Apparatus and methods for controlling reciprocating internal combustion engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10718211-B2
Application number	US-201816139246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2018
Priority date	Oct 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A method of controlling a reciprocating internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder defining a cavity having a first end and a second end; and a piston moveable within the cavity of the cylinder between the first end and the second end, the method comprising: controlling injection of a quantity of liquid air, without fuel, into the first end of the cavity at a first time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform a first power stroke; and controlling injection of fuel into the first end of the cavity at a second time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform a second power stroke.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a reciprocating internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder defining a cavity having a first end and a second end; and a piston moveable within the cavity of the cylinder between the first end and the second end, the method comprising:
controlling injection of a quantity of liquid air, without fuel, into the first end of the cavity at a first time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform a first power stroke; and
controlling injection of fuel into the first end of the cavity at a second time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform a second power stroke.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising controlling injection of fuel into the first end of the cavity at a third time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform an initial power stroke, the third time being prior to the first time.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method does not comprise spark ignition of the fuel.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reciprocating internal combustion engine is arranged to sequentially perform the first power stroke, a compression stroke, the second power stroke, and an exhaust stroke.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: receiving at least a first signal; and determining the quantity of liquid air to be injected using at least the received first signal.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first signal includes user input data defining the fuel.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first signal includes data defining one or more properties of the fuel.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the one or more properties include a combustion property of the fuel.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first signal includes data defining an operating parameter of the reciprocating internal combustion engine.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid air has greater oxygen content than atmospheric air.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when read by a computer, cause performance of the method as claimed in claim 1 .

12. Apparatus for controlling a reciprocating internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder defining a cavity having a first end and a second end; and a piston moveable within the cavity of the cylinder between the first end and the second end, the apparatus comprising a controller configured to:
control injection of a quantity of liquid air, without fuel, into the first end of the cavity at a first time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform a first power stroke; and
control injection of fuel into the first end of the cavity at a second time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform a second power stroke.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control injection of fuel into the first end of the cavity at a third time when the piston is closer to the first end than the second end to cause the piston to perform an initial power stroke, the third time being prior to the first time.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the controller is not configured to control spark ignition of the fuel.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the reciprocating internal combustion engine is arranged to sequentially perform the first power stroke, a compression stroke, the second power stroke, and an exhaust stroke.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to: receive at least a first signal; and determine the quantity of liquid air to be injected using at least the received first signal.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first signal includes user input data defining the fuel.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first signal includes data defining one or more properties of the fuel.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the one or more properties include a combustion property of the fuel.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first signal includes data defining an operating parameter of the reciprocating internal combustion engine.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Palmer Chloe J
• Sim Jia Qing Alastair Milton
• My Razak Ahmed

Classifications

• F02M2700/43

  Arrangements for supplying air, fuel or auxiliary fluids to a combustion space of mixture compressing engines working with liquid fuel · CPC title

• F02M23/00 Primary

  Apparatus for adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture · CPC title

• F02M2023/008

  by injecting compressed air directly into the combustion chamber · CPC title

• F02M25/00

  Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture (adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00) · CPC title

• F02M31/00

  Apparatus for thermally treating combustion-air, fuel, or fuel-air mixture (carburettors with heating, cooling or thermal insulating means for combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture F02M15/00; apparatus for de-liquefying non-liquid fuels by heating F02M21/06; apparatus having heating means for non-gaseous fuels with low melting point F02M21/10; apparatus characterised by adding hot secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/14; fuel-injection apparatus characterised by having heating, cooling or thermally insulating means F02M53/00) · CPC title