US2942594A

US2942594A - Combustion chamber

Info

Publication number: US2942594A
Application number: US320518A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph D Turlay
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1952-11-14
Filing date: 1952-11-14
Publication date: 1960-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1977-06-28

Description

June 28, 1960 J. D. TURLAY COMBUSTION CHAMBER Filed Nov. 14, 1952 BY Wm ATTORNEYS States Patent Oflice Motors (Importation, Detroit, Mich.,'a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 14, 1952,,Sel'. No. 320,518

16 Claims. (Cl. 123- -55) This invention relates to combustion chambers for engines and has particular relation to a form of combustion chamber especially applicable for use in 90 V-type 8-cylinder engines for automotive and other uses.

It has been the practice heretofore to construct conibustion chambers for engines in the space which may be founda'vailable after the inlet and exhaust valves, the spark plugs, the inlet and exhaust passages and other parts of the engine have been arrangedin a satisfactory and conventional manner. After the design of the engine head has been determined by the arrangement of these elements an effort is made to construct a combustion chamber that will efficiently and properly burn the commercial fuels available. .Such combustion chambers have subject to the objection that they do not satisfactorily burn fuel at high compression ratios and without excessive detonation, pre-ignition and roughness and Without the formation of excessive carbons and other deposits.

It is now proposed to construct a combustion chamber' capable of being employed in Vtyp'e and other engines for automotive and other uses and which will result in improved operation at high compression ratios. It is proposed to provide a combustion chamber in which ignition occurs approximately at the middle of the combustion chamber so that the flame will reach the most remote and diametrically opposed parts of the combustion chamber at about the same time. However, it is proposed not to make the. combustion chamber symmetrical in normally intersecting planes. It is proposed to elongate the combustion chamber to some extent in one plane so that the volume of charge at the ends of the combustion chamber will be greater. thanthe volume of charge at the sides of the combustion chamber. It is also proposed to form the combustion chamber in such manner that it will comprise an elongated firing chamber of considerably less depth than width and length and to provide around the peripheral edges of the firing chamber a minimum mechanical clearance space between the head and the end of .apiston. Such clearance spacewill provide a quench area consisting of the closelyuspaced walls forming the clearance space and between whichthe last parts of the charge will burn at the ends and the sides of the combustion chamber. In order to provide a relatively smooth running engine. it is proposed to position the. ignition means at theapex of obliquelydisposed side and end walls forming the firing chamber in the head of the engine, so that the flame front will progressively increase as it moves awayfrom' the place of ignition. It is also proposed. to construct the rnechanical space communicating with the edgesJof the-firing chamber by a continuation of such obliquely disposed walls on both the head and piston of a cylinder" of the engines.

