GB2421981A

GB2421981A - Crankless opposed-cylinder internal combustion engine with hydraulic output

Info

Publication number: GB2421981A
Application number: GB0500260A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-01-07
Filing date: 2005-01-07
Publication date: 2006-07-12
Also published as: GB0500260D0

Abstract

The crankless engine has two combustions pistons 9,10, in opposed combustion cylinders A,C, and a pump piston 1 in a pump cylinder B. All three pistons 1,9,10 are held together by a common connecting rod 11. Flow of hydraulic fluid into the pump cylinder spaces 2,7 from reservoir 18 is controlled by valves 5,6 and flow from those spaces to a hydraulic motor or ram 16 is controlled by further valves 3,4. The pistons 9,10 can be locked hydraulically by closing the valves3-6 thus trapping air and fuel in the combustion chamber under ignition until combustion is complete or until maximum pressure occurs in the combustion chamber to improve combustion and thermal efficiencies. The engine may be started using an electric motor (1, fig.2) driving a hydraulic pump (2). The engine may be two-stroke or four-stroke with spark ignition or compression ignition.

Description

I

Hydrômechanical combustion engine The invention relates to a internal combustion engine 2 stroke or four stroke, compression or spark ignition which is part mechanical and part hydraulic which has opossing pistons which are linear in operation and are crankless, which can be used for vehical propulsion, portable or stationary power output.

Crankless linear combustion engines are known, but they use a comphcated mechanical method of converting the linear motion from the pistons into rotary motion. Also it is accepted that the internal combustion engine is inefficient as it cannot conduct combustion at a constant volume because the piston cannot be stopped for the duration of the combustion period at top dead centre, therefore the piston continually moves and the cylinder volume continually changes.

The object of this invention is to create a highly efficient combustion engine which has stop - go, linear traveling crankless opossing pistons Which only travel after all the air fuel mixture has been burnt in the combustion chamber, therefore creating maximum pressure, combustion efficiency and thermal efficiency. Also a mechanical hydraulic piston pump unit which is an integral part of the linear opposing pistons WhiCh shall produce hydraulic pressure when the engine is under operating condition which shall be used to convert the linear motion of the opposing pistons to rotary power via a hydraulic motor or similar device. Hydraulic valves which are controlled by mechanical or mecatronics to retain hydraulic pressure in the pump which shall lock the opposing pistons in a required position, one piston at top dead centre and the other piston at bottom dead centre while combustion of the air fuel mixture takes place in the combustion chamber of the piston at top dead centre, thereafter this valve shall be released and the piston shall move under pressure displacing the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump cylinder and pump the fluid under pressure to the hydraulic motor or similar device creating rotary motion or work. Hydraulic valves which are controlled by mechanical or mecatronics, which can receive a signal from a electronic control box that knows the position of the pistons at all times via a sensor fitted to monitor the connecting shaft of the pistons, to allow hydraulic fluid to enter the piston pump at the required time from a reservior feeding tank. A small chamber filled with hydraulic fluid above the pump piston when it is in the top dead centre position which has an adjustable pressure sensitive valve, this chamber acts as a: damper to stop each opposing pistons movement as they come to their top dead centre positions.

The engine is made; from light weight metal materials, also rubber and plastics could be used for seals and guards. The rotary motor can either be joined to the pump via hydraulic hose or pipe or it could be an integral part either cast machined or bolted directly to the proposed engine. The individual parts could be part of a machine or vehicles drive system, the hydraulic motor or similar device could be used as a direct drive to wheels with hoses connecting it to the engine.The hydraulic motor or similar device could be coupled up to electrical generating apperatuse. The hydraulic pressure from the engine could be used to create linear movement via hydraulic rams. The hydraulic pressure could be used to do work.The hydraulic pressure could be used to open and close valves or ports in the combustion engine. The linear motion of the engine could be used to open and close valves or ports in the engine.

The accompanying drawing with numerical and alphabetical reference shall help to describe the invention in the following details.

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the engine cut along its centre length ways with various hydraulic devices attached.

Figure 2 shows the hydraulic engine starting device.

As shown in figure 1 the engine consists of two opposing pistons 9, 10 with hydraulic pump piston I equally spaced between pistons 9, 10.

The piston 9 is at top dead centre with combustion chamber 8 above, piston 10 is at bottom dead centre. Hydraulic pump piston 1 is at top dead centre with hydraulic damper chamber 7 above.

Pistons 1, 9, 10 are held together on a common connecting rod 11 which is held central to the hydraulic and engine cydinders A, B, C with linear bushes or bearings 12.

