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US 7,431,024 B2Granted
Method and operation of an engine
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsJames H Buchwitz, Chad M Cunningham, Nathan D Dahl, Ryan W Sorenson, Dean J Hedlund, Christopher R Benning
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine is disclosed which may operate in a first operating state wherein a spark ignited fuel is ignited in a combustion chamber with an igniter and a second operating state wherein a compression ignited fuel is ignited in a combustion chamber with an igniter. A compression ratio in the combustion chamber being up to about eight to one. The engine may be a four-stroke engine. The engine may include a piston having a top portion with a recessed central portion.
Claims35
A vehicle for transporting a person, the vehicle including
- a chassis,
- a traction device adapted to contact the ground and propel the chassis,
- a fuel supply supported by the chassis and adapted to receive a SI fuel and a CI fuel, and
- a four-stroke engine supported by the chassis and providing power to the traction device, the four-stroke engine having an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a combustion stroke, and an exhaust stroke, the engine having a first operating state running on SI fuel and a second operating state running on CI fuel, the four-stroke engine including
- an engine base,
- a piston, and
- an igniter, the engine base and the piston cooperating to define a combustion chamber in communication with the fuel supply and igniter, wherein a compression ratio of the combustion chamber is the same in the first operating state and the second operating state.
4 more elements
A vehicle for transporting a person, the vehicle including
- a chassis,
- a traction device adapted to contact the ground and propel the chassis,
- a fuel supply supported by the chassis and adapted to receive a SI fuel and a CI fuel, and
- a four-stroke engine supported by the chassis and providing power to the traction device, the four-stroke engine having an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a combustion stroke, and an exhaust stroke, the engine having a first operating state running on SI fuel and a second operating state running on CI fuel, the four-stroke engine including
- an engine base, wherein the engine base includes an engine block and a cylinder head,
- a piston,
- an igniter, the cylinder head including the igniter, the engine base and the piston cooperating to define a combustion chamber in communication with the fuel supply and igniter, wherein the igniter is an electric igniter, the igniter ignites the SI fuel in the first operating state and ignites the CI fuel in the second operating state;
- and
- a fuel injector which communicates the CI fuel to the combustion chamber during the second operating state, a temperature of the CI fuel in the combustion chamber being below an ignition temperature of the CI fuel during an entirety of the compression stroke of the engine, wherein the fuel injector is an air-assist fuel injector and the CI fuel is provided to the combustion chamber along with compressed air.
6 more elements
A vehicle for transporting a person, the vehicle including:
- a chassis,
- a traction device adapted to contact the ground and propel the chassis,
- a fuel supply supported by the chassis, and
- an engine supported by the chassis, the engine including
- an engine base having a cavity disposed therein;
- a piston received within the cavity and slideably moveable within the cavity, the piston including a top portion having a periphery and a central section, the central section being lower than the periphery;
- a fuel injector configured to introduce a combustible charge into a combustion chamber formed in the cavity between the top portion of the piston and the engine base;
- and
- an igniter in communication with the combustion chamber, the igniter configured to ignite the combustible charge within the combustion chamber, wherein a compression ratio of the engine is the same for both when the combustible charge is a SI fuel and when the combustible charge is a CI fuel.
6 more elements
A method of operating an engine, the method including the steps of:
- moving a piston away from a top portion of a combustion chamber and introducing a combustible charge into the combustion chamber during an intake stroke;
- moving the piston towards the top portion of the combustion chamber during a compression stroke;
- igniting the combustible charge in the combustion chamber with an igniter thereby moving the piston away from the top portion of the combustion chamber during a combustion stroke, the combustible chamber having a compression ratio of up to about eight to one;
- and
- moving the piston towards the top portion of the combustion chamber during an exhaust stroke, wherein the compression ratio of the combustion chamber is the same for both when the combustible charge is a SI fuel and when the combustible charge is a CI fuel.
2 more elements
A method of operating an engine, the method including the steps of:
- introducing a charge into a combustion chamber of the engine, the charge including a SI fuel in a first operating state of the engine and including a CI fuel in a second operating state of the engine;
- igniting a first portion of the charge in the combustion chamber with an igniter in both the first operating state and the second operating state without igniting a second portion of the charge in the combustion chamber;
- exhausting gases generated from the previously ignited first portion of the charge from the combustion chamber;
- and
- receiving the second portion of the charge in a recess in a top portion of a piston which bounds the combustion chamber, the igniter being positioned directly above the top portion of the piston.
2 more elements
A method of operating an engine, the method including the steps of:
- receiving an indication of a fuel type being provided to a combustion chamber of the engine, the fuel type being a SI fuel in a first operating state of the engine and a CI fuel in a second operating state of the engine;
- compressing a charge in the combustion chamber, a compression ratio of the combustion chamber being up to about eight to one and being constant independent of fuel type and the operating state of the engine;
- and
- igniting the compressed fuel in the combustion chamber.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.