This .will cause the quench. area to increase progressivelyafter tl ie flame front reaches the mechanical clearance space ,It is proposed to place the valves in the side walls of the head and beside the ignition means and in such position as partly to overlap both the firing chamher and clearance space. When both valves are positioned in one side wall of the cavity formed inthe head" as is done for the purpose of. illustration, then it is proposed to position the ignition means somewhat nearer the exhaust valve end of the chamber than the inlet valve end. It is considered desirable to in effect reduce the charge in this end of the combustion chamber, due to the fact that the heated exhaust valve will tend to cause the charge in the exhaust valve end of the chamber to burn somewhat faster and to develop higher tempe'ratur'es and pressures than the charge in the inlet valve end of the chamber. It is further proposed to create a relatively uniform mechanical turbulence in all parts of the combustion chamber, for the purpose of scrubbing all ofthe surfaces forming the combustion chamber. This scrubbing will tend to prevent the formation of and to cool outwardly projecting particles of carbon and other. deposits which may otherwise be formed excessively' and may become overheated and cause pre-ignition in the engine. As the piston approaches outer dead center on a'cornpression stroke of the engine the shape of the combustion chamber walls will create an inwardly directed and cone shape blast of fluid forming in the charge. The various elements of this blast will be parallel to the principal walls of the combustion chamber that might collect such outwardly projecting particles and are directed to converge upon the ignition means, thereby scrubbing the ignition means and preventing the forma-- tion of. such particles on the ignition means or in the vicinity thereof. When the elements of this cone shape blast meet at the ignition means there will occur a violent and concentrated flow of fluid at the ignition means which will reverse in direction at the ignition means. This reversal in the flow of thecharge will cause the density and quality of the mixture at the ignition means to be so increased that it will be possible under certain conditions to burn leaner mixtures in the engine. Such reversal in the flow of fluid at the ignition means and. the tendency of the fluid thereafter to fioW axially of the cylinder and toward thelend ofthe piston will cause violent local turbulence in the part of the charge being compressed in. the firing chamber. This will cause a very rapid burning ofthe greater part of the charge within the firing chamber which is in directly opposed relation to the ignition means. After the greater part of the charge has quickly burned in the firing chamber the remaining parts of the charge will burn more slowly in the clearance spaceof the combustion chamber. This slower burning-in the clearance space will result from the relatively coolwalls that form the turbulence creating means and the quench area in the combustionchamberh I 1.iedraWi igS:f.. Figuife l'jillustrates afragmentary cross-sectional view of an 8-cylinder 901 V-type internal combustionengine f 1 1g. combustion. chambers constructed according to e P iples of the invention. X Figure 2. is.a view.takensubstantially in the plane of line on .Fig'urel and illustrating a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of one bank of cylinders of theengine. a e Y through the head of theengine and illustrating the posi-' tion of the valves ina somewhat enlarged cavity formed in a side wall forming apart of the combustion chant ber of the engine. Figure is taken substantially i laneof line 3 on Figure 1 looki g in the direct on j ofthe a rows thereon. ff T Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the of one ofthe heads; of the engine andillustratl a formed. Figure 4 is taken substantially in the plane of line 4-4 on Figure 1.

The engine embracing the invention comprises an engine block 11 formed to provide rows or banks 12 and 13 of cylinders 14 and the axes of which are obliquely disposed with respect to an intermediate plane through the axis of rotation of the engine. The axes of the rows of cylinders 14 in the present instance are arranged at 90 with respect to one another although they may be arranged at any other angle which may be desired.

The cylinders 14 have pistons 16 adapted to be connected by connecting rods 17 to a single crankshaft which may be provided for operating the two rows of cylinders. The cylinder banks 12 and 13 have heads 18 and 19 in which inlet and exhaust passages 21 and 22 are respectively provided for the purpose of supplying combustible mixture and of exhausting the products of combustion from the cylinders 14. The inlet and

exhaust valves

23 and 24 are provided for each of the cylinders 14 and are arranged in rows in each bank of cylinders with the axes of the valves disposed in planes parallel to the intermediate plane of the engine. The

valves

23 and 24 are provided with valve actuating mechanisms in the form of springs 26, rocker arms 27, rocker shafts 28 and push rods 29, all of which are operated by a camshaft with which the engine 10 may be provided.

The combustion chambers 31 of the engine which are formed as the pistons 16 approach and recede from outer dead center positions in the cylinders of the engine comprise firing chambers 32 and mechanical clearance spaces 33. Combustion chambers 31 are formed by cavities 34 formed in inner walls 36 of the heads 18 and 19 and by outwardly projecting end walls 37 of the piston 16. The cavities 34 in the heads 18 and 19 may be formed by relatively elongated and obliquely disposed side walls 33 and 39 which diverge outwardly from the ends of the cylinders 14 and toward the planes of the axm of the cylinders 14. In the present instance the walls 39 in each bank of the cylinders 14 are arranged in the same plane and in a plane normally intersecting the intermediate plane of the engine. The walls 38 also may be normally disposed to the Walls 39 and in parallel planes on opposite sides of and parallel to the intermediate plane of the engine. The end walls of the cavities 34 are formed by obliquely disposed arcuate walls 41 that converge from within the opposite sides of the cylinders 14 toward the axes of the cylinders 14. The end walls 41 merge with the side walls 38 and 39 in relatively arcuate corners to provide at the edges of the cavities 34 communicating with the ends of the cylinders '14 relatively oval shape openings with somewhat linear sides and arcuate ends and which are disposed within and approximates the configuration of the circular ends of the cylinders 14.

