Abstract: This invention relates to a heat-insulating engine with swirl chambers which reduces a throttle loss due to the communication ports and increases the speed of a vortex flow within swirl chambers. The heat-insulating engine with swirl chambers comprises small communication ports each with a small passage area and large communication ports each with a large passage area formed at the lower portions of the swirl chamber blocks constituting heat-insulating swirl chambers, and control valves provided to large communication ports. During the compression stroke, the control valves close the large communication ports, and open the same ports during the expansion stroke after fuel injection and on rise in pressure in the swirl chambers. Accordingly, during the compression stroke, air is sent into the swirl chambers at high speed via small communication ports to increase a vortex flow speed within the swirl chambers.

Abstract: A thermally insulated engine (1) includes a combustion chamber which has principal portions made of a thermally insulating material and a turbocharger (2) which has a compressor coupled to a turbine (21) for supercharging the engine (1). The thermally insulated engine comprises an electric motor (3) mounted on a rotatable shaft (22) of the turbine, a detecting unit (13, 14) for detecting an operating condition of the engine, an oxygenating mechanism (6) having an oxygenating film, a compressor mounted on the rotatable shaft (22) of the turbine for delivering oxygenated air from the oxygenating mechanism (6) to the engine, and a control unit (5) for controlling the electric motor to assist in operating the compressor and controlling the amount of oxygenated air depending on the operating condition of the engine as detected by the detecting unit. When the engine is accelerated, for example, the concentration of oxygen in the intake air is increased for suppressing NOx and soot in exhaust gases.

Abstract: An engine is selectively operable in two- and four-cycle modes by varying the timing to open and close intake and exhaust valves on the top of a cylinder.

Abstract: An engine with a variable combustion chamber has a a first combustion chamber defined in a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder, a second combustion chamber defined in a cylinder head and communicating with the cylinder through a communication port, and a valve for opening and closing the communication port. When the engine is under low load, the valve is closed and fuel is injected into the first combustion chamber, so that the engine operates as a direct-injection-type engine. When the engine is under high load, the valve is opened and fuel is injected into the second combustion chamber, so that the engine operates as a prechamber-type engine.

Abstract: A magnetic plate is disposed in confronting relation to the shank end of an auxiliary exhaust valve which is opened to discharge exhaust gases from a combustion chamber. The magnetic plate is attracted by an electromagnet into abutment against the shank end of the auxiliary exhaust valve, and forces the auxiliary exhaust valve in an opening direction. When the auxiliary exhaust valve is opened, the exhaust gases are discharged from the combustion chamber, and the pressure in the combustion chamber is quickly lowered. Forces required to open a main exhaust valve subsequently may thus be reduced.

Abstract: A control system electromagnetically controls the operation of a valve which opens and closes an intake/exhaust port through which the interior and exterior of an engine cylinder communicate with each other. Since the timing with which the intake and exhaust valves are opened and closed cannot be altered during operation of the engine, the valve opening and closing timings are preset such that the engine operates with high efficiency when it rotates at a predetermined speed. When the engine is operating at a speed lower than the above predetermined speed, a air-fuel mixture which has once been drawn into the cylinder is discharged back out of the cylinder or discharged through the cylinder, resulting in a reduction in the efficiency and output power of the engine.

Abstract: An intake/exhaust valve actuator includes a movable permanent magnet coupled to the shank end of an intake/exhaust valve, a first fixed electromagnet having a plurality of fixed magnetic poles confronting a side of the movable permanent magnet, for opening and closing the intake/exhaust valve under an electromagnetic force developed between the movable permanent magnet and the fixed magnetic poles, a second fixed electromagnet having a fixed magnetic pole which confronts an end surface of the movable permanent magnet when the intake/exhaust valve is closed, the second fixed electromagnet having an excitation coil, an induction coil connected to the excitation coil of the second fixed electromagnet, for supplying electric energy to the excitation coil, a resonant circuit comprising a primary coil positioned in confronting relation to the induction coil and a capacitor connected to the primary coil, and control means for supplying electric energy to the resonant circuit when the intake/exhaust valve starts bein

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve actuating system opens and closes intake and exhaust valves of an engine under electromagnetic forces generated by an electromagnet. A reciprocally movable magnetic pole (6) is coupled to an intake/exhaust valve (9) An upper fixed magnetic pole (3a) confronts one end of the movable magnetic pole in the direction in which it is reciprocally movable. An intermediate fixed magnetic pole (3b) is disposed confronting the one end of the movable magnetic pole and the upper fixed magnetic pole. A lower fixed magnetic pole (3c) faces the other end of the movable magnetic pole. The intake/exhaust valve is opened and closed under electromagnetic attracting and repelling forces acting between the one end of the movable magnetic pole and the upper fixed magnetic pole. The timing to open and close the intake/exhaust valve can be varied when the timing to energize the magnetic poles is varied.

