Method and apparatus for converting a conventional internal combustion engine into a high speed electric motor and generator

• US 4,631,455 A
• Filed: 02/04/1985
• Issued: 12/23/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard A. Taishoff
• Original Assignee: Howard A. Taishoff
• Inventors: Taishoff, Howard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duggan, Donovan F.
• Application Number:
  US06/697,690
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 318/37, 318/38, 318/127-132, 310/23, 310/24, 310/34, 310/35, 310/15, 290/1
• US Class Current: 318/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2063/045 Frames for generator-engine sets
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/041 Linear electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 69/00 Internal-combustion engines convertible into other combustion-engine type, not provided for in F02B11/00; Internal-combustion engines of different types characterised by constructions facilitating use of same main engine-parts in different types
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/00 Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 47/00 Dynamo-electric converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/065 Electromechanical oscillators; Vibrating magnetic drives
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An electric starter motor and generator is integrated into the structure of an internal combustion engine by making the ferromagnetic pistons of the engine the relatively moving elements in the starter and generator. A coil is solenoidally wound around each sleeve of the engine. An electronically controlled switch sends battery current into an appropriate coil inducing a powerful magnetic field therearound. The magnetic field and piston interact resulting in a powerful magnetic force which moves the piston and thus cranks the engine. At appropriate times in the operation of the engine, fuel to the same can be shut off and the engine run as a high speed electric motor.

Claims

1. Apparatus for converting a conventional internal combustion engine into a high speed electric motor wherein the engine is capable of switching between heat operation and propulsion by electricity including in combination a sleeve mounted in the engine block, a conventional piston of ferromagnetic material mechanically connected to a conventional crankshaft for reciprocal movement in said sleeve, a low voltage high current coil solenoidally wound around said sleeve in close proximity thereto, said coil extending a relatively short distance along the longitudinal length of said sleeve and being positioned thereon so as to be substantially centrally disposed with respect to the linear path swept by said piston, solid state switch means electrically connected between said coil and a battery, and means for turning on said solid state switch means and turning off heat operation, the former-mentioned means responsive to battery status and power requirements whereby when heat operation is shut off, the turning on of said solid state switch means applies electric current to said coil such that current is sent into said coil when said piston is moving in a direction relatively towards said coil, and current to said coil is interrupted when said piston is moving in a direction relatively away from said coil whereby magnetic interaction between said piston and the magnetic field induced around said coil drives said piston in a direction complementary with its motion so that the engine runs as either electrically propelled or heat operated.

2. An electric starter motor and generator for a combustion engine having a plurality of moveable pistons one of which is ferromagnetic comprising in combination a first low voltage, high current coil solenoidally wound around the sleeve in which said one piston reciprocates, said coil being positioned on the sleeve so as to be substantially centrally disposed with respect to the linear path swept by said one piston, electronically operated means for automatically sending electric current into said coil for inducing a powerful magnetic field therearound whereby current is sent into said coil when said one piston is moving in a direction relatively towards said coil and current to said coil is interrupted when said one piston is moving in a direction relatively away from said coil such that magnetic interaction between the magnetic field and said one piston produces a powerful magnetic force which moves said one piston in its direction of travel, a magnetic piston, a second low voltage high current coil solenoidally wound around the sleeve in which said magnetic piston reciprocates whereby as said magnetic piston reciprocates relatively to said second coil, the magnetic field emanating from said magnetic piston magnetically interacts with said second coil inducing a relatively low voltage, high current response thereacrosss.

3. A starter motor and generator of claim 2, a high voltage coil solenoidally wound around the sleeve in which said magnetic piston reciprocates, said high voltage coil being positioned on the sleeve so that the magnetic field emanating from said magnetic piston magnetically interacts with the last-mentioned coil inducing a relatively high volage, low current response thereacross.

4. The starter motor and generator of claim 3, means for selectively moving said high voltage coil relatively to the sleeve so as to effect a timing of the engine.

5. The starter motor and generator of claim 3, high voltage distributor means for distributing the relatively high voltage to a given spark plug.

