Internal combustion engine with designated exhaust burning cylinders

Abstract

A multi-cylinder, gasoline burning internal combustion engine is converted by modification of the intake and exhaust manifolds to an engine having designated exhaust burning cylinders which burn the exhaust gases that are expelled from the gasoline burning cylinders. The intake manifold is modified to isolate an even number of cylinders as the designated exhaust burning cylinders. Typically, two cylinders are chosen, although in some instances it is possible to designate four or even six cylinders, the number of designated exhaust burning cylinders not exceeding half the total number of cylinders in the engine. A pair of cylinders selected as exhaust burning cylinders have their pistons in the same relative positions and moving in the same relative directions but have spark ignition occurring at 360.degree. with respect to each other. No modification is required to the ignition system of the engine. Both the designated exhaust burning cylinders and the gasoline burning cylinders exhaust into a common exhaust manifold system. The exhaust manifold system is modified so as to draw off the lighter exhaust gases to supply to the isolated intake manifold for the designated exhaust burning cylinders. Fresh air is added to the isolated intake manifold and to the exhaust manifold to combine with the exhaust gases to make conditions suitable for combustion in the designated exhaust burning cylinders. The vapors of the crankcase and the gasoline supply tank may be connected in series and supplied to the isolated intake manifold to provide an additional fuel source for the designated exhaust burning cylinders.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.