US859746A - Internal-combustion engine. - Google Patents

Description

PATENIED JULY 9, 1907.

E. GROWE. N INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1905.

0 Z W Z M r T 4 W M m average pressure and the maximum UNITED srnrns PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD OROWE, OF REDCAR, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DAVY BROTHERS LIMITED, OF

v SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

IN TERN .AL-COMB USTION ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 23,1905. Serial No. 251,614.

Patented July 9, 1907.

" the King of Great Britain, residing at 25 Teresa Terrace,-

Coatham, Redcar, Yorkshire, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Internal-Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention has for its object to provide an internal combustion engine wherein premature explosion is rendered impossible and wherein the maximum temperature and pressure being developed at the commencement of the working stroke,-the highest possible power are obtainable with a given capacity of cylinder.

In internal combustion engines working on the Otto or four-phase cycle, as heretoforeconstructed, the constituents of the explosive charge have been mixed prior to or during compression, with the result that the power obtainable has been limited in consequence of they necessity for avoiding compressing the mixture so far as to raise its temperature to a point at which premature ignition is liable to occur. This defect has been partially overcome by the provision of additional .water-cooled surfaces within the compression space, but such devices besides causing waste of heat, are apt to be rendered of no effect in the event for example of dirt or deposit accumulating on the walls of the compression space.

According to the present invention the air required for effecting complete combustion of the fuel, and the fuel itself (consisting of combustible gas or vapor or a non-explosive mixture of the same with air or inert gas) are compressed separately;

compressed by an independent pumpand admitted to the combustion chamber of the motor cylinder only cylinder insuch relative proportions and compressed to such an extent as will enable the development of much greater power than has heretofore been obtainable; the arrangement also serving tosecure various other advantages tending to increase the mechanical and thermal efiiciency of the engine.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawing which shows an elevation of one form of engine constructed according to this invention, in section-on the plane wherein lie the axes of the inders. It is however to be understood that although the form of engine illustrated is convenient, the invention is not limited to su ch'form,

the air alone being: compressed in the motor cylinder while the fuel is motor and pump cyland that any other whereby to carry into referred to, may be design or arrangement of parts, practice the principle above adopted.

A is the motor cylinder whereof the piston A is coupled by the connecting rod B shaft 0.

D is the pump cylinder whereof the piston D be coupled by the connecting rodE to the crank b (or we crank co-axial therewith) when, as in the case illustrated, the axes of the two cylinders are at right angles to one another. The cylinders A and D are to the crank 17 on the may provided respectively with cooling jackets A and D which extend throughout their effective length. i F is the compression space at the rear end of the motor cylinder, the air and fuel inlets and the'exhaust all opening through the walls of this space,

The exhaiist valve G of the .motor cylinder closes outwardly and is opened against the pressure of the spring 9 by means of a cam g which is mounted on a shaft H revolving at one-half the speed of the crank shaft 0. The cam 9 may actuate the valve G through a lever h as shown. a

J is the air infet valve of the motor cylinder which may be arranged to open automatically against the pressure of the spring j during the suction stroke of the piston A the pressure generated within the motor cylinder during the working stroke serving with spring j) to then hold the valve closed;

The fuel inlet valve K of the motor cylinder closes inwardly and is opened, at the end of the compression stroke of the piston A against the pressure of the spring is by means of a cam k rotated by (.or at the same speed as) the shaft H; the cam being of such form as to allow of the introduction of the. fuel proceeding at a rate corresponding to that at which combustion progresses. i

A sparking plug is provided in the compression space F as at L.

M is the fuel suction valve at the rear of the pump pressure of the spring" m at each suction stroke of the (conjointly' piston D and N is the pump delivery valve which may open outwardly against spring pressure and which is connected to the fuel inlet valve K of the motor cylinder by a pipe 0 whereon an intermediate reservoir 0 maybe provided. The supply of fuel to the pump cylinder D is regulated by the engine governor R which is made to actuate valves as at P and Q on branch pipes p and q leading to the valve M; the valve P controlling. the admission of gas or combustible vapor and the. valve Q that of air when such is used to form a non- 105 explosive mixture before compression.

ture of combustible and inert gases) from the reservoir exhaust stroke the exhaust valve G is at the end of its compression stroke, the compression whether combustible or inert, as is due to the'combusowing to the fact of its being ignited at the moment The action of the engine is as follows -Assuming the parts to be in position shown, with the motor piston A space F will contain a charge of compressed air. At this moment (or slightly earlier) the fuel inlet valve K is opened thus admitting the combustible gas (or mix- O'to the compression space; while at the same time an electric current is passed through the sparking plug L. The combustible gas entering the compression space F being thus ignited, burns in the air compressed in said space, the introduction of the fuelproceeding at a rate corresponding to that at which combustion progresses. The whole contents of the compression space F are thus heated to a temperature corresponding to the amount of combustible gas admitted. Consequently the pressure in space F rises in consequencenot only of the introduction of the charge through valve K, but also of such increased temperature of the gases,

tion. The motor piston A is thus caused to perform its active stroke, at the conclusion of which the exhaust valve G is opened so that on the return or exhaust stroke of the piston the contents of the motor cylinder A are expelled. At the conclusion of this closed and, on the piston A performing its next or inhaling stroke, fresh air will be drawn in through the valve J to fill the motor cylinder. On the piston A commencing its next return or compression stroke the air inlet valve- J will close, and during the said stroke the'air which now fills the cylinder A will be compressed intospace F until, on the piston A reaching the end of its compression stroke, the fuel inlet valve K will be again opened as before and the cycle described will be repeated.

