Robert Boschgmbh

Reinhard Latsch

Valerio Bianchi

Hans Schlembach

Ernst Linder

Dieter Scherenberg

Helmut Maurer

Peter Jurgen Schmidt

Johannes Brettschneider

Franz Rieger

Josef Wahl

Hans Georg Zeller

Peter-Jurgen Schmidt

Erich Breuser

Klaus D Muller

Winfried Moser

Walter Benedikt

Eckart Damson

Rainer Schussler

Jurgen Assenheimer

Gerhard Muller

Gerhard Kistner

Herbert Schindler

Siegfried Metcher

Hans Weidner

Heinz Schober

Franz Bamer

Gernot Wurfel

Wilhelm Grozinger

Reiner Burkel

An internal combustion engine in which each cylinder or combustion volume includes a separate ignition chamber which communicates with the main combustion chamber through a relatively narrow channel or channels. The combustible mixture is delivered to the separate chamber exclusively through these channels by the compressive action of the piston and is ignited there by a suitable electrical spark, for example. There is no additional admission of fuel or fuel mixture to the separate ignition chamber. The channel or channels terminate in the ignition chamber in such a manner, for example, tangentially, that one or more vortices are generated in the chamber prior to ignition. The channels are so oriented that the emerging igniter flames are directed to potential hot cells in the main combustion chamber where auto-ignition could occur.

Externally ignited internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine has at least one combustion chamber, an inlet conduit leading to it, and an adjustable means for varying flows of a medium, such as air or a fuel-air mixture, flowing into the combustion chamber for the sake of an optimized acceleration of curves defined by the process of combustion, so that economical engine operation is attained while producing as little in the way of toxic exhaust gas components as possible. An adjusting motor acting upon the means is controlled by a regulator, which is connected via a comparator with a set-point value transducer and an actual-value transducer. The actual-value transducer includes an optoelectric sensor connected to the combustion chamber for measuring the curves of combustion. The set-point value transducer indicates a set-point value for optimal curves of combustion, and the regulator, via the adjustable means, reduces any difference that may exist between the set-point value and the actual value.

Internal combustion engine

To permit adjustment of the combination sparkplug-optical sensor for heat transfer upon operation of the sensor-sparkplug combination as a sparkplug, in accordance with known sparkplug technology, the insulator of the sparkplug is formed with a central opening in which a material is included which is electrically conductive and providing for controlled heat transfer, for example a packing or a mixture of aluminum oxide with a conductive powder, such as graphite, aluminum, or copper; or, alternatively, sheet metal elements may be located therein providing controlled radial engagement around a central glass rod forming the optical sensor and the inner wall of the opening and the insulator (FIG. 2); or, alternatively, axially resilient elements, such as a bellows-like corrugated metal element (FIG. 3) or a stack of spring disks (FIG. 4) may be positioned in the opening, axially biased by screwing the connecting terminal (10) into a tapped opening of the insulator. Heat transfer or transmission control is effected by introducing between metallic components of the combination and the glass rod a heat conductive mass (2) which fills the space between the glass rod and the metallic components over a predetermined length, in accordance with desired heat transfer characteristics.

Combination sparkplug and combustion process sensor

An apparatus for igniting lean fuel-air mixtures and wherein a preferably insertable ignition chamber is provided in the wall of an internal combustion engine, which ignition chamber communicates with the main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine via a plurality of channels. At least one of the channels serves the purpose of delivering a portion of the fresh mixture entering from the main combustion chamber into the first ignition chamber in a direct stream into the rear portion thereof, remote from the combustion chamber, of the first ignition chamber. The other mixture portion of the fresh mixture charge of the ignition chamber is set into rotating motion in the swirl ignition chamber via channels discharging tangentially, on the combustion chamber side, into this chamber, so that a regulated turbulence is established the axial motion component of which is braked, as it advances in the swirl ignition chamber, by means of the fresh charge flowing back out of the rear first ignition chamber portion. In this manner, a substantial increase is attained in the first ignition capacity of the mixture in the ignition chamber.

Method for igniting lean fuel-air mixtures and an apparatus to perform

A spark-plug assembly comprises a fitting mounted on the piston cylinder of an internal-combustion engine and formed with a generally closed firing chamber, at least one firing port extending between the firing chamber and the piston cylinder for fluid communication therebetween, and a storage compartment opening only into the firing chamber. The fitting being provided with a flame-blocking element or formation preventing the entrance of a flame front from the firing chamber into the storage compartment. This firing chamber is open substantially only to the storage compartment and to the piston cylinder. A spark plug has electrodes in the firing chamber. The electrodes form a spark gap lying in the firing chamber between the storage compartment and the port and the storage compartment opens only into the firing chamber.

Spark-plug assembly for internal-combustion engine

An ignition plug for an internal combustion engine, and an internal combustion engine provided therewith, has first and second ignition chamber parts communicating with one another, an electrode supported on an insulator and a mass electrode and at least one overflow passage arranged to communicate with a main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine with an ignition chamber of the ignition plug, wherein the overflow passage is open directly into the second ignition chamber part from an end wall bounding the first ignition chamber part and is located inside an inner parallel surface of a circumferential wall of the second ignition chamber part.

