Internal combustion engine and method
First Claim
1. An internal combustion engine having compression and expansion cylinders, an intake valve for controlling air flow to the compression cylinder, an outlet valve for controlling flow from the compression cylinder, an inlet valve for controlling flow to the expansion cylinder, an exhaust valve for controlling flow from the expansion cylinder, and means for varying the compression ratio of the engine by varying the timing of the inlet and outlet valves.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Internal combustion engine and method with compression and expansion chambers of variable volume, a combustion chamber, a variable intake valve for controlling air intake to the compression chamber, a variable outlet valve for controlling communication between the compression chamber and the combustion chamber, means for introducing fuel into the combustion chamber to form a mixture of fuel and air which burns and expands in the combustion chamber, a variable inlet valve for controlling communication between the combustion chamber and the expansion chamber, a variable exhaust valve for controlling exhaust flow from the expansion chamber, means for monitoring temperature and pressure conditions, and a computer responsive to the temperature and pressure conditions for controlling opening and closing of the valves and introduction of fuel into to the combustion chamber to optimize engine efficiency over a wide range of engine load conditions. The relative volumes of the compression and expansion chambers and the timing of the valves are such that the pressure in the combustion chamber remains substantially constant throughout the operating cycle of the engine, and exhaust pressures are very close to atmospheric pressure regardless of the load on the engine. The engine runs so quietly and burns so cleanly that in some applications it may not require a muffler and/or a catalytic converter.
52 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. An internal combustion engine having compression and expansion cylinders, an intake valve for controlling air flow to the compression cylinder, an outlet valve for controlling flow from the compression cylinder, an inlet valve for controlling flow to the expansion cylinder, an exhaust valve for controlling flow from the expansion cylinder, and means for varying the compression ratio of the engine by varying the timing of the inlet and outlet valves.
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14. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a compression cylinder, a piston in the compression cylinder, a crankshaft constraining the piston for reciprocating movement between top and bottom dead center positions in the cylinder, a combustion chamber, an outlet valve for controlling communication between the compression cylinder and the combustion chamber, and a fuel inlet for introducing fuel into the combustion chamber for combustion, wherein the outlet valve is configured to open and allow compressed air to flow from the compression cylinder to the combustion chamber when the piston has completed about 90% to 95% of its travel from bottom dead center to top dead center, and the compression cylinder has a stroke length and a compression ratio such that the clearance between the piston and the head of the compression cylinder at top dead center is less than the sum of the stroke length and the clearance divided by the compression ratio, with the compression ratio being defined as the volume above the piston at bottom dead center divided the volume above the piston when the outlet valve opens.
- View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a compression cylinder, a cylinder head at the top of the compression cylinder, a piston in the compression cylinder, a crankshaft constraining the piston for reciprocating movement between top and bottom dead center positions in the compression cylinder, an intake valve through which air is drawn into the compression cylinder, a combustion chamber, an outlet valve which remains closed until the piston has completed about 90% to 95% of its travel from bottom dead center to top dead center, and a fuel inlet for introducing fuel into the combustion chamber for combustion with air from the compression cylinder, with no combustion occurring in the compression cylinder and the distance between the piston and the cylinder head when the piston is in the top dead center position not being limited by the compression ratio.
- View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
Specification