Abstract: This re-combustion control means for an alcohol engine comprises intake and exhaust valves designed to be opened or closed by virtue of magnetic force that are disposed, respectively, in intake and exhaust ports of cylinders, control valves designed to be opened or closed by virtue of magnetic force that are disposed, respectively, in combustion gas ports communicating with each other via a combustion gas passageway, sensors for detecting a state in which the engine is operated, and a controller for controlling the supply of combustion gas from predetermined cylinders to the other cylinders via the combustion gas passageway in response to a detection signal detected by the sensors.

Abstract: A system for actuating a valve in stepped movement opens and closes intake and exhaust valves of an engine under electromagnetic forces generated by electromagnets. A magnetic body (3), which is reciprocally movable and has a plurality of tooth-like magnetic poles juxtaposed at equal intervals in the direction in which the magnetic body is reciprocally movable, is coupled to an intake/exhaust valve (8). A plurality of fixed magnetic poles (4c, 4d, 6c, 6d) are disposed in confronting relation to the tooth-like magnetic poles, the fixed magnetic poles being juxtaposed in the direction in which the magnetic body is reciprocally movable. The intake/exhaust valve (8) is opened and closed under electromagnetic attracting and repelling forces acting between the tooth-like magnetic poles and the fixed magnetic poles (4c, 4d, 6c, 6d). When the intake/exhaust valve (8) is opened and closed, the distance between the tooth-like magnetic poles and the fixed magnetic poles (4c, 4d, 6c, 6d) remains unchanged.

Abstract: A variable-cycle engine selectively operable in different cycle modes, includes a cylinder having a first intake port and an exhaust port which are defined in an upper portion thereof, and a second intake port defined in a lower portion thereof, a cylinder sleeve fitted in the cylinder and having a third intake port defined in a lower portion thereof, a sleeve valve circumferentially rotatably fitted over the cylinder sleeve, for selectively opening and closing the third intake port into and out of communication with the second intake port, the sleeve valve having an permanent magnet joined thereto, an actuator for rotating the sleeve valve under electromagnetic forces acting on the permanent magnet, and a turbocharger for supplying air under pressure to the first intake port and the second intake port. When the engine rotates at a low speed under a large load, the engine operates in a two-cycle mode of the uniform flow type.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve actuating system opens and closes intake and exhaust valves of an engine under electromagnetic forces generated by an electromagnet. A reciprocally movable magnetic pole (8a) is coupled to the stem end of an intake/exhaust valve (8). An upper fixed permanent magnet (3) confronts one end of the movable magnetic pole (8a) the direction in which it is reciprocally movable. The intake/exhaust valve is opened and closed under attractive and repelling forces acting between the movable magnetic pole (8a) and the upper fixed permanent magnet (3). Since the polarity of the movable magnetic pole can be changed depending on how the first coil (5), the second coil (6), and the third coil (7) are energized, the timing to open and close the intake/exhaust valve (8) can be varied depending on the operating condition of the engine (1).

Abstract: A turbocharger drive system associated with an internal combustion engine includes a plurality of turbochargers drivable by exhaust gases from the engine, a plurality of rotary electric machines mounted on the rotatable shafts, respectively, of the turbochargers and operable as electric motors or generators, and a single rotary electric machine coupled to the rotatable shaft of the engine. When the engine rotates at a low speed and under a high load, the rotary electric machine coupled to the engine shaft operates as an electric generator to generate electric power to drive the rotary electric machines mounted on the turbocharger shafts as electric motors, so that the boost pressure is increased to increase the output power of the engine. Since the multistage turbochargers are power-assisted by the respective rotary electric machines, the boost pressure builds up sharply.

