Patent Application
20140261338
This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to modifications of conventional in line six engines capable of increasing the miles per gallon of the modified engines when embodied in motor vehicles.
Conventional in line six cylinder engines if modified to make them 20% more efficient in terms of mpg can meet the requirements mandated by the US government starting in 2014. The conventional in line six cylinder engine is currently the engine of choice for most semi rigs and many other heavy trucks that come within the government mandate.
One non-limiting object of the present invention is to provide modifications to conventional in line 6 cylinder engines capable of increasing their efficiency in operation, preferably by at least 20%, thus making them suitable to satisfy the market in large trucks and semi tractors which must be created by 2014 in order to meet the government mandates as to mpg. This objective increase is achieved by the present invention by modifying the central two adjacent piston and cylinder assemblies of the engines so that they operate in accordance with the principles of my pending patent application Ser. No. 13/475,253, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. The modifications involved (1) changing the camshaft so that the central two adjacent piston and cylinder assemblies have their four stroke cycles in phase rather than 180° out of phase, (2) providing a communicating passage between the combustion chambers of the central two piston and cylinder assemblies and (3) modifying either the hardware or programming for the control of the fuel injectors of the central two piston and cylinder assemblies so that they can be selectively controlled not to inject fuel during the operation cycle thereof. The modifications contemplates providing a new cam shaft in which not only the cams relating to the central two adjacent piston and cylinder assemblies are modified to change 180° out of phase to in phase, but the cams relating to other piston and cylinder assemblies in order to provide a somewhat balanced application of the driving forces during each cycle.
It is preferable in accordance with the principles of the present invention to provide a maximum fuel saving mode wherein alternately one of the two cylinders firing is cut off from fuel. It is also an object of the present invention to provide new engines wherein two cylinders fire over 120° of crankshaft rotation constructed to embody the modifications herein provided hereinbefore indicated.
Various options within the invention are as follows.
The camshaft may be constructed and arranged so that the firing strokes of the two outer and intermediate assemblies are simultaneous, the fuel injecting and firing system being operable to selectively control the injectors of the two outer and intermediate assemblies in a third mode wherein one injector associated with each of the two outer and two intermediate assemblies is controlled to inject zero amount of fuel.
The fuel injecting and firing system may be operable to control an injector to inject fuel into a cylinder during an associated piston stroke when the compressed air in the associated combustion chamber has reached an auto ignition pressure so that the igniting of the mixture occurs as a result of the injection.
The fuel injecting and firing system may be operable to control an injector to inject fuel into a cylinder during an associated piston intake stroke and the mixture of fuel and compressed air in the associated combustion chamber is ignited by energizing a spark plug in communicating relation to the mixture.
An aspect of the invention also includes a method of increasing the efficiency of a six cylinder in line engine having six piston and cylinder assemblies mounted in line formation within a frame, the assemblies having pistons connected to a crankshaft so that the pistons of two inner adjacent assemblies, two outer assemblies and two intermediate assemblies move through repetitive cycles of reciprocating movement offset with respect to one another by 120° of crankshaft rotation in which each cycle has four strokes of movement alternately in opposite directions which take place during successive 180° rotational movements of the crankshaft, a crankshaft for controlling inlet and outlet valves to allow air to be taken into a cylinder during an intake stroke of each assembly and to be compressed into a combustion chamber within a cylinder of each assembly during and immediately following compression stroke of each assembly and a fuel injecting and firing system including an injector for each assembly operable to supply fuel during a stroke of the assembly so that when a charge of air under pressure mixed with fuel is ignited within a combustion chamber the resultant increase in pressure in the associated cylinder affects a power stroke of an associated piston immediately following the compression stroke of the assembly, the method comprising:
replacing the camshaft of the engine which controls the valves of the inner assemblies with a replacement camshaft constructed and arranged so that the cycles of piston movement of the two inner assemblies are in phase,
providing a communicating passage between the combustion chambers of the two inner assemblies, and
modifying the fuel injecting and firing system so that the injectors for the two inner assemblies are selectively operable to operate (1) in a normal mode wherein the injectors associated with both inner assemblies operate to supply fuel during a stroke of both assemblies so that when a charge of air under pressure mixed with fuel is ignited within both combustion chambers the resultant increase in pressure in both cylinders affects a power stroke in both cylinders or (2) in a fuel saving mode wherein the injector associated with one of the inner assemblies operates to supply fuel during a stroke of the associated piston so that when a charge of air under pressure mixed with fuel within the combustion chamber of the one of the inner assemblies is ignited, the resultant increase in pressure in the combustion chamber of the one of the inner assemblies is communicated through the passage with the air under pressure in the combustion chamber of the other of the inner assemblies to affect the power stroke of both assemblies.
