WO2008026955A2

WO2008026955A2 - A method for generation of mechanical energy by means of internal combustion traction

Info

Publication number: WO2008026955A2
Application number: PCT/PL2007/050001
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacek Skalmierski
Original assignee: Jacek Skalmierski
Priority date: 2006-05-23
Filing date: 2007-05-23
Publication date: 2008-03-06
Also published as: WO2008026955A3; EP2059668A2; PL379774A1

Abstract

The method for generation of mechanical energy by means of internal combustion traction engines consists in he fact that both the air and possibly the gas fuel are compressed outside the vehicle, specifically during a heat conversion process that is very close to isothermal trans formation then the air and possibly the gas fuel cooled to the ambient temperature are used for filling a pressure tank (or pressure tanks) that are incorporated into the powered vehicle. Next, proportions of air and fuel are adjusted in accordance to compressed air pressure so that to carry out the combustion process with decompression of the obtained fuel gas with appropriate expansion coefficient and eventually achieve conversion of chemical energy of the fuel into mechanical energy whilst the produced fuel gases have the temperature and pressure very close to reciprocal parameters of the ambient air. However, if the fuel gases contain some amount of water, pressure of the fuel gases is similar to the ambient pressure while temperature of fuel gases is slightly higher than the temperature for saturated vapour formation in fuel gases at ambient pressure.

Description

A METHOD FOR GENERATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY BY MEANS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION TRACTION

ENGINES

[1] The present invention refers to a method for generation of mechanical energy in internal combustion engines that are used as traction motors,

[2] All the internal combustion engines that have been known so far are featured by very low overall efficiency (expressed as a ratio of generated mechanical energy to consumed chemical energy of the fuel): for spark-ignition engines the efficiency amounts to 20-32%, for diesel engines reaches 28-36% whereas for diesel engines with turbocompressors is not higher than 40%, except for very large diesel engines with tur- bocompressors (e.g. ship motors) the efficiency factor can be as high as 50%.

[31 Such a low efficiency factor is chiefly caused by hot fuel gases that transfer about

29% of the chemical energy produced over fuel combustion into the environment as well as the cooling radiator that dissipates approximately the same amount of energy into the ambient air, namly about 32%.

[4] The essence of the invention consists in the fact that both the air and possibly the gas fuel are compressed outside the vehicle during a heal conversion process that is very close to isothermal conversion then the air and possibly the gas fuel cooled to the ambient temperature are used for filling a pressure tank (or pressure tanks) that are incorporated into the powered vehicle. Next, proportions of air and fuel are adjusted in accordance to compressed air pressure so that to carry out the combustion process with decompression of the obtained fuel gas with appropriate expansion coefficient and eventually achieve conversion of chemical energy of the fuel into mechanical energy whilst the produced fuel gases have the temperature and pressure very close to reciprocal parameters of the ambient air. However, if the fuel gases contain some amount of water, pressure of the fuel gases is similar to the ambient pressure while temperature of fuel gases is slightly higher than the temperature for saturated vapour formation in fuel gases at ambient pressure.

[5] The combustion method in accordance with the present invention is achieved by accurate adjustment of parameters that define the thermodynamic cycle of engine operation.

[6] Based on pressure inside the compressed air lank the mutual proportions of air and

Fuel are adjusted in such a manner that the temperature of fuel gases before decompression should be just appropriate to reach temperature and pressure of fuel gases nearly the same as reciprocal parameters of the ambient environment after the decom- pression process is completed.

[7] Temperature of fuel gases very similar to the temperature of the ambient environment can be achieved for such gas fuels as e.g. carbon dioxide as they produce no water contained in fuel gases. For fuels that produce water contained in fuel gases, such as hydrocarbon fuels, temperature of fuel gases must be higher than the temperature, at which water steam contained in fuel gases becomes the saturated vapour. Otherwise, in temperature of fuel gases in the engine cylinder were lower than condensation threshold, water steam would condensate and produce water drips.

