# US 8,770,158 B1 · Hybrid vehicles with radial engines > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,158 B1 - Document ID: US8770158B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/911,042 - Filed: 2013-06-05 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-05 - Assignees: Thien Ton Consulting Services Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Thien Ton Consulting Services Company Limited - Inventors: Tai Dung Nguyen; Tue Nguyen; Donald James Duncalf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770158B1 ## CPC - F01B 9/06: the piston motion being transmitted by curved surfaces - B60K 6/24: characterised by the combustion engines - B60K 6/42: characterised by the architecture of the hybrid electric vehicle - F02B 75/22: with cylinders in V, fan, or star arrangement - F01B 2009/061: {by cams} - F02B 2275/36: Modified dwell of piston in TDC - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - F01B: MACHINES OR ENGINES, IN GENERAL OR OF POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT TYPE, e.g. STEAM ENGINES (of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F01C; of non-positive-displacement type F01D; internal-combustion engines F02B; combustion-product engine plants F02G; machines or engines, other than of positive-displacement type, for liquids F03B; positive-displacement engines driven by liquids F03C; wind motors F03D; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04B; rotary-piston, or oscillating-piston, positive-displacement machines for liquids F04C) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A radial cam engine with an optimized cam configuration can provide improve performance over crankshaft internal combustion engines. The cam configuration can include a flat-top or flat bottom piston motion, multiple lobe cam configurations, matching piston force with torque/force ratio in combustion phase, asymmetry piston motions for improved power transfer during combustion phase, and/or offset piston and cam configurations. The radial cam engine can be used in vehicles, such as hybrid vehicles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hybrid vehicle comprising an electric motor configured to drive the hybrid vehicle, wherein the electric motor is powered by an battery; a radial cam internal combustion engine configured to drive the hybrid vehicle, wherein the radial cam engine is powered by a non-battery power source, wherein the radial cam engine comprises a piston, wherein the radial cam engine comprises a cam coupled to a camshaft, wherein the cam is configured to provide a substantially flat-top piston motion, wherein the cam is configured to provide a substantially flat-bottom piston motion, wherein the cam is configured to provide a force profile of the piston that is substantially similar to a torque/force ratio profile of the camshaft at least in a first duration, wherein the first duration is between a top-dead-center position of the piston to an inflection point of the piston motion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the combustion phase of the radial cam engine is limited to the duration of the substantially flat-top portion of the piston motion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the force profile of the piston comprises a profile that is zero at the top-dead-center position and at the inflection point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the cam comprises three or more lobes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the cam is configured to provide an asymmetric piston motion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the radial cam is configured to provide an asymmetric piston motion, the asymmetric piston motion comprises a first duration that is longer than a quarter of the full piston cycle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the radial cam is configured to provide an asymmetric piston motion, the asymmetric piston motion comprises a force in the first duration that is higher in magnitude than a maximum force in another duration of the full piston cycle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the piston motion is offset from the rotational center of the cam. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the radial cam engine is optimized for running at a constant speed for charging the battery. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the radial cam engine is optimized for light weight and low power for running only in an emergency mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the radial cam engine is powered by natural gas. ### Claim 12 A hybrid vehicle comprising an electric motor configured to drive the hybrid vehicle, wherein the electric motor is powered by an battery; a radial cam internal combustion engine configured to drive the hybrid vehicle, wherein the radial cam engine is powered by a non-battery power source, wherein the radial cam engine comprises a piston, wherein the radial cam engine comprises a cam coupled to a camshaft, wherein the cam is configured to provide a substantially flat-top piston motion, wherein the cam is configured to provide a substantially flat-bottom piston motion, wherein the cam is configured to provide a force profile of the piston that is substantially similar to a torque/force ratio profile of the camshaft at least in a first duration, wherein the first duration is between a top-dead-center position of the piston to an inflection point of the piston motion, wherein the force profile of the piston comprises a profile that is zero at the top-dead-center position and at the inflection point, wherein the cam is configured to provide an asymmetric piston motion; a controller for switching control of the hybrid vehicle between the electric motor and the radial cam engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 12 wherein the duration of the substantially flat-top portion of the piston motion is less than 30% of the full cycle of the piston motion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 12 wherein the combustion phase of the radial cam engine is limited to the duration of the substantially flat-top portion of the piston motion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 12 wherein the asymmetric piston motion comprises a first duration that is longer than a quarter of the full piston cycle or wherein the asymmetric piston motion comprises a force in the first duration that is higher in magnitude than a maximum force in another duration of the full piston cycle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 12 wherein the piston motion is offset from the rotational center of the cam. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A hybrid vehicle as in claim 12 wherein the radial cam engine is optimized for running at a constant speed for charging the battery, wherein the radial cam engine is optimized for light weight and low power for running only in an emergency mode, or wherein the radial cam engine is powered by natural gas.