# US 9,435,255 B2 · VCRC engine with insulated chambers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,255 B2 - Document ID: US9435255B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/779,061 - Filed: 2014-04-08 - Published: 2016-02-25 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-04-08 - Applicants: Kenneth W. Cowans - Inventors: Kenneth W. Cowans - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435255B2 ## CPC - F02B 37/04: Engines with exhaust drive and other drive of pumps, e.g. with exhaust-driven pump and mechanically-driven second pump - F02B 1/12: with compression ignition (with fuel-air charge ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/00) - F02B 5/02: Methods of operating - F02B 19/06: with auxiliary piston in chamber for transferring ignited charge to cylinder space - F02B 19/12: with positive ignition (engines with non-timed positive ignition, and with incandescent chambers F02B9/08) - F02B 33/40: of non-positive-displacement type - F02B 37/10: at least one pump being alternatively {or simultaneously} driven by exhaust and other drive, {e.g. by pressurised fluid from a reservoir or an engine-driven pump} - F02B 37/12: Control of the pumps - F02B 37/16: by bypassing charging air - F02B 39/10: electric - F02B 75/02: Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke - F02B 75/04: Engines with variable distances between pistons at top dead-centre positions and cylinder heads - F02B 75/042: {the cylinderhead comprising a counter-piston} - F02B 77/11: Thermal or acoustic insulation - F02D 15/04: by alteration of volume of compression space without changing piston stroke - F02M 35/10157: {Supercharged engines} - F16L 37/26: in which the connection is made by transversely moving the parts together, with or without their subsequent rotation - F02B 2019/006: {with thermal insulation} - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract One of the two combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine using variable compression ratio and fuel charge, VCRC engine, is improved. These improvements involve adding another, second combustion chamber for mixing products of the first combustion with engine air and refining the insulation of engine heat in the engine process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spark ignition internal combustion engine comprising: a piston/cylinder assembly in which output torque is controlled by control of fuel delivery, and pollutants are minimized while efficiency is enhanced by sequential combustion sequences starting in an auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume including a device to initiate ignition of a mixture of fuel and air in a first phase of combustion, with the mixture being sufficiently richer than stoichiometric to suppress the formation of oxides of nitrogen, said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume containing substantially all the fuel to be burned in one cycle together with only some of the air to be burned in one cycle; an intermediate chamber between said auxiliary cyclically varying expansion volume and the interior of said cylinder of said piston/cylinder assembly, such that within said intermediate chamber all said fuel which was unburned during said first phase of combustion in said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume is substantially completely combined with oxygen prior to entering said interior of said cylinder, and insulation substantially surrounding said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume, surrounding a passageway between said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume and said intermediate chamber and surrounding said cylinder of said piston/cylinder assembly, said insulation serving to isolate a flow in said passageway from a block of said internal combustion engine, said insulation being covered with a layer of solid material, said layer of solid material being interposed between said insulation and said flow in said passageway. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The engine as set forth in claim 1 in which said layer of solid material is of sufficient thickness to integrate thermal heating of the beginning of said first phase of combustion to such a degree that a surface temperature of said layer of solid material does not exceed a pre-ignition temperature of fuel and air in said passageway. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The engine as set forth in claim 1 in which said insulation is fabricated of closed cell metal foam. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The engine as set forth in claim 1 in which said insulation is fabricated of closed cell ceramic foam. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The engine as set forth in claim 2 including a twisted sheet metal within said passageway between said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume and said intermediate chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The engine as set forth in claim 5 in which said twisted sheet metal is positioned to intercept all the fuel injected to said engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The engine as set forth in claim 6 in which said twisted sheet metal is twisted continuously around a centerline of said passageway between said auxiliary cyclically varying expansion volume and said intermediate chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The engine as set forth in claim 7 in which said centerline of said twisted sheet metal is coincident with a centerline of a fuel injector of said engine. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The engine as set forth in claim 6 in which said centerline of said twisted sheet metal is coincident with the centerline of the fuel injector of said engine and further includes an electric heater combined with said twisted sheet metal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The engine as set forth in claim 9 in which said twisted sheet metal, said fuel injector and said electric heater are combined into one component. ### Claim 11 A spark ignition internal combustion engine comprising: a piston/cylinder assembly in which output torque is controlled by control of fuel delivery, and pollutants are minimized while efficiency is enhanced by sequential combustion sequences starting in an auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume including a device to initiate ignition of a mixture of fuel and air in a first phase of combustion, with the mixture being sufficiently richer than stoichiometric to suppress the formation of oxides of nitrogen, said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume containing substantially all the fuel to be burned in one cycle together with only some of the air to be burned in one cycle; an intermediate chamber between said auxiliary cyclically varying expansion volume and the interior of said cylinder of said piston/cylinder assembly, such that within said intermediate chamber all said fuel which was unburned during said first phase of combustion in said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume is substantially completely combined with oxygen prior to entering said interior of said cylinder; and insulation substantially surrounding said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume when said volume is at its minimum when said internal combustion engine is producing power. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The engine as set forth in claim 11 in which said insulation surrounding said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume is covered with a layer of solid material, said layer of solid material being interposed between said insulation and said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The engine as set forth in claim 12 in which said layer of solid material is of sufficient thickness to integrate thermal heating of the beginning of said first phase of combustion to such a degree that a surface temperature of said layer of solid material does not exceed a pre-ignition temperature of fuel and air in said cyclically varying expansion volume. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The engine as set forth in claim 12 in which said piston of said piston/cylinder assembly has an area facing a main, cyclically varying expansion volume of said piston/cylinder assembly, said area of said piston being insulated from said piston. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The engine as set forth in claim 14 in which said area comprises insulation movable with said piston. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The engine as set forth in claim 14 above in which said area is sheet metal movable with said piston, said sheet metal being separated from said piston in said area insulated from said piston and in which gas in said separated area forms said insulation. ### Claim 17 A spark ignition internal combustion engine comprising: a piston/cylinder assembly in which output torque is controlled by control of fuel delivery, and pollutants are minimized while efficiency is enhanced by sequential combustion sequences starting in an auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume including a device to initiate ignition of a mixture of fuel and air in a first phase of combustion, with the mixture being sufficiently richer than stoichiometric to suppress the formation of oxides of nitrogen, said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume containing substantially all the fuel to be burned in one cycle together with only some of the air to be burned in one cycle; and an intermediate chamber between said auxiliary cyclically varying expansion volume and the interior of said cylinder of said piston/cylinder assembly, such that within said intermediate chamber all said fuel which was unburned during said first phase of combustion in said auxiliary, cyclically varying expansion volume is substantially completely combined with oxygen prior to entering said interior of said cylinder, said intermediate chamber being contained within a component fabricated of stainless steel closed cell foam.