Internal combustion engine using opposed pistons

• US 20050081805A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mechanical Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mechanical Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Novotny, Rudolph J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/51.R
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 3/0005 having two or more sets of cylinders or pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/26 Engines with cylinder axes coaxial with, or parallel or inclined to, main-shaft axis; Engines with cylinder axes arranged substantially tangentially to a circle centred on main-shaft axis
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/282 the pistons having equal strokes

Abstract

An internal combustion engine having a cylindrical outer housing with inner cylindrical cylinders defining power cylinders circumferentially spaced in the engine. Each of the cylinder(s) has opposed intake and exhaust pistons. The intake and exhaust pistons use air bearings instead of conventional oil as a lubricant. The intake and exhaust pistons power a rotary cam mounted on opposed ends of the engine and a cam follower system positions the pistons. The rotary cam is operatively connected to a drive shaft or power take off shaft. A four bar linkage system is connected to the piston rod to minimize piston side loads. A jumper connects the ends of the power cylinders to pressurize air drawn into the engine and to admit heated air, indirectly heated during the combustion cycle, to charge the power cylinder for improved efficiency and to purge the pressure cylinder after combustion. The overall construction of the engine allows the engine to be made from relatively light weight materials providing a significantly improved power to weight ratio over conventional engines. The overall construction also allows for reduced fuel emissions and greater fuel efficiency.

Claims

1. A combustion cylinder for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a first member defined by a first hollow tube having a predetermined length sized and shaped to receive at least one piston for reciprocal movement therewithin and defining a combustion chamber having a high thermal expansion coefficient and low conductivity into which fuel and air can be introduced, compressed and ignited;

a second member having a high thermal expansion coefficient and a high conductivity adjacent said first member;

a third member having a low thermal expansion coefficient and low conductivity positioned about said first hollow tube adjacent said combustion chamber of said first hollow tube,

wherein said first, second and third members interact to reduce tapering of said first member along said predetermined length by initially containing through said third member heat within said combustion chamber and reducing expansion of said combustion chamber and thereafter distributing heat developed in said combustion chamber along said first member by directing the heat through said second member to maintain a generally uniform temperature along the length of said first member.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising:

a plurality of combustion cylinders having opposed ends, at least one inlet port, at least one exhaust port, first and second intermediate ports, and a jumper interconnecting said inlet and intermediate ports; and

a pair of opposed pistons reciprocally positioned within each of said combustion cylinders, said pair of opposed pistons comprising an exhaust piston and an intake piston, each piston having facing combustion surfaces, a body and a rear side, said pistons being adapted to reciprocate between top dead center and bottom dead center, said pistons defining a combustion chamber between said combustion surfaces;

wherein said inlet port is adjacent said intake piston when said intake piston is at bottom dead center, said exhaust port is positioned at a position between top dead center of said exhaust piston and bottom dead center of said exhaust piston, said first intermediate port is positioned between said inlet port and said combustion chamber, and said second intermediate port is positioned adjacent said exhaust port at said bottom dead center of said exhaust port.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising:

at least two combustion cylinders;

opposed pistons in each of said two combustion cylinders;

a piston rod extending from each piston; and

a bearing pack connected to each piston rod;

each bearing pack comprising;

a housing having a top surface and opposed legs extending from said top surface, said legs having facing inner surfaces and outer surfaces;

a pair of axles extending outwardly from said facing inner surfaces and a pair of pins extending outwardly from said outer surfaces such that axles and pins are coaxial;

four bar linkage assembly connected to said pins;

guide wheels connected to said axles, said guide wheels having a first wheel and a second wheel, said first wheel having a larger diameter than said second wheel;

opposed cams having opposed spaced apart tracks;

said first wheel engaging one of said tracks and said second wheel engaging said other of said tracks.

4. An internal combustion engine having at least two combustion cylinders each having opposed ends with two opposed pistons in each of said two combustion cylinders, each of said pistons having a piston rod extending from said piston and connected to a bearing pack, opposed cams operatively connected to said bearing packs, a four bar linkage connected to a pair of mounting plates, said bearing pack being connected to said four bar linkage, mounting plates being mounted adjacent said opposed ends of said at least two combustion cylinders, said mounting plates having openings for receipt of said piston rods, such that said piston rods reciprocate within said openings, said openings including a seal, said pistons including facing combustion surfaces with outer perimeters, said outer perimeters of said combustion surfaces each having a profiled surface, said profiled surfaces mating to form a combustion chamber between said piston combustion surfaces which is generally closed to reduce heat loss from said combustion chamber during combustion.

5. An internal combustion engine having a housing enclosing at least one cylinder with opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one cylinder, opposed power cams mounted upon a power output shaft, each of said power cams being operatively connected to a respective one of said opposed pistons, said housing comprising:

a center section having opposed ends, two end plates and two end sections, said one of said end plates being connected to a respective one of said opposed ends of said center section and one of said two end sections being connected to a respective one of said end plates, said at least one cylinder with opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one cylinder being mounted within said center section and one each of said opposed power cams being mounted within a respective one of said end sections; and

a shaft seal tube being mounted between said end plates within said center section, said power output shaft extending through said shaft seal tube and into said end sections for operative connection to said opposed power cams.

6. An internal combustion engine having a housing enclosing at least one cylinder with opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one cylinder, opposed power cams mounted upon a power output shaft, each of said power cams being operatively connected to a respective one of said opposed pistons, end plates mounted to said housing and dividing said housing into a center section and end sections, said at least one cylinder with opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one cylinder being mounted within said center section and one each of said opposed power cams being mounted within a respective one of said end sections, said opposed pistons having connecting rods operatively interconnecting said pistons to said cams, said end plates having openings for reciprocal receipt of said connection rods;

a seal pack mounted within said openings in said end plates for sealing said end sections from said central section while allowing reciprocation of said connecting rod within said opening, said seal pack having a housing containing seals which seal against the connecting rod and an O-ring mounted mounted between said end plates and said housing, said O-ring sharing a groove formed partly in each of said housing and said end plates,

said shared grooves providing better sealing and permitting some movement between said connecting rod and said end plates and provides for high strength retention to oppose the oscillating movements of the connecting rods.

7. An internal combustion engine having a housing enclosing at least one cylinder with opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one cylinder, said pistons having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, opposed power cams mounted upon a power output shaft, each of said power cams being operatively connected to a respective one of said opposed pistons, end plates mounted to said housing and dividing said housing into a center section and end sections, said at least one cylinder with opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one cylinder being mounted within said center section and one each of said opposed power cams being mounted within a respective one of said end sections, said opposed pistons having connecting rods operatively interconnecting said pistons to said cams, said end plates having openings for reciprocal receipt of said connection rods;

said end sections being sealed from said center sections such that lubricant can be contained in said end sections and excluded from said center section, said internal combustion engine including air bearings, said air bearing comprising;

support pockets surrounded by trenches which communicate with the low pressure side of the pistons, said trenches are defined by circumferential grooves and by-pass slots, pressurized air is supplied to said pockets, said air pressure in said by-pass slots is generally lower than said air pressure to said support pockets.

8. An internal combustion engine having at least one power cylinder having opposed ends and opposed pistons mounted for reciprocation within said at least one power cylinder, opposed power cams mounted upon a power output shaft, each of said power cams being operatively connected to a respective one of said opposed pistons, said power cylinder comprising:

an air intake manifold and a base compression manifold each defined by a housing with each housing having an annular opening sized to receive said ends of said power cylinder, and a pair of jumpers extending between said air intake manifold and said base compression manifold generally parallel to said power cylinder, said air intake manifold having at least one aperture for the intake of air.