Abstract: The present invention provides a hot spark that is more-or-less uniform over the combustion chamber volume in a liquid oxidant/liquid fuel combustion engine. In addition, heat losses are reduced and low wear/low friction surfaces are provided. Flame sprayed ceramic coatings are utilized to provide all embodiments of the present invention.

Abstract: Certain reciprocating piston internal combustion engines have liquid oxidant and liquid fuel injection schedules that are controlled by a microprocessor that acts upon pre-stored data and upon engine sensor output data. For these engines, the present invention provides a pressure sensor in the working cylinder combustion chamber whose output controls the injection initiation times.

Abstract: Certain applications of liquid fuel, storable liquid oxidant internal combustion engines require the oxidant to be formed as needed and that only minimal amounts of oxidant need be stored.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine 10 wherein no compression function is carried out in the engine 10 and including a tank 30 of compressed air, a pressure regulator 34, a fuel injector 28, and means 40 and 42 for connecting the pressure regulator 34 and the fuel injector 28 to a foot pedal 38 for controlling air and fuel feed to the combustion chambers 22 in response to throttle demand. The engine can use spark or compression ignition and can provide full expansion. Compressed air can be generated more efficiently using central station power with a vast savings in the amount of oil consumed. The internal combustion engine system of this invention is useful in all applications for such engines including vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, locomotives, marine applications, airplanes, etc. as well as non-vehicle use.

Abstract: An auxiliary kinetic energy recovery system is provided for a vehicle with a rotary sliding vane engine including a compressor, a combustion chamber and a motor in which the braking is done by connecting the rotor of the compressor to a wheel and braking rotation of the rotor by controlling the gas flow through the rotary sliding vane compressor, such as by varying the outlet to increase the pressure ratio. This eliminates the conventional friction brakes. The compressed air generated during braking is fed to a surge tank for later use in operating the vehicle engine, thus recovering a portion of the kinetic energy of the vehicle. Additional amounts of kinetic energy are recovered by means of a closed circuit compressible gas circulating system which comprises an auxiliary compressor actuated by the same shaft as that attached to the engine compressor.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine 10 wherein only some compression is carried out in the engine 10 and including a tank 30 of compressed air, a pressure regulator 34, a fuel injector 28, and means 40 and 50 for connecting the foot pedal 38 to the pressure regulator 34 and the fuel injector 28, for controlling air and fuel feed to the combustion chambers 22 in response to throttle demand during high power demand conditions. The engine 10 compresses its own air for cruise conditions but uses stored compressed air (charged from a wayside source) for higher power demand. The engine can use spark or heat ignition, provides full expansion, can be two or four stroke and of the diesel or gasoline type. Compressed air can be generated more efficiently using central station power with a vast savings in the amount of oil consumed. Oxygen enriched (60-80% O.sub.2) compressed air can be used without high temperature problems because of the only partial compression and the high (cooling) expansion ratio and higher rpm.

Abstract: Oxygen vapor at elevated pressures is utilized as the oxidant component of an oxidant-fuel mixture in a fuel burning system for generating combustion gases which are then mixed with ambient gas and exhaust gases for driving a turbine wheel of a gas turbine operating in a burn-cool cycle. The oxygen vapor is provided from liquid oxygen which preferably is vaporized by heat exchange with hot exhaust gases from the turbine. The burn-cool system of turbine operation permits the oxygen vapors to be supplied to the burner of a combustion chamber at high inlet pressures of about 1500 psia, in contrast ot prior art systems which provide low pressure oxygen to a chamber for combustion in automobile or turbine engines.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine method and apparatus wherein most or all of the air compression required for combustion is done outside of the internal combustion engine and out of heat exchange contact with the combustion chamber. The engine includes direct regeneration of exhaust heat and the compressor includes means for varying the compression ratio thereof in response to various parameters such as throttle demand and ambient temperature. Fuel injection and/or carburetion are used in various combinations with the compressor, and pulsed compressed air is fed from the compressor into the combustion chamber in matched relationship to the position of the piston in the cylinder.

Abstract: A constant pressure, Brayton cycle gas turbine method and apparatus including a combustion chamber and a turbine and using a hot-cool operating cycle comprising a hot phase alternating with cool phase. Gas is continuously fed to the combustion chamber and from the combustion chamber to the turbine. During the hot phase all of the gas fed to the turbine is hot. The gas temperature during the hot phase is higher than the turbine could withstand in a continuous burn mode. However, the time period of the hot phase is less than the time it would take for the turbine blades to "soak" to the high temperature of the hot gas. This provides a high combustion temperature and high efficiency at all times, eliminating the part-load efficiency loss of the prior art, and also eliminating the need for high temperature materials as well as the prior art compressor requirements for large amounts of air. The gas turbine can be of the closed cycle or open cycle type.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine of the gasoline or diesel reciprocating piston type wherein the fuel and air are fed into the combustion chamber in the sequence: (1) fuel is fed into the combustion chamber first, and (2) air (preferably compressed air) is then fed into the combustion chamber. This sequence provides both physical and chemical combustion process advantages and can be used in either gasoline or diesel engines of either the 2-stroke or 4-stroke type as well as in applicant's modified 2-stroke type engine.

Abstract: In a corona generator preferably for generating ozone and employing a plurality of corona generating cells each comprising a pair of parallel spaced-apart electrodes and preferably having a fired-on coating of porcelain enamel and connected to a voltage source Vo and having an air gap Ta between said electrodes (between the porcelain enamel coating of the electrodes), said electrodes being spaced apart such that the following equation is substantially satisfied; ##EQU1## WHERE Ta -- air gap in milsVo -- applied peak voltage in voltsTd -- dielectric thickness in mils.epsilon.

Abstract: A corona generator method and apparatus preferably for generating ozone, employing a plurality of corona generating cells each comprising a pair of parallel spaced-apart electrodes having a fired-on coating of porcelain enamel. The electrodes are connected to an AC voltage source of sufficient voltage to generate a corona discharge, and an oxygen-containing gas is passed between the electrodes to generate ozone. A high concentration ozone is produced as well as a large quantity of ozone, without water cooling, and at voltages of approximately 6,000 volts. An equation setting forth, for the first time, the interrelationships between the various parameters in a corona generator is derived by Applicant. According to the invention, the corona power is maximized by maximizing the expression .epsilon./Td, where epsilon is the dielectric constant of the porcelain enamel coating and Td is the dielectric thickness.

Abstract: A corona generator method and apparatus preferably for generating ozone, employing a plurality of corona generating cells each comprising a pair of parallel speced-apart electrodes having a fired-on coating of porcelain enamel. The electrodes are connected to an AC voltage source of sufficient voltage to generate a corona discharge, and an oxygen-containing gas is passed between the electrodes to generate ozone. A high concentration ozone is produced as well as a large quantity of ozone, without water cooling, and at voltages of approximately 6,000 volts. An equation setting forth, for the first time, the interrelationships between the various parameters in a corona generator is derived by Applicant. According to the invention, the corona power is maximized by maximizing the expression .epsilon./Td, where epsilon is the dielectric constant of the porcelain enamel coating and Td is the dielectric thickness.