Other

Southwest Research Institute

Dimitrios Dardalis

Carl Robert Deckard

Matthew Richard Jackson

Shweta Harve

Fermin Baeza

Ashok Nedungadi

Mark Walls

This invention has two main embodiments. An opposed piston 2-stroke axial engine and a 4-stroke axial engine. The opposed piston two stroke also offers an option of a novel cylinder deactivation design. Both, two stroke and four stroke engines share novel systems for coupling piston reciprocation to shaft rotation, piston and piston ring lubricant distribution, and provision for reacting out piston side load with minimum mechanical friction.

System and method for opposed piston barrel engine

A number of magnetically assisted latch mechanisms are presented, where the latching and unlatching action is done with reduced user effort, therefore promoting speed and efficiency without sacrificing the strength of the bond of the connected components. The latching mechanisms are designed to secure panels or other similar small and large mostly flat components. The latching method is done by a rotating component that takes all the separating load once rotated into the locked position. The rotatable lock, or hammer, is also locked itself into position to prevent accidental movement by the hammer.

Magnet, pin, and spring assisted lockable horizontally and vertically aligning ergonomic novel latch mechanisms

An improved sealing system for a poppet valve rotating sleeve internal combustion engine with rotating liners. A hydrodynamic face seal assembly includes a spring pre-load assembly provides a uniform loading to a primary sealing ring. A secondary seal is provided between the primary sealing ring and the cylinder head. Hydrodynamic face seal features are provided either on the mating face of the primary sealing ring or on the annular face of the rotating liner. The hydrodynamic face seal features include an inner sealing zone, and an outer loading zone with a plurality of hydrodynamic lift pads, and dam features which create converging surfaces. A lubricant is provided to the annular face of the rotating liner, so that a lubricant layer can be maintained between the primary sealing ring mating face and the rotating liner.

Method and apparatus for rotating sleeve engine hydrodynamic seal

A rotating liner driving mechanism for converting existing engines castings to a rotating liner configuration (RLE) with minor changes to the engine or casting. A pulley is connected to the main accessory belt in the front of the engine and drives a shaft parallel to the crankshaft but external to the engine. Via a 90 degree gearbox, the driving rotation is turned about normal to the crankshaft and block deck face. This shaft drives a driving gear through a gear cover, which then drives one of the liners. Gears in the liner flanges propagate the rotation to all liners. An inline engine needs only one set of pulleys and driving mechanisms, but a V-engine may require two, one for each bank of cylinders. The driving pulley can have mechanisms included so that the gear ratio between crankshaft and rotating liners can be varied during engine operation.

Method and apparatus for rotating liners in a rotating liner engine

A hydrodynamic face sealfor sealing between the cylinder headand rotating sleeveof a rotating liner engine. The face of the face seal provides a sealing zonefor maintaining a lubricant layer of about 2 micrometers between the face seal and the sleeve; and a loading zone. The loading zone includes hydrodynamic lift features such as inclined padsor recessed step pads. Oil is supplied to annular oil supply passagebetween the sealing zone and the loading zone, and flows from the annular oil supply passage to radial passageslocated between the step pads. A spring pre-load is provided to the seal. An outer secondary sealis provided to contain the lubricant. One or more inner secondary seals is provided to contain lubricant and combustion gases. Spiral oil pumping grooves may be provided.

Apparatus and method for rotating sleeve engine hydrodynamic seal

An internal combustion engine is provided including at least one cylinder having a conventional valvetrain. The valvetrain consists of at least one camshaft, at least one intake poppet valve per cylinder activated by the camshaft and at least one exhaust valve per cylinder activated by the camshaft as well. Rotably disposed within the engine block is a rotatable cylinder liner which is supported from the block with at least two journal bearings. A piston is mounted in each liner for reciprocating movement therein. A connecting rod connects each piston to a crankshaft converting the reciprocating motion to crank rotation. The sleeve rotates with the objective of improving the lubrication conditions of the piston rings and piston. The reduction in friction coefficient between the piston rings and liner at certain portions of the cycle will result in significant frictional benefits. The motion of the liner will result in continuous fluid lubrication which results in severe reduction of piston ring and liner wear.

Rotating sleeve engine

An improved sealing means for internal combustion engines comprising a combination of a metal primary sealing ring positioned substantially within a groove on the piston, and a compliant secondary sealing ring positioned in the groove behind the primary compression ring so that the compressed combustion gases force the compliant secondary sealing ring to form a seal between the groove and the primary sealing ring. In the preferred embodiment, the gapped ring is non-planar in order to provide effective sealing in a ported fixed-piston, rotating and translating cylinder engine such as the Deckard engine. Alternate embodiments include gapless rings with only a primary compression ring, and gapless rings with a compliant secondary sealing ring. An alternate embodiment is a single piece metal-capped compliant secondary sealing ring.

Apparatus and method for sealing internal combustion engines

A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electric motor/generator and a battery. The drivetrain includes a planetary gear in which the engine is coupled to the sun gear, the motor/generator to the ring gear and the vehicle wheels to the carrier of the planetary. A controller switches the vehicle between electric, assist, charge and regenerative modes of operation and substantially decouples the engine speed from the vehicle speed, enabling the engine to operate at peak efficiency. Additional overdrives are included to enable the engine to operate at optimum speed in the various modes of operation.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Dimitrios Dardalis