Claims
- 1. Apparatus utilizing energy to pump gas comprising: a piston fitted to a using, said piston freely moving in said casing in response to gas pressure differences on said piston; a pressure chamber to one side of said piston comprising means to increase the pressure or volume of gas in said pressure chamber to cause outward acceleration of said piston; a rebounding vole to the other side of said piston opposing the outward movement of said piston by the gas pressure in said rebounding volume; said rebounding volume maintaining a substantially constant pressure opposing said outward movement of said piston; said piston executing a stroke between said pressure chamber and said rebounding volume; an intake means through which gas enters said pressure chamber; and an outlet port in said casing located so as to be uncovered by said piston substantially before said piston has reached the outward end of said stroke of said piston.
- 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the outlet port connects to a channel proportioned to utilize energy from gas passed through said channel to pump additional gas from said pressure chamber.
- 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the outlet port has a valve to control the timing of the flow of gas in said outlet port.
- 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 where the outlet port has a valve to control the timing of the flow of gas in from said outlet.
- 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means to prevent flow into said pressure chamber from said outlet port.
- 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressure of said pressure chamber and the pressure of said rebounding volume act on opposite faces of said piston.
- 7. Apparatus as in claim 1 further including lubricating means operating from the same side of said piston as said rebounding volume.
- 8. Apparatus as in claim 1 further including a gas cooling means operating on said piston on the opposite side of said piston from said pressure chamber.
- 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further including a second piston in counter motion to said piston.
- 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said second piston has a substantially different mass than said piston.
- 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein one of the said pistons is connected by a spring to the casing.
- 12. A free-piston internal combustion engine comprising: a piston fitted to a casing; a combustion chamber to contain gas under high pressure to one side of said piston; means releasing combustion products from said combustion chamber after a partial expansion from said high pressure by said piston's movement in said casing; a further expansion by a continuation of said movement of said piston after said release the drawing in of gas by said continuation of movement; said piston executing a stroke in said casing away from said combustion chamber before being returned by a rebounding means; and the length of said stroke of said piston being in proportion to said high pressure in said combustion chamber
- 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 where the outlet port has a valve to control the timing of the flow of gas in said outlet port.
- 14. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 12 further including means to prevent flow back into the combustion chamber from said releasing means.
- 15. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 12 having means to utilize the energy of the gas released by said releasing means to pump gas from the combustion chamber.
- 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 where the outlet port has a valve to control the timing of the flow of gas in said outlet.
- 17. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 12 wherein said length of stroke is capable of substantial variation.
- 18. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 12 including lubricating means operating on said casing on the opposite side of said piston from said combustion chamber.
- 19. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 12 including gas cooling means operating on the opposite side of said piston rom said combustion chamber.
- 20. A free-piston internal combustion engine comprising: a piston fitted to a casing; a combustion chamber to one side of said piston; means releasing combustion products after a partial expansion of said combustion chamber by said piston; a further expansion of by said piston after said release; rebounding means operating on said piston to oppose the movement caused by the pressure of said combustion chamber; said rebounding means taking energy from the outward travel of said piston and giving back to said piston on its return inward travel energy substantially equal in amount to said taken energy.
- 21. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 20 wherein said piston on said piston's return inward travel pumps substantial gas to the output
- 22. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 20 having means to utilize the energy of the gas released by said releasing means to pump gas from said combustion chamber.
- 23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 where said releasing means controls the timing of release of said combustion products.
- 24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where said releasing means controls the timing of release of said combustion products.
- 25. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 20 further including means to prevent flow back into the combustion chamber form said releasing means.
- 26. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 20 including lubricating means operating on the opposite side of said piston from said combustion chamber.
- 27. A free-piston internal combustion engine as described in claim 20 utilizing a gas pressure rebounding means; and gas cooling of said piston.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application is continuation, of application Ser. No. 489,251 filed Mar. 5,1990, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 121,066 filed Oct. 13, 1988 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,928 which is a continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 801,423 filed Nov. 25, 1985, which is a continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 583,665 filed Feb. 27, 1984.
This invention relates to cyclic engines or motors and their processes, and particularly engines whose piston does not require a mechanical driving mechanism and whose output is pressurized gas.
Most free-piston engines have used the common two-stroke cycle in which the output exhaust port was reached near the end of the piston's outward stroke and can not efficiently accommodate by changing the stroke length variation in power level or cycle-to-cycle fluctuations in combustion. Two stroke cycle free-piston engine require supercharging to force gas into the combustion chamber against the back-pressure of the output, and waste considerable energy in the their necessary pneumatic process. matricard U.S. Pat. No. 1,036,288, which releases gases from the cylinder part way through the expansion and compression strokes, operates a single piston between two combustion chambers a fixed distance apart and is therefore also unable to accommodate significant variations of stroke. Free-piston engines have had difficulty in cooling and lubricating their pistons. Dual piston free-piston have sometimes had to resort to a racks and pinion mechanism or other means to synchronize their counter-vibrating pistons.
An object of the present invention is the efficient accommodation by simple machine of the thermodynamic processes of a heat engine.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine which operates continuously and stably in the face o changes in energy input and gas pressures.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine in which the pressure and volume of the output gas are independently adjustable.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine whose piston has a long and variable stroke.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine whose stroke si long enough to bring in sufficient excess air to cool the combustion chamber.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine whose displacement volume is commensurate with the power level.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine whose pressure and volume of output gas are independently controllable.
Another object of this invention is an efficient free-piston engine with a totally unconnected single diameter piston.
Another object of this invention is a free-piston engine suitable for conventional crank engine type of lubrication and cooling use the piston's side away from the combustion chamber.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 0651973 |
Nov 1962 |
CAX |
Continuations (4)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
489251 |
Mar 1990 |
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| Parent |
121066 |
Oct 1987 |
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| Parent |
801423 |
Nov 1985 |
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| Parent |
583665 |
Feb 1984 |
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Patent Grant
5144917
