Internal combustion engines
OwnerNigel A. Buchanan, I. Kurt Roseninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine has a chamber that has a longitudinal centerline, inlet valving operable to admit constituents of a combustible mixture into the chamber for combustion in the chamber to provide a pressure increase in the chamber and outlet valving operable to release an outflow of liquid from the chamber under an influence of the pressure increase. An annular flow passage is defined in the chamber to conduct liquid towards the outlet valving and cause spiraling of the liquid in the flow passage by which a rotatable part exposed to the spiraling flow is caused to rotate. An electrical generator disposed externally of the chamber is driven by rotation of the rotatable part.
Claims35
A power generation method in an internal combustion engine comprising:
- providing a combustible mixture in a chamber;
- providing a liquid in said chamber;
- closing said chamber and combusting said combustible mixture in said closed chamber to provide a pressure increase that acts on said liquid in said chamber to cause said liquid to flow towards an outlet of said chamber along a spiraling flow passage that is at least in part defined by a spiraling wall disposed in said chamber, wherein a member provided in said chamber is rotated by spiraling flow of said liquid induced by said spiraling flowing passage and an electrical generator coupled with said member is driven by rotation of said member;
- and
- opening said outlet to release at least a portion of said liquid from said chamber as an energy output of said internal combustion engine.
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a chamber having a longitudinal axis;
- inlet valving operable to admit constituents of a combustible mixture into said chamber for combustion therein to provide a pressure increase in said chamber;
- outlet valving operable to release an outflow of liquid from said chamber that is driven towards said outlet valving under an influence of said pressure increase as an energy output of said chamber;
- a spiraling wall in said chamber that at least in part defines a spiraling flow passage along which said liquid flows towards said outlet valving;
- wherein said spiraling flow passage has a cross-section area in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis that remains equal or decreases in a downstream direction of said flow passage;
- and
- wherein said chamber has an inlet end region and an outlet end region, said inlet valving is disposed at said inlet end region, said outlet valving is disposed at said outlet end region and said flow passage is in part defined by a sidewall of said chamber that tapers outwardly with respect to said longitudinal axis as it approaches said outlet end region.
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a chamber having a longitudinal centerline;
- inlet valving operable to admit constituents of a combustible mixture into said chamber for combustion in said chamber to provide a pressure increase in said chamber;
- outlet valving operable to release an outflow of liquid from said chamber that is driven towards said outlet valving under an influence of said pressure increase as an energy output of said chamber;
- an annular flow passage defined in said chamber, said annular flow passage configured to conduct said liquid towards said outlet valving and cause a spiraling flow of said liquid in said flow passage by which a rotatable part exposed to said spiraling flow is caused to rotate;
- an electrical generator to be driven by rotation of said rotatable part;
- and
- wherein said annular flow passage has a downstream direction, diverges from said centerline in said downstream direction and has a cross-section area in a direction perpendicular to said centerline that remains equal or decreases in said downstream direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.