As a charge of combustible gas' (or of amixture of combustible gas with air or inert gas) will be compressed in the pump cylinder D at each revolution of the crank shaft 0, While the fuel inlet valve K isonly opened at every second revolution, it follows that I the capacity of the pump cylinder D need only be one-half that of the charge admitted through valve K to the motor cylinder A. That is to say if for example the volume of -the charge (wholly or partly combustible) to be admitted through valve Kto the motor cylinder be equal to two-thirds the volume of the air compressed within the motor cylinder, the capacity of the pump cylinder D should be equal to one-third that of the motor cylinder A; -or in si ilar circumstances a single pump cylinder having gwbthirds the capacity of the motor cylinder woul e capable of serving two such motor cylinders In any case the governing of the engine is effected by regulating vthe quantity of combustible gas or vapor admitted through valve 1 to the pump cylinder D, the quantity of air compressed in the motor cylinder Aremaining constant. The arrangement as a whole admits of a very fine adjustment of the fuel consumption being effected, since, however small the quantity ofcombustible gas or vapor admitted to the cylinder A, this gas or. vapor cannot fail to hum,

of entering the space F. r

, motor cylinder, a

When the engine is running light andthe minimum quantity of combustible gas or vapor is being used, the terminal pressure in the working cylinder A will be. only slightly higher'than "atmospheric pressure, so that the engine will work very economically with light loads. As the load increases and a greaterquairtity of combustible gas or vapor is admitted to the motor cylinder A, the terminal pressure will rise in consequence both of the increased volume of gases in the cylinder and the higher temperature developed. Hence the most economical working conditions will be attained at a point between no load and full load,

above which intermediate point the engine willpossess a considerable reserve of power which can be exerted on emergency but which, owing to the higher terminal pressure resulting from its development, would be employed under somewhat less economical conditions;

With a'vievngo employing the'engine to the greatest advantage by increasing as much as possible the volume of gases within the motor cylinder during the working stroke, it is preferred to mix with the combustible gas or vapor drawn into the pump cylinder D as high a proportion of air or inert gas as the combustible gas employed renders advisable. Thus for example, when using towns gas or coke oven gas the proportions of the mixture drawn into the'pump cylinder D may consist of one volume of combustible gas to (say) two or three volumes of air or inert gas, or thereabouts according to the quality of the-combustible gas. Supposing therefore that the propor-,

tions required in the final'mixture within the motor cylinder A at maximum load are 9 parts of .air to one of rich combustible gas, while the mixture the pump cylinder D is composed of three parts of i air or inert gas to one part of said combustible gas, the

capacities of the pump and motor cylinders would require to be as 4 and 6 respectively. Under these circumstanc'es, the capacity of the motor cylinder being 6, the total volume of gases doing work within it at maximum load will be 1.0. If however blast furnace gas or producer gas be employed, the proportions required in thefinal A may be (say) about two volumes of such to three of air, and as blast furnace and producer gas are. weak and already contain a larger percentage of inert gas (nitrogen for example) further dilution by means of air (admitted to the pump cylinder D) .is'not advisable.

Under these circumstances the. relative capacities of the pump and motor cylinders would be as 2 and 3 respectively, or the-same as when using towns or coke oven gas.

' Claims L within mixture within the motor cylinder quality of the 1. The combination with ah internal combustion engine working on a four-phase cycle and having a motor cylinder and piston adapted to achalternately, as an air compressorand as a motor, a fuel pumping cylinder and piston for compressing combustible vapor to be consumed in the valve-controlled communication between said cylinders adapted to permit the injection of a compressed charge from the fuel-pumping cylinder into the motor cylinder at the conclusion of'that stroke of the motor piston, whereby air is compressed in said cylinder, and a device for causing ignition of the combustible vvapor L cylinder; of means for admitting to the fuel-pumping cylinder, along with the combustihle vapor, air (or inert gas) in regulable quantity and proportion, and for causing the-injection into the motor cylinder, after. compression, of a greater quantity or contents of the fuel-pumpingv cylinder than would be drawn into the motor cylinder by the suction stroke of the piston therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An internal combustion engine of the character described. comprising a motor cylinder and its piston. means for admitting air to the cylinder, a pumping cylinder and its piston, means for operating the pistons. means for con trolling the admission of gas and air to the pumping cylinder. a pipe connection bety'veen the cylinders. a valve for controlling the communication between the said cylinders. and means for operating said valve, whereby air will be injected with the gas into the motor cylinder at the end of the stroke of its piston which compresses the charge of air.

An internal combustion engine of the character described. a motor cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, an ex haust valve for the cylinder, an air inlet valve for the cylinder. a pumping cylinder. :1 piston in the cylinder, :1 fuel suction valve for the cylinder, gas and air inlets leading to the fuel valve. valves controlling said gas and air inlets. a pipe connection between the cylinders, a valve controlling the passage of the air and gas from the pump ing cylinder to the motor cylinder. means for operating the last named valve. and means for operating the said pistons.

Dated; this second day of March 1905.

EDWARD CROWE.

Witnesses Gno. SMITH,

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