Patents by Inventor Barry A. Muth

Barry A. Muth has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9003765
    Abstract: A poppet valve engine incorporates a single rotary combustion chamber serving multiple cylinders to decrease emissions and increase thermodynamic efficiency. Virtually zero emissions are achievable by on-board fuel reforming to hydrogen. Limited heat range exposure of the rotary combustion chamber, low temperature combustion, and ceramic coatings reduce heat loss while three stage combustion, intake and fuel preheating, and fuel reforming reduce combustion process irreversibility. A supercharger increases the power density to allow engine displacement reduction. A z-crankshaft assembly coupled with a pre-combustion chamber allow knock-less and stable hydrogen combustion at virtually all load and speed conditions. Variable compression, possible in certain configurations of the z-crankshaft assembly, further increases thermal efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Inventor: Barry A. Muth
  • Patent number: 7841308
    Abstract: A rotary valve engine using a single rotary valve serving multiple cylinders significantly increases both volumetric and thermodynamic efficiencies. A novel stratified three stage low temperature combustion system reduces both heat transfer loss and combustion process irreversibility. Using large intake and exhaust valves and passages to reduce throttling losses, the rotary valve also contains a combustion valve and passage connected to a central combustion chamber. Combustion is initiated for all cylinders by a fuel injector in this central chamber which then sequentially ignites a second combustion chamber charge located in each cylinder head. A passage in the rotary valve shaft transfers gas from the combustion cycle to the compression cycle varying the compression ratio of the engine, producing EGR, and transferring radical species for combustion to the next cycle. A compounding element on the rotary valve extracts additional thermal energy derived from reduced heat transfer loss and increased energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Inventor: Barry A. Muth
  • Patent number: 6155215
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block having one or more cylinders and a rotary disk valve mounted on top of the engine block. The rotary disk valve includes an intake passage for directing intake air into the cylinders and an exhaust passage for exhausting combustion gases from the cylinder. The center of the intake passage and exhaust passage are equidistant from the axis of rotation of the rotary valve. The intake passage and exhaust passage in the rotary valve communicate with each cylinder in succession as the valve rotates, allowing the use of a single valve to serve multiple cylinders. Both the intake passage and exhaust passage have a cross sectional area at its narrowest point equal to at least 40% of the cross sectional area of the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Inventor: Barry A. Muth
  • Patent number: 5816203
    Abstract: A rotary valve engine includes an engine block having at least one combustion chamber which is sealed by a rotary valve which also can function as a head. The rotary valve includes an intake passage and an exhaust passage for directing intake air into the combustion chamber and for exhausting combustion gases from the combustion chamber as the valve rotates. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single rotary valve is associated with a plurality of combustion chambers for directing intake air into the combustion chambers and exhaust gases from the combustion chambers in succession as the valve rotates. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a spark plug and fuel injector are mounted on the rotary valve for injecting and igniting fuel in each combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Inventor: Barry A. Muth
  • Patent number: 5579734
    Abstract: A rotary valve engine includes an engine block having at least one combustion chamber which is sealed by a rotary valve which also can function as a head. The rotary valve includes an intake passage and an exhaust passage for directing intake air into the combustion chamber and for exhausting combustion gases from the combustion chamber as the valve rotates. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single rotary valve is associated with a plurality of combustion chambers for directing intake air into the combustion chambers and exhaust gases from the combustion chambers in succession as the valve rotates. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a spark plug and fuel injector are mounted on the rotary valve for injecting and igniting fuel in each combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Inventor: Barry A. Muth