Intake Air Boost System For Two-Cycle Engine Having Roots Blowers
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsJohn C. Hedrick, Steven G. Fritz, Randy R. McDonnell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air boost system for a two-cycle engine, such as an EMD engine, which operates with one or more roots blowers, or for similar engines that use gear-driven roots blowers or centrifugal blowers. At least one of the roots blowers is equipped with a variable transmission, which allows airflow into the engine to be varied in accordance with load or other engine operating conditions.
Claims19
An air boost system for a two-cycle engine, the engine having a number of cylinders and an intake manifold, comprising:
- at least one blower (roots or centrifugal) operable to deliver pressurized air to the cylinders via the intake manifold;
- a variable transmission associated with one or more of the at least one blower, operable to drive that blower to a desired airflow output;
- a camshaft gear associated with each variable transmission, operable to drive the variable transmission;
- and
- a control unit for delivering control signals to the variable transmission, wherein the control unit is programmed to adjust the variable transmission such that the airflow output is reduced at low engine loads.
The system of claim 3, wherein both blowers have an associated variable transmission.
A method of providing intake airflow to a two-cycle engine, the engine having a number of cylinders, an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and one or more roots or centrifugal blowers, comprising:
- installing a variable transmission, driven by a camshaft of the engine and operable to drive an associated blower to a desired airflow output;
- and
- controlling the variable transmission during operation of the engine, such the associated blower reduces the airflow output at low engine loads.
The method of claim 13, wherein both blowers have an associated variable transmission.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.