Piston arrangement for a clean combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459978-B2
Application number	US-202117454144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2021
Priority date	Nov 17, 2020
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A piston arrangement for a clean combustion engine, such as a hydrogen engine. The piston arrangement comprises a piston configured for reciprocal movement inside a cylinder having a cylinder wall, the piston having a piston head configured to face a first compartment with pressurized gas, a sealing arrangement comprising at least one sealing ring configured to be arranged to seal the piston to the cylinder wall and separating the first compartment from a second compartment, and a water channel extending from an interior of the piston to the sealing ring to provide water for lubricating the sealing ring. The piston head comprises a pumping element configured to be arranged to pressurize the water in the water channel by pressurised gas in the first compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clean combustion hydrogen engines comprising: a cylinder having a cylinder wall; an oil-free piston arrangement, including: a piston configured for reciprocal movement inside the cylinder, the piston having a piston head configured to face a first compartment with pressurized gas, a sealing arrangement comprising at least one sealing ring configured to be arranged to seal the piston to the cylinder wall and separating the first compartment from a second compartment, a water channel extending from an interior of the piston to the sealing ring to provide water for lubricating the sealing ring, wherein the piston head comprises a pumping element configured to be arranged to pressurize the water in the water channel by pressurised gas in the first compartment, wherein the pumping element is prestressed and movably integrated in the piston head for compressing the water in the water channel.

2. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , the clean combustion engine being arranged and configured to combust a hydrogen-based fuel producing water as by-product in the exhausts, wherein the piston arrangement is arranged to utilize the by-product water in the water channel to lubricate the sealing ring.

3. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the water channel comprises a plurality of channel portions extending from the pumping element to an outer periphery of the piston.

4. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a water supply for supplying water to the water channel, and a check valve arranged internally of the piston downstream of the water supply.

5. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the water channel comprises an outlet arranged and configured to discharge water into the second compartment.

6. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pumping element is configured to pressurise the water to a corresponding pressure as the pressurized gas in the first compartment.

7. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing ring is a first sealing ring and the sealing arrangement comprises a second sealing ring configured to be arranged to seal the piston to the cylinder wall and separating the second compartment from a third compartment.

8. The piston arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the water channel has a main extension in a fluid flow direction, and a cross section perpendicular to the main extension enclosed of internal walls of the piston.

9. A clean combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the clean combustion engine is arranged and configured to combust a hydrogen-based fuel producing water as by-product in the exhausts, wherein the piston arrangement is arranged to utilize the by-product water in the water channel to lubricate the sealing ring.

10. The clean combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the piston is a dual acting piston acting on a first side for combustion action, and on a second side opposite to the first side, for compression action.

11. A vehicle comprising a clean combustion engine according to claim.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising a condenser arranged in downstream fluid communication with the clean combustion engine for receiving the exhausts, the condenser being configured to condense the exhausts to form a condensate of liquid water, wherein the liquid water is used in the water channel to lubricate the sealing ring.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Andersson Arne

Classifications

• F01B7/00

  Machines or engines with two or more pistons reciprocating within same cylinder or within essentially coaxial cylinders (in opposite arrangement relative to main shaft F01B1/08) · CPC title

• F02F3/28 Primary

  Other pistons with specially-shaped head · CPC title

• F16J1/08

  Constructional features providing for lubrication · CPC title

• F02B2043/106

  Hydrogen obtained by electrolysis · CPC title

• F01M9/00

  Lubrication means having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01M1/00 - F01M7/00 · CPC title