Abstract: The pressure change in the combustion chamber of a sample engine is correlated with the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations of various engine components, an equivalent level representative of the level of stresses or load on the components is computed and said equivalent level is used with respect to same-type engines, especially high-powered Diesel engines, in actual service, to make immediate decisions about modifying driving parameters or longer-effect decisions concerning preventive or remedial maintenance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of regulating the temperature of the inside surface of cylinder liners in an internal combustion engine (e.g. a diesel engine) which is cooled by a flow of cooling fluid, the method including the improvement whereby the temperature of the cooling fluid is regulated in such a manner as to maintain the temperature of the inside surface of the cylinder liners at a reference temperature, regardless of the engine load. The invention also provides apparatus for performing the above method. The apparatus includes temperature sensors (6) situated in the thickness of the liner (1) walls between the inside surfaces thereof (1') and the cooling fluid flow ducts (10) passing through the wall.

Abstract: Starting method for an internal combustion engine at least one cylinder whereof is equipped with a starting valve connected to a source of compressed fluid, said fluid being introduced into the cylinder or cylinders when the pistons are in the combustion phase of the engine cycle, whereby the opening lead of the exhaust valve or valves of each cylinder equipped with a starting valve is temporarily reduced to improve utilization of the energy contained in the starting fluid.

Abstract: A method of damping hydraulic pressure waves and of removing peaks from pressure variations in the feed ducts of a hydraulic pump resulting from excess fluid returned with high kinetic energy to a feed chamber uses this kinetic energy directly to increase temporarily the volume of the feed chamber by a value lying in the range 10% to 30% of the maximum cylinder capacity of the hydraulic pump. The pump has a resiliently movable wall disposed in a feed chamber perpendicularly to the direction of a high kinetic energy jet of fluid from a passageway opening into the chamber. The wall is located on the axis of the passageway at a distance from the opening that is not more than 1.5 times the smallest diameter of the passageway. The invention also relates to a hydraulic pump for implementing the method. Applicable to fuel injection pumps in Diesel engines.

Abstract: A method of changing the direction of rotation of an internal combustion engine, and in particular of a marine engine, in which the camshafts (15) include two cams (16, 17) for each tappet (20) of a controlled member, each of said cams being suitable for use in one direction of rotation, the direction of rotation of the engine being changed by shifting said camshafts in translation, wherein, prior to shifting said camshafts, the tappets are rotated through one-fourth of a turn so as to put the axis of rotation of each tappet cam-follower wheel (10) orthogonal to the direction of camshaft translation. The invention also applies to an engine employing the method.

Abstract: A method of operating a four-stroke cycle Diesel engine supercharged by an exhaust gas-driven turbocompressor with valve timing comprising a partial overlap of the opening periods of the exhaust and intake valves, with early intake closure and partial exhaust closure for the major part of the intake step followed by partial reopening of the exhaust and its final closure near bottom dead center after closure of the intake valve. At low and medium engine powers part of the supercharged intake air is bypassed to an end of an exhaust manifold, thereby increasing the cylinder filling factor and combustion air excess and substantially reducing exhaust valve temperature in the mid-power operating range of the engine.

Abstract: The piston pin for a piston of an internal combustion engine is provided with a certain number of passages, each opening into the annular groove of the bearing bushing of the connecting-rod small end and into either of the annular grooves of the pin bearings. The passages are provided in a peripheral portion of the piston pin so to avoid a central portion of the pin, in which a concentration of metallic impurities is maximum.

Abstract: A turbocharged internal combustion engine includes a supercharging air compressor that delivers compressed air to the engine via a compressed air delivery conduit, the compressor being coupled to an exhaust gas turbine having an inlet connected to the exhaust manifold of the engine via an exhaust gas conduit and an outlet, a bypass conduit connecting the compressed air delivery conduit to the exhaust gas conduit, and is characterized by an energy recovery device comprising an auxiliary vapor generator having a heating fluid side with an inlet connected to the outlet of the exhaust gas turbine and having a heated fluid side with an outlet connected to an inlet of an auxiliary vapor turbine via an auxiliary vapor conduit, and a heat exchanger traversed by the bypass conduit and inserted in the auxiliary vapor conduit for preheating the bypassed compressed air by excess heat of the auxiliary vapor prior to delivering the auxiliary vapor to the auxiliary vapor turbine.

Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine comprising a body traversed by an injection conduit and provided with a lateral fuel inlet located in the lower half of the body, the body containing an injector needle continued by a push-member provided with a head upon which bears a return spring urging the injection needle to the closed position and prestressed by means of an adjusting screw, the push-member being sufficiently short to allow the lateral fuel intake to be located above the upper end of the assembly constituted by the adjusting screw, the spring, the push-member and the needle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for improving the efficiency of a four-stroke-cycle internal combustion engine. The main purpose of the invention is to obtain an effective compression ratio that is capable of automatic variation without introducing additional elements whatever the load, but only by adapting the engine cycle timing diagram. Said timing diagram includes an overlap stage between the lifts of at least one exhaust valve and at least one intake valve, said intake valve being closed near or before the bottom dead center of the piston, and said exhaust valve being closed beyond the instant of fixed closing of the intake valve.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine supercharged with air by an exhaust gas-driven turbo-compressor discharging through a by-pass duct a tapped flow rate of compressed air into the exhaust gas pipe-line feeding the turbine, said tapped flow rate of compressed air being heated by means of a heat exchanger inserted into the by-pass duct and through which are flowing the exhaust gases from the turbine, said tapped flow rate of heated compressed air being injected into the upstream end of the exhaust manifold of the engine.

Abstract: A piston for a reciprocating piston machine, of the type swivelled by means of a piston pin to the associated connecting rod small and consisting of two members constituting the piston head and the piston skirt, assembled together by stud bolts. The central portion of the piston skirt is constituted by a cylindrical hollowed central boss, and the connection of the boss to the peripheral cylindrical surface of the piston skirt is by a peripheral annular crown. Said hollow of the central boss is provided with radial ribs.

Abstract: A valve housing for an internal combustion engine having more than one intake or exhaust valve per cylinder includes complementary upper 14 and lower 16 members, with a transverse junction plane 17 intersecting a longitudinal partition 10 which divides an annular cavity 9 between a central valve bushing and a circumferential wall of the housing into separate coolant supply and return sections 9a and 9b, respectively. An intermediate element 17 is interposed between said members and is provided with openings 19, 20 smaller angular extents than the corresponding coolant sections to provide for proper circulation of coolant between the portions of a given section (9a or 9b) of cavity 9 while permitting different angular relations between said members.

Abstract: A method and a device for recovering energy from a supercharged internal-combustion engine by producing a complementary amount of energy from a system operating on a Rankine cycle, includes preheating the working fluid used in the Rankine cycle through heat exchange with the air issuing from the compressor of the supercharger of the internal-combustion engine.

Abstract: A support device for the set of rockers of an internal combustion engine, the device comprising a forked rocker for the operation of two exhaust valves and one rocker with two arms for the operation of two inlet valves. The shaft of the exhaust rocker is secured to the support block by separate individual stud bolts in order to be removable without removing the inlet rocker.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and devices for improving the external cooling of an exhaust valve of internal combustion engines. This method consists in extending the open period of the exhaust valve beyond the normal closing instant by preventing it from closing completely at that instant but by reducing the free flow section between the valve and its seat to a residual value which is substantially constant and small compared to the maximum flow section corresponding to the full opening of the valve. Said devices comprise means for obtaining such residual opening of the exhaust valve.

Abstract: Method and exhaust manifold for damping the pressure oscillations in an exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, consisting in throttling the gas flow in the vicinity of the cylinder outlet and then in accelerating the gases flowing in the manifold by providing a uniform flow section in the manifold substantially smaller than that of the cylinder bore.

Abstract: A valve, in particular for an internal combustion engine, of the mushroom type cooled by forced circulation of a cooling fluid, comprising a valve stem having at least two longitudinal cooling passage-ways and a valve head being provided with a substantially peripheral cooling passage-way extending in a substantially parallel plane to the lower plane surface of the head and with at least two substantially radial passage-ways connecting the said longitudinal passage-ways to the said peripheral passage-way, wherein said passage-ways provided in the said valve head are constituted by rectilinear passage-way lengths extending from the periphery of said head and opening outwardly, said peripheral passage-way being in the shape of a polygon, and said rectilinear passage-ways are obturated at their outward opening.

Abstract: A method for improving the efficiency of an internal combustion engine such as a Diesel engine, by ensuring, on the one hand, efficient cylinder scavenging, particularly at light engine loads and/or low speeds, and on the other hand, a reduction of the effective compression ratio resulting in temperature reduction preferably under high engine loads and/or at high speeds. Said method consists in creating, for each engine cylinder and each engine cycle, a reserve of compressed air, during the intake stage, with the intake air and in compressing it by retarding the closing of the intake valve. A non-return valve is accommodated in the intake conduit and said gas reserve is contained in the space between the intake valve and the non-return valve.

Abstract: A method of improving the effectiveness of braking a reversible four-stroke V type Diesel engine with an even number of at least ten working cylinders fitted with individual starting valves sequentially fed from an engine-driven rotary pressure air distributor, the method consisting in reducing the duration of pressure air inlet to the distributor for one bank of cylinders with respect to the other bank and optimizing such a shortened duration for each starting valve of one bank of cylinders during the braking step and possibly optimizing that for each starting valve of the other bank of cylinders for the restarting step.