The present invention relates to an engine having a means for supercharging the engine housed within the engine block, an air control valve synchronized with the rotation of the output shaft so as to timely deliver compressed air into the combustion chamber, and means for reducing the amount of side friction the pistons exert on the inner walls of the combustion chamber as a result of the translation of linear movement into output shaft rotation.
Barrel engines have a unique advantage over crankshaft engines in that they are more compact. This is mainly because barrel engines unlike crankshaft engines comprise pistons that work in parallel to an output shaft as opposed to perpendicular. However, an energy translation mechanism such as a wobble plate, swash plate, cam, or other means is required to translate the linear motion of the pistons into rotary motion about the output shaft. These energy translating mechanisms translate the upstroke and downstroke action of a piston into rotary moment about an output shaft by placing a torque onto the output shaft.
Currently, barrel engines, as well as crankshaft engines, have reduced efficiency because piston force is dissipated in various forms such as high sliding friction caused by the torque forcing the piston into contact with the inner walls of the combustion chamber. In addition there is a minor amount of friction in the barrel engine do to the translation of the linear motion of the pistons into rotary motion of the output shaft creates a lemniscate motion, This motion is translated along the length of the piston causing the piston to act against the inner wall the cylinder liner which in turn reduces the force of the power stroke. Accordingly, such an engine may include devices to increase engine power density, such as an air control valve. Air control valves collect compressed gas and direct the compressed gas to a combustion chamber, thereby creating more force as the fuel is introduced into the chamber and ignited. Such devices are currently separate from the barrel engine and thus the desirable compact feature of the barrel engine is diminished. Furthermore, current air control valves operate off an auxiliary output shaft thus further decreasing engine efficiency as energy is transferred from the primary output shaft to the auxiliary output shaft.
Barrel engines are also susceptible to wear, particularly at the point where the piston acts on the energy translation mechanism because of the lemniscate motion. The use of a sliding ball socket joint is currently used to mitigate wear on the energy translating mechanism. However such type joint assemblies have limited the degree of movement of the energy translation mechanism about the output shaft to approximately 20 degrees, thus limiting engine stroke length. Another disadvantage of current barrel engines is that fuel injection is located on the side of the cylinder, thus unlike crankshaft engines where the fuel is injected into the length of the cylinder, fuel in a barrel engine is injected into the side making combustion control more difficult.
In general the efficiency and power output of an engine is increased by controlling the supercharging of the engine (meaning the addition of compressed air into the combustion chamber), injecting fuel at a degree to achieve optimal combustion control, and enabling longer engine strokes relative to bore diameter. Accordingly, it is desirable to have an engine equipped with supercharging capabilities, optimal fuel injection, and long engine strokes relative to bore diameter.
An engine having an output shaft extending through the engine block. The output shaft is generally parallel to the cylinder. The engine includes a boost piston cylinder integral to the cylinder, and a piston having a boost piston integrally attached thereto. The boost piston provides compressed air for later introduction into the combustion chamber so as to supercharge the engine, The engine further includes an energy translation mechanism for translating the linear movement of the piston into rotary movement of the output shaft. The energy translation mechanism is attached to the piston and the output shaft. The energy translation mechanism includes a ring shaped body and an arm extending from the ring shaped body and slidably attached to the piston. Thus as the piston moves back and forth in its cyclic operation, the arm engages a portion of the ring shaped body thereby forcing a portion of the ring shaped body onto a portion of the output shaft generating torque which turns the output shaft. The energy translation mechanism includes a rotary joint assembly for reducing the side force that the piston exerts against the inner wall of the combustion chamber as a result of the translation of linear motion to rotary motion. Specifically, the energy translation mechanism includes a rotary joint assembly whereby the arm of the energy translation mechanism is slidably attached to the piston so as to absorb torque generated by the movement of the ring shaped body about the output shaft. The engine further includes an energy transforming member working in concert with a motion control torque reaction device for reducing lie lemniscate motion of the piston caused by the movement of the energy translation mechanism. Specifically the joint connecting the Wobbler arm to the piston is a combination of two sliding and rotating pin joints that allow freedom of movement of the Wobbler in all planes of motion relative to the piston except one, the joint will allow 100% of the piston firing pressure force to be applied to the Wobbler arm as a torque output. The engine further includes a port time control system having a shaft phaser whereby the phase of the pistons or the relative position of the air control valve within the central cavity of the engine may be adjusted so as to achieve maximum engine performance.
