Opposed piston three nozzle piston bowl design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161371-B2
Application number	US-201615050945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A piston may include an outer peripheral surface and a crown. The outer peripheral surface may include first and second openings spaced about and extending through the outer peripheral surface. The crown may include a recess at least partially defined by a first lobe in fluid communication with the first opening and a second lobe in fluid communication with the second opening. Each of the first and second lobes may be recessed relative to an adjacent portion of the recess of the crown.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A piston comprising:
an outer peripheral surface having first and second openings spaced about and extending through the outer peripheral surface; and
a crown having a first recess at least partially defined by a first lobe in fluid communication with the first opening, the first lobe having a first centerline, and a second lobe in fluid communication with the second opening, the second lobe having a second centerline, each of the first and second lobes being recessed relative to an adjacent portion of the first recess of the crown, wherein:
the first recess has a substantially hemispherical shape and is symmetrically disposed about a longitudinal axis of the piston;
the first lobe includes a first flank surface, a second flank surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, the first and second flank surfaces extending along the first centerline in a first direction from the first opening to the first and second side surfaces, respectively, and being angled away from the first centerline in the first direction, the first and second side surfaces being angled toward the first centerline in the first direction; and
the second lobe includes a third flank surface, a fourth flank surface, a third side surface, and a fourth side surface, the third and fourth flank surfaces extending along the second centerline in a second direction from the second opening to the third and fourth side surfaces, respectively, and being angled away from the second centerline in the second direction, the third and fourth side surfaces being angled toward the second centerline in the second direction.

2. A piston comprising:
an outer peripheral surface having first, second, and third openings spaced about and extending though the outer peripheral surface; and
a crown having a first recess is at least partially defined by a first lobe in fluid communication with the first opening, a second lobe in fluid communication with the second opening, and third lobes in fluid communication with the third opening, each of the first, second, and third lobes being recessed relative to an adjacent portion of the first recess of the crown.

3. The piston of claim 2 , wherein the first, second, and third openings are equally spaced about the outer peripheral surface.

4. The piston of claim 2 wherein the first opening is angularly offset relative to the second opening by a first angle, the second opening is angularly offset relative to the third opening by a second angle, and the third opening is angularly offset relative to the first opening by a third angle, and wherein the first and third angles are equal to one another and greater than the second angle.

5. The piston of claim 2 , wherein the first recess is at least partially defined by a central mixing surface extending from and between the first, second, and third lobes.

6. The piston of claim 5 , wherein the central mixing surface includes a central portion and first, second, and third branches extending radially outward from the central portion.

7. The piston of claim 5 , wherein the first, second, and third lobes are recessed relative to the central mixing surface.

8. The piston of claim 2 , wherein the first lobe includes a first centerline, the second lobe includes a second centerline, and the third lobe includes a third centerline, the first centerline intersecting the first opening and the second centerline, the second centerline intersecting the second opening and the third centerline, and the third centerline intersecting the third opening and the first centerline.

9. An opposed piston engine comprising the piston of claim 2 , the opposed piston engine further comprising:
a first housing defining a first passage extending along a first longitudinal axis, the piston slidably disposed within the first passage; and
a second piston slidably disposed within the first passage, the second piston comprising a second outer peripheral surface and a second crown, the second outer peripheral surface having fourth and fifth openings spaced about and extending through the second outer peripheral surface, the second crown having a second recess at least partially defined by a fourth lobe in fluid communication with the fourth opening and a fifth lobe in fluid communication with the fifth opening.

10. The opposed piston engine of claim 9 , wherein the first lobe is aligned with the fourth lobe to define a first volume, and the second lobe is aligned with the fifth lobe to define a second volume, the first volume being distinct from the second volume.

11. The opposed piston engine of claim 10 , further comprising a first fuel injector in fluid communication with the first volume and a second fuel injector in fluid communication with the second volume.

12. The opposed piston engine of claim 9 , wherein the first and second recesses at least partially define a combustion chamber.

13. The opposed piston engine of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second housing defining a second passage extending along a second longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis; and
a third piston slidably disposed within the second passage, the third piston comprising a third outer peripheral surface and a third crown, the third outer peripheral surface having and sixth and seventh openings spaced about the third outer peripheral surface, the third crown having a third recess at least partially defined by a sixth lobe in fluid communication with the sixth opening and a seventh lobe in fluid communication with the seventh opening.

14. The opposed piston engine of claim 13 , wherein:
the first housing defines a first transverse axis extending substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis;
the second housing defines a second transverse axis extending substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis;
the first opening forms a first angle with the first transverse axis about the first longitudinal axis;
the sixth opening forms a second angle with the second transverse axis about the second longitudinal axis, the second angle being different than the first angle;
the second opening forms a third angle with the first transverse axis about the first longitudinal axis; and
the seventh opening forms a fourth angle with the second transverse axis about the second longitudinal axis, the fourth angle being different than the third angle.

15. The opposed piston engine of claim 14 , wherein a first difference between the first angle and the second angle is substantially equal to a second difference between the third angle and the fourth angle.

16. The opposed piston engine of claim 14 , wherein a difference between the first angle and second angle is between 45 degrees and 75 degrees.

17. The opposed piston engine of claim 14 , wherein a difference between the first angle and second angle is substantially equal to 60 degrees.

Assignees

• Avl Powertrain Engineering Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Gustav R
• Hunter Gary L
• Sparks Darrell

Classifications

• F02F3/24

  having means for guiding gases in cylinders, e.g. for guiding scavenging charge in two-stroke engines · CPC title

• F02B23/069

  characterised by its eccentricity from the cylinder axis · CPC title

• F02B23/0687

  Multiple bowls in the piston, e.g. one bowl per fuel spray jet · CPC title

• F02B75/28

  Engines with two or more pistons reciprocating within same cylinder or within essentially coaxial cylinders (arranged oppositely relative to main shaft F02B75/24) · CPC title

• F01B7/02

  with oppositely reciprocating pistons · CPC title