Hydraulic fluid in controlled into the hydraulic pump spaces 7, 2 through valves 5, 6 WhiCh are fed fluid from reservoir 18 and manifold 17, no fluid can return from pump spaces 7, 2 via valves 5, 6 after filling.

Hydraulic fluid is controlled out of the hydraulic pump spaces 7, 2 through valves 3, 4 which are operated via mecatronic's. The hydraulic fluid once released from spaces 7 or 2 then merge into a manifold 14 which has a pressure release valve for system ovetload and line 19 back to the reservoire 18. At pressure the hydraulic fluid then flaws to hydraulic control valve 15 which can be used to regulate pressure or flow to hydraulic motor or ram 16.

With reference to figure 1 to obtain full combustion with the piston stopped at top dead centre 9.The hydraulic pump space 2 is full with a none compressable fluid.

When combustion starts in space 8, which was triggered either by sell ignition or by spark ignition initiated by sensor D sending a signal to control box E and therefore sending a signal to a sparking device in combustion space 8, hydraulic valve 3, 4, 5, 6 shall be shut, preventing piston 9, 1, 10 from moving. When a pre determined time has lapsed or a certain pressure has built up in space 8 hydraulic valve 4 shall open allowing pistons 9, 1, 10 to move along their cylinders A, B, C as a result of the pressure build up in combustion space 8 and the relief of pressure in hydraulic pump space 2. With this movement the hydraulic pressure shall be sent to hydraulic motor or ram 16 to do work. With this movement hydraulic valve 5 shall open and the increasing hydraulic pump space 7 shall fill with hydraulic fluid ready for the next power stroke from piston at top dead centre. When hydraulic pump space 2 decreases to a pre determined level which can be measured by sensor D the piston I either shuts of the oriffice to hydraulic valve 4 from cylinder space 2 or sensor D sends a signal to control box E which sends a signal to switch of hydraulic valve 4 thus the hydraulic fluid in pump space 2 shall be captive, this small amount of hydraulic fluid in space 2 shall be used to stop the pistons moving any further. Piston 10, 1 will now be at top dead centre and piston 9 at bottom dead centre ready to start the power stroke over again.

With refererence to figure 2 the engine starting device. This shows a electric motor 1 which is coupled to a hydraulic pump 2 with an inlet 3 and outlet 4. The inlet 3 is connected to a hydraulic fluid reservoir and the outlet 4 is connected to a hydraulic manifold which has outlets to valves 6, 7 which are shown in figure 1, these valves shall be connected to the main inlet system on the engine. When hydraulic fluid is pumped through 6, 7 (figure 1) which is controlled by sensor 0 and control box E (figure 1) this shall move the pistons in the engine a chosen direction until the engine starts therafter utilising power from internal combustion to move.

Claims

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Claims 1. A internal combustion engine with two opposing compression pistons working together in a linear motion without the need of a crankshaft. Where the pistons can be stopped and locked using a hydraulic device. With one piston stopped and locked at top dead centre and the other opposing piston at the same time stopped and locked at bottom dead centre, meanwhile combustion takes place above such said piston at top dead centre in a combustion chamber for a pre determined period of time, until full combustion of the air and fuel has taken place or full pressure has been raised in the combustion chamber, thereafter the hydraulic locking device shall unlock and linear motion of the pistons can take place displacing hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic locking device to do some means of work.
2. An engine as daimed in claim 1 that uses electricalelectronic or mechanical means to control the hydraulic stopping, locking and starting of the pistons movement and a sensor located on the pistons shaft and electronic control box to send signals to such mentioned devices.
3. An engine as daim I or claim 2 where the movement of the pistons after combustion create hydraulic pressure in an enclosed power system to deliver a means of work.
4. An engine as daimed in claim 3 that has 3 pistons linked together on a straight common shaft which run together in their own individual cylinders supported by linear beanngs or bushes and Which have seals at either end and seals on their pistons, the two outer pistons and cylinders being used for combustion and the inner piston and cylinder Which is equaly spaced between the two outer pistons and cylinders being used as a hydraulic device.
5. An engine as claimed in any proceeding claims whose ignition of the air and fuel can be created by spark or compression.
6. An engine as claimed in any proceeding daims whose strokes taken to complete a full cycle of air and fuel entering the cylinder compressing, combusting, and exhausting the spent gases can be either two three or four.
7. An engine as claimed in any proceeding daims whose starting mechanism consists of an electric motor and hydraulic pump, sensor and electronic control box to feed hydraulic fluid into the hydraulic device in the engine to start piston motion until combustion takes place in the engine.
8. A engine substantially as herein described above and illistrated in the accompanying drawings.