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US 6,223,846 B1Granted
Vehicle operating method and system
OwnerMichael M. Schechterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a system for converting kinetic energy of a vehicle and part of energy supplied by its engine into energy of compressed air and using it to assist in vehicle propulsion later. A novel system of valves employing variable valve timing and valve deactivation is used to implement and control a two-way flow of compressed air between the engine and an air-reservoir where air-temperature control is maintained. During operation with compressed-air assist the engine operates both as an air-motor and as an internal combustion engine during each cycle in each cylinder. The engine can selectively and interchangeably operate either as a four-stroke or as a two-stroke internal combustion engine.
Claims51
A method of operating a wheeled vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an engine mounted in said vehicle and coupled to at least one vehicle wheel for its propulsion and braking, said engine including:
- (1) at least one cylinder,
- (2) a cylinder chamber within said at least one cylinder,
- (3) a head mounted to said at least one cylinder, and
- (4) a piston operatively engaging said at least one cylinder, with the piston to head and cylinder relationship being such that the volume of said cylinder chamber shrinks during a volume decreasing stroke, when said piston moves towards said head, and expands during a volume increasing stroke, when said piston moves away from said head,
- (b) providing an air-reservoir means mounted in said vehicle for receiving, storage, and discharge of compressed air,
- (c) providing a control means for controlling the operation of said engine and said vehicle in response to driver's demands and in accordance with a control program incorporated in said control means,
- (d) providing a gas exchange controlling means for selectively, variably, and alternatively connecting said cylinder chamber to outside atmosphere and to said air-reservoir, in timed relation to said engine operation,
- (e) providing a fuel delivery means for selectively and variably adding fuel to the air intended for participation in combustion in said engine in timed relation to said engine operation,
- (f) providing a means for allowing a vehicle driver to perform vehicle control functions including:
- (1) selectively demanding a vehicle braking force,
- (2) selectively demanding a vehicle propulsion force,
- (3) selectively demanding a change in magnitude of said vehicle braking force, and
- (4) selectively demanding a change in magnitude of said vehicle propulsion force,
- (g) operating said engine in a compressor mode driven by a vehicle momentum in response to a demand for a vehicle braking force, when said vehicle is in motion and said engine is coupled to said at least one vehicle wheel, by repeatedly performing a two-stroke compressor cycle in said at least one cylinder during which a charge of atmospheric air is received from said outside atmosphere into said cylinder chamber, compressed therein, and substantially displaced into said air-reservoir means for storage therein, whereby energy of the vehicle motion is transformed into energy of compressed air stored in said air-reservoir means, and
- (h) operating said engine in a prime mover mode propelling said vehicle in response to a demand for a vehicle propulsion force when there is no concurrent demand for said vehicle braking force, said prime mover mode including:
- (I) operating said engine in a mode selected from a variety of propulsion modes comprising:
- (1) a first propulsion mode including repeated performance of a hybrid four-stroke cycle in said at least one cylinder, said hybrid four-stroke cycle comprising two power strokes:
- a first power stroke including expansion of a compressed-air charge, received from said air-reservoir means, in said cylinder chamber during a first volume increasing stroke, and
- a second power stroke including expansion of combustion gas produced as a result of fuel combustion in said cylinder chamber during a second volume increasing stroke,
- whereby work performed during said first power stroke is added to work performed during said second power stroke, and
- (2) a second propulsion mode including operating said engine in a conventional internal combustion mode receiving air from said outside atmosphere, and
- (II) changing said engine operation from one propulsion mode to another one selected from said variety of propulsion modes.
20 more elements
A method of operating engine valves, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing at least one engine valve reciprocable between its closed and open positions within a head mounted to an engine cylinder,
- (b) providing a first hydraulic chamber and a second hydraulic chamber separated from each other by a partition,
- (c) providing a valve piston coupled to said at least one engine valve and reciprocable within said first hydraulic chamber, said valve piston dividing said first hydraulic chamber into a first upper volume and a first lower volume,
- (d) providing an amplifier piston reciprocable within said second hydraulic chamber, said amplifier piston dividing said second hydraulic chamber into a second upper volume and a second lower volume,
- (e) providing a rod coupled to or integral with said amplifier piston and protruding from said second lower volume through an opening in said partition into said first upper volume, where it remains in physical contact with said valve piston when said at least one engine valve is in its closed position and during an initial part of its opening stroke,
- (f) providing a high-pressure fluid source and a low-pressure fluid source,
- (g) providing a system of valves and conduits for selectively connecting said high-pressure and low-pressure fluid sources to said first and second hydraulic chambers, and for regulating the flow of fluid in the conduits,
- (h) providing a control means for control of said system of valves and conduits, and
- (i) using said control means for control of said system of valves and conduits to perform a process of repeated and variable opening and closing of said at least one engine valve in timed relation to the engine operation,
- whereby contribution of said amplifier piston to the initial acceleration force reduces the hydraulic pressure required to open said at least one engine valve against in-cylinder pressure, and whereby energy consumption needed for the engine valve operation is reduced.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.