Ford Motor Company Limited

Peter H Havstad

Aladar O Simko

Vemulapalli D Rao

Wallace R Wade

Rodney John Tabaczynski

Joseph A Harrington

A method of operating an automotive type internal combustion engine to improve the efficiency and power, fuel economy, and emission control is obtained by phase shifting of both the intake and exhaust valve timing schedules or events, coupled with the use of reed valves in each intake port to restrict the backflow of exhaust gases into the intake port, and essentially unthrottled operation except where necessary to maintain engine stability, the reed valves also providing for a controlled internal EGR system. The phase shifting and use of intake reed valves will optimize the intake and exhaust event timing at the four major engine operating conditions of idle speed, part load, and wide open throttle low speed and high speed operation.

Method of operating an automotive type internal combustion engine

An apparatus for providing a gas phase film lubrication between a reciprocal piston and a cylinder of an uncooled oilless internal combustion engine; the piston is effective to drive a rotary crankshaft in response to an expanding gas charge. The apparatus comprises: (a) means connecting the crankshaft to said piston for transferring reciprocal thrust into rotary thrust, such means aligning the piston concentrically within the cylinder wall to limit the imposition of side loads on said piston (i.e., less than 80 psi); (b) interfacing walls on the piston and cylinder (i) sized to provide a predetermined annular gap therebetween at ambient conditions that has a radial dimension in the range of 0.001.+-.0.0005 inches, (ii) consisting of matched materials that prevent closure of the gap due to thermal expansion under the maximum temperature differential to be experienced between the piston and cylinder wall, and (iii) are preshaped to anticipate any thermal growth of the interfacing walls for maintaining the annular gap substantially constant at elevated temperatures.

Uncooled oilless internal combustion engine having uniform gas squeeze

Method of operating an engine with a high heat of vaporization fuel

A method is disclosed for predicting the service life of silicon nitride material under operating conditions of a ceramic turbine engine in whch an article is subjected to high temperatures under oxidizing conditions. The method for selecting a silicon nitride article to be used under these high temperature oxidizing conditions is generally as follows. A determination is made of the weight gain of a silicon nitride article under oxidizing conditions for a testing period of at least 12 hours at a temperature in the range from about 1800.degree. F. (932.degree. C.) to about 2500.degree. F. (1371.degree. C.). The weight gain determination is made after the silicon nitride article has been manufactured, and prior to its being subjected to any previous high temperature oxidizing conditions. The weight the silicon nitride article would gain at a projected time, which is a number of hours greater than the testing period, is empirically determined from the weight gain determinations made in the testing period. The silicon nitride article is accepted or rejected for further use under high temperature oxidizing conditions based upon the empirically determined weight gain at the projected time. For example, if the amount of weight gained at the projected time is too great, the article is rejected as being one which will not have a long life under high temperature oxidizing conditions.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Peter H Havstad