The inner surfaces of the cavities 34 may if desired be finished by boring tools operable with the axes of rotation thereof normal to the planes of the walls 38 and 39 and movable in such planes between the endwalls 41. The ends of such tools may be normal to the axes of rotation with the edges thereof curved inwardly so that the tool when operated in normally disposed planes will form a continuous curve at the junction between the walls 38 and 39. The configuration of the surface cut by a tool operated in this manner will provide in a plane through the axes of the cylinders 14 the arcuate surface configuration of the end walls 41 and in a plane normal to the axes of the cylinders 14 the sides 38 and arcuate ends 41 of the opening by which each of the cavities 34 communicates with one of the ends of the cylinders 14. The inner surfaces of the walls 39 may be recessed to a slight extent by the application of another boring tool which may be employed with the axis of rotation thereof in a plane normal to the walls 39 and having an end surface having a more planular configuration. :This will provide the recesses .42 at the opposite 4 ends of the walls 39, thereby providing the maximum length of wall space for seating the

valves

23 and 24 in side by side relation along the length of the cavity 34. The recesses 42 provide sufiicient clearance at the opposite ends of the valves so that the flow of fluid thereto will not be interfered with by the end walls 41 of the cavities 34. The pistons 16 also have the outwardly projecting ends 37 thereof formed to provide side walls 43 and 44 and end walls 46. The side walls 43 and 44 are parallel to the side walls 38 and 39 of the cavities 34 and are adapted to be positioned when the pistons 16 are at outer dead centers in the cylinders 14 to lie closely adjacent to the walls 38 and 39 and to provide 1 the side walls of the mechanical clearance spaces indicated at 33. The end walls 46'of the outwardly projecting ends 37 of the pistons 16 are also formed in such a way as to be substantially parallel to the inner surfaces of the end walls 41 of the cavities 34, when the pistons 16 are at outer dead center positions in the cylinders 14. The end walls 46 are also positioned in spaced relation to the end walls 41 to provide the remaining parts of the mechanical clearance spaces indicated at 33. The outwardly projecting ends of the side walls 43 and 44 and the end walls 46 also terminate in normally disposed top walls 47 which form the outer ends of the pistons 16 and when the pistons 16 are at outer dead center positions in the cylinders 14, form the inner walls of the firing chambers 32. The position of the top walls 47 with respect to the outer ends of the cavities 34 is such as to form relatively shallow firing chambers 32 that are considerably longer than they are deep. In the present instance the walls 47 may extend into the cavities 34 a distance equal to about half the depth of the cavities 34.

The combustible mixture compressed into the combustion chambers 31 on the compression stroke of the engine may be ignited by any suitable ignition means such as the spark plugs indicated at 48. The spark plugs 48 are positioned in the heads 18 and 19 in rows, with the spark gap between the ignition terminals thereof substantially in the planes of the axes of the cylinders 14. The ignition terminals of the spark plugs 48 also project a short distance within the inner surfaces of the cavities 34 and substantially at the apexes of the inwardly converging walls forming the sides and ends of the cavities 34. As will be noted from Figure 2 when it is desired to position the inlet and exhaust valves in the same side wall of the cavity 34, then it is desirable to position the ignition terminals of the spark plugs somewhat nearer the ends of the firing chambers 32 in which the exhaust valves 24 are located. This is indicated in Figure 2 by the position of the ignition terminals of the spark plugs 48 with respect to the axes of the cylinders 14.

In a combustion chamber formed in this manner it will be apparent that the charge will ignite at the terminals of the spark plug and will burn in a progressively advancing and approximately spherical flame front across the middle part of the firing chamber. This will substantially divide the charge in the firing chamber into two parts and each part of which will then burn toward the end of the firing chamber. After burning across the firing chamber the flame will then travel into the clearance space at the sides of a combustion chamber until the charge within the clearance space also is divided into two parts. The flame will then progress towards the ends of the combustion chambers both from the middle of the, clearance spaces and from the ends of the firing chambers and in which event the last parts of the charge to burn will be in the clearance spaces at the opposite ends of the combustion chambers. Since the firing chambers are small enough to burn a charge in two parts before detonation occurs and since the mechanical clearance spaces have large and oppositely disposed walls of progressively increasing area, it will be apparent that the last parts of the charge in the clearance spaces at opposite ends of the combustion chambers will also burn without objectionable detonation, due to the decrease in" the rate of flame travel in the clearance spaces :and between the relatively cold walls forming the quench areasand the clearance spaces.