Ignition plug with ignition chamber, and internal combustion engine

A separately ignited internal combustion engine and/or an ignition chamber insert for insertion into the combustion wall of an internal combustion engine is proposed with an ignition chamber which is connected to the main combustion chamber via several overflow channels. The ignition chamber is composed of a forward section with a small, and a rear section with a large diameter into which a straight center electrode protrudes which is surrounded with an insulator in the manner of a common spark plug. The ignition takes place at the transition between the forward section and the rear section between ignition chamber wall and center electrode. The forward section of the ignition chamber is connectable to the main combustion chamber via first overflow channels which discharge tangentially into said forward section and via a second overflow channel discharging coaxially to the ignition chamber insert.

Separately ignited internal combustion engine with at least one main

A method for igniting lean fuel-air mixtures and an apparatus for performing this method are described, wherein a preferably insertable ignition chamber is provided in the wall of an internal combustion engine, which ignition chamber communicates with the main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine via a plurality of channels. At least one of the channels serves the purpose of delivering a portion of the fresh mixture entering from the main combustion chamber into the first ignition chamber in a direct stream into the rear portion thereof, remote from the combustion chamber, of the first ignition chamber. The other mixture portion of the fresh mixture charge of the ignition chamber is set into rotating motion in the swirl ignition chamber via channels discharging tangentially, on the combustion chamber side, into this chamber, so that a regulated turbulence is established the axial motion component of which is braked, as it advances in the swirl ignition chamber, by means of the fresh charge flowing back out of the rear first ignition chamber portion. In this manner, a substantial increase is attained in the first ignition capacity of the mixture in the ignition chamber.

An internal combustion engine is provided with an ion current sensor in the exhaust conduit. The sensor may be simply a spark plug across which is applied the vehicle battery voltage. The operation of the engine at various values of mixture composition yields characteristic curves for the ion current and for the fluctuations in the ion current as a function of the air number. These characteristic data are used to provide set point values against which the prevailing ion current is compared. If a set point value is exceeded, the fuel-air mixture is adjusted accordingly by an integral controller.

Method and apparatus for controlling the composition of the combustible

A method for closed-loop control of the instant of ignition is proposed, in which the position of the peak combustion chamber pressure after top dead center is ascertained with the aid of an ionic current and made to assume a set-point value for this position. In this manner, a very simple probe having inexpensive circuitry can be used for optimizing the instant of ignition.

Method for closed-loop control of the instant of ignition

An ignition chamber unit to be arranged on a main combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine has walls forming a separate ignition chamber having a first wall which separates the ignition chamber from the main combustion chamber and has at least one passage arranged in the first wall to connect the ignition chamber with the combustion chamber, a center electrode provided in the ignition chamber and forming together with the first wall a spark gap and also having a free end which extends into the ignition chamber, wherein the electrode is hollow near the free end and is formed as a heat pipe, and an insulator with an insulator shoe which extends into the ignition chamber and supports the center electrode so that the insulator together with the insulator shoe forms an insulating gap.

An ignition chamber device is described which has an elongated, rotationally symmetrical form. The wall of the ignition chamber which protrudes into the main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine has a coaxial overflow conduit embodied by a nozzle and radially extending discharge conduits which extend into the annular chamber which surrounds the nozzle. The ignition chamber is provided with an ignition device which has a central electrode that leads from the outside into the interior and by means of this central electrode the ignition voltage is carried via a conductor path, disposed in the wall, to a wall location opposite the nozzle, from where the ignition spark can leap the gap. A heat pipe is disposed in the nozzle and includes a portion arranged in close proximity to the cylinder wall, which prevents the ignition chamber from becoming overheated and on the other hand also enables the inflowing mixture to be heated up in optimal fashion on the way to the ignition location.

Internal combustion engine with externally supplied ignition having an

A method is proposed for the closed-loop control of the composition of the operational mixture furnished an internal combustion engine, in which the location of the peak combustion chamber pressure is ascertained relative to top dead center during sequential work cycles and a control signal is formed from the fluctuations in the occurrance of the peak combustion chamber pressure from top dead center, by means of which control signal a permissible extent of fluctuation is established by means of influencing components of the operational mixture or the ignition angle.

Method for closed-loop control of the ignition angle or the composition

A method and apparatus for closed-loop control of the air number .lambda. in self-igniting internal combustion engines, wherein with the aid of an ion current sensor disposed in the immediate vicinity of an outlet valve, the extent of the post combustion reaction of the exiting exhaust gases is detected and the ion current produced is compared with a set-point value, which lies within the ion current characteristic curve, which sharply drops within the air number range of .lambda.=1.0-1.5. In accordance with the result of the comparison, one component of the operating mixture of the engine is varied in amount in corrective fashion, so that the set-point value of the ion current is maintained and thus the permissible soot number of the exhaust gas is not exceeded.

Method and apparatus for closed-loop control of the air number in a

A closed-loop control of the instant of ignition is proposed, in which, with the aid of an ionic current sensor, the end of the ignition phase of an operational mixture of an internal combustion engine is ascertained as an actual value and the instant of ignition is corrected in accordance with the deviation of this actual value from a set-point value relating to the crankshaft angle. In this manner, the instant of ignition in externally ignited internal combustion engines, or the instant of injection in compression ignition engines, can be optimized by simple means, without expensive adjusting devices for the ignition angle or for the instant of injection. In addition, it is possible with a closed-loop control of this kind to perform an optimal adaptation of the ignition to varying peripheral circumstances such as the thermal status of the engine, characteristics of the fuel and of the combustion air, engine wear, and so forth.

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Vaihingen, Germany

Reinhard Latsch