Internal combustion engine having a selectively insulated combustion chamber

Abstract

An internal combustion engine cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder bore having a closed cylinder end and interior cylinder side walls. A piston slides in the cylinder between a bottom dead center (BDC) position and a top dead center (TDC) position and has a compression end facing the closed cylinder end. The piston and cylinder bore forming a combustion chamber between the piston, the interior cylinder side walls, and the closed cylinder end. The piston's compression end has a layer of a combustion-resistant thermal insulating material on. First and second valves at the closed cylinder end control flow of gasses into and from the cylinder volume between the piston and the closed end. A layer of a combustion-resistant insulating material forms the closed cylinder end of the cylinder bore, and extends part way toward the BDC piston position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.