Cylinder heads for aircraft engines
OwnerDavid Endrigoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft cylinder head with low pressure loss inlet passageways and exhaust passageways. In an embodiment, the combustion air inlet passageway includes a multi-lobed configuration that reduces pressure drop through the inlet passageway. In an embodiment, the hot exhaust gas passageway provides a shaped design that increases flow velocity yet reduces pressure drop. In an embodiment, an improved intake valve is provided, shaped to reduce creation of turbulence as inlet air flows past the inlet valve. In an embodiment, an improved exhaust valve is provided, shaped to reduce pressure losses as exhaust gases exit the cylinder.
Claims27
A cylinder and head assembly for aircraft engines, comprising:
- a cylinder body, said cylinder body having a cylinder bore of diameter defined by a sidewall, and an outer end, said cylinder bore configured to operably confine a piston of selected stroke distance, and with the piston define a swept displacement volume DV;
- adjacent said outer end, a head, said head comprising an inlet passageway extending between an upstream inlet and an intake valve seat, and an exhaust passageway extending between an exhaust valve seat and an exhaust outlet;
- said inlet passageway having inlet passageway sidewalls to define, between said upstream inlet and said intake valve seat, an inlet passageway volume IPV, and
- wherein said inlet passageway volume IPV is about thirty percent (30%), or less, of said swept displacement volume DV.
A cylinder head for aircraft engines, said cylinder head configured for attachment to a cylinder body having a cylinder bore of diameter defined by a sidewall, and an outer end, the cylinder bore configured to operably confine a piston of selected stroke distance, and with the piston thereby define a swept displacement volume DV, said cylinder head comprising:
- a head portion having therein
- an inlet passageway defined by inlet passageway sidewalls, said inlet passageway extending between an upstream inlet and an intake valve seat, and defining an inlet passageway volume IPV;
- an exhaust passageway defined by exhaust passageway sidewalls, extending between an exhaust valve seat and an exhaust outlet;
- wherein said inlet passageway volume IPV is about thirty percent (30%), or less, of said swept displacement volume DV.
In an aircraft designed for use with an existing air cooled spark ignited piston engine with an original rated maximum horsepower, and having a plurality of individual cylinders each having cylinder head portions, said existing piston engine mechanically designed for operation by intake of combustion air through original combustion air inlet passageways in said cylinder head portions, providing an air fuel mixture to said individual cylinders, and combusting said fuel to produce hot exhaust gases that exit through original exhaust passageways in said cylinder head portions, the improvement comprising:
- substitution of said existing cylinder head portions with replacement cylinder head portions, said replacement cylinder head portions each providing an enhanced combustion air inlet passageway having reduced pressure drop during passage of said combustion air therethrough as compared to pressure drop during passage of said combustion air in said original combustion air inlet passageways, and wherein use of said replacement cylinder head portions provide an enhanced rated horsepower in excess of said original rated maximum horsepower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.