Power plants – System having plural motors or having diverse types of... – System of plural motors having a common output structure
Patent
1982-07-29
1984-04-03
Ostrager, Allen M.
Power plants
System having plural motors or having diverse types of...
System of plural motors having a common output structure
60706, F02D 2500, F02D 1702, F02D 3500, F02B 7300
Patent
active
044399898
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 the abscissa is engine speed (r.p.m), the 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 desirably 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 fist 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 important to connect the auxiliary engine unit with the primary engine unit at a proper phase difference. If the phase of the auxiliary engine unit is not synchronized with the phase of the primary unit, the composite torque of the engine assembly fluctuates in a wide range, which causes an increase of engine vibration.
The present ivention provides a system which comprises means for detecting phases of the primary engine unit and auxiliary engine unit, means for synchronizing the operation of the auxiliary engine unit with the operation of the primary engine unit at a predetermined phase difference, preferably at 180 degrees phase difference, and means for connecting the output system of the auxiliary engine unit with the output system of the primary engine unit when both engine operations are sychronized at the phase difference.
According to an aspect of the present invention, phase detecting means comprises a phase detecting circuit for detecting ignition pulses of both engine units. According to another aspect of the present invention, phase detecting means is means for detecting phases of crankshafts of both engine units.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a graph showing a fuel consumption characteristic of a conventional engine;
FIG.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1636050 (1927-07-01), Fottinger
patent: 2527424 (1950-10-01), Johansson
Farber Martin A.
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Ostrager Allen M.
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