I claim: 7 I l I l. A combustion chamber for engines comprisingan elongated cavity formed between. the head {and piston of a cylinder of an engine, ignition means in the walls of the head" of said engine in which said combustion chamber is partly formed, said ignition means being located in said combustion chamber between the ends and sides of said combustion chamber and being closer to one end than the other of said combustion chamber, a pair of inlet and exhaust valves operatively disposed in said head with the axes thereof disposed in parallel relation to one another and opening through said walls and into said combustion chamber, said inlet valve being positioned to open into the end of said combustion chamber from which said ignition means is more re,- mote and said exhaust valvebeing positioned. to open into the end of said combustion chamber with respectto which said ignition means is more adjacent.

2. A combustion chamber for engines comprising an elongated cavity formed in the head of an engine and in directly opposed relation to the piston of a cylinder of said engine, said cavity being formed in said head between elongated and planar and. obliquely disposed side walls and arcuate end walls, said Walls converging sub; stantially at-theaxis of said cylinder and at a part of said cavity which is relatively more remote from the end wall of said piston forming the oppositely disposed wall of said cavity, inlet and exhaust valve means opening into one of said side walls of said cavity, and ignition means disposed in said head and substantially atjthe apex of said converging walls and at the axis of said cylinder. I

3,. A combustion chamber 'for engines comprising. a cavity formed 'in the head of an engine in directly opposed relation to the piston of a cylinder of the engine, said combustion chamber being formed in saidhead by obliquely disposed walls converging toward an apex remotefrom said piston and substantially on the axis of said cylinder, inlet and exhaust valve means opening into said cavity at one side of said apex and through one of said walls, and ignition means disposed within said cavity and at said apex formed by said walls.

4. A combustion chamber for engines comprising an elongated cavity formed in the head of an engine in directly opposed relation to the piston of a cylinder of said engine, said cavity being formed in said head by elongated and obliquely and oppositely disposed side walls and by oppositely disposed end walls, said side and end walls converging in an elongated surface extending between said side walls transversely across the c axis of said cylinder and remote from said piston, an

inlet valve opening into said cavity through one of said side Walls, an exhaust valve opening into said cavity through one of said side walls, and ignition means disposed in said cavity and substantially at the middle of said elongated surface between said converging side walls.

5. A combustion chamber for engines comprising a cavity formed between the head and the piston in a cylinder of an engine, the surfaces forming said cavity being formed in said head by a pair of obliquely disposed walls extending from the opposite edges of said cylinder and converging in an elongated surface extending transversely through the axis of said cylinder and by another pair of walls disposed normally to said first mentioned walls and extending from opposite edges of said cylinder to the ends of said elongated surface, the surfaces forming said cavity also being formed in part by said piston and including a pair of obliquely disposed walls positioned in opposed and parallel relation to said first mentioned walls and extending from opposite edges of said pistonv toward Saidl'elongated sur'faceaaiid by: 3'

another pair. of lwazlls; disposed in opposed and parallel;

relati n to theadjacent parts of said; anotherxpairxof t in spaced and parallel relation to one another to'provide a quench area on the opposingnsur'faces of said walls and a minimum mechanical clearance space between said walls, said quench area and said minimum- -mechanica1 clearance space being formed outwardly from and around the" peripheral edges of a firingcham+-.

ber, formed between said piston end wall and the parts.

of said converging walls in said head and beyond said piston end wall, inlet and exhaust valve means opening into said converging walls of said head and in opposed relation to and extending between said firing chamber and said clearance space, and, ignition means in said ffir ing chamber at approximately the middle of said clone gated surface between said converging walls of said head.

