Having Specific Connecting Passage Means Between Precombustion And Main Combustion Chambers Patents (Class 123/286)
  • Patent number: 12078095
    Abstract: A reciprocating engine system includes a cylinder and a piston movable within the cylinder and having a piston head. A combustion chamber is defined within the cylinder, between the piston head, the inner cylinder wall, and a cylinder head. The engine system also includes an intermittent prechamber having a lower prechamber jaw provided on the piston head and an upper prechamber jaw provided through the cylinder head, wherein a prechamber volume is variable and directly related to a position of the piston head within the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Ashish Dinesh Shah
  • Patent number: 11994058
    Abstract: Operating a gaseous fuel engine system includes urging a mixture containing a gaseous hydrogen fuel and air into a pocket in an igniter fluidly connected to a cylinder to form an ignition charge, and igniting the ignition charge via a flame kernel formed by energizing spark electrodes of the igniter. The method further includes igniting a main charge containing the gaseous hydrogen fuel via a flame jet of the ignition charge from the igniter. The pocket is shielded from the cylinder sufficiently to form within the pocket a flow field protecting the flame kernel, while fluidly connected to the cylinder sufficiently to clear the pocket of residual combustion gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: James Jay Cress
  • Patent number: 11821353
    Abstract: To meet both a request to improve the thermal efficiency in medium load operation of an engine and a request to suppress knocking in high load operation of the engine, the engine includes a main combustion chamber including a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a piston; a pre-chamber having a plurality of injection holes that open into the main combustion chamber; and a spark plug that ignites an air-fuel mixture in the pre-chamber. A compression ratio of the main combustion chamber is not less than 14 and not more than 24, an aperture ratio, which is the ratio of a total cross-sectional area of the plurality of injection holes to a volume of the pre-chamber, is not less than 0.0078 mm?1 and not more than 0.0145 mm?1, and the volume of the pre-chamber 15 is not less than 0.0430 cm3 and not more than 0.5631 cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Kenji Uchida, Ryohei Ono
  • Patent number: 11753985
    Abstract: To meet both a request to improve the thermal efficiency in the medium load operation of an engine and a request to suppress knocking in the high load and high rotation operation of the engine, the engine includes a main combustion chamber comprising a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a piston; a pre-chamber having a plurality of injection holes that open into the main combustion chamber; and a spark plug that ignites an air-fuel mixture in the pre-chamber. A compression ratio of the main combustion chamber is not less than 14 and not more than 24. A first index, which is the product between a total cross-sectional area of the plurality of injection holes and the compression ratio, is not less than 0.1496 cm2 and not more than 0.8449 cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Harada, Kenji Uchida, Ryohei Ono, Masayuki Kidokoro, Kazuhiro Nagatsu
  • Patent number: 11691674
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprising a frame, a body supported by the frame, a seating area supported by the frame, front and rear ground engaging members supporting the frame and the body, and a powertrain drivingly coupled to the front and rear ground engaging members, the powertrain including an engine having a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders, a cylinder head removably coupled to the cylinder block, a crankcase having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the crankcase being removably coupled to the cylinder block, and at least one gasket positioned between the cylinder block and the first portion of the crankcase, the at least one gasket configured to individually seal each of the plurality of cylinders relative to the first portion of the crankcase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Schleif, Paul W. Barton, Ralph W. Lauzze, III
  • Patent number: 11598248
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine system includes a reciprocating compressor for pressurizing a fluid medium and having a compressor cylinder for accommodating a compressor piston. The compressor cylinder has a main cylinder volume and a secondary adjustable volume in fluid communication with the main cylinder volume so as to provide a variable geometrical compression ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Arne Andersson
  • Patent number: 11466608
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods described herein provide one or more radical chemicals generators (RCGs) and/or mini-chambers (M-Cs) that can be used to provide enhanced radical ignition (ERI) in an internal combustion engine. RCGs as described herein can include quenching systems (QSs) that can be configured to quench a flame of combustion products to produce a jet of partial combustion products containing radical species (RS). The jet of partial combustion products can be injected to a main combustion chamber (MCC) of an engine to induce ERI. ERI can proceed under leaner fuel conditions and lower temperatures compared to those needed for conventional thermally induced, fuel oxidation chain initiation reaction processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Radical Combustion Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Manfredi, Daniel B. Olsen, Randall R. Raymer, Michael P. Whelan
  • Patent number: 11215109
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with a pre-chamber provided inside a main combustion chamber. The pre-chamber includes an ignition plug, and a casing provided to a ceiling part to cover the ignition plug, the casing isolating an internal space formed therein from the main combustion chamber. A tumble flow of a mixture gas is formed inside the main combustion chamber. A plurality of communicating holes are formed in the casing, and include a first communicating hole opening to an intake port side and a second communicating hole opening to an exhaust port side. The tumble flow flowing into the pre-chamber through the first communicating hole forms in the pre-chamber a vortex flowing in the opposite direction from the tumble flow. The main combustion chamber is provided with a structure configured to suppress a flow opposing the vortex flowing into the pre-chamber through the second communicating hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryohei Ono, Kenji Uchida, Yuji Harada
  • Patent number: 10975799
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine for a vehicle is provided, having at least one cylinder with a first gas exchange inlet valve, a second gas exchange inlet valve, a first gas exchange outlet valve, a second gas exchange outlet valve, and a piston with a piston crown which has a plurality of valve seat pockets. In each case one valve seat pocket is provided for the first gas exchange inlet valve, the second gas exchange inlet valve, the first gas exchange outlet valve and the second gas exchange outlet valve, and the plurality of valve seat pockets have at least partially different depths. Alternatively, one valve seat pocket is provided for the first gas exchange inlet valve and the first gas exchange outlet valve, and no valve seat pocket is provided for the second gas exchange inlet valve and/or for the second gas exchange outlet valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: MAN TRUCK & BUS AG
    Inventors: Dominik Renner, Thomas Malischewski
  • Patent number: 10738662
    Abstract: A valve arrangement for supplying air to an internal combustion engine includes a first valve and a second valve arranged within the first valve. A valve guide for use in a valve arrangement is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stig Arne Svensson, Lennart Langervik
  • Patent number: 9222402
    Abstract: A pre-chamber is provided. In one embodiment, the pre-chamber is part of a two-stroke combustion engine having a cylinder head with a sparkplug receptacle that has a generally frustoconical shape, and the pre-chamber is coupled to the sparkplug receptacle. The pre-chamber may include a cooling jacket with a generally frustoconical shape and a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, which may be narrower than the upper zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Compression Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Taliaferro
  • Patent number: 8925517
    Abstract: A gas-powered tool motor includes a combustion chamber with an intake valve at one end, an exhaust valve at another end, and a control plate or control valve between two portions of the combustion chamber. A piston or other positive displacement device is in communication with the combustion chamber. The intake and exhaust valves have closure members that are movable along a common axis in tandem between collective open positions for recharging the combustion chamber with the fuel and air mixture and collective closed positions for detonating the fuel and air mixture in the combustion chamber and displacing the positive displacement device. The control plate or control valve supports limited air flows from a first portion of the combustion chamber to a second portion of the combustion chamber even in the closed position of the control valve for supporting two-stage combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Inventor: Joseph S. Adams
  • Patent number: 8875678
    Abstract: A system including a free-radical ignition system, including a pre-combustion chamber, an air intake coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, a fuel intake coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, an ignition source coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, a free-radical injection passage coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, and a quench system coupled to the pre-combustion chamber or the free-radical injection passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Compression Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Everette R. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20140261298
    Abstract: Described herein is a combustion pre-chamber apparatus for a main combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine that includes a body that defines an internal combustion cavity. The apparatus also includes at least one orifice that extends through the body. The at least one orifice includes a first end open to the internal combustion cavity and a second end open to the main combustion chamber. The first end is bigger than the second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Premjee Sasidharan, Leon A. LaPointe
  • Patent number: 8813716
    Abstract: A pre-combustion chamber tip for an internal combustion engine having a first body portion with a pre-combustion chamber located within, the first body portion having a terminal end with a plurality of orifices configured to direct expanding gases out of the pre-combustion chamber and a second body portion attached to the first body portion, the second body portion having an exterior surface, a cooling fluid opening formed in the exterior surface, a cooling fluid passage in fluid communication with the cooling fluid opening, and a ridge associated with the cooling fluid opening, the ridge extending from the exterior surface and configured to divert cooling fluid flow into the cooling fluid opening and cooling fluid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hendrik Herold, Ulrich Holst, Frank Witt, Eike Joachim Sixel
