Piston engine
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroshi Yaguchi, Daisaku Sawada, Masaaki Katayama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Stirling engine is provided with a fluid passage that connects a low temperature-side actuating fluid space and a crankcase inner space, and a passage opening/closing valve that is provided in the fluid passage and that opens and closes the fluid passage. Upon stopping of the Stirling engine, the passage opening/closing valve enables communication through the fluid passage, at a region at which the piston floats in the cylinder. This region is determined based on the pressure of an actuating fluid in the actuating fluid space and the rotational speed of a crankshaft of the Stirling engine.
Claims10
A piston engine, comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a piston that moves reciprocally in the cylinder wherein the piston engine converts reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational motion and outputs the rotational motion;
- a gas bearing that is interposed between the cylinder and the piston;
- a fluid passage that connects a first space formed in the cylinder and filled with an actuating fluid, with a second space on an opposite side of the piston to the first space;
- and
- a passage opening/closing portion that is provided in the fluid passage and opens and closes the fluid passage wherein, upon stopping of the piston engine, the passage opening/closing portion enables communication through the fluid passage when the piston engine is running at a region at which the piston floats in the cylinder, the region being determined based on the pressure of the actuating fluid in the first space and the engine rotational speed of the piston engine.
A piston engine, comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a piston that moves reciprocally in the cylinder wherein the piston engine converts reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational motion and outputs the rotational motion;
- a gas bearing interposed between the cylinder and the piston;
- a fluid passage that connects a first space formed in the cylinder and filled with an actuating fluid, with a second space on an opposite side of the piston to the first space;
- and
- a passage opening/closing portion that is provided in the fluid passage and opens and closes the fluid passage wherein, upon stopping of the piston engine, the passage opening/closing portion enables communication through the fluid passage when the piston engine is running at a state in which the cylinder and the piston are not in contact with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.