Patents by Inventor Ryan G. MacKenzie

Ryan G. MacKenzie 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).

  • Publication number: 20230392564
    Abstract: A piston for an opposed-piston, internal combustion engine includes a crown with an end surface having a bowl shaped to form a combustion chamber with an end surface of an opposing piston in the opposed-piston engine. A substantially circumferential top land of the crown meets the end surface at a substantially circular peripheral edge, and a skirt comprising a sidewall extends from a substantially circumferential belt region of the crown. A wristpin bore with a wristpin axis opens through the sidewall. The end surface of the piston includes a pair of injection regions across which fuel is injected into the bowl. The injection regions are disposed in substantially diametrically-opposed quadrants of the end surface which are defined by the wristpin axis and a connecting rod envelope axis substantially orthogonal to the wristpin axis. Each injection region extends along a respective arc concentric with the substantially circular peripheral edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventor: RYAN G. MACKENZIE
  • Publication number: 20230340924
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion opposed-piston engine includes a crown part, a skirt part, and an outer part. The crown part includes a first ring belt region for supporting compression rings and an end surface shaped to form a combustion chamber with an end surface of an opposing piston. The skirt part includes a sidewall and a wristpin bore with a first opening and a second opening formed in the sidewall. The outer part includes a second ring belt region for supporting oil control rings. The crown part is joined to an upper end of the sidewall with one or more welding seams. The outer part is joined to a lower end of the sidewall with a welding seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventor: RYAN G. MACKENZIE
  • Patent number: 11773769
    Abstract: In an opposed-piston engine, a piston has a top land. The piston top land has a non-cylindrical shape which affords more clearance with a piston bore to thrust and anti-thrust sides than to front-facing and rear facing sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel M. Chown, Ryan G. MacKenzie, Isaac B. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20230030878
    Abstract: In an opposed-piston engine, a piston has a top land. The piston top land has a non-cylindrical shape which affords more clearance with a piston bore to thrust and anti-thrust sides than to front-facing and rear facing sides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel M. Chown, Ryan G. MacKenzie, Isaac B. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10871099
    Abstract: Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Achates Power, Inc.
    Inventor: Ryan G. Mackenzie
  • Publication number: 20200191090
    Abstract: A piston for an opposed-piston, internal combustion engine includes a crown with an end surface having a bowl shaped to form a combustion chamber with an end surface of an opposing piston in the opposed-piston engine. A substantially circumferential top land of the crown meets the end surface at a substantially circular peripheral edge, and a skirt comprising a sidewall extends from a substantially circumferential belt region of the crown. A wristpin bore with a wristpin axis opens through the sidewall. The end surface of the piston includes a pair of injection regions across which fuel is injected into the bowl. The injection regions are disposed in substantially diametrically-opposed quadrants of the end surface which are defined by the wristpin axis and a connecting rod envelope axis substantially orthogonal to the wristpin axis. Each injection region extends along a respective arc concentric with the substantially circular peripheral edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventor: RYAN G. MACKENZIE
  • Patent number: 10634091
    Abstract: A piston crown for a piston of a pair of pistons in a two-stroke, opposed-piston, compression ignition combustion engine has a barrier layer and a conductive layer. The barrier layer at least partially surrounds a combustion chamber formed by the piston crown and an end surface of an opposing piston. The conductive layer connects the crown to the rest of the piston body. The barrier layer and the conductive layer are joined either through welding or through the fabrication process. Optionally, the piston crown includes an insulating layer between the barrier and conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Bryant A. Wagner, Ryan G. MacKenzie
  • Publication number: 20200018256
    Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion opposed-piston engine includes a crown part, a skirt part, and an outer part. The crown part includes a first ring belt region for supporting compression rings and an end surface shaped to form a combustion chamber with an end surface of an opposing piston. The skirt part includes a sidewall and a wristpin bore with a first opening and a second opening formed in the sidewall. The outer part includes a second ring belt region for supporting oil control rings. The crown part is joined to an upper end of the sidewall with one or more welding seams. The outer part is joined to a lower end of the sidewall with a welding seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventor: RYAN G. MACKENZIE