  • Patent number: 8720411
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reciprocating piston engine, comprising at least one main combustion chamber, which is formed between a piston and a cylinder and which is connected by means of a riser to a pre-chamber having a pre-chamber axis, so that gas-air mixture pushed from the main combustion chamber into the riser by the piston forms a rising flow in the pre-chamber, wherein a gas supply channel separate from the riser opens into the prechamber, and wherein the riser and the gas supply channel are oriented with respect to each other in such a way that gas fed into the pre-chamber by means of the gas supply channel hits the rising flow substantially head-on, wherein the riser runs at an angle from the pre-chamber axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: GE Jenbacher GmbH & Co. OG
    Inventors: Christoph Redtenbacher, Eduard Schnessl, Hubert Winter, Andreas Wimmer, Martin Klinkner
  • Patent number: 8662053
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed including a first end defining an inner passage along a first inner surface of the first end, where the inner passage has threads structured to receive a spark plug. The apparatus further includes a second end opposite the first end and extending into a combustion chamber of a cylinder, the second end defining a pre-combustion chamber along a second inner surface and threads on an outer surface structured to thread into a spark plug hole in a cylinder head, which may be an enlarged spark plug hole. The second end includes holes that fluidly couple the pre-combustion chamber of the second end with the combustion chamber of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Leon A. LaPointe, Chris L. Sanger, James A. Zigan, Daniel J. Mohr, Laszlo D. Tikk
  • Patent number: 8567369
    Abstract: A system, including, a free-radical ignition system, that includes a pre-combustion chamber configured to combust a first fuel-air mixture to generate a flame, a shockwave, and free radicals, an injection passage configured to inject the free radicals driven by the shock wave from the pre-combustion chamber toward a combustion chamber, and a quench system configured to extinguish the flame in the pre-combustion chamber or the injection passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventor: Everette R. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20130276745
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head having a cylinder head base, a cylinder wall and a piston which is movable along a cylinder axis, and having a piston crown. A main combustion chamber is formed between the cylinder head base, the cylinder wall and piston crown. A precombustion chamber is inserted into a bore of the cylinder head and is fixed relative to the bore in the circumferential direction of the bore. The axis of the bore is at least substantially parallel to the cylinder axis, and a precombustion-type combustion chamber is formed in the precombustion chamber. At least one ring of transfer openings connects the precombustion-type combustion chamber to the main combustion chamber and in each case the angle which the transfer opening encloses with the cylinder axis differs for at least two transfer openings of the at least one ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventor: Martin KLINKNER
  • Patent number: 8511528
    Abstract: A technique for improving the cooling performance of a combustion chamber in a combustion power tool is provided. The combustion power tool includes first and second combustion chambers, a partition that separates the first combustion chamber from the second combustion chamber, openings, formed in the partition and communicate the first combustion chamber with the second combustion chamber, and a drive section that moves toward a front end by combustion pressure. The combustion pressure is generated when a flow of flammable gas, which is produced by combustion of the flammable gas in the first combustion chamber propagates to the second combustion chamber through the openings, and burns flammable gas in the second combustion chamber. The combustion gas flows from the first combustion chamber to the second combustion chamber in a direction around a central axis of the second combustion chamber while flowing along an inner wall of the second combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Makita Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Oiwa, Yoichiro Koike, Makoto Takahashi, Kenichi Miyata
  • Patent number: 8109362
    Abstract: A passive noise attenuation device and system is provided having a reticulated open-cell porous structure configured to acts as a passive control device in order to mitigate combustion noise and instability problems in combustion systems. A porous inert media structure is placed downstream of the reaction zone of a combustion chamber to dissipate noise and/or instability generated upstream in the flame. The porous inert media also limits and/or disintegrates vortical structures in the flame to produce a homogeneous flow field to facilitate distributed reaction zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama
    Inventors: Ajay K. Agrawal, Sadasivuni Vijaykant
  • Patent number: 7398743
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a compression ignition initiation device is provided. The compression ignition initiation device includes a body defining a chamber and an outlet from the chamber. The device further includes means, within the chamber, for generating a combustion initiating shock front from the outlet. A method is provided, including compressing a mixture of fuel and air in an internal combustion engine cylinder to a point less than a compression ignition threshold, and initiating ignition of the mixture by subjecting it to a shock front.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Scott B. Fiveland
