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US 4,561,406 AGranted
Winged reentrant electromagnetic combustion chamber
AssigneeCombustion Electromagnetics, Inc.
InventorMichael A. V. Ward
Life of this patent
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AssigneeCombustion Electromagnetics, Inc.
InventorMichael A. V. Ward
Estimating the term…
An internal combustion engine combustion chamber suitable for electromagnetic stimulation of combustion which has been improved by the addition of combustion chamber periphery extensions (wings) filled with dielectric material. The wing dimensions and filler dielectric material are chosen to allow for specification of the chamber EM resonant frequency, preferably at a frequency in the UHF range (where low cost DC operated devices can be used) and at an industrial allocated frequency. The wing chamber EM resonant modes are further designed to place relatively high electrical currents at the wing tips (which are totally closed surfaces), and low EM currents at the piston-cylinder gaps, thus eliminating the need for EM chokes. The EM feature of the chamber is further improved by shaping the piston face and/or cylinder head face in conjunction with the wing design to further lower the EM operating frequency and improve frequency stability with respect to piston motion about TDC. EM resonsant modes with high EM currents at the center of the chamber are preferably excited, which further improves frequency stability and EM coupling to the flame front plasma, especially when used with ceramic heat barrier coatings on the piston and cylinder faces. The engine uses dual plasma ignition and a simple EM loop coupler at the wing tip to introduce the EM energy which is modulated to minimize formation of unwanted plasma discharges. The engine uses an extremely lean mixture and minimal cooling for highest efficiency, lowest emissions, lightest weight and simplest design and operation.
In a combustion system including at least one combustion chamber with one essentially continuous electrically conducting surface defining at least one major portion of said chamber, means for producing a combustible mixture therein, means for igniting said mixture, means for generating and for conducting to said chamber electromagnetic (EM) energy of frequency f to be resonantly stored in said chamber during combustion of said mixture, the improvement therein comprising a dielectric filled wing electrical volume of annular form placed at a perimeter of said chamber which is sufficient in volume and dielectric properties to lower resonant frequency fo of the chamber excluding the wing by at least one third the value fo, i.e., f=2/3* fo and construction of said volume and means for conducting E energy to provide a maximum of the current produced by conducting EM energy to the chamber in the annular wing and wherein said EM energy conducted during the period of combustion of the mixture is amplitude modulated during said period at a low frequency in the range of 1 KHz to 10 MHz with a duty cycle of a few percent to 100%.
In a combustion system including at least one cylindrical combustion chamber with one essentially continuous electrically conducting surface defining a cylinder head of an internal combustion (IC) engine and wherein surface opposite of said cylinder head comprises a movable piston contained in a cylinder sleeve, means for producing a combustible mixture therein, means for igniting said mixture, means for generating and for conducting to said chamber electromagnetic (EM) energy of frequency f to be resonantly stored in said chamber during combustion of said mixture, the improvement therein comprising circular radially outwards disposed annular wing filled with dielectric material placed at a perimeter of said chamber such that EM energy conducted to said chamber is also conducted and stored in said wing and such that resonant frequency f of said chamber is substantially reduced from the value that would exist without the presence of said wing, and wherein said piston being constructed to compress said mixture and expand to extract work from combusting mixture and wherein said piston has an average length Lavg satifying the relationship:
In a combustion system including at least one cylindrical combustion chamber with one essentially continuous electrically conducting surface defining a cylinder head, and wherein surface opposite of said cylinder head comprises a movable piston contained in a cylinder sleeve, said chamber including a radially outwards disposed circular annular slot or wing forming one continuous electrically conducting surface placed at a perimeter of said chamber and filled with dielectric material and wherein said wing is placed in said cylinder head on a line defined by the piston motion, means for producing a combustible mixture therein, means for igniting said mixture, means for generating and for conducting to said chamber electromagnetic (EM) energy of frequency f to be resonantly stored in said chamber during combustion of said mixture, the improvement wherein the means used to convey said EM energy are a loop disposed at extreme of said wing, said EM coupling loop formed by grounding a center conductor of EM conveying transmission line to an interior surface of said wing, and thus exciting magnetic component of EM energy stored in chamber.
In a combustion system including at least one cylindrical combustion chamber with one essentially continuous electrically conducting surface defining a cylinder head, and wherein surface opposite of said cylinder head comprises a movable piston contained in a cylinder sleeve, said chamber including a radially outwards disposed circular annular slot or wing forming one continuous electrically conducting surface placed at a perimeter of said chamber and filled with dielectric material, means for producing a combustible mixture therein, means for igniting said mixture, means for generating and for conducting to said chamber electromagnetic (EM) energy of frequency f to be reasonantly stored in said chamber during combustion of said mixture, the improvement wherein the EM resonant mode used to excite said chamber is defined to be the WMR110 mode.
Method of operating a combustion process comprising igniting a very lean combustible mixture in an enclosed basic volume substantially bounded by electrically conducting surfaces, generating an electromagnetic (EM) energy wave in the combusting mixture by applying external UHF to L-band EM energy thereto, and spreading the wave to establish its resonant wavelength at a dimension greater than the resonant wavelength allowed by the spanning dimensions of the basic volume and, inversely, to lower the resonant frequency of the EM wave by at least one third.
Internal combustion engine comprising:
Internal combustion engine comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.