Integrated flywheel and intake cam lobe
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsAnthony Perkins, Riccardo Meldolesi, Clive Lacy, Dustin Kramer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reciprocating piston engine, comprising an engine block having a piston cylinder; a piston disposed in the piston cylinder; an intake port to the piston cylinder, an intake valve to open and close the intake port to the piston cylinder; a rotatable crankshaft; a flywheel connected to the crankshaft which is rotatable with the crankshaft, the flywheel having a circumferential profile; and a cam lobe forming a portion of the circumferential profile of the flywheel wherein, during rotation of the crankshaft, the cam lobe acts on the intake valve to open the intake valve.
Claims20
A reciprocating piston engine, comprising:
- an engine block having a piston cylinder;
- a piston disposed in the piston cylinder;
- an intake port to the piston cylinder;
- an intake valve to open and close the intake port to the piston cylinder;
- a rotatable crankshaft;
- a flywheel connected to the crankshaft which is rotatable with the crankshaft, the flywheel having a circumferential profile;
- and
- a cam lobe forming a portion of the circumferential profile of the flywheel, wherein, during rotation of the crankshaft, the cam lobe acts on the intake valve to open the intake valve.
A method of operating a reciprocating piston engine, comprising:
- obtaining the engine, the engine comprising
- an engine block having a piston cylinder;
- a piston disposed in the piston cylinder;
- an intake port to the piston cylinder;
- an intake valve to open and close the intake port to the piston cylinder;
- a rotatable crankshaft;
- a flywheel connected to the crankshaft which is rotatable with the crankshaft, the flywheel having a circumferential profile;
- and
- a cam lobe forming a portion of the circumferential profile of the flywheel, wherein, during rotation of the crankshaft, the cam lobe acts on the intake valve to open the intake valve;
- rotating the crankshaft and the flywheel;
- opening the intake valve with the cam lobe of the rotating flywheel;
- introducing a pressurized, non-combustible, working fluid into the piston cylinder while the intake valve is opened;
- and
- expanding the working fluid in the piston cylinder to drive the piston.
A method of operating a reciprocating piston engine, comprising:
- obtaining the engine, the engine comprising
- an engine block having a piston cylinder;
- a piston disposed in the piston cylinder;
- an intake port to the piston cylinder;
- an intake valve to open and close the intake port to the piston cylinder;
- a rotatable crankshaft;
- a flywheel connected to the crankshaft which is rotatable with the crankshaft, the flywheel having a circumferential profile;
- and
- a cam lobe forming a portion of the circumferential profile of the flywheel, wherein, during rotation of the crankshaft, the cam lobe acts on the intake valve to open the intake valve;
- rotating the crankshaft and the flywheel;
- opening the intake valve with the cam lobe of the rotating flywheel;
- introducing a combustible fuel into the piston cylinder while the intake valve is opened;
- igniting the combustible fuel in the piston cylinder;
- and
- combusting the combustible fuel in the piston cylinder to drive the piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.