Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method of igniting an air/fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine includes receiving an air/fuel mixture into a pre-combustion chamber, the pre-combustion chamber enclosing a portion of an igniter, igniting the air/fuel mixture in in the pre-combustion chamber with the igniter to produce a flame, directing the flame to eject the pre-combustion chamber through a collection of passages in a wall of the pre-combustion chamber, toward a peripheral wall of a main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, igniting, by the flame, air/fuel mixture in the main combustion chamber adjacent the peripheral wall, and then igniting air/fuel mixture in the main combustion chamber in a central region of the main combustion chamber with a propagating flame front of the ignited air/fuel mixture or a portion of the directed flame adjacent the peripheral wall.

Abstract: A combustion chamber assembly for use in a diesel engine includes a combustion chamber defined in a crown of a piston, the combustion chamber having a center portion, the center portion being defined at least in part by a portion of a convex sphere, the sphere having a radius and an origin, the origin of the radius lying on a piston central axis and the combustion chamber further having an outwardly radially disposed bottom margin, the bottom margin being defined in part by a portion of an annulus, the annulus having a radius and an origin. The combustion chamber further has a plurality of curved surfaces having smooth transitions between adjacent smooth surfaces, the smooth surfaces including the spherical center portion and the annular bottom margin. A piston incorporating the aforementioned combustion chamber and a method of forming the combustion chamber are further included.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a corresponding system for catalytic aftertreatment of the exhaust gas of an internal-combustion engine. Two spatially separate catalyst devices are provided in the exhaust gas system. The first of these catalyst devices is arranged in a position close to the engine, and the second catalyst device is arranged in a position away from the engine. An exothermal reaction is caused to take place during warm-up for heating the second catalyst device.

Abstract: A spark-ignition, air-compressing, internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber in the shape of a body of revolution with a constricted opening in the piston crown. The injection nozzle is located in the cylinder head near the edge of the combustion chamber and the spark plug, opposite the injection nozzle, extends into the combustion chamber at the top dead center position of the piston. Mixture formation is predominantly by deposition of the fuel on the combustion chamber wall. In such an internal combustion engine, it is desired in applying the concept to a supercharged engine to satisfy the enhanced requirements with respect to mixture formation reliably in all ranges of operation, whereby a further improvement of ignition stability is also to be provided. This is essentially achieved by the special shape and proportioning of the combustion chamber, and in particular by the use of two arcs to form the side wall thereof, and a third arc, which joins the side wall, to form the bottom.

Abstract: Internal combustion reciprocating-piston engine precombustion chamber in which a mass of air or of air mixed with selective amounts of fuel and a spark-ignitable air-fuel mass are relatively segregatively compressed with the latter mass enveloping spark electrodes preparatory to ignition. The chamber is provided by recessing the air intake valve of an engine cylinder into the air intake passage for that cylinder so the chamber forms a section of that passage between the valve and the variable volume space above the piston in the cylinder. Contaminant products of combustion residual in the precombustion chamber upon completion of each combustion stroke are, during the next air intake stroke, vented into the cylinder variable volume space where they become mixed with the fresh intake air and any fuel entrained therein and then forced with this air back into the chamber pursuant to the ensuing compression stroke to be recycled during the next combustion stroke.

Abstract: Internal combustion reciprocating-piston engine precombustion chamber in which a mass of air or air mixed with selective amounts of fuel and a spark-ignitable air-fuel mass are segregatively compressed with the latter mass enveloping spark electrodes preparatory to ignition. The chamber is provided by recessing the air intake valve of an engine cylinder into the cylinder head so that this chamber forms a section of the main air intake passage for the cylinder. Air deflecting means is provided in a vestibule of the chamber in a manner to create a vortex of air forced from the cylinder through the vestibule internally of the chamber pursuant to the compression stroke of the cylinder's piston, and, without incurring significant resistance to the flow of air delivered through the air intake passage into the cylinder pursuant to the preceding air intake stroke of the piston.

Abstract: In a four stroke cycle internal combustion engine, a combustion chamber is disposed above the cylinder head and is connected by a passage to the piston chamber. The piston at its top dead center almost contacts the cylinder head. Inlet and outlet valves and spark plug means are associated with the top portion of the combustion chamber. The injecting device protrudes into the combustion chamber and is upwardly directed. The combustion chamber is surrounded by another chamber, which communicates with the combustion chamber through slots, which open into the top portion of the combustion chamber. The lower portion of the surrounding chamber communicates through openings with the combustion chamber. The openings are smaller in cross-section than the slots so that the explosive gases flow from the combustion chamber into the surrounding chamber and flow back through the openings into the surrounding chamber. This results in turbulence and mixing as in a cyclone so that a good combustion is ensured.

Abstract: A self-igniting internal combustion engine which includes at least one piston having a rotational symmetrical piston trough arranged therein. The piston trough has a conical side wall and an inlet port which is less than a largest diameter of the piston trough. An eccentrically arranged injection nozzle is provided for injecting fuel in a wall wetting phase into the piston trough. At least one fuel jet from the injection nozzle impinges approximately in a plane centrally onto the side wall. To avoid a wetting of the bottom of the trough with still liquid fuel, an annular bead is provided having a sharp annular bead edge. A collar is arranged at the neck of the inlet port, with the collar constituting a discontinuous transistion to the inlet port and causing in the area of the collar a swirl formation counteracting the wall-wetting fuel rising toward the inlet port.

Abstract: An antechamber system Diesel engine including an antechamber consisting of a front chamber and a rear chamber and a communication port communicating said antechamber with a main combustion chamber wherein at least one of fuel injection ports of a fuel injection nozzle sprays the fuel in the direction of the communication port. The rear chamber is formed integrally with a cylinder head inside the same while the front chamber is formed on a sleeve member detachably fitted to the cylinder head. If desired, a short axis column-like groove is defined between the front chamber and the rear chamber.

Abstract: A geometrically optimized precombustion chamber 12 for a diesel or stratified charge engine is provided which limits the maximum gas temperature through transonic and/or supersonic flow to prevent the production of nitrous oxides and is defined in accordance with the following equation: ##EQU1##

Abstract: A diesel cycle internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder with coplanar induction and exhaust valves and a precombustion chamber, in which the cylinder head is formed with a recess defining a combustion chamber with a projection on the crown of the piston, both the recess and the projection having a triangular cross section with respective upper surfaces being inclined at different angles from one another with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder and respective side surfaces being inclined at substantially the same angle as one another with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder.