mounted in each of said recesses, said second piston presenting a second piston face defining a second boundary of the combustion chamber;
means for introducing a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber; and
means for moving said second piston from a retracted position outward in said cylindrical recess, to an extended position, after said first piston has reached a point near top dead center, at the end of each compression stroke or the beginning of the expansion stroke of said first piston, to reduce the volume of the combustion chamber and increase the compression ratio to a level causing auto-ignition of the fuel-air mixture.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An engine has a plurality of combustion cylinders with a first piston reciprocably mounted in each of the combustion cylinders in the conventional manner. The engine head has, in communication with each of the combustion cylinders, a cylindrical recess containing a reciprocably mounted second piston. On the side of the second piston opposite the combustion chamber is a control chamber with inlets and outlets for controlling movement of the second piston. The second piston is used to increase the compression ratio without appreciably reducing the expansion ratio. Alternatively, the second piston may be used as a pump to pump fluid from the control chamber. In yet another alternative method of operation, the second piston can be driven outward within the cylindrical recess to an extent which varies in accordance with power demand, thereby varying the compression ratio in accordance with the power demand.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An engine comprising:
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a plurality of combustion cylinders;
a first piston reciprocably mounted within each of said combustion cylinders, said piston presenting a first piston face defining one boundary of a combustion chamber within said combustion cylinder;
a head covering said combustion cylinders and having a plurality of cylindrical recesses, each opening into a respective combustion cylinder;
a second piston reciprocably mounted in each of said recesses, said second piston presenting a second piston face defining a second boundary of the combustion chamber;
means for introducing a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber; and
means for moving said second piston from a retracted position outward in said cylindrical recess, to an extended position, after said first piston has reached a point near top dead center, at the end of each compression stroke or the beginning of the expansion stroke of said first piston, to reduce the volume of the combustion chamber and increase the compression ratio to a level causing auto-ignition of the fuel-air mixture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of operating an engine including a plurality of combustion cylinders and a first piston reciprocably mounted within each of the combustion cylinders and presenting a first piston face defining one boundary of a combustion chamber within a combustion cylinder;
- a head covering the combustion cylinders and having exhaust ports and a plurality of cylindrical recesses, each of the cylindrical recesses opening into a respective combustion cylinder;
a second piston reciprocably mounted in each of the recesses; and
an engine exhaust valve for opening and closing each exhaust port, the second piston presenting a second piston face defining a second boundary of the combustion chamber, said method comprising;
introducing a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber;
compressing the fuel-air mixture by a compression stroke of the first piston; and
moving said second piston outward from a retracted position to an extended position within a cylindrical recess within the head, after the first piston has reached a point near top dead center at the end of each compression stroke or the beginning of the expansion stroke of said first piston, to reduce the volume of the combustion chamber and to increase the compression ratio to a level causing auto-ignition of the fuel-air mixture. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- a head covering the combustion cylinders and having exhaust ports and a plurality of cylindrical recesses, each of the cylindrical recesses opening into a respective combustion cylinder;
Specification