DIESEL AIRCRAFT ENGINE

Abstract

The present invention is an engine, including two banks of cylinders in a flat, opposed cylinder arrangement and a crankshaft having a plurality of paired throws, the two throws of each respective pair of throws being disposed adjacent to each other and coplanar with respect to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a prior art crankshaft arrangement for use in a radial aircraft engine.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art air-cooled radial aircraft engine.

FIG. 3 is a partial cutaway view of a prior art liquid-cooled V- 12 aircraft engine.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a prior art fork-and-knife connecting rod arrangement.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a prior art air-cooled diesel aircraft engine.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a prior art air-cooled horizontally opposed air-cooled six cylinder aircraft engine.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a prior art crankshaft used in horizontally opposed air-cooled six cylinder aircraft engine.

FIG. 8 is a prior art schematic representation of an internal combustion engine.

FIG. 9 is a side view of three prior art crankshafts.

FIG. 10 is a side view of two prior art crankshafts.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the moments of vibration of a prior art crankshaft.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a prior art horizontally opposed air-cooled six cylinder aircraft engine.

FIG. 13 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the moments of vibration of a crankshaft according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view depicting certain features of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the engine block of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an assembled crankshaft according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of a piston and related components according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a cam drive mechanism for the present invention

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of camshafts and related components according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cylinder head for the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an injection system for the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cooling system for the present invention, with certain elements removed for clarity.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an intake system for the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an exhaust system for the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a partially exploded view of one embodiment of an oiling system for the present invention, with the engine block and cylinder heads shown for clarity.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an oiling system for the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention installed in an aircraft.

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. The engine claim 17 being a compression combustionengine.

7-8. (canceled)

9. The engine of claim 17, the air charge compressor be a pair of turbochargers, a respective turbocharger being powered by the exhaust from a respective bank of cylinders.

10. The engine of claim 18, a piston being associated with each cylinder and being numbered correspondingly, pistons 1 and 5 being operably coupled to a first throw, pistons 2 and 6 being operably coupled to a second throw, pistons 3 and 7 being operably coupled to a third throw, and pistons 4 and 8 operably coupled to a fourth throw.

11-16. (canceled)

17. An integrated engine, comprising: a unitary structure including at least the components of, two banks of cylinders in a flat, opposed cylinder arrangement;air charge compressor and air charge cooler assembly;liquid engine cooler assembly; andliquid oil cooler assembly.

18. The engine of claim 17, wherein the unitary structure includes a crankshaft having four throws, a first pair of throws, comprising two of the four throws, the two throws being adjacent and coplanar and a plane of the first pair being orthogonally disposed with respect to a plane of a second pair of throws, the second pair of throws comprising the remaining two of the four throws, the two throws of the second pair being adjacent and coplanar.

19. The engine of claim 17 wherein the firing intervals are eight by ninety degrees.

20. (canceled)

21. The engine of claim 17 including a first order moment balance shaft having a balance weight supported on each of opposing end portions of the balance shaft.

22. The engine of claim 21, the balance shaft being rotationally driven at engine speed.

23. The engine of claim 18, wherein the cylinders are numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 in a first bank and 5, 6, 7, and 8 in a second bank and a firing order by cylinder is 1, 7, 2, 8, 6, 4, 5, and 3.

24. The engine of claim 9, wherein the air charge cooler is an intercooler arranged between an air box and first and second intake plenums that are respectively in communication with first and second banks of the two banks of cylinders.

25. The engine of claim 24 comprising a radiator arranged forward of the intercooler, and a shroud arranged over the radiator and intercooler.

26. The engine of claim 25, wherein the shroud includes first and second air inlets arranged on either side of a rotational axis of a propeller driven by the engine.

27. The engine according to claim 25, wherein the radiator and intercooler are arranged in a generally horizontal plane that is generally parallel to a rotational axis of a crankshaft.