Internal combustion engine
AssigneeAdvanced Propulsion Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPeter Hofbauer, Adrian Tusinean
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two-stroke internal combustion engine is disclosed having opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons, with all the pistons connected to a common central crankshaft. The inboard pistons of each cylinder are connected to the crankshaft with pushrods and the outboard pistons are connected to the crankshaft with pullrods. Each opposed cylinder further comprises an integrated scavenge pump for providing positive intake pressure. This configuration results in a compact engine with a very low profile, in which the free mass forces can be substantially balanced. The engine configuration also allows for asymmetrical timing of the intake and exhaust ports through angular positioning of the journals on the crankshaft.
Claims23
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- two opposed cylinders, each cylinder comprising a housing having a cylinder cavity defining a bore and a cylinder liner slidingly received in the bore, each cylinder liner having a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons that define a combustion chamber and reciprocate on a common axis in a given cylinder;
- each cylinder having an intake port and exhaust port in fluid communication with the combustion chamber such that the ports are opened or closed by the movement of the pistons in the cylinder liner;
- and
- the cylinder liners being axially slideable within the respective bores to shift the timing of the opening and closing of the intake and/or exhaust ports for their respective cylinder.
A cylinder assembly for an internal combustion engine comprising:
- a housing having a cylinder cavity defining a bore, and a cylinder liner slidingly received in the bore, the cylinder liner adapted to receive a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons that reciprocate on a common axis and define a combustion chamber within the cylinder liner;
- the cylinder having an intake port and exhaust port in fluid communication with the combustion chamber such that the ports are opened or closed by the movement of the pistons in the cylinder liner;
- and
- the cylinder liner being axially slideable within the bore to shift the timing of the opening and closing of the intake and/or exhaust ports for their respective cylinder.
A method of making a cylinder assembly for an internal combustion engine comprising:
- providing a housing having a cylinder cavity defining a bore,
- disposing cylinder liner slidingly within the bore, the cylinder liner adapted to receive a pair of opposing inner and outer pistons that reciprocate on a common axis and define a combustion chamber within the cylinder liner;
- wherein the cylinder has an intake port and exhaust port in fluid communication with the combustion chamber such that the ports are opened or closed by the movement of the pistons in the cylinder liner;
- and
- configuring the assembly with a first position for the liner that is used at a predetermined first engine speed and second position that is used at a predetermined second speed, the shifting of the positions thereby providing variable port timing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.