Rapid response power conversion device

An internal combustion (IC) engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure to said chamber, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber:
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component situated adjacent said combustion portion of said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said combustion in said chamber;
• said rapid response component being configured to provide greater bandwidth than direct bandwidth supplied directly by the piston of said IC engine.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said proximate instant of said combustion being immediately prior to combustion.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said proximate instant of said combustion being immediately subsequent to combustion.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said rapid response component drawing majority of said portion of said energy from said chamber within 45 degrees of said piston descending from said top dead center position.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said rapid response component drawing at least 90% of said portion of said energy from said chamber within 45 degrees of said piston descending from said top dead center position.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a ton dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said rapid response component being coupled to a load selected from the group consisting of a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, an electric generator system and a mechanical system.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said rapid response component being configured to convert energy from said combustion to another form of energy selected from the group consisting of hydraulic energy, pneumatic energy, electric energy and mechanical energy.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component configured to draw a portion of said energy from said chamber during a time period from a proximate instant of said combustion and prior to said piston being positioned at a median between said top dead center position and said bottom dead center position;
• said controller being configured to control activation of said rapid response component.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure and temperature to said chamber, said piston configured to substantially continuously reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said reciprocating piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber, said controller configured to provide said combustion to said chamber at selected cycles of one or more cycles of said reciprocating piston, wherein said selected cycles are non-continuous compared to that of said piston substantially continuously reciprocating in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component situated adjacent said combustion portion of said chamber, said rapid response component drawing a portion of said energy from said combustion in said chamber controlled by said controller.

An internal combustion (IC) engine comprising:

• a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber continuously between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position with a substantially fixed displacement, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• a controller for controlling said combustion in said chamber;
• and
• a rapid response component having a secondary piston in fluid communication with said chamber, said rapid response component situated adjacent said combustion portion of said chamber to draw a portion of said energy from said combustion, said secondary piston configured to displace at variable lengths based at least in part by a load coupled to said secondary piston.

A method for extracting additional energy from an IC engine, the method comprising:

• providing a chamber having a piston, at least one fluid port coupled to said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and an out-take port, said piston and said at least one fluid port configured to provide a variable pressure to said chamber, said piston configured to reciprocate in said chamber between a top dead center position and a bottom dead center position, each reciprocation of said piston defining a cycle, said piston and said fluid configured to at least partially facilitate combustion to provide energy from said combustion in a combustion portion of said chamber;
• providing a rapid response component;
• positioning said rapid response component to be in fluid communication with said chamber and adjacent said combustion portion of said chamber;
• and
• controlling said combustion in said chamber with a controller interconnected to said chamber;
• said controlling comprising controlling said controller to provide said combustion to said chamber at selected cycles of one or more cycles of said piston such that said selected cycles are non-continuous compared to that of said piston continuously reciprocating in said chamber.