Prechamber combustion for a rotary diesel engine
First Claim
1. A fuel combustion system for use in a rotary internal combustion engine of the direct injection, heavy fuel type, comprising:
- a. a housing having a cavity to provide three working chambers;
b. a troichoidal rotor mounted for rotation within said housing, said rotor and said housing defining said three working chambers, said rotor successively expanding and contracting respective volumes within said three chambers during rotation;
c. an unthrottled air induction port communicating with a first one of said working chambers for communicating air thereto;
d. an exhaust port juxtaposed to said air induction port communicating with a second one of said working chambers for expelling combustion products therefrom;
e. a prechamber communicating with a third one of said working chambers, said prechamber disposed generally opposite said air induction and exhaust ports and having a volume about 25% to 40% of a minimum volume of said third one of said working chambers;
f. a fuel injector disposed within said prechamber for introducing an amount of fuel into said prechamber;
g. a passage interconnecting said prechamber and said cavity, said passage having an internal open diameter about 20% to 32% of the diameter of a sphere having a volume equivalent to the volume of said prechamber;
h. an externally powered heating element to ignite said amount of fuel; and
i. means operably associated with said prechamber for maintaining a surface within said prechamber at a temperature sufficient to cause ignition of said amount of fuel introduced therein, said maintaining means supplementing said heating element to maintain said surface at a sufficiently elevated level to enhance ignition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel injection, ignition, and combustion system for use in a rotary internal combustion engine of the diesel type and method of power extraction is provided. The fuel combustion system includes a rotary engine with a prechamber disposed in a top center position of the engine housing. The prechamber includes means within the prechamber for maintaining a surface in the prechamber at a temperature sufficient to cause ignition of the fuel. In operation, unthrottled air is introduced into the housing and compressed in the top center position of the engine housing. Fuel is introduced into the prechamber via a fuel injector disposed within the prechamber which ignites due to the hot surface and initiates combustion. The engine continues to operate by retaining the surface of the prechamber at a high temperature which initiates subsequent combustion cycles.
66 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A fuel combustion system for use in a rotary internal combustion engine of the direct injection, heavy fuel type, comprising:
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a. a housing having a cavity to provide three working chambers; b. a troichoidal rotor mounted for rotation within said housing, said rotor and said housing defining said three working chambers, said rotor successively expanding and contracting respective volumes within said three chambers during rotation; c. an unthrottled air induction port communicating with a first one of said working chambers for communicating air thereto; d. an exhaust port juxtaposed to said air induction port communicating with a second one of said working chambers for expelling combustion products therefrom; e. a prechamber communicating with a third one of said working chambers, said prechamber disposed generally opposite said air induction and exhaust ports and having a volume about 25% to 40% of a minimum volume of said third one of said working chambers; f. a fuel injector disposed within said prechamber for introducing an amount of fuel into said prechamber; g. a passage interconnecting said prechamber and said cavity, said passage having an internal open diameter about 20% to 32% of the diameter of a sphere having a volume equivalent to the volume of said prechamber; h. an externally powered heating element to ignite said amount of fuel; and i. means operably associated with said prechamber for maintaining a surface within said prechamber at a temperature sufficient to cause ignition of said amount of fuel introduced therein, said maintaining means supplementing said heating element to maintain said surface at a sufficiently elevated level to enhance ignition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification