Internal-combustion engines – Free piston – Single chamber; one piston
Patent
1998-02-14
2000-02-29
McMahon, Marguerite
Internal-combustion engines
Free piston
Single chamber; one piston
F02B 7104
Patent
active
06029616&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to varying the control of piston motion and in particular to methods and means for varying the stroke of a free piston in a cylinder during a cycle of operation of piston-in-cylinder motion.
BACKGROUND ART
A free piston engine essentially combines the principles of combustion and hydraulics into one engine. Combustion expands, pushing a `combustion` piston which is rigidly attached to a "pumping piston" which together constitute the `free` piston. The pumping piston pumps the hydraulic fluid through the power lines to a number of pump/motors which can be used in may applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has application to free piston-in-cylinder motion of an internal combustion engine which by means of the present invention is essentially facilitated by providing a hydraulic coupling between a chamber swept by a piston rod of a free piston internal combustion engine, the piston rod undergoing linear motion in that chamber and one or a plurality of working chambers of a rotary machine of the general form shown in our U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,146,880 and 5,279,209 but not limited to the specifics of the embodiments as shown in-those specifications.
In particular, a machine having a primary axis and comprising:
a plurality of radially reciprocable pistons disposed radially of said primary axis: and
a circular array of lobed shafts constrained for orbital motion about said primary axis, each shaft being rotatable about a respective secondary axis parallel to the primary axis, the shafts being rotatably driven by drive means at a rate being a predetermined proportion of their orbital rate, and the planes of the lobes lying approximately in the radial plane of the pistons, and wherein during the rotation and orbit of the shafts and reciprocation of the pistons each piston is connected with at least one lobe for rotation and orbit of the shaft in unison with reciprocation of that piston, or, in an alternative, a machine having a primary axis and comprising:
a plurality of radially reciprocable pistons disposed radially of said primary axis; and
a circular array of lobed shafts constrained for orbital motion about said primary axis, each shaft being rotatable about a respective secondary axis parallel to the primary axis at a rate being a predetermined proportion of their orbital rate, and the planes of the lobes lying approximately in the radial plane of the pistons, and wherein during the rotation and orbit of the shafts and reciprocation of the pistons each piston maintains substantially continuous contact with at least one lobe throughout each cycle of reciprocation of that piston; or, in an alternate embodiment, a machine having a primary axis and comprising:
a plurality of radially reciprocable pistons disposed radially of said primary axis; and
a circular array of lobed shafts constrained for orbital motion about said primary axis, each shaft being rotatable about a respective secondary axis parallel to the primary axis at a rate being a predetermined proportion of their orbital rate, and the planes of the lobes lying approximately in the radial plane of the pistons, and wherein during the rotation and orbit of the shafts and reciprocation of the pistons each piston maintains substantially continuous contact with at least one lobe throughout each cycle of reciprocation of that piston; and in connection with any of the forgoing embodiments, there is a transition without substantial time delay, between each successive cycle of reciprocation of each piston defined by the period between contact and separation of respective successive lobes and said piston and wherein said pistons are arranged in pairs, the pistons of each said pair pumping fluid from one to the other in response to piston reciprocation so as to maintain substantially asynchronous reciprocation of the pistons of each pair is hereinafter referred to as a "split-cycle" machine.
The contents of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,146,880 and 5,279,209 are incorporated herein by reference. In an arran
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Casey Alan P.
Mayne Alfred R.
McMahon Marguerite
Split Cycle Technology Limited
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