Energy transducer

• US 8,904,992 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edward Bedore
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Mcmillan
• Inventors: McMillan, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US13/463,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20130213348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 123/294, 123/3, 123/304, 123/536
• US Class Current: 123/294
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/12 Methods of operating
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/10 adding acetylene, non-waterborne hydrogen, non-airborne oxygen, or ozone
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

An energy transducer comprising: a cylinder; a piston within the cylinder connected to a connecting rod extending out of the cylinder and connected to a crankshaft; a chamber within the cylinder defined by the first end of the cylinder and the piston; a direct injector in fluid communication with the chamber and in fluid communication with a fuel tank such that the direct injector is capable of injecting fuel from the fuel tank into the chamber, where the fuel is hydrogen or a mix of hydrogen and oxygen; and an igniter located such that the igniter is capable of igniting the fuel within the chamber; such that ignition of the fuel within the chamber causes an explosion that forces the piston toward the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to rotate 180°, followed by an implosion that forces the piston away from the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to complete one full rotation.

Claims

1. An energy transducer comprising:

a cylinder with a first end and a second end;

a piston within the cylinder, where the piston is connected to a connecting rod extending out of the second end of the cylinder and the connecting rod is connected to a crankshaft;

a chamber within the cylinder defined by the first end of the cylinder and the piston;

a direct injector in fluid communication with the chamber and in fluid communication with a fuel tank such that the direct injector is capable of injecting fuel from the fuel tank into the chamber, where the fuel is hydrogen or a mix of hydrogen and oxygen; and

an igniter located such that the igniter is capable of igniting the fuel within the chamber;

such that ignition of the fuel within the chamber causes an explosion that forces the piston toward the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to rotate 180°

, followed by an implosion that forces the piston away from the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to complete one full rotation.

2. The energy transducer of claim 1 further comprising a hydrogen control valve connected to the direct injector to control the amount of fuel injected into the chamber.

3. The energy transducer of claim 1 further comprising an extractor in fluid communication with the chamber, where the extractor is connected to a vacuum tank via a vacuum control valve and where a vacuum is maintained within the vacuum tank by a vacuum pump, such that a desired pressure may be maintained within the chamber via the extractor.

4. The energy transducer of claim 3 where the extractor, vacuum control valve, vacuum pump, igniter, and direct injector are controlled by a transducer control unit.

5. The energy transducer of claim 4 where the transducer control unit is controlled by a throttle.

6. The energy transducer of claim 1 further comprising multiple cylinders and a common crankshaft, each cylinder with:

a piston within the cylinder, where the piston is connected to a connecting rod extending out of the second end of the cylinder and the connecting rod is connected to the crankshaft;

a chamber within the cylinder defined by the first end of the cylinder and the piston;

a direct injector in fluid communication with the chamber and in fluid communication with a fuel tank such that the direct injector is capable of injecting fuel from the fuel tank into the chamber, where the fuel is hydrogen or a mix of hydrogen and oxygen; and

an igniter located such that the igniter is capable of igniting the fuel within the chamber;

such that ignition of the fuel within each chamber causes an explosion that forces the piston toward the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to rotate 180°

, followed by an implosion that forces the piston away from the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to complete one full rotation.

7. A method of transducing energy from hydrogen, the method comprising:

providing;

a cylinder with a first end and a second end;

a piston within the cylinder, where the piston is connected to a connecting rod extending out of the second end of the cylinder and the connecting rod is connected to a crankshaft; and

a chamber within the cylinder defined by the first end of the cylinder and the piston;

injecting fuel into the chamber via a direct injector in fluid communication with the chamber and in fluid communication with a fuel tank such that the direct injector is capable of injecting fuel from the fuel tank into the chamber, where the fuel is hydrogen or a mix of hydrogen and oxygen;

igniting the fuel in the chamber with an igniter, causing an explosion followed by an implosion;

allowing the explosion to force the piston toward the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to rotate 180°

; and

allowing the implosion to force the piston away from the crankshaft, causing the crankshaft to complete one full rotation.

8. The method of claim 7 where the method further comprises:

providing an extractor in fluid communication with the chamber, where the extractor is connected to a vacuum tank via a vacuum control valve and where a vacuum is maintained within the vacuum tank by a vacuum pump, such that a desired pressure may be maintained within the chamber via the extractor; and

establishing the desired pressure within the chamber prior to injecting fuel into the chamber.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising controlling the extractor, the vacuum control valve, the vacuum pump, the igniter, and the direct injector via a transducer control unit.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising controlling the transducer control unit via a throttle.