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US 4,218,993 AGranted
Method and apparatus for accomplishing flame ignition for an internal combustion engine
OwnerDonald E. Blackburninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flaming engine system for an internal combustion engine of the Otto-cycle type comprises primary and secondary pre-ignition chambers serially interposed between an engine cylinder and a spark plug, and self-actuated of means metering high combustible fuel into the primary pre-ignition chamber. The flame commenced in the primary pre-ignition chamber is enhanced and promoted as it is caused to pass into the secondary pre-ignition chamber, then through geometrically designed openings and into the cylinder for ignition of the base-air-fuel mixture contained within the cylinder.
Claims5
In a method for igniting the base air-fuel mixture of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of
- connecting primary and secondary chambers in serial fluid communication with a cylinder of said engine,
- introducing a quantity of said base air-fuel mixture into said chambers,
- positioning an electrode end of a spark plug in said primary chamber,
- injecting a metered quantity of a highly combustible fuel into said primary chamber once during each operational cycle of said engine to mix with said base mixture therein and develop a fuel enriched mixture therein at a time immediately prior to the development of an arc at said electrode end of said spark plug whereby said arc ignites said mixture of highly combustible fuel and base air-fuel mixture to develop a primary flame,
- directing said primary flame along an elongated passageway to said secondary chamber where said flame mixes with said base air-fuel mixture in said chamber to ignite the same and reinforce the flame,
- as said primary flame is moved out of said primary chamber through said passageway, introducing additional unburned base air-fuel mixture from said secondary chamber into said passageway at a location intermediate the opposite ends of said passageway to reinforce said primary flame,
- directing said reinforced flame from said secondary chamber into said cylinder in a pattern which provides flame to substantially all regions of said cylinder above a piston contained therein.
4 more elements
A method for retrofitting an internal combustion engine of the Otto-cycle type for flame ignition of the base air-fuel mixture employed therewith, said engine including a carburetor and at least one cylinder, comprising the steps of
- adjusting the carburetor of said engine to provide under normal engine load conditions to said engine a base air-fuel mixture having a ratio of air to fuel of not less than 15 to 1,
- reducing the quantity of said fuel available to said engine during idling conditions of said engine to not more than about 70 percent of the quantity normally employed by said engine,
- during the compression stroke of a piston associated with said cylinder, introducing a portion of said base mixture into primary and secondary chambers disposed serially between each cylinder of said engine and a spark plug associated with each such cylinder, said secondary chamber being at least partly disposed within said cylinder and connected in fluid communication with said cylinder by means of a plurality of openings leading from said secondary chamber into said cylinder,
- said primary chamber being fully outside said cylinder and connected in fluid communication with said secondary chamber by an elongated passageway which terminates at a location interiorly of said second chamber,
- introducing a metered quantity of highly combustible fuel into said primary chamber once each operational cycle of said engine whereby firing of said spark plug ignites such fuel and develops a flame,
- directing said flame along said elongated passageway toward said secondary chamber, thence into said secondary chamber,
- as said flame is moving through said elongated passageway, introducing into said passageway at a location intermediate its opposite ends unburned base mixture from said secondary chamber,
- directing said flame from said secondary chamber into said cylinder through said plurality of openings.
5 more elements
Apparatus providing for flame ignition of the base air-fuel mixture employed in an internal combustion engine of the Otto-cycle type comprising
- adaptor means comprising an externally threaded first end suitable to be threadably received in an internally threaded spark plug opening to a cylinder of said engine and an internally threaded second end suitable to threadably receive therein a spark plug, said first end of said adaptor projecting into said cylinder when said adaptor is in position in said spark plug opening,
- means defining a primary chamber adjacent said second end of said adaptor, said chamber receiving therein an exposed electrode end of said spark plug,
- means defining a secondary chamber adjacent said first end of said adaptor,
- means defining an elongated passageway that connects said primary and secondary chambers in fluid communication with one another, said elongated passageway terminating at one of its ends at a location spaced inwardly of said secondary chamber such that a portion of said secondary chamber lies generally along a portion of the length of said elongated passageway,
- means defining a passageway through the wall of said elongated passageway providing fluid communication between said secondary chamber and said elongated passageway at a location intermediate of the ends of said elongated passageway,
- a source of highly combustible fuel,
- pump means actuatable by the operational cycling of said engine,
- means connecting an inlet side of said pump means in fluid communication with said source of highly combustible fuel,
- means connecting an outlet side of said pump means in fluid communication with said primary chamber whereby said pump means injects a metered quantity of said highly combustible fuel into said primary chamber once each operational cycle of said engine.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.