Abstract: An alcohol engine with combustion cavity of this invention includes combustion cavity blocks for constituting combustion cavities of a heat-insulating structure, disposed in a cylinder head, communication ports of a heat-insulating structure for communication between main combustion chambers and the combustion cavities and fuel injection nozzles each including a nozzle main body extending to the center portion of the combustion cavity and multi-injection injection ports formed around the tip of the nozzle main body and opening in such a manner as to face the center inner peripheral wall surface of the combustion cavity.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve actuating system opens and closes intake and exhaust valves of an engine under electromagnetic forces generated by an electromagnet. A reciprocally movable permanent magnet (4) is coupled to an intake/exhaust valve (7). A first electromagnet (3) confronts one end of the movable permanent magnet (4) in the direction in which it is reciprocally movable. A second electromagnet (5) confronts the other end of the movable permanent magnet (4). The intake/exhaust valve (7) is opened and closed under electromagnetic attracting and repelling forces acting between the movable permanent magnet (4), the first electromagnet (3), and the second electromagnet (5). Since the forces to open and close the intake/exhaust valve (7) can be varied by varying the energized conditions of the first and second electromagnets (3), (5), the timing to open and close the intake/exhaust valve (7) can be varied depending on the operating condition of the engine (1).

Abstract: This four-cycle head insulating engine has combustion chambers which consist of cylinder head lower surface portions and cylinder liner upper portions, and which are formed in a heat insulating manner; exhaust valves provided in exhaust ports formed in the cylinder head; suction ports formed in cylinder liner lower portion so as to be spaced in the circumferential direction thereof and opened in the positions before the lower dead points; guide scrolls communicating with the suction ports and formed on the outer circumferential surface of a cylinder block; and a supercharger joined to suction passages communicating with the guide scrolls. Accordingly, this heat insulating engine renders it unnecessary to provide, especially, check valves in the suction system, and enables the degree of freedom of designing the guide scrolls to be improved, and the guide scrolls to be formed to such a shape that allows the suction air to be swirled in a large curve and sucked easily into the cylinders.

Abstract: A control system for controlling intake and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine includes an electromagnetic actuator means for electromagnetically operating the intake and exhaust valves. The electric power to be supplied to the electromagnetic actuator means is controlled depending on the rotational speed of the engine such that it will be smaller when the engine rotational speed is lower and larger when the engine rotational speed is higher, so that the area in which the intake and exhaust valves are open increases as the engine rotational speed increases. With this arrangement, the intake and exhaust efficiencies are increased in the full range of engine rotational speeds.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve actuating system opens and closes intake and exhaust valves of an engine under electromagnetic forces generated by an electromagnet. A reciprocally movable magnetic pole (6) is coupled to the stem end of an intake/exhaust valve (9). An upper fixed magnetic pole (3a) confronts one end of the movable magnetic pole (6) the direction in which it is reciprocally movable. An intermediate fixed magnetic pole (3b) is disposed in confronting relation to the one end of the movable magnetic pole (6) and the upper fixed magnetic pole (3a). A first fixed magnetic pole (3c) faces the other end of the movable magnetic pole (6). The intake/exhaust valve is opened under a repelling force acting between the upper fixed magnetic pole (3a) and the one end of the movable magnetic pole (6). A second distal fixed magnetic pole (3d) is coupled to the upper fixed magnetic pole (3a) and confronting the other end of the movable magnetic pole (6).

Abstract: A turbocharger includes first and second turbines each having a turbine scroll for introducing exhaust gases from an engine, a first rotatable shaft having one end coupled to the first turbine and the other end to a compressor, a second rotatable shaft coupled to the second turbine, with a rotary electric machine mounted on the second rotatable shaft, and a clutch disposed between the first and second rotatable shafts, for selectively connecting and disconnecting the first and second rotatable shafts. The clutch is selectively engaged and disengaged and the rotary electric machine is operated selectively as a motor and a generator for effective recovery of exhaust gases emitted from the engine.

Abstract: An electromagnetic valve control system electromagnetically opens and closes intake and exhaust valves in an engine having a crankshaft. The electromagnetic valve control system has a valve actuator for opening an intake valve, a valve actuator for opening an exhaust valve, and a valve actuator for opening an auxiliary exhaust valve before the exhaust valve is opened.