[81 There are two thermodynamic processes that take place in the vehicle engine, namely combustion and decompression. The processes are separated from the ambient environment as much as practically possible thus they actually dissipate minimum amount of heat. As the lower working temperature of the engine is decreased, the engine according to the present invention will have no cooling radiator or its cooling system shall transfer far much less stream of heat to the ambient environment. A possible cooling radiator should make sure that the antifriction oil for piston and cylinder lubrication is sufficiently warm to prevent the oil from loosing its antifriction properties. This may prove necessary when hydrocarbons are used as the engine fuel as they need higher temperature of fuel gases. It is the case when the engine according to the present invention may need cooling of some components, but overall power dissipated by the cooling system shall be incomparably less that the redundant power disposed by cooling systems of conventional engines of internal combustion produced by contemporary manufacturers.

[91 The compression process of air and possibly gas fuel is carried out outside the vehicle speci fically during a process that is very close to isothermal compression. The heat that is dissipated during compression can be utilized for other purposes.

[10] Advantages of internal combustion engines that utilize the generation method according to the present invention include high efficiency of energy utilization and such organization of thermodynamic cycle that heat, which so far has been dissipated by vehicle engines, from now on can be transferred outside the vehicle and utilized for heating purposes, Therefore two major components that has contributed to loss of energy in conventional engines, namely hot fuel gases and cooling systems have been eliminated or dramatically reduced. In case of engines that that take advantage of the method in accordance with the present invention the fuel gases have the same pressure as the ambient air and temperature only slightly higher than the ambient temperature. As the lower working temperature of the engine has been decreased, the engine according to the present invention will have no cooling radiator or its cooling system shall transfer far much less stream of heat to the ambient environment.

[ 1 1] Compressed air and fuel at temperature of the ambient environment are supplied into the combustion chamber of the engine where the fuel is combusted due to[l] an appropriate chemical reaction and hot fuel gases are produced. Then the heated fuel gases are decompressed in a polytropic process that is very close to an adiabatic transformation. Decompression of the fuel gas is associated with conversion of internal energy of the fuel gases into mechanical form of energy as the decompression is carried out in a cylinder with a movable piston disposed inside. Temperature and pressure of the gas before the polytropic decompression process are adjusted in such a way that after completion of the polytropic transformation the gas pressure is nearly equal or equal to the atmospheric pressure whereas its temperature should be the same or slightly higher than the temperature of ambient environment. Principle of the present invention is disclosed on one of its embodiments as presented on the drawing that exhibits exemplary structural diagram of an engine according to the present invention. The air is compressed, specifically in a process very close to a isothermal conversion, with use of a compressor 1 placed inside a heat exchanger Z Then the compressed air is delivered to a combustion chamber 6 via high-pressure tanks 3 and 4. The combustion chamber 6 is designed for oxidation of fuel that is delivered from high-pressure fuel tank 5_.. Then the produced fuel gases al high pressure and temperature are delivered via the feeding valve 7 to the cylinder 8_. where the decompression process occurs. The decompression process, specifically with minimum possible exchange of heat between the cylinder 8_. interior and the ambient environments, is associated with conversion of heat energy of fuel gases into mechanical work. The decompression process results in a stroke of the piston 9 to the proximity of the engine crankshaft, Then the fuel gases are released via the exhaust valve 10 and the piston 9 makes a backstroke outwards of the crankshaft. Compressor 1, heat exchanger 2 and high-pressure tank 3_ are disposed outside the powered vehicle, High-pressure air lank 4, high-pressure fuel tank 5, combustion chamber 6, feeding valve 7, cylinder %, piston 9 and exhaust valve J_0 are disposed on-board of the driven vehicle.

Claims

[1] A method for generation of mechanical energy by means of internal combustion traction engines characterized in that that both the air and possibly the gas fuel are compressed outside the vehicle during a heat conversion process that is very close to isothermal conversion then the air and possibly the gas fuel cooled to the ambient temperature are used for filling a pressure tank (or pressure tanks) that are incorporated into the powered vehicle, and then proportions of air and fuel are adjusted in accordance to compressed air pressure so that to carry out the combustion process with decompression of the obtained fuel gas with appropriate expansion coefficient and eventually achieve conversion of chemical energy of the fuel into mechanical energy whilst the produced fuel gases have the temperature and pressure very close to reciprocal parameters of the ambient air, whereas if the fuel gases contain some amount of water, pressure of the fuel gases is similar to the ambient pressure while temperature of fuel gases is slightly higher than the temperature for saturated vapour formation in fuel gases at ambient pressure.