Internal-combustion engines – Accessories – Covers – trays – vibrators – corrosion inhibitors – air filters
Patent
1982-07-29
1984-04-17
Lazarus, Ira S.
Internal-combustion engines
Accessories
Covers, trays, vibrators, corrosion inhibitors, air filters
123DIG8, 60716, 60719, F02D 2504
Patent
active
044428057
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine provided with a plurality of independent engine units in which one or more engine units are selectively used in accordance with driving conditions of a vehicle driven by the engine.
BACKGROUND ART
It is preferable to design an engine for a constant load so that a desired torque may generate at a low specific fuel consumption. However, it is difficult to design an engine for driving vehicles so as to have low specific fuel consumption within the entire range of the engine operation, since load on the engine varies in a wide range.
FIG. 1 shows a fuel consumption characteristic of an engine for a vehicle at various specific fuel consumptions (g/ps.hr), in which abscissa is engine speed (r.p.m.), ordinate is engine torque. Curve A shows running load (resistance) of a vehicle on a flat road. The curve A is decided by drag of the body of the vehicle and gear ratio of the transmission of the engine and the specific fuel consumption is decided by the performance of the engine. It is desirable to design the engine so that the curve A may pass through low fuel consumption zones.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an engine assembly for a vehicle, which comprises with a plurality of independent engine units, one or more engine units of which are selectively operated in accordance with conditions of the engine operation, whereby the engine assembly is operated in low fuel consumption zones within a wide range of the engine operation.
The engine assembly of the present invention comprises at least two engine units, one of which is a primary engine unit and the other is an auxiliary engine unit. In a low torque range, the primary engine unit is operated, and in a high torque range, the primary and auxiliary units are co-operated to drive the vehicle in accordance with driving conditions of the vehicle.
FIG. 2 shows a fuel consumption characteristic of an engine assembly according to the present invention comprising two engine units. A first zone C is characteristic of the primary engine unit and a second zone E is characteristic of the engine assembly in which the primary engine unit and auxiliary engine unit are combined. The fuel consumption characteristic of the second zone is the same as that of the conventional engine shown in FIG. 1 and the running load curve B is the same as the curve A. Since the curve B passes through a minimum fuel consumption zone D at a low torque operation as shown in FIG. 2, fuel consumption is improved. The auxiliary engine unit is adapted to be started and connected to the output system of the primary engine unit, when the combined power is necessary to drive the vehicle.
In such an engine assembly, it is necessary to balance the fuel supply for the auxiliary engine unit with the fuel supply for the primary engine, when the auxiliary engine unit is connected to the primary engine unit. In other words, both engine units must be connected under conditions that both engine units are balanced in output torque and engine speed. If the engine assembly is not balanced in fuel supply for both engine units, one of the engine units acts on the other engine unit as load, which will cause an increase of fuel consumption and decrease of driveability of the vehicle. However, in such an engine assembly, the auxiliary engine unit is connected to the output system of the primary engine unit when the primary engine unit reaches to the full throttle open operation. Therefore, it is difficult to balance output torques and engine speeds of both engine units under the maximum output torque condition of the primary engine unit.
The present invention is characterized in that, when the auxiliary engine unit is connected to the primary engine unit, a throttle valve of the primary engine unit is closed to a partial open position from a full open position, and a throttle valve of the auxiliary engine unit is opened to a partial open position, and that both throttle valves are opened toge
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patent: 4019479 (1977-04-01), Garabedian
patent: 4070994 (1978-01-01), Garabedian
patent: 4257371 (1981-03-01), Ishida
Farber Martin A.
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Lazarus Ira S.
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