Other various options of the method may include the following.
The compression stroke of each assembly may create an auto-ignition compression pressure and wherein the mixture is ignited by injecting fuel into the air under auto-ignition pressure within the associated combustion chamber.
The mixture of air and fuel in the associate combustion chamber by injecting fuel with the intake of air during each intake stroke and the mixture may be ignited by the energization of a spark plug in communication with the mixture.
The new camshaft may control the valves of the two outer and two intermediate assemblies so that cycles of the two outer and two intermediate assemblies are in phase, and the injectors of the fuel injecting and firing system associated with the two outer and two intermediate assemblies are controlled in a third mode wherein one of the injectors of the two outer and two intermediate assemblies inject a zero amount of fuel.
The passage may be provided by grinding inwardly of a seal engaging surface of the frame between the cylinders of the two inner assemblies.
The fuel injecting and firing system may be controlled by a computer and the modification of the system is achieved by reprogramming the computer.
The fuel injecting and firing system may be controlled by pumping fuel under pressure through individual lines to each injector in timed relation and the modification of the system is achieved by modifying the lines to the injectors.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
The connecting rods 22 are journaled at one end on the crankshaft 16 and at the other end on the pistons 26 which causes the pistons 26 to be reciprocated within the cylinder liners 30 through a cycle of four reciprocating strokes while the crankshaft is rotated through two rotations.
The four events which occur within the cylinders 28 during each four stroke cycle include, in order, intake compression, fire, and exhaust. The events are accomplished in response to a camshaft 32 which is suitably journed on the frame 12. The camshaft 32 is mounted in a position to be driven by the crankshaft 16. The drive is accomplished by a gear 34 fixed on the crankshaft 16 to rotate therewith and a meshing gear 36 of twice the size of gear 34 fixed on the camshaft 32 so that the camshaft 32 rotates at half the speed of the crankshaft 16.
The four events are accomplished by reciprocating inlet valves 38 spring biased to close inlet openings leading into the cylinders 28 above the pistons 26 and outlet or exhaust valves 40 spring biased to close outlet openings leading from the cylinders 28 to an exhaust manifold (not shown) forming a part of an exhaust system including an exhaust pipe (not shown).
The inlet and outlet valves 38 and 40 are moved into opening relation to the inlet and outlet openings against their spring bias by inlet and outlet cam lobes 42 and 44 on the camshaft 32 which move inlet and outlet lifter rods 46. The inlet and outlet valves 38 and 40 are actively moved by one ends of inlet and outlet rocker arms 47, the other ends of which are moved by the inlet and outlet lifter rods 46.
The position of the cam lobes 44 on the camshaft 32 cause (1) the inlet valve 38 associated with each cylinder to be open at an appropriate time so that the inlet opening is open during the inlet stroke event of the cylinder cycle (2) cause the outlet valve 40 associated with each cylinder to be opened at an appropriate time so that the outlet opening is open during the outlet or exhaust stroke event. The inlet and outlet valves 38 and 40 are allowed to remain in their spring biased closed position during the compression stroke event of each cycle wherein the air in the cylinder taken in during the intake stroke event is compressed to an auto ignition pressor. The inlet and outlet valves 28 and 30 also remain closed during the firing stroke during which diesel fuel is injected into the cylinder by a computer controlled fuel injecting and firing system, generally indicated at 48; modification of which is shown in
It will be understood that the conventional in-line six cylinder engine also has accessories such as an alternator, fuel and air filters, an oil pump, a turbo charger, a super charger, etc., which remain unmodified in accordance with the principles of the present invention and hence are either not shown in the drawings or described in detail herein.