With reference to
The engine 10 includes an engine block 18 housing at least one cylinder 16, wherein each cylinder 16 defines a combustion chamber 12 and includes a boost piston cylinder 20 integrally formed at each end. As shown in the
In the first preferred embodiment, the engine 10 will include a pair of opposing pistons 14, slidably disposed within the combustion chamber 12 of the cylinder 16, however it is understood that it is not necessary to have a pair of opposing pistons 14 in order to remain within the scope and spirit of the claims presented herein. Each of the pistons 14, 26 has a piston head 30 which face one another within the combustion chamber 12. The piston head 30 of each pair of opposing pistons 14 comes towards each other when both of the opposing pistons 14 are slidably moved from a power stroke to a compression stroke. The pistons 14, 26 include a boost piston 26 integrally attached to the piston 14. As shown in
The engine 10 includes a central cavity 32 and a plurality of ports 34, 36, 38, 40 for distributing air throughout the engine 10. For instance, the engine 10 includes at least one external intake port 34 for providing external air to the central cavity 32. A boost cylinder port 36 is disposed between a portion of the boost piston cylinder 20, whereby when the boost piston 26 is in the compression stroke position 22, the boost cylinder port 36 is closed off by the annular surface of the boost piston 26 and the boost cylinder port 36 is open when the boost cylinder 16 is in the power stroke position 24. In operation, external air is drawn into the boost piston cylinder 20 by the vacuum created in the boost piston cylinder 20 when the piston 14 moves from the compression stroke position 22 to the power stroke position 24. The engine 10 also includes an exhaust port 38 disposed in each combustion chamber 12, the exhaust port 38 allowing for the escape of expanding gases caused after the combustion process. Internal intake ports 40 are also provided. The internal intake ports 40 interconnect the central cavity 32 to each of the combustion chambers 12 thereby providing a means compressed air to enter into the combustion chamber 12. The boost cylinder port 36 interconnects the boost piston cylinder 20 with the central cavity 32 so as to provide a means for the compressed air to pass from the boost piston cylinder 20 to the central cavity 32 where the compressed air then waits to be transferred to the combustion chamber 12 via the internal intake ports 40.
The engine 10 pistons 14, 26 are operable to rotate an output shaft 28. The output shaft 28 extends through the central cavity 32 of the engine block 18 and is generally parallel to the cylinders 16. In engines 10 having two or more cylinders 16, the output shaft 28 is generally centered between all of the cylinders 16 as shown in
The engine 10 also includes a fuel injector assembly 42 disposed within at least one piston 14 within the combustion chamber 12. The fuel injector assembly 42 serves to cool the piston 14 and provide fuel to the combustion chamber 12 at an optimal position relative to piston 14 position. Specifically the fuel injector assembly 42 extends along the length of the piston 14 so as to deliver fuel directly into the combustion chamber 12, approximately orthogonal to the piston head 30.
The fuel injector assembly 42 includes a standard fuel injector 41 coupled with a conduit 44 for circulating fuel within the piston 14 itself so as to help cool the piston 14 during operation thus allowing for maximum performance of the piston 14 during prolonged cyclic operation. In the first preferred embodiment, the fuel injector assembly 42 includes a first tube 46 extending along the length of the piston 14. The first tube 46 is connected to a pump 48 that feeds fuel through the first tube 46 directly into the combustion chamber 12. The pump 48 may be controlled by computer so as to control the amount of fuel pumped into the chamber as well as the timing at which the fuel is pumped. The first tube 46 is housed entirely within a second tube 50, the second tube 50 for allowing excess fuel to be circulated within the piston 14. A fluid control member 52 is disposed within both the first and second tube 46, 50. The fluid control member 52 may be a standard check valve or an arrangement of O rings as shown in
In operation, the fluid control member 52 will only allow fuel to exit the first tube 46, and prohibit circulated fuel in the second tube 50 from entering into the combustion chamber 12 so as to ensure that the pump 48 control the fuel injection and thereby maximizing fuel injection. Thus the first tube 46, second tube 50, fluid control members 52 and the pump 48 work in concert to circulate fuel within the piston 14 and control fuel injection into the combustion chamber 12. It is also contemplated that the first and second tubes 46, 50 can be used just to cool the piston 14, by allowing a cooling medium such as ethylene glycol, oil, fuel or other cooling fluids to circulate therein by using the pump 48 and fluid control members 52.
