# US 2014/0318367 A1 · Insulating Gas Boundary Layer for Internal Combustion Engines

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- Number: US 2014/0318367 A1
- Document ID: US20140318367A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/212,193
- Filed: 2014-03-14
- Published: 2014-10-30
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14
- Assignees: Firestar Engineering, LLC
- Inventors: Gregory S. Mungas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140318367A1

## CPC

- F16J 1/005: {obtained by assembling several pieces}
- F02B 47/02: the substances being water or steam
- F02F 1/00: Cylinders; Cylinder heads
- F02F 1/02: having cooling means (cylinder heads F02F1/26)
- F02F 1/18: Other cylinders
- F02F 2001/008: {Stress problems, especially related to thermal stress}
- F02M 25/03: into the cylinder {or the pre-combustion chamber}
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F16J: PISTONS {(specially adapted for dampers F16F9/32)}; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02F: CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A cylinder has an insulating gas boundary layer (IGBL) across the cylinder wall inner surface, the IGBL formed by injection of an insulator fluid into the combustion chamber of the cylinder. In one implementation, a pressure differential is engineered between the top region of the cylinder and the bottom region of the cylinder. In yet another implementation, the insulator injection pressure is temporally modified in synchronicity with the piston cycle and/or in accordance with other temporal factors to provide appropriate IGBL coverage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An assembly comprising:
a cylinder having an inner surface and a combustion chamber;
a piston moveably positioned in the cylinder; and
one or more insulator fluid injection ports in the inner surface of the cylinder, the ports configured to transfer an insulator fluid into the cylinder forming an insulating gas boundary layer between the inner surface of the cylinder and the combustion chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid injection ports are individually fed with the insulator fluid.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more fluid injection ports each has an individually controlled fluid pressure therethrough.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein a fluid pressure through the one or more fluid injection ports varies from top dead center of the cylinder to bottom dead center of the cylinder.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein a spacing of the one or more fluid injection ports varies from top dead center of the cylinder to bottom dead center of the cylinder.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the one or more fluid injection ports varies from top dead center of the cylinder to bottom dead center of the cylinder.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid injection ports provide a pressure differential between top dead center and bottom dead center of a piston stroke.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid injection ports provide the insulating gas boundary layer with a pressure between top dead center and bottom dead center.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The assembly of claim 8, wherein a pressure differential between top dead center and bottom dead center varies within a piston cycle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid injection ports are in fluid communication with a microfluidic jacket.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulator fluid is a liquid that converts to the gas phase upon transfer through the fluid injection port to form the insulating gas boundary layer between the inner surface of the cylinder and the combustion chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulator fluid is a liquid, at least a portion of which converts to the gas phase upon transfer through the fluid injection port to form the insulating gas boundary layer between the inner surface of the cylinder and the combustion chamber.

### Claim 13

A cylinder comprising:
a cylinder wall having an inner surface encompassing a combustion chamber;
one or more insulator fluid injection ports along the inner surface of the cylinder wall; and
one or more insulator fluid passages configured to receive insulator fluid and transfer the insulator fluid through the one or more insulator fluid ports forming an insulating gas boundary layer at an interior surface of the combustion chamber.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid inlets are present along the inner surface of the cylinder wall between top dead center and bottom dead of a piston stroke within the cylinder.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein a fluid pressure through the one or more fluid injection ports varies from top dead center of the cylinder to bottom dead center of the cylinder.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein a spacing of the one or more fluid injection ports varies from top dead center of the cylinder to bottom dead center of the cylinder.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein a dimension of the one or more fluid injection ports varies from top dead center of the cylinder to bottom dead center of the cylinder.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid ports and the one or insulator fluid passages are configured to be individually fed with insulator fluid from a fluid source.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid ports have a circumferential spacing therebetween of about 10 micrometer to about 10 mm.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid ports generate fluid jets have a diameters of about 1 micrometer to 2 mm.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid ports have an axial spacing therebetween of about 10 micrometers to about 10 cm.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13 comprising at least 10 insulator fluid injection ports and at least 10 insulator fluid passages.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid ports and the one or insulator fluid passages provide a pressure differential between top dead center and bottom dead center of a piston stroke within the cylinder.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the insulating gas boundary layer has a pressure differential between top dead center and bottom dead center of a piston stroke that varies with time.

### Claim 25 (depends on 13)

The cylinder of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulator fluid injection passage are in fluid connection with a microfluidic jacket in the cylinder wall.

### Claim 26

A method comprising:
providing a cylinder having an inner surface and a combustion chamber; and
injecting insulator fluid in gas phase into the cylinder, the gas-phase insulator fluid forming an insulating gas boundary layer between the inner surface of the cylinder and the combustion chamber.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, further comprising, prior to injecting insulator fluid in gas phase into the cylinder, providing liquid phase insulator fluid.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein forming the insulating gas boundary layer comprises forming a pressure differential in the insulating gas boundary layer.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein injecting insulator fluid in gas phase into the cylinder comprises injecting insulator fluid through one or more insulator fluid ports present on the inner surface of the cylinder.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein injecting insulator fluid comprises injecting insulator fluid through two insulator fluid ports at different pressures.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein injecting insulator fluid through two insulator fluid ports is temporally modified in synchronicity with a piston cycle.