It can be seen that the conventional engine 10 includes six in-line crankshaft driven piston and cylinder assemblies, which can be conveniently identified from left to right as 1 through 6 respectively. Each of the piston and cylinder assemblies 1-6 includes a cylinder liner 30, a piston 26 and a connecting rod 22, which can be referred to as cylinder 1, piston 1 or connecting rod 1, cylinder 2, piston 2 or connecting rod 2, etc., for purposes of clearly identifying each one of six.
The six crank portions of the crankshaft 16 are arranged so that pistons 1 and 6 move together in cylinders 1 and 6, pistons 2 and 5 move together in cylinders 2 and 5 and pistons 3 and 4 move together in cylinders 3 and 4. A conventional firing order is 153624 which means that the firing stroke event takes place in successive strokes first in cylinder 1; second, in cylinder 5; third, in cylinder 3; fourth, in cylinder 6; fifth, in cylinder 2; and sixth, in cylinder 4. A cycle must take place in each cylinder in two rotations of the crankshaft (four 180° strokes) or one rotation of the camshaft (four 90° strokes). In order for six firing stroke events to take place in four incremental movements of the camshaft (90° each) or four incremental movements of the crankshaft (180° each) it is conventional that these firing stroke events be initiated 120° apart with respect to the crankshaft rotation. To accomplish the initiation of six successive firing stroke events every 120° (1) the firing stroke event in cylinder 5 is initiated 120° after the initiation of the firing stroke in cylinder 1, (2) the firing stroke event in cylinder 3 is initiated 120° after the initiation of the firing stroke event in cylinder 5, (3) the firing stroke events of cylinders 6, 2 and 4 follow in the same sequence. Also in order to achieve six successive stroke initiations within two revolutions of the crankshaft 32 the cycles of commonly used pistons 1 and 6, 2 and 5 and 3 and 4 are 180° out of phase with respect to one another.
Referring now more particularly to
Each injector 56 has a solenoid operated valve 66 formed therein for controlling the flow of fuel under pressure communicated therewith outwardly of a nozzle end thereof. In the cases of diesel operation, the nozzle end of each injector 56 is positioned to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber of the associated cylinder 1-6. The solenoid operated valves 66 are controlled by electrical signals coming from a computer 68 which signals determine the time and amount of fuel injected by the associated injector 66.
Referring again to
As best shown in
In the system 54 shown in
Preferably, the signal which activates the computer 68 to emit signals commensurate with the maximum power mode is made by pressing a manual control button 72 although it could be under the control of a sensor that activates when the vehicle is going up a steep grade or the gas pedal has been floor-boarded. Preferably, the signal which activates the computer to emit signals commensurate with the maximum fuel savings mode is the separate manual control button 74 although it could be activated when the cruise control button is turned on. It is noted that cylinders 3 and 4 will both fire in the maximum power mode, while only one will fire in the maximum fuel saving mode. And, when neither maximum mode is operating, the cylinders 3 and 4 will fire one alternately (the intermediate mode).
Consequently, the preferred operation of the fuel injecting and firing system 48 is to select the intermediate mode at all times (16⅔% less fuel than max power), as by a third manual control button 76 except when added power is desired or needed (max power mode) or when the cruise control button is turned on (max fuel saving mode 50% less fuel than max power).
When the computer 48 receives a signal as a result of pushing button 72, the computer 48 is programed to activate all of the injectors 50 at the appropriate time. When the computer 48 receives a signal as a result of pushing button 74, the computer in proper timed relation (1) alternate one of injectors 3 and 4 (2) alternate one of injectors 1 and 6 and (3) alternate one of injectors 2 and 5. When the computer 48 receives a signal as a result of pushing button 76, the computer 48 is programmed to activate in properly timed relation alternately one of injectors 3 and 4 and both injectors 1 and 6 and both injectors 2 and 5.
The modifications to be made in accordance with the principles of the present inventions are the same whether the engine is diesel ignited or spark plug ignited. In the case of a spark ignited engine the nozzle ends of the injectors 56 are directed along with a variable air supply into the cylinders through the open inlet valve during the intake stroke. While a spark plug is provided in each combustion chamber and a distributor assembly is also provided it is preferable to modify the distributor system so that when both cylinders 3 and 4 are to be fired together only one is fired and the fire in that one is used to fire the other through the communicating passage.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing embodiment(s) have been illustrated solely for the purposes of illustrating the structural and functional advantages of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present invention includes all modifications, alterations, substitutions and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
