Internal-combustion engines – Multiple cylinder – Simultaneous compression – distinct pistons – restricted...
Patent
1995-01-26
1997-01-14
McMahon, Marguerite
Internal-combustion engines
Multiple cylinder
Simultaneous compression, distinct pistons, restricted...
F02B 1906, F01L 702
Patent
active
055929044
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and devices for controlling the combustion of an internal combustion engine functioning according to a four-stroke cycle with spark or other ignition, with valve timing or equipped with a rotary intake and/or exhaust distributor.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
The thermodynamic efficiency of the combustion of internal combustion engines is directly proportional to the gas pressure at the end of the compression stroke and consequently to the load of the engine, itself a function of the opening of the accelerator valve. The specific consumption of the engine is related to the thermodynamic efficiency, which amounts to saying that for a given engine displacement the less torque and/or power required the more the specific consumption increases. This is extremely penalizing especially when the engine equips an automobile because the result is that at low speeds and low loads the fuel consumption is very substantial, and consequently so are the polluting exhaust emissions, but, especially in the city, the engine is always used at a low speed and at low loads. To clarify, an automobile engine that consumes at average or full load, approximately 200 to 250 grams of fuel per horsepower and per hour on the highway sees its consumption in the city increased to approximately 1000 or even 2000 grams of fuel per horsepower and per hour.
Conscious of this problem, motorists sought to improve the consumption at low loads in various manners: either by producing engines with poor or very poor mixtures (in the case of stratified load engines); or by trying to obtain variable compression ratio engines in order to try to increase the pressure at the end of compression; or even by "disengaging" one or more cylinders in order to increase the load on the cylinders that remain in operation, for equivalent power.
The solutions have the disadvantage of only very partially resolving the problem and are in addition in certain cases particularly difficult and onerous to implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method according to the invention enables the engine to function at weak loads with combustion efficiencies equivalent to those obtained at average or full load. The invention also relates to devices for implementing this method.
During operation of the four-stroke engine, the intake gases, after having been drawn into the cylinder by the piston are compressed in the combustion chamber in order to be ignited therein by the spark plug, thereby increasing in volume and pushing the piston, thus obtaining the power stroke also called explosion or combustion. In practice, the volume of the combustion chamber substantially represents between 9 and 12% of the volume of the cylinder according to the chosen compression ratio. The method according to the invention is characterized by the joining to this assembly of a small secondary combustion chamber entirely separated from the principal chamber and supplied independently and separately with compressed intake gas. During average or full load operation, the gases compressed in this small secondary chamber are ignited by a spark plug, while shortly before or substantially after the start of this combustion, this small secondary combustion chamber is connected, by the opening of one (or several) linkage channel, the principal combustion chamber where the combustion of gases issuing from the secondary chamber will then ignite (instead of and in place of the spark plug) the intake gases compressed in the principal combustion chamber. The efficiency of this ignition by "flame jet/burst of flames" issued from the combustion of the secondary chamber also enables utilization in the principal chamber of very poor fuel-air mixtures as well as raised compression ratios ensuring a weak fuel consumption.
During the operation of the engine at low loads, the cylinder and the principal combustion chamber are no longer supplied with fuel, but only with air, and the piston is pushed in the princ
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International Search Report and Annex in French and English.
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