With reference now to
In the first preferred embodiment, the air control valve 54 includes pair of walls 56 extending along the length of the output shaft 28 and outwardly towards the inner surface of the central cavity 32 so as to partition the central cavity 32. The air control valve 54 further includes a pair of first flanges 60 wherein the first flanges 60 are spaced apart from each other so as to not obstruct the boost cylinder port 36 and the first flanges 60 are generally parallel to the each other. The pair of first flanges 60 extends radially from the air control valve 54 to the inner surface of the central cavity 32. The air control valve 54 also includes a pair of second flanges 59 wherein the second flanges 59 are spaced apart from each other register with the opening of the boost cylinder port 36 when the air control valve 54 is rotated about a predetermined position within the central cavity 32. The first flanges 60 are generally parallel to the each other, thus when the air control valve 54 is rotated about the shaft, the second flanges 59 will register with the openings of each boost cylinder port 36 so as to receive compressed air from the boost cylinder 16 when the pistons 14, 26 move from a power stroke position 24 to a compression stroke position 22. The compressed air is then contained within the partition of the central cavity 32 defied by the second flanges 59 and the wall 56, and said partition rotates about the shaft in synchronization with the shaft rotation so as to be positioned to communicate with an internal intake port 40 where the compressed air is then forced into the combustion chamber 12. An additional enhancement for increase volumetric efficiency and power is to port the compressed boost air to an inner cooler mechanism to remove heat of compression and return the air to the air distribution rotary valve in a denser, cooler form. A second variation would have the air distribution rotary valve be made in two sections with the second delivery section connected to a partitioned separate intake port which can be closed later than the exhaust and yield asymmetric port timing.
The engine 10 further includes an energy translation mechanism 62 so as to translate the linear motion of the piston 14 into rotary motion of the output shaft 28. As shown in
The translation of linear movement into rotation creates a lot of friction, thus a rotary joint assembly 74 rotatably connecting the piston 14 to the arm 66 is included. The rotary joint assembly 74 includes a tubular shaped pin case 76, and a piston arm ring 78 slidably fitted within the pin case 76. The piston arm ring 78 has a slot so as to allow the arm 66 to rotate about the length of output shaft 28 with over degrees of freedom. The pin case 76 is disposed on the free end of each piston 14, and the piston arm ring 78 supports a piston pin 80 extending across opposite sides of the piston arm ring 78. A guide ring 82 is integrally formed on the free end of the arm 66, the guide ring 82 is mounted onto the piston pin 80 so as to slidably engage the piston 14 ring and move between the opposite sides of the piston case 84 as the pistons 14, 26 move between a compression stroke position 22 and a power stroke position 24. During the cyclic operation of the pistons 14, 26, the arm 66 will travel along a lernmiscate path. Accordingly, it is desirable to a means for the arm 66 to travel along the lemniscate path without undue friction, as friction will cause power loss. Thus the rotary joint assembly 74 is provided. In operation, the guide ring 82 is able to slide along the piston pin 80, and is able to torque within the pin case 76 as the arm 66 is held within the piston arm ring 78, which is slidably fitted within the pin case 76. Furthermore, the piston arm ring 78 is able to move in and out of the pin case 76. Thus, the rotary joint assembly 74 allows the arm 66 of the energy translation mechanism 62 to torque freely inside the bearing housing assembly, thus permitting the arm 66 of the energy translation mechanism 62 to rotate relatively freely about the output shaft 28 and in harmony with the cyclic operation of the pistons 14, 26. Thus the engine 10 can have a stroke length to cylinder 16 bore ratio of up to and in excess of: Thus the energy translation mechanism 62 reduces engine 10 friction while providing higher compression ratios at decreased combustion chamber 12, surface to volume ratios and heat loss, such that engine 10 power and efficiency is increased.
As discussed, the linear motion of the pistons 14, 26 acting on the parallel output shaft 28 causes the arm 66 of the energy translation mechanism 62 to move in a lemniscate motion and creates a torque reaction force on the pistons 14, 26. Furthermore, the addition of pistons 14, 26 and thus corresponding energy translation mechanism 62 arms 66 may cause the lemniscate motion of each of the arms 66 to be unequal as the arms 66 are moving about in different geometric planes. Accordingly, the engine block 18 includes an energy transforming member 86 working in concert with a motion control torque reaction device 88, in the preferred embodiment, the energy transforming member 86 is a long rigid shaft extending generally orthogonal to the engine block 18 and adjacent the ring shaped body 64 of the energy translation mechanism 62.
