Internal combustion engine and control method thereof

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a combustion chamber for generating power by combusting hydrogen and expanding an operating gas that is an inert gas having a larger specific heat ratio than oxygen using heat generated by the combustion;
• an operating gas supply apparatus that supplies the operating gas in post-combustion gas discharged form the combustion chamber to the combustion chamber again;
• a hydrogen supply apparatus that determines an amount of hydrogen to be supplied to the combustion chamber based on a required torque, which is the torque required of the internal combustion engine, and supplies the determined amount of hydrogen to the combustion chamber;
• an oxygen supply apparatus that determines an amount of oxygen to be supplied to the combustion chamber based on the determined amount of hydrogen, and supplies the determined amount of oxygen to the combustion chamber;
• and
• an operating gas amount regulating apparatus that determines an amount of operating gas to be supplied to the combustion chamber according to the required torque, and regulates the amount of operating gas supplied to the combustion chamber such that the determined amount of operating gas is supplied to the combustion chamber.

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a combustion chamber into which hydrogen, oxygen, and an operating gas that is an inert gas having a larger specific heat ratio than oxygen is supplied, and that generates power by expanding the operating gas using heat generated by the combustion;
• an operating gas supply apparatus that supplies the operating gas in post-combustion gas discharged from the combustion chamber to the combustion chamber again;
• a combustion state index value obtaining apparatus that obtains a combustion state index value which is a value indicative of a combustion state of the internal combustion engine;
• and
• an operating gas amount regulating apparatus that regulates the amount of operating gas supplied to the combustion chamber based on the obtained combustion state index value.

A control method for an operating gas circulation type internal combustion engine that generates power by combusting hydrogen in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and expanding an operating gas, which is an inert gas having a larger specific heat ratio than oxygen, using heat generated by the combustion, and supplies operating gas in post-combustion gas discharged from the combustion chamber to the combustion chamber again, comprising:

• determining a required torque, which is the torque required of the internal combustion engine;
• determining an amount of hydrogen and an amount of oxygen to be supplied to the combustion chamber based on the required torque;
• supplying the determined amount of hydrogen and the determined amount of oxygen to the combustion chamber;
• determining an amount of operating gas to be supplied to the combustion chamber according to the required torque;
• and
• regulating the amount of operating gas supplied to the combustion chamber such that the determined amount of operating gas is supplied to the combustion chamber.

A control method for an operating gas circulation type internal combustion engine that generates power by combusting hydrogen in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and expanding an operating gas, which is an inert gas having a larger specific heat ratio than oxygen, using heat generated by the combustion, and supplies operating gas in post-combustion gas discharged from the combustion chamber to the combustion chamber again, comprising:

• determining a required torque, which is the torque required of the internal combustion engine;
• determining an amount of hydrogen to be supplied to the combustion chamber based on the required torque;
• supplying the determined amount of hydrogen to the combustion chamber;
• determining an amount of oxygen to be supplied to the combustion chamber based on the determined amount of hydrogen;
• supplying the determined amount of oxygen to the combustion chamber;
• determining an amount of operating gas to be supplied to the combustion chamber based on the required torque;
• and
• regulating the amount of operating gas supplied to the combustion chamber such that the determined amount of operating gas is supplied to the combustion chamber.