Air-hybrid and utility engine

• US 20070113803A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Miller, Walt Froloff
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Miller, Walt Froloff
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth, Froloff, Walt
• Application Number:
  US11/650,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113803A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/90.110
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/46 Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in preceding subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 21/00 Engines characterised by air-storage chambers
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 69/06 for different cycles, e.g. convertible from two-stroke to four stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/02 Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/04 using engine as brake
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 37/02 one of the functions being ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A dynamically re-configurable multi-stroke internal combustion engine, comprised of programmable computer processor controlled engine components for decoupling the four classic strokes of an internal combustion engine and electronically managing engine cylinder components including such cylinder components as electronically controllable valves, fuel injection and air fuel mixture ignition, allowing additional engine cylinder unit component states and thus cylinder strokes to be independently altered or re-sequenced by computer control to provide alternate engine modes of operation. Some alternate engine modes are facilitated by addition of a compressed air storage reservoir to receive cylinder generated compressed air or transfer compressed air to cylinder units in other modes to increase engine power, efficiency or utility. Sensor input and on-demand requirements drive control logic to manage engine strokes through control of individual cylinder component states. Dynamic reconfiguration of individual component states provides re-generative engine energy modes, boost power modes, and mixed modes which use compressed air stored energy re-introduced for alternate cylinder state sequences and alternate engine modes of operation which add utility and efficiency to otherwise fixed sequence multi-stroke power generation in internal combustion engines.

Claims

1. A dynamically re-configurable internal combustion engine coupled to operation of a vehicle comprising:

one or more cylinder units each with expanding and contracting cylinder volume and associated stroke sequences;

each cylinder unit having an intake port and an electronically controllable intake valve component having multiple states under computer control;

each cylinder unit having an exhaust port and an electronically controllable exhaust valve component having multiple states under computer control;

each cylinder unit having an electronic fuel injector component having multiple states under computer control;

each cylinder unit having an air-fuel mixture ignition means for igniting an air-fuel mixture in the cylinder volume, said ignition means under computer control;

each cylinder unit having a switch for selecting a first stroke sequence for combusting a compressed air-fuel mixture for a power stroke and for selecting a second stroke sequence for expelling compressed air for alternate use, said switching means under computer control;

a compressed air storage reservoir charged by one or more cylinder units having an associated valve component for flowing compressed air from a cylinder unit to the compressed air storage and associated valve components having multiple states under computer control for metering compressed air from the compressed air storage into cylinder unit;

a computer usable medium; and

a computer control system comprising computer readable program logic embodied in the computer usable medium for controlling the steps of selecting component states to provide alterable cylinder unit stroke sequences.

2. A dynamically re-configurable internal combustion engine as in claim 1 further comprising a compressed air port and corresponding electronically controllable valve for compressed air flow control.

3. A dynamically re-configurable internal combustion engine coupled to operation of a vehicle comprising:

one or more cylinder units each with expanding and contracting cylinder volume and associated stroke sequences;

each cylinder unit having an intake port and an electronically controllable intake valve component having multiple states under computer control;

each cylinder unit having an exhaust port and an electronically controllable exhaust valve component having multiple states under computer control;

each cylinder unit having an electronic fuel injector component having multiple states under computer control;

each cylinder unit having an air-fuel mixture ignition means for igniting an air-fuel mixture in the cylinder volume, said ignition means under computer control;

each cylinder unit having a switch for selecting a first stroke sequence for drawing air into cylinder and for selecting a second stroke sequence drawing a vacuum in cylinder, said switch under computer control;

a computer usable medium; and

a computer control system comprising computer readable program logic embodied in the computer usable medium for controlling the steps of providing cylinder unit stroke sequences for generating crankshaft power in the first stroke sequence or vacuum for alternate use in the second stroke sequence.

4. A method for controlling a dynamically re-configurable internal combustion engine coupled to operation of a vehicle comprising:

determining if the vehicle engine is on, and if not, then selecting Compression Start Mode if there is sufficient available source of compressed air, and alternatively executing a battery engine start;

determining the vehicle power requirements from real-time vehicle operating parameters and selecting engine Power Mode and alternatively, Boost Power Mode if the magnitude of the vehicle power requirement exceeds a given threshold and there is sufficient available source of compressed air to provide the required engine power;

determining the vehicle braking requirements from real-time vehicle operating parameters and selecting Re-Generative Compression Braking Mode operation if there is available compressed air storage capacity and alternatively, Compression Braking Mode, to provide the required engine braking power;

determining if the vehicle is required to be in hot standby and selecting Compressed Air Idle Mode if there is sufficient available source of compressed air and alternatively, Power Mode, to provide engine hot standby; and

cycling through the above steps as there is need or until an engine stop signal is received.