Sonex Research, Inc.

Carlo Leto Di Priolo

Andrew A Pouring

William P McCowan

Charles C Failla

Dennis Gosewisch

Bruce Rankin

A diesel cycle, direct injected internal combustion engine is provided with a piston recess or bowl into which fuel is injected each combustion cycle. One or more reaction chambers adjacent the piston recess are in communication with the recess through an array of discrete orifices located along the side wall of the recess. Partial reaction of fuel and air in the reaction chambers each combustion cycle produces radicals including intermediate species for seeding a fuel air mixture of a following combustion cycle through a delayed discharge of radicals from the reaction chamber into the piston recess. The discrete orifices are arranged in a specific array that ensures a desired chaotic flow in the reaction chambers and maximum interaction between radicals discharged from the reaction chamber and the soot cloud formed in the combustion chamber upon ignition of the fuel air mixture in the piston recess. Two or more rows of orifices may be used with at least one row located centrally along the reaction chamber cross-section and at least a second row intersecting the first row and arranged diagonally or vertically relative to the first row. The diagonal or vertical row includes orifices that intersect the reaction chamber tangentially at upper and lower regions thereof. The disclosed apparatus results in an exhaust effluent having markedly reduced smoke and particulate components.

Piston configuration for reducing smoke and particulate emissions from direct injected engines

A combustion chamber for a direct injected, reciprocating piston diesel cycle internal combustion engine in which fuel is injected into a piston recess and wherein the piston includes a reaction chamber adjacent the piston recess that communicates with the combustion chamber through a discrete orifice, wherein the orifice is located so as to discharge reaction products from the reaction chamber into the central portion of a soot cloud that is formed during combustion of fuel each combustion cycle.

Combustion chamber for direct injected reciprocating piston internal

A piston for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine is provided with a reaction chamber (44, 144) communicating with a recessed area (42, 142) of the piston through a restricted continuous slot orifice (46, 146) that is configured to create a choked fluid flow condition between the combustion chamber (30, 130) and the reaction chamber at all engine operating speeds. Fuel is supplied to the reaction chamber and undergoes a controlled, cold frame reaction process while in intimate contact with the crown portion (54) of the piston (14). The reaction produces fuel radicals in sufficient quantity to seed subsequent fuel charges to properly condition the charge for predetermined desired ignition and combustion characteristics. The choking orifice (46, 146) ensures that outward flow of radicals from the reaction chamber is controlled to the extent that they will be maintained in the combustion chamber following an exhaust event of the combustion cycle so they will be available during a subsequent compression stroke of the piston for seeding the subsequent charge. The radical population in the subsequent charge conditions the charge to obtain dependable and predictable ignition in a compression ignition engine as well as knock free combustion at relatively lean air to fuel ratios in a spark ignited engine.

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Milan, Italy

Carlo Leto Di Priolo