Internal combustion engine with port communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896990-B2
Application number	US-201715627649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An internal combustion engine including internal cavities slidingly receiving a respective piston to define a respective combustion chamber, at least one inlet port for each internal cavity in fluid communication with the combustion chamber at least during the intake phase and a beginning of the compression phase, at least one exhaust port for each of the internal cavities and in fluid communication with the combustion chamber during the exhaust phase, a plenum for receiving pressurized air, and conduits in fluid communication with the plenum. Each conduit defines a fluid communication between a first respective internal cavity and a second respective internal cavity through the inlet ports. The combustion chamber of the first respective internal cavity undergoes the beginning of the compression phase simultaneously with the combustion chamber of the second respective internal cavity undergoing the beginning of the intake phase.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
an outer body defining internal cavities slidingly receiving a respective one of a plurality of pistons to each define a respective combustion chamber of variable volume undergoing a cycle defining successive phases of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust;
at least one inlet port for each of the internal cavities being in fluid communication with the respective combustion chamber at least during the intake phase thereof and a beginning portion of the compression phase thereof;
at least one exhaust port for each of the internal cavities being in fluid communication with the respective combustion chamber during the exhaust phase thereof;
a rotatable shaft, the plurality of pistons being drivingly engaged to the shaft;
a plenum for receiving pressurized air; and
a plurality of conduits in fluid communication with the plenum, each of the plurality of conduits defining fluid communication between a first respective one of the internal cavities and a second respective one of the internal cavities through the at least one inlet port of the first and second respective one of the internal cavities;
wherein the plurality of pistons are angularly offset such that, for each of the plurality of conduits, the combustion chamber of the first respective one of the internal cavities undergoes the beginning portion of the compression phase simultaneously with the combustion chamber of the second respective one of the internal cavities undergoing a beginning portion of the intake phase.

2. The engine as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one inlet port for each of the internal cavities is also in fluid communication with the respective combustion chamber at least during an end of the exhaust phase thereof, and the combustion chamber of the first respective one of the internal cavities undergoes the beginning portion of the compression phase simultaneously with the combustion chamber of the second respective one of the internal cavities undergoing the end of the exhaust phase and the beginning portion of the intake phase.

3. The engine as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one inlet port for each respective internal cavity includes a primary inlet port in fluid communication with the respective combustion chamber during the intake phase thereof and the beginning of the compression phase thereof, and a secondary inlet port in fluid communication with the respective combustion chamber during at least a beginning of the intake phase thereof, wherein each of the plurality of conduits defines fluid communication between the primary inlet port of the first respective one of the internal cavities and the secondary inlet port of the second respective one of the internal cavities.

4. The engine as defined in claim 3 , wherein the secondary inlet port is also in fluid communication with each the respective combustion chamber during an end of the exhaust phase thereof, the beginning portion of the compression phase of the respective combustion chamber of the first respective one of the internal cavities being simultaneous with at least part of the intake phase and with the end of the exhaust phase of the respective combustion chamber of the second respective one of the internal cavities.

5. The engine as defined in claim 1 , wherein the internal cavities include first, second, third and fourth internal cavities, the plurality of conduits including:
first, second, third and fourth inlet passages each extending from the at least one inlet port of a respective one of the first, second, third and fourth internal cavities;
a first transverse passage interconnecting the first, second and fourth inlet passages; and
a second transverse passage interconnecting the first, third and fourth inlet passages.

6. The engine as defined in claim 5 , further comprising:
a first one-way valve allowing flow in the first transverse passage from the first inlet passage to the second inlet passage while preventing flow in the first transverse passage from the second inlet passage to the first inlet passage;
a second one-way valve allowing flow in the first transverse passage from the second inlet passage to the fourth inlet passage while preventing flow in the first transverse passage from the fourth inlet passage to the second inlet passage;
a third one-way valve allowing flow in the second transverse passage from the fourth inlet passage to the third inlet passage while preventing flow in the second transverse passage from the third inlet passage to the fourth inlet passage; and
a fourth one-way valve allowing flow in the second transverse passage from the third inlet passage to the first inlet passage while preventing flow in the second transverse passage from the first inlet passage to the third inlet passage.

7. The engine as defined in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conduits further include a first conduit providing fluid communication between the at least one inlet ports of the first and second internal cavities, the first conduit being defined by:
the first inlet passage;
the second inlet passage; and
a portion of the first transverse passage including the first one-way valve and extending between the first and second passages;
wherein valves of the inlet ports of the first and second internal cavities are open, and valves of the inlet ports of the third and fourth internal cavities are closed to define the first conduit.

8. The engine as defined in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conduits further include a second conduit providing fluid communication between the inlet ports of the second and fourth internal cavities, the second conduit being defined by:
the second inlet passage;
the fourth inlet passage; and
a portion of the first transverse passage including the second one-way valve and extending between the second and fourth inlet passages;
wherein valves of the inlet ports of the second and fourth internal cavities are open, and valves of the inlet ports of the first and third internal cavities are closed to define the second conduit.

9. The engine as defined in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conduits further include a third conduit providing fluid communication between the inlet ports of the fourth and third internal cavities, the third conduit being defined by:
the fourth inlet passage;
the third inlet passage; and
a portion of the second transverse passage including the third one-way valve and extending between the fourth and third inlet passages;
wherein valves of the inlet ports of the fourth and third internal cavities are open, and valves of the inlet ports of the first and second internal cavities are closed to define the third conduit.

10. The engine as defined in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conduits further include a fourth conduit providing fluid communication between the inlet ports of the third and first internal cavities, the fourth conduit being defined by:
the third inlet passage;
the first inlet passage; and
a portion of the second transverse passage including the fourth one-way valve and extending between the third and first inlet passages;
wherein valves of the inlet ports of the third and first internal cavities are open, and valves of the inlet ports of the second and fourth internal cavities are closed to define the fourth conduit.

11. A system comprising:
a turbocharger having a compressor;
an internal combustion engine having:
an outer body defining internal cavities slidingly receiving a respective one of a plurality of pistons drivingly engaged to a rotatable shaft to define combustion chambers of variable volumes each undergoing a cycle defining successive phases of i

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Thomassin Jean
• Rousseau Patrick
• Martel Eric Pierre

Classifications

• F02B29/02

  Other fluid-dynamic features of induction systems for improving quantity of charge (for also imparting a rotation to the charge in the cylinder F02B31/00) · CPC title

• F02B53/08

  Charging, e.g. by means of rotary-piston pump · CPC title

• F02B25/26

  Multi-cylinder engines other than those provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F02B25/02 - F02B25/24 (internal-combustion aspects of rotary engines F02B57/00) · CPC title

• F02B29/08 Primary

  Modifying distribution valve timing for charging purposes (F02B29/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01C1/22

  of internal-axis type with equidirectional movement of co-operating members at the points of engagement, or with one of the co-operating members being stationary, the inner member having more teeth or tooth- equivalents than the outer member · CPC title