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US 6,953,010 B1Granted
Opposed piston opposed cylinder free piston engine
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorPeter Hofbauer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A free piston engine is configured with a pair of opposed engine cylinders located on opposite sides of a fluid pumping assembly. An inner piston assembly includes a pair of inner pistons, one each operatively located in a respective one of the engine cylinders, with a push rod connected between the inner pistons. The push rod extends through an inner pumping chamber in the fluid pumping assembly and forms a fluid plunger within this chamber. An outer piston assembly includes a pair of pistons, one each operatively located in a respective one of the engine cylinders, with at least one pull rod connected between the outer pistons. The pull rod extends through an outer pumping chamber in the fluid pumping assembly and forms a fluid plunger within this chamber.
Claims20
An engine comprising:
- a fluid pumping assembly, having a first side and a second side in opposed relation to the first side, an inner fluid pumping chamber and an outer fluid pumping chamber, a first container for containing fluid under a relatively low pressure that is selectively in fluid communication with the inner fluid pumping chamber and the outer fluid pumping chamber, and a second container for containing fluid under a relatively high pressure that is selectively in fluid communication with the inner fluid pumping chamber and the outer fluid pumping chamber;
- a first combustion cylinder assembly located adjacent to the first side of the fluid pumping assembly and including a first cylinder liner that defines a first engine cylinder, which is centered about an axis of motion;
- a second combustion cylinder assembly located adjacent to the second side of the fluid pumping assembly and including a second cylinder liner that defines a second engine cylinder, which is centered about the axis of motion;
- an inner piston assembly having a first inner piston with a first inner piston head and a second inner piston with a second inner piston head, with the first inner piston mounted in the first engine cylinder such that the first inner piston head faces away from the first side and is telescopically slidable within the first engine cylinder along the axis of motion, and the second inner piston mounted in the second engine cylinder such that the second inner piston head faces away from the second side and is telescopically slidable within the second engine cylinder along the axis of motion, and with the inner piston assembly further including a push rod having a first end affixed to the first inner piston and a second end affixed to the second inner piston and a middle portion extending through the inner fluid pumping chamber in the fluid pumping assembly;
- and
- an outer piston assembly having a first outer piston with a first outer piston head and a second outer piston with a second outer piston head, and with the first outer piston mounted in the first engine cylinder such that the first outer piston head faces toward the first inner piston head and is telescopically slidable within the first engine cylinder, and the second outer piston mounted in the second engine cylinder such that the second outer piston head faces toward the second inner piston head and is telescopically slidable within the second engine cylinder, and with the outer piston assembly further including a first pull rod having a first end affixed to the first outer piston and a second end affixed to the second outer piston and a middle portion extending through the outer fluid pumping chamber in the fluid pumping assembly.
3 more elements
An engine comprising:
- a hydraulic liquid pumping assembly, having a first side and a second side in opposed relation to the first side, an inner liquid pumping chamber, an outer liquid pumping chamber, and a second outer liquid pumping chamber, a first container for containing hydraulic liquid under a relatively low pressure that is selectively in fluid communication with the inner liquid pumping chamber, the outer liquid pumping chamber and the second outer liquid pumping chamber, and a second container for containing hydraulic liquid under a relatively high pressure that is selectively in fluid communication with the inner liquid pumping chamber, the outer liquid pumping chamber and the second outer liquid pumping chamber;
- a first combustion cylinder assembly located adjacent to the first side of the hydraulic liquid pumping assembly and including a first cylinder liner that defines a first engine cylinder, which is centered about an axis of motion;
- a second combustion cylinder assembly located adjacent to the second side of the hydraulic liquid pumping assembly and including a second cylinder liner that defines a second engine cylinder, which is centered about the axis of motion;
- an inner piston assembly having a first inner piston and a second inner piston, with the first inner piston mounted in the first engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the first engine cylinder along the axis of motion, and the second inner piston mounted in the second engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the second engine cylinder along the axis of motion, and with the inner piston assembly further including a push rod having a first end affixed to the first inner piston and a second end affixed to the second inner piston and a middle portion extending through the inner liquid pumping chamber in the hydraulic liquid pumping assembly;
- and
- an outer piston assembly having a first outer piston and a second outer piston, and with the first outer piston mounted in the first engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the first engine cylinder, and the second outer piston mounted in the second engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the second engine cylinder, and with the outer piston assembly further including a first pull rod having a first end affixed to the first outer piston and a second end affixed to the second outer piston and a middle portion extending through the outer liquid pumping chamber in the hydraulic liquid pumping assembly, and a second pull rod, spaced from the first pull rod, and having a first end affixed to the first outer piston and a second end affixed to the second outer piston and a middle portion extending through the second outer liquid pumping chamber.
3 more elements
A method of operating an engine comprising the steps of:
- providing a fluid pumping assembly, having a first side and a second side in opposed relation to the first side, an inner fluid pumping chamber and an outer fluid pumping chamber, a first container for containing fluid under a relatively low pressure that is selectively in fluid communication with the inner fluid pumping chamber and the outer fluid pumping chamber, and a second container for containing fluid under a relatively high pressure that is selectively in fluid communication with the inner fluid pumping chamber and the outer fluid pumping chamber;
- providing a first combustion cylinder assembly located adjacent to the first side of the fluid pumping assembly and including a first cylinder liner that defines a first engine cylinder, which is centered about an axis of motion;
- providing a second combustion cylinder assembly located adjacent to the second side of the fluid pumping assembly and including a second cylinder liner that defines a second engine cylinder, which is centered about the axis of motion;
- providing an inner piston assembly having a first inner piston and a second inner piston, with the first inner piston mounted in the first engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the first engine cylinder along the axis of motion, and the second inner piston mounted in the second engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the second engine cylinder along the axis of motion, and with the inner piston assembly further including a push rod having a first end affixed to the first inner piston and a second end affixed to the second inner piston and a middle portion extending through the inner fluid pumping chamber in the fluid pumping assembly;
- providing an outer piston assembly having a first outer piston and a second outer piston, and with the first outer piston mounted in the first engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the first engine cylinder, and the second outer piston mounted in the second engine cylinder and telescopically slidable within the second engine cylinder, and with the outer piston assembly further including a first pull rod having a first end affixed to the first outer piston and a second end affixed to the second outer piston and a middle portion extending through the outer fluid pumping chamber in the fluid pumping assembly;
- moving fuel and air into the first engine cylinder;
- and
- moving the first inner piston and the first outer piston in opposed motion toward one another until spontaneous combustion of the fuel and air in the first engine cylinder occurs.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.