Internal combustion engines, systems, devices, and methods for propulsion and power applications
AssigneeGryphon Diesel Engines, LLC
InventorAntonio Silva
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Engines, systems, devices, software, and methods of the present invention provide increased fuel efficiency and emission performance. The engine may include a magnesium alloy cast engine block cast as a mono-block with or without a ceramic inner core and including one or more cylinders designed to provide compression ratio of 10:1 to 14:1. Each cylinder may include one or more laser igniters, one or more supercritical fuel injectors configured to inject the fuel near or in a supercritical state, and carbon dioxide, which may be in the form of engine exhaust gas. The fuel may be diesel, gasoline, or other suitable hydrocarbons that may be cracked into smaller molecules prior to be injected into the cylinder.
Claims17
A system comprising:
- a magnesium alloy engine block cast as a mono-block to
- receive an exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture and air as input,
- compress the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture and air to a compression ratio of at least 10:1 and less than 15:1 to produce compressed fuel and air,
- combust the compressed fuel and air, and
- output power and exhaust produced from the combustion of the compressed fuel;
- a fuel reconditioning system configured to
- receive a larger molecule fuel, and
- break down at least a portion of the larger molecule fuel into the smaller molecule fuel;
- an exhaust splitter to split the exhaust into two or more exhaust streams;
- a heat exchanger to heat the smaller molecule fuel using at least one of the exhaust streams;
- a mixer to combine exhaust from at least one of the exhaust streams with the heated smaller molecule fuel to produce the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture;
- one or more supercritical fuel injectors to inject the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture in to the engine block;
- a multi-point laser ignition system to ignite the compressed fuel and air in the engine block;
- and
- an electronic control unit configured to control the fuel reconditioning system, heat exchanger, mixer, exhaust splitter, supercritical fuel injectors, and laser ignition system.
A method comprising:
- providing a magnesium alloy engine block cast as a mono-block to
- receive an exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture and air as input, and
- output power and exhaust;
- breaking down, via a fuel reconditioning system, at least a portion of a larger molecule fuel into a smaller molecule fuel;
- splitting, via an exhaust splitter, the exhaust into two or more exhaust streams;
- heating, via a heat exchanger, the smaller molecule fuel using at least one of the exhaust streams;
- mixing, via a mixer, at least one of the exhaust streams with the heated smaller molecule fuel to produce an exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture;
- injecting, via supercritical fuel injectors, the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture in to the engine block;
- compressing, in the engine block, the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture and the air to produce compressed fuel and air;
- igniting, via an optical ignition system and in the engine block, the compressed fuel and air to combust the compressed fuel and air to produce the power and exhaust;
- and
- controlling, via an electronic control unit, the fuel reconditioning system, exhaust splitter, heat exchanger, mixer, supercritical fuel injectors, and optical ignition system.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
- one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
- control a fuel reconditioning system to break down at least a portion of a larger molecule fuel into a smaller molecule fuel;
- control an exhaust splitter and heat exchanger to heat the smaller molecule fuel to a supercritical temperature;
- control a mixer to mix exhaust from an engine block with the heated smaller molecule fuel to produce an exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture;
- control one or more supercritical fuel injectors to inject the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture into the engine block, forming compressed fuel and air when the exhaust-supercritical fuel mixture is compressed with air in the engine block;
- control an optical ignition system to ignite the compressed fuel and air in the engine block to combust the compressed fuel and air in the engine block;
- and
- control output of power and exhaust from the engine block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.