  • Patent number: 7204225
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a main combustion chamber and a small auxiliary combustion chamber. The main chamber is formed by a cylinder, the undersurface of a cylinder head, and the crown of a piston. A main ignition unit is disposed in the cylinder head, including a main body and a spark plug. The auxiliary chamber is formed within the main ignition unit. The main and auxiliary chambers are connected via a communication passage. The piston crown includes a cavity. When a fuel injection valve sprays fuel into the cavity on compression stroke, a tumble flow of fuel gas is generated to locally form a relatively rich air-fuel mixture near the communication passage. The air-fuel mixture partly flows into the auxiliary chamber as the piston travels upwardly. The air-fuel mixture in the auxiliary chamber is ignited by the spark plug so that a combustion flame propagates into the main chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Kubo, Toru Noda, Isamu Hotta
  • Patent number: 7082920
    Abstract: The invention concerns an ignition device for internal combustion engine comprising: a main combustion chamber (1) fitted with a compression system; and an igniter (11) comprising a precombustion chamber (2) and an ignition system (13, 14), the precombustion chamber being defined by a precombustion chamber body (12) having a head (12a) including passageways (15), the head (12a) of the precombustion chamber body (12) separating the precombustion chamber (2) from the main chamber (1) and communicating the precombustion chamber (2) and the main chamber (1) through the passageways (15), characterized in that the passageways comprise at least one passageway enabling the propagation of a flame front of the precombustion chamber (2) to the main chamber (1) when the engine operates on low load and at least one passageway not enabling the propagation of a flame front while enabling the passageway of unstable compounds of the precombustion chamber (2) to the main chamber (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA
    Inventors: Cyril Robinet, Nicolas Tourteaux
  • Patent number: 7063247
    Abstract: Applicant's novel invention relates to a novel hydrogen generator for supplying hydrogen to drive a hydrogen operated engine. The regulator can supply hydrogen to drive an engine for operating the cutter assembly of a lawnmower as well as supply the output of a hydrogen driven engine to operate a variety of power operated devices such as drills, saws, sanders, etc. In addition, the hydrogen generator can supply hydrogen to operate a power driven piston to drive fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Lund and Company Invention, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce D. Lund, Michael Starrick
  • Patent number: 6899076
    Abstract: A swirl chamber used in association with a combustion chamber for diesel engines, includes a pair of sub-nozzle holes on the opposite sides of a main nozzle hole to supply a secondary air into the swirl chamber, the sub-nozzle holes being positioned such that the secondary air ejected therethrough is fully utilized for the combustion in the swirl chamber, thereby securing the complete combustion and the reduction of environmental contaminants such as NOx and fumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Funaki, Seishiro Kubo
  • Patent number: 6848413
    Abstract: An internal combustion cylinder assembly includes a cylinder having a combustion chamber and a piston. An intake valve provides a working fluid to the combustion chamber while the piston moves from a top dead center position to a bottom dead center position. A pre-combustion chamber is connected communicably to the combustion chamber via a Suder valve and conveys a portion of the working fluid to the pre-combustion chamber while the Suder valve is substantially open. The Suder valve may open substantially simultaneously with the intake valve, remain substantially open while the piston moves from the top dead center position to the bottom dead center position during an intake stroke, and close substantially while the piston is returning to the top dead center position during a compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Mack Trucks, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Suder, Steven Stuart Trevitz, Benjamin C. Shade, Chun Tai
  • Patent number: 6135084
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for integrated injection and ignition of fuel in internal combustion engines, particularly Otto engines with separate fuel ignition. The device includes an integrated injection module (14) and ignition module (6). The ignition module includes a body that can be attached to the top of the engine and that has an internal tubular shape the lower part of which merges with a conically shaped cavity (7) with the base open towards the engine combustion chamber (2), such that the conically shaped cavity (7) forms a supplementary smaller volume of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Inventor: Sven Corneer
  • Patent number: 6098588
    Abstract: An injection device for an internal combustion engine, especially a diesel engine, with a combustion chamber (16) for each defined by piston (2), cylinder and cylinder head (1), a multi-hole injection nozzle (5) and a shroud (3) projecting from the cylinder head (1) into the combustion chamber (16) and surrounding the nozzle (5) in such a way that a precombustion chamber is formed between shroud (3) and piston (2) at TDC, and a combustion process for an internal combustion engine, especially for a diesel engine, with an injection device as described hereinabove, wherein combined direct and swirl-chamber injection takes place in the vicinity of TDC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Motorenfabrik Hatz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Peter Hufnagel
  • Patent number: 6065441
