Reciprocating machine with two sub-chambers

An internal combustion engine including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit air and fuel to said working chamber for forming an ignitable mixture after compression of the air therein;
• and
• means to exhaust combustion products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at last two sub-chambers mutually displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• wherein said one sub-chamber is of mean width D and mean length L away from said cross-section, and a ratio L/D is 0.9 or greater;
• and
• wherein said air admission means includes intake ports positioned and arranged to impart a swirl to gases in said chamber about said axis, including said laterally expanding gas flowing from said one sub-chamber into said other sub-chamber, whereby there is formed, during operation of the engine, a swirling cooler boundary layer in said other sub-chamber and a swirling flow in said one sub-chamber, a swirl ratio of said swirling flow in said one chamber being at least 6:1.

A method of operating an internal combustion engine at least near adiabatically, which engine has a housing and piston means defining a working chamber, the method including:

• cyclically relatively displacing said housing and piston means along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• admitting air and fuel to said working chamber;
• compressing the air in said working chamber to form an ignitable compressed air/fuel mixture;
• causing combustion of said compressed air/fuel mixture;
• exhausting gases from the working chamber including causing the gases to expand at least partially laterally as the gases flow from one sub-chamber of said working chamber into the other sub-chamber thereof;
• and
• generating and maintaining a swirl of gas about said axis in both of said sub-chambers while the engine is operating;
• wherein wall surfaces bounding said one sub-chamber are maintained at a temperature which is substantially higher than wall surfaces bounding said other sub-chamber.

A reciprocatory machine, including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit fluid to said working chamber;
• and
• means to exhaust fluid products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at least two sub-chambers initially displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• wherein said fluid admission means, said exhaust means and said sub-chambers are arranged so that a swirl of fluid is generated and maintained about said axis in both of said sub-chambers during operation of the machine;
• and wherein said one sub-chamber is defined laterally and at an end by a wall structure with associated heat dissipation means arranged so that, during operation of the machine, the surfaces of said wall structure bounding said one sub-chamber are maintained at a temperature which is substantially higher than wall surfaces bounding said other sub-chamber.

An internal combustion engine including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit air and fuel to said working chamber for forming an ignitable mixture after compression of the air therein;
• and
• means to exhaust combustion products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at least two sub-chambers mutually displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• wherein said air admission means, said exhaust means and said sub-chambers are arranged so that a swirl of gas is generated and maintained about said axis in both of said sub-chambers during operation of the engine;
• and
• wherein said fuel admission means includes a flow passage arranged to open into said working chamber at a radius that divides the said one sub-chamber into a central cylindrical portion and an annular outer portion, which portions are of substantially equal volumes.

An internal combustion engine including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit air and fuel to said working chamber for forming an ignitable mixture after compression of the air therein;
• and
• means to exhaust combustion products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at least two sub-chambers mutually displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• wherein said air admission means, said exhaust means and said sub-chambers are arranged so that a swirl of gas is generated and maintained about said axis in both of said sub-chambers during operation of the engine;
• and
• wherein said swirl of gas in said other sub-chamber is such that there is formed therein a swirling relatively cooler boundary layer.

An internal combustion engine including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit air and fuel to said working chamber for forming an ignitable mixture after compression of the air therein;
• and
• means to exhaust combustion products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at least two sub-chambers mutually displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• wherein said air admission means, said exhaust means and said sub-chambers are arranged so that a swirl of gas is generated and maintained about said axis in both of said sub-chambers during operation of the engine;
• and
• wherein said swirl of gas in said one chamber is such that there is a radial temperature gradient in the gas flow of said one sub-chamber, with a relatively hotter core and a relatively cooler periphery.

An internal combustion engine including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit air and fuel to said working chamber for forming an ignitable mixture after compression of the air therein;
• and
• means to exhaust combustion products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at least two sub-chambers mutually displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• wherein said air admission means, said exhaust means and said sub-chambers are arranged so that a swirl of gas is generated and maintained about said axis in both of said sub-chambers during operation of the engine;
• and
• wherein said one sub-chamber is of mean width D and mean length L away from said cross-section, and a ratio L/D is 0.9 or greater.

An internal combustion engine including:

• a housing and piston means that are cyclically relatively displaceable along an axis to define a variable volume working chamber;
• means to admit air and fuel to said working chamber for forming an ignitable mixture after compression of the air therein;
• and
• means to exhaust combustion products from said working chamber;
• wherein said variable volume working chamber includes at least two sub-chambers mutually displaced on said axis and in communication at a cross section at which gas in one sub-chamber may expand at least partially laterally as it flows from said one sub-chamber into the other sub-chamber;
• and
• wherein said one chamber is defined by wall structure free to expand longitudinally and laterally with respect to said axis sufficiently to accommodate thermal expansion arising from the temperature at surfaces of said wall structure bounding said one sub-chamber.