Internal combustion engines
AssigneeEnvironmental Engines Limited
InventorJosef Ehrlich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine includes at least one piston (1) which is reciprocally received in a cylinder (2) which is coupled to a rotary output shaft (17) by a coupling (5, 22) which converts reciprocal movement of the piston into rotary movement of the output shaft. The engine is so arranged that, in use, the fuel/air mixture in the or each cylinder ignites at a predetermined ignition time in the operation cycle of the engine. The coupling is so arranged or programmed that on its compression stroke the speed of the piston deceases abruptly substantially at the ignition time and that the speed of the piston subsequently increases prior to reaching the top dead center position.
Claims11
An internal combustion engine including at least one piston which is reciprocably received in a cylinder closed by a cylinder head and which is coupled to a rotary output shaft by a coupling which converts the reciprocal movement of the piston into rotary movement of the output shaft, the engine being so arranged that, in use, the fuel/air mixture in the or each cylinder ignites at a predetermined ignition time in the operating cycle of the engine, characterised in that the coupling is so arranged that on its compression stroke the speed of the piston decreases abruptly substantially at the ignition time and that the speed of the piston subsequently increases prior to reaching the top dead center position.
A method of operating an internal combustion engine including at least one piston which is reciprocably received in a cylinder and is coupled to a rotary output shaft by a coupling which converts the reciprocal movement of the piston into rotary movement of the output shaft, the method including introducing fuel and air into the cylinder and causing the fuel to ignite at a predetermined ignition time in the operating cycle of the engine characterised in that on its compression stroke the speed of the piston is caused to decrease abruptly substantially at the ignition time and that the speed of the piston is subsequently caused to increase prior to reaching the top dead center position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.