The energy transforming member 86 includes an aperture 90. The motion control torque reaction device 88 is disposed on a portion of the energy translation mechanism 62 and includes a rolling element 91 such ball bearing and a track 92. The rolling element 91 is fittingly disposed between the energy transforming member 86 and the track 92, with a portion of the bearing rotatably positioned within the aperture 90 of the energy transforming member 86. The track 92 defines a predetermined path of travel 94 and has an undulating surface for the ball bearing to roll upon, thus as the ring shaped body 64 is rotatably urged against the output shaft 28 by the movement of the pistons 14, 26, the arm 66 is subject to lemniscate motion which in turn is then isolated from the piston 14 through a siding pin interface with proper clearance to the piston 14 body. Accordingly, the lemniscate motion is to the the movement of the ball bearing along the predetermined path of travel 94 thus equalizing the lemniscate motion of the energy translation mechanism 62 arm 66. Furthermore, the motion control torque reaction device 88 absorbs some of the torque reaction forces so as reduce the friction of the pistons 14, 26 against the inner wall 56 of the combustion chamber 12. Thus the energy transforming member 86 working in concert with a motion control torque reaction device 88 is provided so as to reduce power loss created by the torque reacting force normally created between the piston 14 and the cylinder 16, and absorb the torque reaction force from the piston 14, and a means to isolate the lemniscate motion of a translating device from the piston 14 is also provided
A port time control system 96 is also included. The port time control system 96 for changing the position of the energy translation mechanism 62 so as to offset the position of one energy translation mechanism 62 to another in engines 10 equipped with a pair of energy translation mechanisms 62. The port time control system 96 includes a shaft phaser 98 and an electronic control unit 100 (ECU) or a suitable mechanical programmable device, (such as centrifugal weights in a distributor) not shown. The ECU receives engine 10 information such as the rotational speed of the output shaft 28, engine 10 load and the like to determine the most efficient phase for the piston 14. Meaning, during certain engine 10 conditions, it may be preferably when having opposing pistons 14, to have one piston 14 move from the compression stroke position 22 to the power stroke position 24 at different time than the opposing pistons 14. The ECU upon determining the optimal phase for the pistons 14, 26 operation then sends a signal to the shaft phaser 98, and the shaft phaser 98 rotates the energy translation mechanism 62 relative to the output shaft 28 thereby adjusting the piston 14 phase to achieve better engine 10 efficiency. The placement of the shaft phaser 98 can be at either end of the engine block 18. In opposing piston 14 engine 10 configurations the piston 14 adjacent the exhaust port 38 is referred to in the art as the exhaust piston 14, and also as the lead piston 14. The piston 14 adjacent the intake port is referred to in the art is the intake piston 14, and also as the lag piston 14. In order to achieve maximum engine 10 performance it is desirable to have the exhaust port 38 opening, lead the intake opening on the down stroke (meaning, the movement of the pistons 14, 26 from the compression stroke to the power stroke position 24 it is also desirable to have the exhaust port 38 close before the intake on the upstroke (meaning, the movement of the pistons 14, 26 from the power stroke to the compression stroke position 22 as this allows for better supercharging of the combustion chamber 12. This effect can be achieved by adjusting the motion of the intake and exhaust pistons 14, 26 relative to each other, referred to in the art as phasing. Thus, the opposing pistons 14 are not operating in a symmetrical fashion; rather they are operating asymmetrical to each other. A symmetrical phasing of the opposing pistons 14 can be achieved by offsetting the placement of the energy translation mechanism 62 of the intake piston 14 with respect to the energy translation mechanism 62 of the exhaust piston 14 such that the arms 66 of each energy translation mechanism 62 are not aligned with each other. Thus, as the arms 66 are not aligned with each other the motion of the pistons 14, 26 are subjected to different amounts of friction and thus one will lead the other. Accordingly, the exhaust port 38 can be opened early without automatically closing the intake port based upon engine 10 demand. In a second preferred embodiment, the air control valve 54 is rotatable about the output shaft 28, and the relationship of the air control valves 54 to the output shaft 28 may also be adjusted so as to regulate the distribution of compressed air within a partition of the central cavity 32 to combustion chamber 12, thus the timing of air intake can be automatically adjusted to further facilitate engine 10 efficiency. In a third preferred embodiment asymmetry is created by having two rows of intake ports 34, 40 or widening the dimensions of one part with respect to the other. The port closest to TDC will be blocked by the rotary valve during the beginning of die exhaust stroke and opened after the exhaust port 38 closes, thus creating asymmetry.
Thus the engine 10 described herein has a boost piston 26 and boost piston cylinder 20 housed within the engine block 18 so as to supercharge the engine 10 without the additional space required by the prior art. Furthermore, the engine 10 described herein includes an energy translation mechanism 62 with a rotary joint assembly 74 which provides the engine 10 with a greater stroke length to cylinder 16 bore ratio than engines 10 of the prior art. The energy transfer member in concert with the lemniscate motion translator and the energy translation mechanism 62 help reduce side friction of the pistons 14, 26 against the inner surface of the combustion chamber 12 and therefore further increases the energy efficiency of the engine 10. Finally, the engine 10 described is more adaptable to engine 10 load and conditions by having a means for phasing either the air control valve 54 or the cyclic operation of the pistons 14, 26 to maximize engine 10 performance. Asymetry can also be obtained by use of dual rows of intake ports 34, 40 which are individually timed by two separate rotary air valve passages.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/940,780 filed May 30, 2007.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60940780 | May 2007 | US |