Patents Assigned to Achates Power.
  • Patent number: 7640910
    Abstract: An opposed piston, internal-combustion engine including a cylinder with a bore and opposed pistons disposed within the bore is provided with one or more hypocycloidal drives that convert the linear motion of a piston to rotary output motion. An electrical generator includes an opposed piston, internal-combustion engine with a coil mounted to the skirt of a piston and a hypocycloidal drive connected by a rod to the piston. The construction of the hypocycloidal drive imposes a sinusoidal period on the linear motion of the piston. As the piston transports the coil though a magnetic field, a sinusoidal voltage is induced in the windings of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue
  • Publication number: 20090293820
    Abstract: In a two-cycle, opposed-piston internal combustion engine, opposed pistons disposed in a cylinder are coupled to a pair of side-mounted crankshafts by connecting rods that are subject to substantially tensile forces acting between the pistons and the crankshafts. This geometry reduces or eliminates side forces between the pistons and the bore of the cylinder. The cylinder and the pistons are independently cooled to reduce cylindrical deformation caused by thermal expansion during engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue, Michael H. Wahl, Patrick R. Lee
  • Patent number: 7591235
    Abstract: An engine having a cylinder with a bore opposed pistons disposed for reciprocation in the bore includes compliant members that allow for angular adjustment of piston structure with respect to the cylinder in response to an imbalance in forces coupled to the pistons by connecting rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, Ronald J. Hoffman, Michael H. Wahl, Patrick R. Lee
  • Patent number: 7549401
    Abstract: In a two-cycle, opposed-piston internal combustion engine, opposed pistons disposed in a cylinder are coupled to a pair of side-mounted crankshafts by connecting rods that are subject to substantially tensile forces acting between the pistons and the crankshafts. This geometry reduces or eliminates side forces between the pistons and the bore of the cylinder. The cylinder and the pistons are independently cooled to reduce cylindrical deformation caused by thermal expansion during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue, Michael H. Wahl, Patrick R. Lee
  • Patent number: 7546819
    Abstract: In a two-stroke, opposed-piston internal combustion engine with optimized cooling and no engine block, the opposed pistons are coupled to a pair of crankshafts by connecting rods that are subject to substantially tensile forces acting between the pistons and the crankshafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Achates Power.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue
  • Publication number: 20080314688
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine including a cylinder with bore and a piston disposed to reciprocate in the bore is operated by moving the piston in the bore between top and bottom dead center positions and applying lubricant to a portion of the piston that protrudes from the bore. Lubricant is wiped from the piston as the piston travels into the bore toward its top dead center position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Applicant: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue
  • Publication number: 20080163848
    Abstract: An engine having a cylinder with a bore opposed pistons disposed for reciprocation in the bore includes compliant members that allow for angular adjustment of piston structure with respect to the cylinder in response to an imbalance in forces coupled to the pistons by connecting rods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, Ronald J. Hoffman, Michael H. Wahl, Patrick R. Lee
  • Patent number: 7360511
    Abstract: A two-cycle, opposed piston engine with side-mounted crankshafts and cylinders isolated from mechanical stresses of the engine includes tailored cooling of cylinders and symmetrical cooling of the interior surfaces of piston crowns. Each opposed piston includes a compliant member that permits movement of an axially-centered rod mounted in the piston in order to maintain axial alignment with the bore of a cylinder in which the piston is disposed during engine operation. A single wristpin is disposed externally of the piston to connect the piston with connecting rods that run between the piston and the crankshafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, Ronald J. Hoffman, Michael H. Wahl, Patrick R. Lee
  • Patent number: 7334570
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a common rail, a plurality of accumulator injectors, and at least one accumulator controller separate from the accumulator injectors and connected to the common rail. Each accumulator controller includes a solenoid-controlled valve to control the fuel injection operations of one or more accumulator injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventor: Clark A. Klyza
  • Publication number: 20070245892
    Abstract: In a two-cycle, opposed-piston internal combustion engine, opposed pistons disposed in a cylinder are coupled to a pair of side-mounted crankshafts by connecting rods that are subject to substantially tensile forces acting between the pistons and the crankshafts. This geometry reduces or eliminates side forces between the pistons and the bore of the cylinder. The cylinder and the pistons are independently cooled to reduce cylindrical deformation caused by thermal expansion during engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: Achates Power, LLC
    Inventors: James Lemke, William McHargue, Michael Wahl, Patrick Lee
  • Publication number: 20070215093
    Abstract: An opposed piston, internal-combustion engine including a cylinder with a bore and opposed pistons disposed within the bore is provided with one or more hypocycloidal drives that convert the linear motion of a piston to rotary output motion. An electrical generator includes an opposed piston, internal-combustion engine with a coil mounted to the skirt of a piston and a hypocycloidal drive connected by a rod to the piston. The construction of the hypocycloidal drive imposes a sinusoidal period on the linear motion of the piston. As the piston transports the coil though a magnetic field, a sinusoidal voltage is induced in the windings of the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: Achates Power, LLC
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue
  • Patent number: 7270108
    Abstract: An engine of the opposed piston, two-stroke, compression ignition type includes provision for injection of a main charge of liquid fuel into the bore of a cylinder between opposed pistons early in a compression stroke to permit the fuel to evaporate and mix with air during the remainder of the compression stroke to the point where the stoichiometric components of the mixture are insufficient for autoignition. Further provision is made for injection of a pilot charge of liquid fuel into the compressed air/fuel mixture later in the compression stroke. The pilot charge provides a stoichiometric component which autoignites, thereby activating ignition of the compressed air/fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Achates Power LLC
    Inventor: James U. Lemke
  • Publication number: 20070039572
    Abstract: In a two-stroke, opposed-piston internal combustion engine with optimized cooling and no engine block, the opposed pistons are coupled to a pair of crankshafts by connecting rods that are subject to substantially tensile forces acting between the pistons and the crankshafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Applicant: Achates Power, LLC
    Inventors: James Lemke, William McHargue
  • Patent number: 7156056
    Abstract: In a two-cycle, opposed-piston internal combustion engine with optimized cooling and no engine block, the opposed pistons are coupled to a pair of crankshafts by connecting rods that are subject to substantially tensile forces acting between the pistons and the crankshafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Achates Power, LLC
    Inventors: James U. Lemke, William B. McHargue