  • Publication number: 20190093597
    Abstract: A piston crown for a piston of a pair of pistons in a two-stroke, opposed-piston, compression ignition combustion engine has a barrier layer and a conductive layer. The barrier layer at least partially surrounds a combustion chamber formed by the piston crown and an end surface of an opposing piston. The conductive layer connects the crown to the rest of the piston body. The barrier layer and the conductive layer are joined either through welding or through the fabrication process. Optionally, the piston crown includes an insulating layer between the barrier and conductive layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Bryant A. Wagner, Ryan G. MacKenzie
  • Patent number: 10208704
    Abstract: Pressurized lubricating oil is accumulated in the bearings of opposed pistons and accumulated oil is dispensed therefrom for bearing lubrication and also for cooling the undercrowns of the pistons by jets of oil emitted from the bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventor: Ryan G. Mackenzie
  • Patent number: 10174713
    Abstract: An opposed-piston engine includes pistons, each piston having an annular cavity in the piston's sidewall and positioned between its crown and ring grooves to block transfer of heat from the crown to the piston body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Eric P. Dion, Ryan G. Mackenzie
  • Patent number: 10119493
    Abstract: A piston crown for a piston of a pair of pistons in a two-stroke, opposed-piston, compression ignition combustion engine has a barrier layer and a conductive layer. The barrier layer at least partially surrounds a combustion chamber formed by the piston crown and an end surface of an opposing piston. The conductive layer connects the crown to the rest of the piston body. The barrier layer and the conductive layer are joined either through welding or through the fabrication process. Optionally, the piston crown includes an insulating layer between the barrier and conductive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Bryant A. Wagner, Ryan G. Mackenzie
  • Publication number: 20180202346
    Abstract: A piston for an opposed-piston, internal combustion engine includes a crown with an end surface shaped to form a combustion chamber with an end surface of an opposing piston in the opposed-piston engine, a skirt part including a piston sidewall extending from the crown to an open end of the skirt part, a wristpin bore with first and second openings through the sidewall, a wristpin disposed in the wristpin bore, and at least two caps received in the first and second openings of the wristpin bore for sealing the wristpin bore and retaining the wristpin against axial movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventor: RYAN G. MACKENZIE
  • Patent number: 10001050
    Abstract: Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Ryan G. MacKenzie, Fabien G. Redon
  • Patent number: 9995213
    Abstract: A combustion chamber for an opposed-piston engine has an elongated asymmetrical shape in longitudinal section that runs along a chamber centerline, between diametrically-opposed openings of the combustion chamber through which fuel is injected. The asymmetry apportions combustion chamber volume to provide additional clearance on a side of the chamber centerline toward which swirl is directed, thereby giving a fuel plume space to swing without hindrance in response to swirl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Neerav Abani, Ryan G. MacKenzie, Rishikesh Venugopal
  • Publication number: 20170370273
    Abstract: Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventor: RYAN G. MACKENZIE
  • Patent number: 9810174
    Abstract: A piston construction with an end surface is equipped with a pattern of insulating cavities embedded in an upper end of the piston, between the end surface and interior portions of the piston that are cooled by circulating liquid coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Michael H. Wahl, Ryan G. MacKenzie, James U. Lemke
  • Publication number: 20170306832
    Abstract: Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: RYAN G. MACKENZIE, FABIEN G. REDON
  • Patent number: 9759119
    Abstract: Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Ryan G. MacKenzie, Fabien G. Redon
  • Publication number: 20170248099
    Abstract: A piston crown for a piston of a pair of pistons in a two-stroke, opposed-piston, compression ignition combustion engine has a barrier layer and a conductive layer. The barrier layer at least partially surrounds a combustion chamber formed by the piston crown and an end surface of an opposing piston. The conductive layer connects the crown to the rest of the piston body. The barrier layer and the conductive layer are joined either through welding or through the fabrication process. Optionally, the piston crown includes an insulating layer between the barrier and conductive layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: ACHATES POWER, INC.
    Inventors: BRYANT A. WAGNER, RYAN G. MACKENZIE