Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – Heating of combustible mixture
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-11
2001-07-03
McMahon, Marguerite (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
Heating of combustible mixture
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253746
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to thermally regenerated, reciprocating internal combustion engines that store the exhaust heat and return it to the engine cycle to do work.
2. Description of Prior Art
Thermal regeneration is the capturing of waste heat from a thermodynamic cycle (or a heat engine operating on some thermodynamic cycle), and the utilization of that energy within the cycle or engine to improve the cycle or engine's performance. This is commonly done with many heat engines including Stirling engines, gas turbines, and Rankine cycle devices. In a gas turbine the exhaust heat coming out of the exhaust is transferred to the air leaving the compressor and going into the combustor. This way it is not necessary to add as much heat (fuel) in the combustor to raise the air temperature to the desired turbine inlet temperature. This means that the same work is accomplished but less fuel is used. The automobile and trick gas turbines use rotating regenerators to transfer energy from the exhaust gases to the compressed air.
The problem encountered in previous regenerators in reciprocating internal combustion engines is: the temperature from the combustion process destroys the regenerator unless the temperature is kept low or the regenerator is cooled. Another problem is: the fluid volume of the regenerator enters into the cycle performance.
SUMMARY
This invention is used in a two stroke, internal combustion, reciprocating, regenerated engine made up of a number of similar working emits. Each working unit is comprised of a cylinder that is closed at one end by a cylinder head and contains a movable power piston that is connected to a power output shaft. Means are provided (a plunger piston) to suck in the working fluid and push the exhaust out of the cylinder. This plunger piston can move between the power piston and the cylinder head, and means are provided to accomplish this movement at the appropriate times during the engine's operating cycle. The plunger piston is a movable wall that has attached to it a plunger piston valve that opens to allow air to flow through the movable wall while the plunger piston is moving away from the power piston, and closes to form a suction plunger while the plunger piston is moving towards the power piston. The plunger piston also has attached to it an exhaust pipe, an exhaust valve that opens while the plunger piston is moving towards the power piston, and an alternating flow heat exchanger, called a regenerator. The movement of the plunger piston with its regenerator is such that the regenerative exhaust cooling stroke (the regenerator is heating) begins when the power piston is at about 85% of the expansion stroke, and ends when the power piston is about 15% of the way towards the cylinder head. The compressed air heating stroke (the regenerator is giving up heat) begins about 85% toward top dead center (315°) of the power piston's compression stroke, and ends at about top dead center. Means are provided for the introduction of fuel into the cylinder.
This invention is: the addition of a protector between the regenerator and the power piston to protect the regenerator from the heat of combustion, and to prevent the regenerator fluid volume from effecting the thermal pressure rise process of the engine. This protector has a valve in it to allow fluid flow through the protector whenever the plunger piston is away from the cylinder head.
Objects and Advantages
The objects and advantages of the regenerator protector are:
(a) The regenerator is protected from the combustion heat.
(b) The regenerator fluid volume does not effect the thermal pressure rise process of the engine.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4284055 (1981-08-01), Wakeman
patent: 4790284 (1988-12-01), Ferrenberg et al.
patent: 4928658 (1990-05-01), Ferrenberg et al.
patent: 5540191 (1996-07-01), Clarke
patent: 6116222 (2000-09-01), Warren
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