6. A combustion chamber for engines comprising a cavity formed between the head and piston of a cylinder of an engine, ignition means extending within the firing chamber of said combustion chamber formed by said cavity and disposed substantially on the axisof said cylinder, said cavity being formed :between said head and said piston by spaced'and'para'llel and obliquely disposed walls of said head and said piston, said obliquely disposed walls of said head and said-piston being posi ntioned'to diverge from said ignition means toward the edges of said head and said piston, said obliquely-disposed walls of said piston being formed to terminate at the outer ends thereof in. a transversely disposedzlwall-t extending across. the axis of said piston and dividing .said

combustion chamberinto. a firing chamber adjacent said ignition means and a minimum mechanical. clearance space extending around theouter edges of said firing chamber landbetween said. obliquely disposed walls of aid? head and said piston, and inlet and exhaust valve means each extending through one of said obliquely disposed walls of said head and in directly opposed relation to said firing chamber and said mechanical clearance space.

7. A combustion chamber for engines comprising a cavity formed between the head and piston of a cylin-j der of an engine, ignition means disposed in said cavity adjacent the axis of said cylinder, an outwardly projecting wall formed on the end of said piston and being adapted to extend into said head and to divide said head into a firing chamber adjacent said ignition means and a minimum mechanical clearance space around the peripheral edges of said firing chamber and between the sides of said outwardly disposed outwardly projecting wall of said piston and the oppositely disposed walls of said head, said walls of said head and said piston being formed adjacent the peripheral edges of said mechanical clearance space adjacent said piston and said cylinder to terminate at or Within the walls of said cylinder, and inlet and exhaust valve means each positioned to open through one of the walls of said head in directly opmeans and extending with one edge of each of said cavities in the plane of the axes of said cylinders, a row I of ignition means for said cylinders having spark gap means extending into said cavities substantially within said plane of said axes of said cylinders, a row of aligned inlet and exhaust 'valves with the axes thereof disposed in a 'plane intersecting said plane of the axes of said cylinders,said inlet and exhaust valves being adapted to open through a wall of said head extending obliquely with respect to said plane of the axes of said-cylinders and forming a coplanar side of each of said triangularly rows of cylinders, said pistons and said heads being formed to provide combustion chambers for said cylinders, a row of ignition means for each of said rows of cylinders, said ignition means being disposed within said combustion chambers with the spark gap means thereof disposed substantially within the planes of the axes of said rows of cylinders, said combustion chambers in said rows of cylinders being formed by walls in a plane adapted to extend through both of said rows of cylinders and between said ignition means in said rows of cylinders and the adjacent edges of said cylinders of said rows, aligned valves opening into said walls of said heads and between said ignition means and the adjacent edges of said cylinders, said pistons also being formed to provide top walls extending substantially normal to the axes of said cylinders and adapted upon the upward movement of said pistons in said cylinders to form firing chambersbeyond said top walls in said combustion chambers and mechanical clearance spaces surrounding said firing chambers and communicating with the peripheral edges of said firing chambers.

10. An internal combustion engine comprising a row of cylinders having head means at one end thereof and pistons in said cylinders, combustion chambers for each of said cylinders formed between said pistons and said head means and formed in part by cavities extending into said head means, said pistons when'at the end of the compression stroke of said pistons having ends projecting into said cavities in said head means, said ends being formed on said pistons to provide elongated and aligned and oppositely and obliquely disposed side wall surfaces connected by top wall surfaces, said top wall surfaces being disposed normally to the axes of said cylinders and said side wall surfaces being disposed in planes intersecting the planes of the axes of said cylinders substantially at the extreme outer edges of said cavities, said cavities being formed in said head by elongated and aligned and oppositely and obliquely disposed side wall surfaces connected by arcuate and aligned surfaces disposed in spaced and opposed relation to said topsurfaces of said pistons, ignition means having spark gap terminals projecting into each of said combustion chambers through said arcuate wall surfaces and substantially within the planes of the axes of said cylinders, inlet and exhaust valves extending through said side wall surfaces on one side of said cylinders and between said ignition means and the ends of said cylinders, said side wall surfaces of said cavities and said piston ends' being disposed in closely spaced relation to one another to provide a minimum mechanical clearance space for each of said combustion chambers, said arcuate surfaces and the adjacent ends of said side wall surfaces of said cavities and said top wall surfaces of said piston being spaced to form substantially triangularly shaped elongated and aligned firing chambers for said cylinders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS