High efficiency, ternary mix engine
OwnerShawn Grannell, Donald E. Gillespieinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Pressurized and superheated, dry steam is admitted into the working chamber of a spark ignition engine for the purpose of increasing the thermal efficiency of the engine. The steam is admitted into the working chamber near the end of compression, and before ignition of the fuel. An igniter ignites the fuel. Additional work is pneumatically recovered from the steam, thus augmenting the total work obtained by the engine.
Claims18
A method of operating an internal combustion engine having a working chamber and an igniter, the working chamber defining a variable volume having a bottom center and a top center, comprising the steps of:
- flowing air into the working chamber;
- compressing the air by the working chamber within a compression time interval beginning at bottom center and ending at top center;
- flowing hydrogen into the working chamber;
- igniting the hydrogen by the igniter within or after the final one third of the compression time interval;
- flowing pressurized, superheated, and fully gaseous steam into the working chamber within or after the final one third of the compression time interval and before the ignition of the hydrogen, thereby forming a substantially homogeneous ternary mixture under compression, the ternary mixture comprising the hydrogen, the air, and the steam, wherein:
- (a) the mole ratio, of gaseous water to hydrogen present in the working chamber immediately before the ignition of the hydrogen, is greater than 0.5,
- (b) the mole ratio, of gaseous water to oxygen present in the working chamber immediately before the ignition of the hydrogen, is greater than 1, and
- (c) the mole ratio, of hydrogen to oxygen present in the working chamber immediately before the ignition of the hydrogen, is greater than 1;
- combusting the ternary mixture upon the ignition of the hydrogen;
- expanding the combusted mixture by the working chamber after top center, thereby obtaining work augmented by the steam;
- and
- flowing the expanded mixture out of the working chamber.
13-25. (canceled)
A method of operating an internal combustion engine having a working chamber and an igniter, the working chamber defining a variable volume having a bottom center and a top center, comprising the steps of:
- decreasing the volume of the working chamber during a compression time interval beginning at bottom center and ending at top center;
- flowing hydrogen into the working chamber;
- flowing an oxygen-containing gas mixture into the working chamber;
- igniting the hydrogen by the igniter within or after the final one third of the compression time interval;
- flowing pressurized, superheated, and fully gaseous steam into the working chamber within or after the final one third of the compression time interval and before the ignition of the hydrogen, thereby forming a substantially homogeneous ternary mixture under compression, the ternary mixture comprising the hydrogen, the oxygen-containing gas mixture, and the steam, wherein:
- (a) the mole ratio, of gaseous water to hydrogen present in the working chamber immediately before the ignition of the hydrogen, is greater than 0.5,
- (b) the mole ratio, of gaseous water to oxygen present in the working chamber immediately before the ignition of the hydrogen, is greater than 1, and
- (c) the mole ratio, of hydrogen to oxygen present in the working chamber immediately before the ignition of the hydrogen, is greater than 1;
- combusting the ternary mixture upon the ignition of the hydrogen;
- expanding the combusted mixture by the working chamber after top center, thereby obtaining work augmented by the steam;
- and
- flowing the expanded mixture out of the working chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.