Apparatus and operating method for an internal combustion engine

A method of operating a spark ignition, internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, a reciprocally movable piston associated with the chamber, a fluid coolant system and an exhaust system for discharging combustion gases from the combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a fuel mixture flow path extending between a fuel mixture inlet and said combusion chamber;
• (b) introducing air and a vaporizable fuel into said inlet in predetermined portions to form a combustible fuel mixture, the fuel having a given vaporization temperature at sea level;
• (c) preheating said fuel mixture near said inlet by transferring heat from said fluid coolant system to said fuel mixture to aid fuel vaporization;
• (d) homogenizing and further heating said preheated fuel mixture and urging said heated fuel mixture towards said combustion chamber by a pumping means driven by a means external to said fuel mixture flow path;
• (e) still further heating said homogenized fuel mixture to a temperature greater than the given vaporization temperature of said fuel by transferring heat from said exhaust system to said fuel mixture;
• and,
• (f) admitting said fuel mixture into said combustion chamber at predetermined intervals.

A method of providing a vaporized fuel and gas mixture to an internal combustion engine comprising:

• (a) entraining fuel having a given vaporization temperature at sea level in a flow of gases including oxygen for reacting with the fuel;
• (b) heating the gases and fuel with heat energy derived from the engine as the fuel and gases flow along a path;
• (c) admixing the fuel and gases to produce a substantially homogenous mixture of fuel and gases and inhibiting reverse flow of said mixture by passing said fuel mixture through a pumping means driven to maintain a pressure differential across it and along said path;
• (d) further heating the mixture as it is admixed and thereafter still further heating the mixture with further heat energy derived from the engine to a temperature well in excess of the given vaporization temperature of the fuel;
• and,
• (e) introducing the mixture while heated into a combustion chamber whereby to provide a method of operating an engine in which all fuel is fully vaporized before it is introduced into the combustion chamber and once vaporized remains vaporized.

A method of operating an internal combustion engine comprising:

• (a) entraining fuel having a given vaporization temperature of sea level in a flow of gases including oxygen for reaction with the fuel;
• (b) heating the gases and fuel with heat derived from the engine as the fuel and gases flow along a path;
• (c) admixing the fuel and gases to produce a substantially homogenous mixture of fuel and gases and inhibiting reverse flow of said mixture by passing said fuel mixture through a driven pumping means to increase the pressure of the mixture as it moves along said path;
• (d) further heating the mixture as it is admixed and thereafter still further heating the mixture to a temperature in excess of the given vaporization temperature of the fuel after it has been admixed;
• (e) introducing the mixture while heated into a combustion chamber;
• (f) utilizing an electrical charge to ignite the mixture while in the combustion chamber;
• (g) maintaining the volume of the chamber substantially constant until the reaction between the fuel and oxygen has caused the hot gases in the chamber including products of the reaction to substantially reach their maximum temperature and pressure;
• and,
• (h) allowing such hot gases to expand from the substantially constant volume at a time commencing before there is any significant drop from such maximum temperature and pressure whereby to provide a method of operating an engine in which all fuel is fully vaporized before it is introduced into a combustion chamber and once vaporized remains vaporized and in which the expansion of such hot gases is optimized.

A method of operating a spark ignition, internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, a reciprocally movable piston associated with the chamber, a fluid coolant system and an exhaust system for discharging combustion gases from the combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:

• (a) introducing through an inlet into a fuel mixture flow path extending to said combustion chamber, air and a vaporizable fuel in predetermined proportions to form a combustible fuel mixture, said fuel having a given temperature of vaporization at sea level;
• (b) preheating said fuel mixture near said inlet by transferring heat from said engine to said fuel mixture to aid fuel vaporization;
• (c) homogenizing, compressing and further heating said preheated fuel mixture by heating and driving a pumping mechanism with gases from said exhaust system;
• (d) inhibiting reverse flow of said mixture in said flow path by driving said pumping mechanism to render it at least partially effective at all engine speeds;
• (e) still further heating said homogenized and compressed fuel mixture to a temperature substantially in excess of the given vaporization temperature of said fuel, by transferring heat from said exhaust system to said fuel mixture;
• and,
• (f) admitting said fuel mixture into said combustion chamber at predetermined intervals.

An electric ignition, internal combustion engine, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of reciprocating pistons for imparting rotational forces to a crankshaft;
• (b) a combustion chamber associated with each piston;
• (c) structure defining a fuel mixture flow path including an inlet and extending into fluid communication with each combustion chamber through a valve controlled port;
• (d) fuel mixture introducing means disposed near said inlet for introducing predetermined portions of air and a vaporizable fuel into said flow path;
• (e) a fuel mixture vaporizer for transferring heat derived from said engine to said fuel mixture;
• (f) a fuel mixture homogenizer driven by gases exhausted by said combustion chambers, disposed in said flow path intermediate said fuel mixture vaporizer and said combustion chambers, said fuel mixture homogenizer being operative to admix said vaporized fuel and air and operative to exert pumping forces on said fuel mixture to urge it towards said combustion chambers and being further operative to resist reverse flow of said mixture;
• (g) a fuel mixture heater disposed intermediate said fuel mixture homogenizer and said combustion chambers for transferring heat exhausted by said combustion chambers to said fuel mixture;
• (h) said fuel heater comprising a chamber including means for subdividing said flow path into branch flow paths, each combustion chamber communicating with one of said branch flow paths;
• and,
• (i) thermal isolating means disposed in said flow path intermediate said fuel mixture vaporizer and said fuel mixture homogenizer operative to resist the flow of heat to said fuel mixture introducing means from said flow path, downstream of said fuel mixture introducing means.

An electric ignition, internal combustion engine, comprising:

• (a) at least one reciprocating piston for imparting rotational forces to a crankshaft;
• (b) a combustion chamber associated with said piston;
• (c) structure defining a fuel mixture flow path including an inlet and extending into fluid communication with each combustion chamber through a valve controlled port;
• (d) fuel mixture introducing means disposed near said inlet for introducing air and a vaporizable fuel into said flow path;
• (e) the structure including:
• (i) a fuel mixture vaporizer including a flow path portion and structure for transferring heat absorbed from an engine fluid to said fuel mixture;
• (ii) a fuel mixture homogenizer driven by means external to said fuel mixture flow path and disposed in said mixture flow path intermediate said fuel mixture vaporizer and said combustion chamber and being spaced from said vaporizer flow path portion, the homogenizer including structure for heating a mixture as it is homogenized;
• and,
• (iii) a fuel mixture heater disposed intermediate said fuel mixture homogenizer and said combustion chamber for transferring heat exhausted by said combustion chamber to said fuel mixture;
• and,
• (f) said fuel heater comprising a chamber including means defining a passage as another portion of said flow path for flow from the homogenizer to said at least one combustion chamber.

For use with an electric ignition internal combustion engine having at least one reciprocatable piston and an associated combustion chamber, a fuel/air mixture preparation system including an inlet and defining a fuel mixture flow path for communication with such combustion chamber comprising:

• (a) fuel mixture introducing means for disposition near said inlet for introducing predetermined portions of air and a vaporizable fuel into said flow path;
• (b) the structure including:
• (i) a fuel mixture vaporizer including a flow path portion and structure for transferring heat absorbed from an engine fluid to said fuel mixture;
• (ii) a fuel mixture homogenizer to be driven by means external to said fuel mixture flow path and disposed in said mixture flow path intermediate said fuel mixture vaporizer and such combustion chamber and being spaced from said vaporizer flow path portion, the homogenizer including further structure for transferring heat from an engine fluid to said fuel mixture;
• and,
• (iii) a fuel mixture heater to be disposed intermediate said fuel mixture homogenizer and such combustion chamber for transferring heat exhausted by such combustion chamber to said fuel mixture;
• (c) said fuel heater comprising a chamber including means defining a passage as another portion of said flow path for flow from the homogenizer to such combustion chamber.