    Abstract: A combustion system for a divided chamber engine that incorporates a pre-combustion chamber disposed to one side of the cylinder and that communicates with the main combustion chamber through two diverging transfer passages the open ends of which are aimed to direct the discharge from the pre-combustion chamber towards the sides of the combustion chamber and not at the center of the piston or the exhaust valve wherein the localized temperature at the piston's center is reduced and the exhaust valve temperature is not elevated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventor: Jose F. Regueiro
  • Patent number: 5769050
    Abstract: A number of embodiments of precombustion chamber configurations for two-cycle crankcase compression diesel engines. The precombustion chamber and its communicating throat are oriented so as to maintain a uniform fuel distribution in the precombustion chamber and to provide good flow into the main combustion chamber that will provide a homogeneous mixture without the flow being directed toward the exhaust port at the time the exhaust port is open. A number of embodiments show constructions that permit uniformity of tumble action in the precombustion chamber and a high velocity for the tumble action to improve turbulence and mixing. All of these factors go together to reduce NOx emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Ito, Hiroshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 5746173
    Abstract: In a divided combustion chamber for diesel engine, a main combustion chamber (2) communicates with a sub-chamber (5) through a communication hole (6), the communication hole (6) being composed of a main communication hole (7) and sub communication holes (8), a pair of sub communication holes (8),(8) being provided in the shape of grooves in opposite right and left peripheral surface portions of the main communication hole (7). Provided at boundaries between a peripheral surface of the main communication hole (7) and peripheral surfaces of the sub communications holes (8),(8) are auxiliary communication grooves (9),(9) smaller than the sub communication holes (8),(8) in width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Takii, Shuichi Yamada, Akinori Muraoka, Kiyoshi Hataura, Atsushi Yamaguchi, Hideo Hasegawa, Manabu Miyazaki, Hideya Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 5477822
    Abstract: An engine is provided with a combustion chamber that is separate from the main cylinder displacement/swept volume area and mounted in a cavity in the cylinder head and having a connection between the two by a channel of small cross-sectional area providing high velocity flow of fresh air from the cylinder into the combustion chamber to aid in fuel evaporation and fuel-air mixing, thereby providing complete combustion wholly within the separate chamber. Only intake air is taken into the engine during the intake stroke. A separate valve is provided at the exit of the combustion chamber to the connecting channel for cold start operation, the valve remaining closed until the ratio between the pressures in the cylinder under compression and in the combustion chamber exceeds two, i.e., establishing sonic flow in the channel, whereby a rush of fresh air into the combustion chamber upon opening of the valve and injection of fuel and ignition thereof causes complete combustion wholly within the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Mohammad Haghgooie, Rodney J. Tabaczynski
  • Patent number: 5417189
    Abstract: A diesel engine (10) has a pre-combustion chamber (30) with an angled and tapered transfer passage (60) leading to the main combustion chamber (44). The transfer passage (60) is tapered to provide a larger lower end (62) facing the main chamber (44) and smaller upper end (64) facing the pre-combustion chamber (30). Air passing through the passage (60) during the compression stroke undergoes heating and swirling within the pre-combustion chamber. The piston has an upper surface (46) with recessed lobes (20) and (22) and recessed passage area (28). Each recessed lobe functions as a valve pocket for the respective intake valve (32) and exhaust valve (42). The valve pockets are deep enough to provide sufficient valve lifts to allow valve overlap periods comparable with spark ignition gasoline engines without interfering with the piston upper surface (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventor: Jose F. Regueiro
  • Patent number: 5309879
    Abstract: A four valve, double overhead camshaft diesel engine (10) has a precombustion chamber (30) with an angled and tapered transfer passage (60) leading to the main combustion chamber (44). The transfer passage (60) is tapered to provide a larger lower end (62) facing the main chamber (44) and smaller upper end (64) facing the pre-combustion chamber (30). The pre-combustion chamber is spherical, located on one side of the main combustion chamber. Air passing through the passage (60) during the compression stroke undergoes heating and swirling within the pre-combustion chamber. The piston has a domed upper surface with recessed lobes (20) and (22). Each recessed lobe functions as a valve pocket for the intake and exhaust valves (32) and (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventor: Jose F. Regueiro
  • Patent number: 5307773
    Abstract: A number of embodiments of combustion chamber configurations for internal combustion engines incorporating squish areas for promoting turbulence and rapid flame propagation in the main combustion chamber volume. A pre-combustion chamber volume is formed in at least one of the squish areas and communicates with the main combustion chamber volume through flow channels that are substantially unrestricted except when the piston is at its top dead center position for reducing pumping losses and insuring complete combustion within the squish area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshio Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5307772