6. An electric starter motor and generator for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination a magnetic piston, a low voltage coil and a high voltage coil each solenoidally wound around the sleeve in which said magnetic piston reciprocates and each positioned on the sleeve so as to interact with the magnetic field emanating from said magnetic piston, said low voltage coil being positioned on the sleeve so as to be subsantially centrally disposed with respect to the linear path swept by said magnetic piston, electronically operated means for automatically sending and switching the polarity of battery current into said low voltage coil whereby the polarity of the magnetic field induced around said low voltage coil operates to attract said magnetic piston when the same is moving or poised to move towards the last-mentioned coil and push said magnetic piston when the same is moving or poised to move away from this coil such that once the engine starts, said means interrupts the flow of battery current into said low voltage coil whereupon said magnetic piston moving relatively to said low voltage and high voltage coils induces across each an associated voltage which is used respectively to charge a battery and fire a spark plug.

7. The starter motor and generator of claim 6, means for indexingly moving said high voltage coil relatively to the sleeve and thus effect timing of the voltage developed thereacross.

8. The starter motor and generator of claim 6, said electronically operated means for automatically sending and switching the polarity of battery current including voltage regulator means electrically coupled to the output of said low voltage coil to regulate the output therefrom and apply such regulated output to the battery.

9. The starter motor and generator of claim 6, a dielectric annular region being integrally formed with the sleeve in which said magnetic piston reciprocates, said region comprised of a heat resistant rigid material with said low voltage coil being wound around said region.

10. Apparatus to convert a conventional internal combustion engine into a hybrid motor having two alternate modes of propulsion one of which is heat and the other of which is electric comprising an engine sleeve, a piston which exhibits magnetic properties and which is mechanically connected to a crankshaft for reciprocal movement in said sleeve, a plurality of solenoidally wound coils, each of said coils fixedly wound around said sleeve, each of said coils extending a relatively short distance along the longitudinal length of said sleeve whereby each of said coils is spaced one from the other thereby forming a stacked, spaced array about said sleeve, said spaced array being positioned with respect to said sleeve so as to be disposed along the linear path swept by such piston as the same moves relatively to said sleeve, an array of solid state switches, a corresponding one of the last-mentioned array being electrically connected between an associated one of said coils and a battery, and means for sequentially turning on one or a plurality of said switches while turning off heat propulsion, the last-mentioned means responsive to battery status and power requirements whereby when heat propulsion is shut off, one or a plurality of said switches is turned on in synchrony with the reciprocal movement of said piston whereupon current is sent into one or a plurality of said coils thereby, respectively, inducing a powerful magnetic field therearound, said piston interacting with the magnetic field to produce a powerful magnetic force which drives said piston in a direction complementary with its motion whereupon the engine runs as either electrically propelled or heat propelled.

11. The starter motor of claim 10, said piston being comprised of ferromagnetic material.

12. The startor motor of claim 10, said piston being comprised of a permanent magnet.

13. A starter motor for an internal combustion engine one piston of which is comprised of permanently magnetic material including in combination a stacked, spaced array of discrete solenoidally wound coils formed on the sleeve of the engine in which said piston reciprocates, each of said coils being fixedly held on the wall of the sleeve and being positioned with respect thereto so as to be disposed along the linear stroke swept by said piston as the same moves relatively to the sleeve, and electronically operated means for automatically sequentially applying electric current into each of said coils thereby, repsectively, inducing a powerful magnetic field therearound, the last-mentioned means operating to control individually the application of such current to an associated coil and including polarity reversing means for reversing the polarity of the electric current applied to each of said coils so that during the stroke of said piston, the magnetic field emanating therefrom interacts with the polarity of the magnetic field induced around an associated one of said coils to produce a magnetic force which moves said piston in its direction of travel.

14. A method of converting a conventional internal combustion engine into a high speed electric motor whereby the engine is capable of either heat or electric operation comprising the steps of placing a piston in the engine and made from a material that exhibits magnetic properties, winding a high current coil about the sleeve in which the magnetic piston reciprocates, the coil being positioned on the sleeve so as to be substantially centrally disposed with respect to the linear path swept by the magnetic piston, connecting a solid state switch serially between the coil and a source of high current, shutting off heat operation, biasing the solid state switch for turning the same on in synchrony with the reciprocal movement of the magnetic piston whereby current is sent into the coil inducing a powerful magnetic field therearound so that throughout the reciprocal movement of the magnetic piston, the magnetic field induced around the coil interacts with the magnetic piston resulting in a powerful magnetic force which drives such piston in a direction complementary with its motion, and switching between said step of biasing the solid state switch and heat operation whereby, depending on power requirements and battery status, the engine runs, respectively, as either electrically operated or heat operated.