Combustion engine

• US 20070044478A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gerald Kashmerick
• Original Assignee: Gerald Kashmerick
• Inventors: Kashmerick, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/776
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 1/02 of open-cycle type
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 2250/03 Brayton cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 3/02 with reciprocating-piston engines

Abstract

A combustion engine that has at least a plurality of power strokes during a complete cycle of engine operation that is of compact packaging and Brayton cycle operable. In a preferred embodiment, a piston-cylinder arrangement used to compress air and deliver it to a combustion chamber where it is combusted along with fuel. The combustion gases are returned back to the piston-cylinder arrangement where they act on the piston to output power in a power stroke. A second power stroke can be implemented where additional combustion gases are available to extract additional power from. In a preferred embodiment, the same piston-cylinder arrangement receives the additional combustion gases from the combustion chamber in the second power stroke.

Claims

1. A combustion engine comprising:

(a) a reciprocable piston received in a cylinder;

(b) an intake valve permitting fluid flow into the cylinder;

(c) an exhaust valve permitting fluid flow from the cylinder; and

wherein gas compressed by the piston in the cylinder and discharged from the cylinder is mixed with fuel, the fuel is combusted externally of the cylinder, and the combustion gases are directed into the cylinder to perform work on the piston and displace the piston to output power therefrom.

2. The combustion engine of claim 1 wherein the same cylinder that compresses the gas receives the combustion gases undergoing expansion from being combusted.

3. The combustion engine of claim 1 further comprising a combustion chamber in fluid flow communication with the cylinder configured for receiving compressed gas discharged from the cylinder, for facilitating mixing with fuel, and for combusting the mixture before discharging the combustion mixture to the cylinder.

4. The combustion engine of claim 1 further comprising an intake valve configured to allow entry of air into the cylinder that is compressed by displacement of the piston relative to the cylinder in a manner that decreases volume within the cylinder, a compressed air discharge valve configured to allow air compressed in the cylinder by the piston to exit the piston, and a combustion gas intake valve configured to allow entry of expanding combustion gases into the cylinder to drive the piston in performing work on the piston to output engine power.

5. The combustion engine of claim 4 further comprising a combustion chamber in fluid flow communication with the cylinder configured for receiving compressed gas discharged from the cylinder, for facilitating mixing with fuel, and for combusting the mixture before discharging the combustion mixture to the cylinder, wherein a first charge of combusted mixture is discharged to the cylinder where it acts on the cylinder before being exhausted therefrom, and a second charge of combusted mixture is discharged to the cylinder where it acts on the cylinder before also being exhausted therefrom.

6. The combustion engine of claim 1, wherein combustion takes place in a combustion chamber that is external to the cylinder.

7. The combustion engine of claim 6 wherein the combustion chamber includes a combuster that absorbs heat lost from combustion using heat regeneration.

8. The combustion engine of claim 7 further comprising a mixer that transfers heat to the combuster.

9. The combustion engine of claim 6 further comprising a cylinder head that overlies the cylinder, and wherein the combustion chamber is located in the cylinder head.

10. The combustion engine of claim 6 wherein the combustion chamber contains multiple compartments.

11. The combustion engine of claim 6 wherein the combustion chamber has a variable volume.

12. The combustion engine of claim 6 wherein the cylinder and the combustion chamber are a first cylinder and a first combustion chamber, respectively, and further comprising a second cylinder and a second combustion chamber.

13. The combustion engine of claim 12 wherein a compressed air outlet of the first cylinder is connected to a compressed air inlet of the first combustion chamber and a compressed air outlet of the second cylinder is connected to a compressed air inlet of the second combustion chamber.

14. The combustion engine of claim 1 wherein the intake valve throttles fluid flow into the cylinder for low idle operation.

15. The combustion engine of claim 1 wherein the fuel is at least one of gasoline, diesel fuel, ethanol, methanol, propane, methane, propane, hydrogen, one or more seed oils, and one or more cooking oils.

16. A combustion engine comprising:

(a) a reciprocable piston received in a cylinder;

(b) a combustion chamber having an air inlet and an combustion gas outlet;

(c) an intake valve permitting airflow into the cylinder;

(c) an exhaust valve permitting exhaust gas flow from the cylinder;

(d) a compressed air inlet valve permitting compressed airflow from the cylinder to the air inlet of the combustion chamber; and

(e) a gas intake valve permitting combustion gas flow from the combustion chamber into the cylinder,

wherein air compressed by the piston in the cylinder and discharged from the cylinder is mixed with fuel, the fuel is combusted in the combustion chamber to form combustion gases, and the combustion gases are directed into the cylinder to drive the piston to reciprocate within the cylinder.

17. A method comprising:

(a) directing pressurized air to a combustion chamber;

(b) combusting fuel in the combustion chamber using the pressurized air as an oxygen source; and

(c) directing combustion gases from the combustion chamber to a cylinder to drive a piston to reciprocate in the cylinder.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the pressurized air is directed into the combustion chamber from the cylinder.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising admitting air into the cylinder and compressing air within the cylinder before directing the pressurized air to the combustion chamber from the cylinder.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising exhausting exhaust gases from the cylinder.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein combustion is sustained in the combustion chamber on an at least substantially continuous basis during engine operation.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising changing a compression ratio of the cylinder without changing cylinder volume.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the compression ratio of the cylinder is changed by adjusting the opening of a combustion gas intake valve for the cylinder.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising increasing engine efficiency at a partial throttle setting by adjusting operation of an exhaust valve for the cylinder.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising increasing engine efficiency at a partial throttle setting by throttling intake airflow into the cylinder.

29. The method of claim 17 further comprising heating the compressed air through regenerative heating with combustion gases before the compressed air enters the combustion chamber.

30. The method of claim 17 further comprising delivering fuel to the combustion chamber in a manner that produces high pressure pulses that are timed with the opening of a combustion gas intake valve for the cylinder.

31. The method of claim 17 wherein the cylinder and the combustion chamber are a first cylinder and a first combustion chamber, respectively, and further comprising a second cylinder and a second combustion chamber.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein compressed air is directed from an outlet of the first cylinder to a compressed air inlet of the first combustion chamber and compressed air is directed from an outlet of the second cylinder is to a compressed air inlet of the second combustion chamber.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising controlling fluid flow to and from the first and second cylinders to obtain simultaneous and staggered operation thereof.

34. The method of claim 32 further comprising controlling fluid flow to and from the first and second cylinders to obtain simultaneous and tandem operation thereof.

35. The method of claim 17 further comprising supplying water to the combustion chamber.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the water is supplied to the combustion chamber during or just before combustion gases enter the cylinder.

37. A method comprising:

(a) intermittently directing pressurized air to a combustion chamber from a cylinder;

(b) combusting fuel in the combustion chamber on at least substantially continuous basis using the pressurized air as an oxygen source; and

(c) intermittently directing combustion gases from the combustion chamber to the cylinder to drive a piston to reciprocate in the cylinder.

38. A method comprising:

(a) directing pressurized air to a combustion chamber;

(b) combusting fuel in the combustion chamber using the pressurized air as an oxygen source;

(c) directing combustion gases from the combustion chamber to a cylinder to drive a piston to reciprocate in the cylinder; and

(d) changing a compression ratio of the cylinder without changing cylinder volume.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the compression ratio is changed by adjusting the opening of a combustion gas intake valve for the cylinder.

40. A method comprising:

(a) admitting air into a cylinder;

(b) moving a piston in the cylinder to pressurize the air;

(c) directing pressurized air to a combustion chamber;

(d) combusting fuel in the combustion chamber using the pressurized air as an oxygen source; and

(e) directing combustion gases from the combustion chamber to a cylinder to drive a piston to reciprocate in the cylinder; and

(f) exhausting gases from the cylinder.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the steps (e) and (f) are performed once for each step (c).

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the steps (e) and (f) are performed at least twice for each step (c).

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising repeating at least steps (e) and (f) while varying the quantity of combustion gases that are directed into the cylinder, thereby varying the power output during step (e).

44. A method comprising:

(a) admitting air into a cylinder;

(b) moving a piston in the cylinder to pressurize the air;

(c) directing pressurized air to a combustion chamber;

(d) combusting fuel in the combustion chamber using the pressurized air as an oxygen source; and

, during the step (d)

(i) directing a first quantity of combustion gases from the combustion chamber to the cylinder to drive a piston to move in the cylinder and generate a first quantity of power,

(ii) exhausting gases from the cylinder, then

(iii) directing a second quantity of co combustion gases from the combustion chamber to the cylinder to drive the piston to move in the cylinder and generate a second quantity of power.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising, within step (d), controlling steps (d)(ii) and (d)(iii) so as to assure at least substantially complete expansion of combustion gases in the combustion chamber.

46. A method comprising:

(a) admitting air into a cylinder;

(b) moving a piston in the cylinder to pressurize the air;

(c) directing pressurized air to a combustion chamber;

(d) combusting fuel in the combustion chamber using the pressurized air as an oxygen source;

(e) directing combustion gases from the combustion chamber to a cylinder to drive a piston to reciprocate in the cylinder;

(f) exhausting gases from the cylinder; and

further comprising

controlling steps (e) and (f) to assure at least substantially complete expansion of combustion gases in the combustion chamber, the controlling step including at least one of repeating steps (e) and (f) and adjusting the quantity of combustion gases admitted into the cylinder during the step (e).