    Abstract: The invention discloses internal combustion engines, particularly compression ignition engines such as diesel engines, having reduced nitrogen oxide emissions with concurrent reductions in particulate emissions. The invention provides a catalyst impregnated prechamber insert which operates in the fuel rich environments of internal combustion engines to reduce nitrous oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Vemulapalli D. N. Rao, Harry A. Cikanek
  • Patent number: 5179839
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine of the gasoline-burning variety has an essentially constant maximum displacement or volume. This requires compromises in design to achieve acceptable power output at full throttle and reasonable thermal efficiency at cruising power. It would be desirable to have an engine with differing displacements for those operating conditions. However, the mechanical constraints of a conventional engine do not easily permit of that possibility. It is also desirable to separate the process of generating expandable fluid for an engine and the expansion of such fluid. This permits each of the two processes to be more closely optimized. Compression of fluid can be more nearly isothermal, and expansion which approaches truly isentropic expansion may be provided. It would also be desirable to capture waste heat from the combustion products within the expandable fluid for enhancing thermal efficiency of an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Inventor: Joseph B. Bland
  • Patent number: 5117788
    Abstract: An improved apparatus and technique for providing increased efficiency and relatively pollutant free operation of internal combustion engines. An internal combustion engine's gas cycle is refined by forming a secondary balancing non-combusting chamber within the main combustion chamber of each cylinder. The balancing chamber is constructed on a piston surface or within the piston body and operates as a pressure exchange or wave generator during the gas cycle of the internal combustion engine. This permits control of the pressure and temperature within the combustion chamber during the liberation of heat caused by combustion of fuel and air on the power cycle of the engine. The apparatus, the balancing chamber, controls pressure and temperature during this cycle by introducing expansion and compression waves, in the combustion zone during burning of the fuel, that follow one another in sequence without interruption throughout the entire power cycle of each cylinder of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Sonex Research, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard F. Blaser
  • Patent number: 5014663
    Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine, in particular of the diesel type, which comprises at least one intake valve (10) having its seat disposed in the wall of a combustion and scavenging prechamber (13) and at least one exhaust valve (7), is characterized in that the prechamber (13) communicates with the cylinder (1) through a transfer passageway (14) whose walls are at least partially substantially parallel to the axis (2) of the cylinder and whose cross-section perpendicular to this axis opens out in accordance with a substantially oblong shape tangent to the cylinder (1). An improved effectiveness of the engine is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Inventor: Jean F. Melchior
  • Patent number: 4940029
    Abstract: The cylinder head (401) of a turbocompounded 2-stroke piston engine incorporates, for each cylinder (400), an indirect combustion chamber (402) which is connected to the cylinder clearance volume (413) by a passage (412). The indirect combustion chamber (402) incorporates the inlet valve (408) so that when the valve opens, turbocharging air flows into the cylinder through the chamber (402) and the passage (412). This allows a large proportion of the cylinder head area to be devoted to the exhaust valves (410), with advantages in good scavenging and maximising mass flow rates through the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Inventor: John A. J. Rees
  • Patent number: 4924829
    Abstract: Torch jet ignition is used to assist conventional spark ignition. A small (0.5-1 cc) chamber in a spark plug has an orifice (0.1-0.2 cm diameter) adjacent the spark gap to emit a torch jet into the main combustion chamber to enhance the combustion. The combustion is initiated by the conventional spark in the combustion chamber and the combustion ignites the torch jet. In another embodiment, two spark gaps in series are used, one in the main combustion chamber and one in the torch chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Shi-wai S. Cheng, Wayne C. Nichols, Wayne R. Moore
  • Patent number: 4854280
    Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine, in particular of the diesel type, which comprises at least one intake valve (10) having its seat disposed in the wall of a combustion and scavenging prechamber (13) and at least one exhaust valve (7), is characterized in that the prechamber (13) communicates with the cylinder (1) through a transfer passageway (14) whose walls are at least partially substantially parallel to the axis (2) of the cylinder and whose cross-section perpendicular to this axis opens out in accordance with a substantially oblong shape tangent to the cylinder (1). An improved effectiveness of the engine is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Inventor: Jean F. Melchior
  • Patent number: 4838213
