Internal-combustion engines – Two-cycle – Pump and cylinder inclined
Patent
1992-11-27
1994-07-05
Kamen, Noah P.
Internal-combustion engines
Two-cycle
Pump and cylinder inclined
60620, 123 26, 123301, 123668, F02B 3320
Patent
active
053258240
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to internal combustion engines in which compression is performed in compression cylinders maintained cold and combustion takes place in firing cylinders maintained hot, the compression and firing cylinders being physically separated. Compression pistons and power pistons reciprocate respectively within the compression and firing cylinders, all of the pistons being connected to a common crankshaft.
The pressures reached within the combustion chamber defined by the space between the crown of the power piston and the cylinder head are greater than those reached in engines operating on the Otto or diesel cycles. The engines of the above described construction are referred to hereinafter as "split cycle engines".
BACKGROUND ART
Split cycle engines have been described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,408,811 and 4,186,561. It has been found in practical experience with engines of the construction described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,811 that the high gas pressures in the combustion chamber during ignition require higher electrical potentials to be applied to spark plugs than in conventional internal combustion engines, with the result that the spark plugs become unreliable.
It has for many years been known that ignition of the fuel-air mixture in an internal combustion engine of generally conventional construction, that is, in which the air and fuel mixture is compressed in the firing cylinder, can be achieved by heating a portion of the wall of the combustion chamber to provide a hot spot of sufficiently high temperature to ignite the mixture. Engines in which this method of ignition is employed are known as "hot bulb" or "semi diesel" engines. Such engines have been described in "Chambers Science and Technology Dictionary" published by W. & R. Chambers Ltd, 1974 Edition, page 582.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a split cycle engine wherein the use of spark plugs is eliminated.
In order to achieve this principal object, the present invention provides an internal combustion engine comprising a firing cylinder and a separate compressor comprising a compression cylinder having reciprocating therein respectively a power piston and a compression piston connected to a common crankshaft, the firing cylinder extending beyond the top limit of travel of the power piston to thereby include an unswept space constituting a combustion chamber, characterised by:
a hollow dome located wholly within the combustion chamber with the closed top of the dome adjacent to the head of the firing cylinder and the open base of the dome nearer to the power piston, said dome being spaced from the walls of the combustion chamber;
means directing a charge of air from the compressor around the interior wall of the dome;
means directing fuel separately from said air into the interior of the dome to mix with the air after all the air has entered the dome;
and means for igniting the fuel/air mixture when the temperature of the dome is insufficiently high for ignition.
Preferably, the dome has an inwardly directed flange around the open base to thereby form a channel around the interior of the dome.
It is preferred that the shape of the dome conform to the shape of the end region of the combustion chamber and be uniformly spaced from the walls of the combustion chamber.
It is further preferred that the compressor be a multi-stage compressor comprising a plurality of compression cylinders connected in series each having reciprocating therein a compression piston connected to the same crankshaft as the power piston.
More preferably, the engine comprises an auxiliary power cylinder of greater diameter than the first mentioned power cylinder, transfer means opening into the interior of the firing cylinder above bottom dead centre of the power piston and into the interior of the auxiliary power cylinder adjacent the top thereof, an auxiliary power piston reciprocating on a cycle later than the cycle of the power piston within the auxiliary power cylinder and co
REFERENCES:
patent: 1500464 (1924-07-01), Morrison
patent: 3408811 (1968-11-01), Wishart
patent: 4786561 (1980-02-01), Wishart
Kamen Noah P.
Presta Frank P.
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