Reciprocating engine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJason Joseph Bellardi, Andrew Jean Desrosiers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reciprocating engine includes a crankshaft and a connecting rod rotatably coupled to the crankshaft. The connecting rod defines a fluid passage extending along a length thereof. The reciprocating engine also includes a piston dome coupled to the connecting rod, the piston dome defining an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid passage of the connecting rod for receiving a fluid from the fluid passage of the connecting rod, a cooling passage in fluid communication with the inlet for circulating the fluid through the piston dome, and an exit in fluid communication with the cooling passage.
Claims20
A reciprocating engine comprising:
- a cylinder comprising a cylinder wall;
- a crankshaft;
- a connecting rod rotatably coupled to the crankshaft, the connecting rod defining a connecting rod fluid passage extending along a length thereof;
- and
- a piston assembly comprising:
- a piston dome comprising a hot side and a cold side, the piston dome coupled to the connecting rod and positioned within the cylinder,
- an inlet defined in the piston dome, the inlet in fluid communication with the connecting rod fluid passage and configured to receive a fluid from the connecting rod fluid passage,
- a piston dome cooling passage formed as a conduit enclosed within and defined by the piston dome, wherein the piston dome cooling passage is formed to circulate the fluid in a set directional flow through the piston dome, such that the piston dome cooling passage extends through the piston dome from the inlet, toward the hot side, proximate the hot side, and from proximate the hot side out of the piston dome via a plurality of exits, wherein the plurality of exits are defined along a lowermost portion of the piston dome and configured to direct the fluid directly onto the cylinder wall.
A piston assembly for a reciprocating engine including a cylinder having a cylinder wall, the piston assembly comprising:
- a piston dome comprising a hot side and a cold side,
- an inlet defined in the piston dome and configured to receive a fluid from at least one other component of the reciprocating engine,
- a piston dome cooling passage formed as a conduit enclosed within and defined by the piston dome and configured to circulate the fluid in a set directional flow through the piston dome, wherein the piston dome cooling passage is formed such that the piston dome cooling passage extends through the piston dome from the inlet, toward the hot side, proximate the hot side, and from proximate the hot side out of the piston dome via a plurality of exits, wherein the plurality of exits are defined along a lowermost portion of the piston dome and configured to direct the fluid directly onto the cylinder wall.
A method of cooling a piston assembly for a reciprocating engine, the method comprising:
- receiving, with an inlet defined in a piston dome, a fluid from at least one other component of the reciprocating engine;
- circulating the fluid, through at least one piston dome cooling passage formed as a conduit enclosed within and defined by the piston dome, in a set directional flow from the inlet towards a hot side of the piston dome;
- and
- ejecting the fluid outside of the piston dome via a plurality of exits in fluid communication with the at least one piston dome cooling passage, wherein the plurality of exits are defined along a lowermost portion of the piston dome and configured to direct the fluid directly onto a cylinder wall of the reciprocating engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.