    Abstract: The compression stroke supplies a small portion of the compressed air to a considerably smaller, fixed-volume receiving chamber through a valved communication passage. Simultaneously, fuel is injected into the air stream to mix with the air with the air pressure increasing in the small chamber until the air reaches ignition temperature to ignite the air/fuel mixture. The resulting rapid rise in pressure acts upon a check valve to seal the passage and to contain the combustion process within the small chamber. The small quantity of air therein is insufficient to support complete combustion, therefore most of the fuel is conditioned to a state of auto-ignition. The piston continues to compress the main air charge in the cylinder and slightly before TDC a controllable valve opens a second passage to expel the superheated mixture into the large volume of compressed air in the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Inventor: Anthony Gerace
  • Patent number: 4817388
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an auxiliary cell connected thereto by a transfer valve. Approximately isothermally compressed gas, which may be a combustible mixture, is introduced into the cell through an input valve. A displacer piston in the cell is biased toward lower volume of the cell. In an illustrated embodiment, the displacer piston is translated by the compressed gas toward a larger volume in the cell. When the cell is fully charged with compressed gas, the input valve is closed and the transfer valve is opened for intermittently discharging the mass of gas in the cell into the cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The displacer piston displaces substantially all of the gas from the cell into the engine. Combustion is initiated and may, at least in part, occur within the cell, providing power to the engine as the gas expands and performs work by way of the engine piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Inventor: Joseph B. Bland
  • Patent number: 4798183
    Abstract: In a swirl chamber type combustion chamber for a diesel engine having an injection passage provided for to guide the stream of combustion gas gradually spreading right and left during the injection from the swirl chamber to the main combustion chamber, a top surface of a piston head is provided with a concavity formed in such a configuration as gradually spreading right and left as progressing from the inlet end to the outlet end thereof, for example like an unfolded-fan. And the inlet end of the concavity is located so as to face to the outlet of the injection passage. The stream of combustion gas injected from the injection passage is to be guided so as to be sufficiently diffused in the main combustion chamber by the concavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: Kubota Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hataura, Masahiro Nagahama
  • Patent number: 4774919
    Abstract: A combustion chamber configuration and porting arrangement for a two-cycle crankcase compression diesel engine that improves scavenging. An exhaust port opens into one side of the engine cylinder bore and the scavenge ports and a precombustion chamber are configured so that they discharge their gases in an area diametrically opposed to the exhaust port for improving scavenging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritaka Matsuo, Tatsuyuki Masuda, Minoru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4719884
    Abstract: The present invention relates the technology to enhance the mixing performance of air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber with a domed precombustion chamber for a spark-ignition engine, and aims to attain the enhanced mixing performance owing to the forcible generation of a multiplicity of small swirls by forcing the air-fuel mixture to flow into the main combustion chamber centripetally from the inside of the cylinder and then to turns three times in a step-like state with being accelerated on the way into the precombustion chamber through the connecting channel at the compression stroke. The main combustion chamber is formed by hollowing the center side portion of the piston head. The piston head is further provided with the connecting channel formed on the annular bank around the main combustion chamber so as to be faced onto by the domed precombustion chamber in the cylinder head and to be stepped up higher than the bottom of the main combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1988
    Assignee: Kubota Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshio Shinno
  • Patent number: 4696269
    Abstract: A flame ignitor for internal combustion engines. This flame ignitor is, in one embodiment, an insert unit to be received in, for example, a conventional spark plug hole of an engine. It is to project into the combustion chamber of the engine a sufficient distance, and at a selected orientation, such that an opening will collect a portion of fuel-rich fuel-air mixture from within the combustion chamber and direct the same toward a spark gap of a spark producing device located in the opposite end of the unit. The device has an elongated secondary chamber proximate the combustion chamber and a primary chamber proximate the spark gap. The opening into the secondary chamber also provides an outlet from the secondary chamber to direct ignited fuel into the engine combustion chamber above the piston head at a high rate of speed to ignite any fuel-air mixture therein prior to the initiation of combustion knock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Oak Ridge Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald Blackburn
  • Patent number: RE41344
    Abstract: A swirl chamber used in association with a combustion chamber for diesel engines, includes a pair of sub-nozzle holes on the opposite sides of a main nozzle hole to supply a secondary air into the swirl chamber, the sub-nozzle holes being positioned such that the secondary air ejected therethrough is fully utilized for the combustion in the swirl chamber, thereby securing the complete combustion and the reduction of environmental contaminants such as NOx and fumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Funaki, Seishiro Kubo