System and method for control of compression in internal combustion engine via compression ratio and elastic piston

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428174-B2
Application number	US-202117168933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine. The system may have a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner configured to fit within a cylinder wall portion of an internal combustion engine, and able to receive a piston of the engine therein. A portion of the inner cylinder liner defines an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controls a compression ratio of the cylinder. The system also has a cylinder head assembly operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and able to move linearly to cause longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder wall portion. This enables the volume of the combustion chamber to be further varied, to thus further vary the compression ratio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner configured to fit within a cylinder wall portion of the internal combustion engine, and able to receive a piston of the engine therein, a portion of the inner cylinder liner defining and varying an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controlling a compression ratio of the cylinder; and
a cylinder head assembly movable relative to the inner cylinder liner and able to move linearly relative to the cylinder wall portion to cause longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder wall portion, to further vary the volume of the combustion chamber, to thus further vary the compression ratio.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a dynamic displacement sensor for sensing a longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the dynamic displacement sensor is coupled to a portion of the inner cylinder liner and moves longitudinally with the inner cylinder liner.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a biasing element interposed between the inner cylinder liner and the cylinder head assembly, for providing a biasing force to urge the inner cylinder liner away and the cylinder head assembly in different longitudinal directions.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the biasing element comprises a spring.

6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a control module operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and responsive to signals from the dynamic displacement sensor for monitoring a longitudinal position of the inner cylinder liner; and
a linear translation mechanism operatively associated with the cylinder head assembly for controllably moving the cylinder head assembly and the inner cylinder liner longitudinally.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the control module includes:
a memory; and
a data relating to stored engine/compression data and/or profiles for assisting the control module in controlling the linear translation mechanism to move the inner cylinder liner and the cylinder head assembly longitudinally in a controlled fashion.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the inner cylinder liner or the cylinder head assembly includes a groove, and the other includes a radially projecting portion for engaging with the groove, and wherein the groove provides a predetermined amount of longitudinal travel of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder head assembly.

9. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a linear translation mechanism configured to move both the cylinder head assembly and the inner cylinder liner longitudinally, to change the volume representing the combustion chamber in response to signals received from the dynamic displacement sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a dynamic displacement sensor operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and with the cylinder head assembly, for sensing longitudinal movement of at least one of the inner cylinder liner or the cylinder head assembly.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a control module in communication with the dynamic displacement sensor for receiving signals transmitted by the dynamic displacement sensor, and for controlling longitudinal movement of the inner cylinder liner and the cylinder combustion chamber in response to the signals from the dynamic displacement sensor.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a biasing element interposed between the inner cylinder liner and the cylinder head assembly for biasing the inner cylinder liner and the cylinder head assembly in different longitudinal directions.

13. The system of claim 2 , wherein the inner cylinder liner includes:
a liner portion; and
a head portion; and
wherein the dynamic displacement sensor is fixedly disposed on the head portion.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder head assembly includes:
a liner portion; and
a head portion.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the liner portion of the cylinder head assembly is dimensioned to fit over the cylinder wall portion of the engine, and moves slidably longitudinally relative to the cylinder wall portion.

16. A system for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner configured to fit within a cylinder wall portion of the internal combustion engine, and adapted to receive a piston of the engine therein, a portion of the inner cylinder liner defining an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controlling a compression ratio of the cylinder;
a cylinder head assembly operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner and able to move longitudinally to cause longitudinal movement of the inner cylinder liner, to further vary the volume of the combustion chamber, to thus further vary the compression ratio;
a linear translation mechanism operatively associated with the cylinder head assembly for controlling a longitudinal position of the inner cylinder liner relative to the cylinder wall portion;
a dynamic displacement sensor operatively associated with the inner cylinder liner for sensing a longitudinal displacement of the inner cylinder liner; and
the cylinder head assembly and the inner cylinder liner including cooperating structure for securing each other together, while permitting a predetermined degree of longitudinal movement of the inner cylinder liner independently of the cylinder head assembly and while the cylinder head assembly is stationary.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a control module responsive to signals from the dynamic displacement sensor, and in communication with the linear translation mechanism, for controlling movement of the cylinder head assembly and the inner cylinder liner in response to longitudinal movement of the inner cylinder liner.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a biasing element disposed between portions of the inner cylinder liner and the cylinder head assembly to provide a biasing force to counteract longitudinal movement of the inner cylinder liner.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the cooperating structure includes a groove formed in one of the inner cylinder liner or the cylinder head assembly, and a radially extending portion formed on the other one of the inner cylinder liner or the cylinder head assembly, the groove and the radially extending portion cooperatively defining a predetermined available range of longitudinal motion for the inner cylinder liner while the cylinder head assembly is held stationary.

20. A method for controlling ignition of an air/fuel mixture intake charge directed into an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
arranging a longitudinally movable inner cylinder liner within a cylinder wall portion of the internal combustion engine, a portion of the inner cylinder liner defining and varying an internal volume forming a combustion chamber, and the internal volume controlling a compression ratio of the cylinder; and
coupling a movable cylinder head assembly to the inner cylinder liner, wherein the cylinder head assembly is movable relative to the inner cylinder liner, and the cylinder head assembly is also able to move longitudinally relative to the cylinder wall portion; and

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Flowers Daniel L

Classifications

• F02B75/044

  by means of an adjustable piston length · CPC title

• F02D15/04 Primary

  by alteration of volume of compression space without changing piston stroke · CPC title

• F02D35/02

  on interior conditions · CPC title

• F02B75/041

  by means of cylinder or cylinderhead positioning · CPC title

• F02B75/38

  Reciprocating - piston engines (F02B75/04 takes precedence; with resiliently-urged auxiliary piston in pre-combustion chamber F02B19/06) · CPC title