Ford Motor Company Limited

Robert P Ernest

Laszlo Hideg

Charles M Jones

Edwin J Ounsted

Hai Wu

An apparatus and method for improving the combustion process of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. A prechamber containing a combustible mixture is designed to generate a torch emanating therefrom upon ignition; the torch is controlled to extend and penetrate deeply into the main combustion at a predetermined orientation without contact with the chamber walls. The swirling flame front of the sustained torch produces superior mixing with the unburned combustible mixture in the main combustion, particularly of a rotary engine. The prechamber is located outside the epitrochoid chamber of the rotary engine; in a nonstratified charge mode of this invention, the prechamber serves to receive a portion of the main chamber inducted charge during the compression cycle, which may be lean and difficult to ignite in the main chamber. In the prechamber, concentrated hot walls and a localized spark facilitate ready ignition, which in turn permits generation of a torch therefrom. A scavenging system and method is disclosed which serves to drive residual gas elements from the prechamber after the completion of each combustion cycle; the scavenging apparatus may be operated with an independent gas supply, a supply derived from the carburetor or intake of the engine, or from the inducted mixture within the main chamber. The scavenging system may have fuel enrichment to create a predetermined charge stratification. A fuel injection system and method is disclosed which serves to augment or act as the sole prechamber charge. Prechamber design, chamber shape, compression ratios and engine controls are arranged to reduce combustion heat losses and selected emission constituents.

Internal combustion engine control system

An internal combustion V-8 engine is disclosed having an aluminum semi-permanent mold head cast by a low-pressure die-cast process and an iron block cast by the evaporative casting method. The block and head have controlled thickness walls throughout to optimally lower the metal/working volume ratio of the engine. The block employs barrel cylinder walls cast integrally and unsupported except at the barrel ends and at a siamese connection between adjacent barrels; the barrels are maintained under a predetermined level of compression to eliminate fatigue failure and suppress sound. The block is sand cast and the head is totally formed with a three piece die and one sand core cluster, except for one passage which is drilled subsequent to casting. The engine is reduced in weight by at least 20% over conventional comparable engines; torque and horsepower is improved even though the cooling system capacity has been reduced to less than half that of a conventional cooling system.

Low weight reciprocating engine

Method of casting a low weight reciprocating engine

A light metal die-cast head and cast iron block employ a low volume cooling system which cooperates with the differing thermal conductivity properties of said head and block. The cooling concept eliminates the conventional intricate water jacket and replaces it with continuous grooves which wrap hemi-cylindrically about each combustion cylinder in a thinly spaced relation. The grooves are exposed along their length at the deck surface of either the head or block. The total fluid mass in the system is reduced to as little as 1/5. There are two such grooves in the block which (a) extend from one end thereof to the opposite end, (b) are on opposed sides of the cylinder galleys and (c) have substantially no transverse flow in order to promote laminar or controlled flow. There is a critically located straight drilled passage along with two such grooves in the head, the combination of which is restricted in throat area when compared to the throat area of the grooves in the block; this results in a high velocity flow in the head and a low velocity flow in the block when they are connected in series flow relation. The straight longitudinally drilled passage (which may include one or more of such passages) is located in the head separating the exhaust and metal valve guides; the passage has a throat area equal to or less than the throat area of either of the grooves in the head. Heat extraction is more easily and flexibly programmed to achieve not only a more uniform wall temperature throughout the head and block, but permit a desirably slightly higher average wall temperature than conventional light metal heads for improvement in fuel economy and thermal efficiency.

Method of making air engine housing

Method of manufacturing an internal combustion engine cylinder head

Controlled flow cooling system for low weight reciprocating engine

An apparatus and method for improving the combustion process of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. A prechamber containing a combustible mixture is designed to generate a torch eminating therefrom upon ignition; the torch is controlled to extend and penetrate deeply into the main combustion at a predetermined orientation without contact with the chamber walls. The swirling flame front of the sustained torch produces superior mixing with the unburned combustible mixture in the main combustion, particularly of a rotary engine. The prechamber is located outside the epitrochoid chamber of the rotary engine; in a nonstratified charge mode of this invention, the prechamber serves to receive a portion of the main chamber inducted charge during the compression cycle, which may lean and difficult to ignite in the main chamber. In the prechamber, concentrated hot walls and a localized spark facilitate ready ignition, which in turn permits generation of a torch therefrom. A scavenging system and method is disclosed which serves to drive residual gas elements from the prechamber after the completion of each combustion cycle; the scavenging apparatus may be operated with an independent gas supply, a supply derived from the carburetor or intake of the engine, or from the inducted mixture within the main chamber. The scavenging system may have fuel enrichment to create a predetermined charge stratification. A fuel injection system and method is disclosed which serves to augment or act as the sole prechamber charge. Prechamber design, chamber shape, compression ratios and engine controls are arranged to reduce combustion heat losses and selected emission constituents.

A rotary internal combustion engine is disclosed having an apex seal assembly of the type that allows for lateral length adjustment. The assembly has an unexposed seal body portion received in a slot of the rotor, the body portion has a depth at least three times the height of the seal crown (exposed portion of seal) and is configured relative to the slot to provide a gas flow throat area to the underside of the body which is critically regulated. Grooves are defined in the leading and trailing sides of the unexposed body to reduce body portion mass by at least 20%, to reduce the uninterrupted body side wall contact area with the slot side wall by at least 40% thereby to increase unit sealing pressure and to create lands along the sides of said unexposed body portion which are short in depth to create a short flow throat equal to or less than 0.04 inch in depth. Symmetrical means is disposed in said rotor for communicating chamber pressure on the opposite sides of said seal through said rotor with the respective grooves for applying a vector force sufficient to stably move the seal body to or from the leading or trailing slot position with substantially no time lag in the variance of pressure beneath the seal and that of the highest pressure on either side of the seal. The seal configuration eliminates gas leakage that would occur if the seal crown were allowed to leave the epitrochoid chamber surface during a seal shift, (b) eliminates gas leakage between the side of the seal body and a slot side wall that are intended to be sealingly engaged, and (c) reduces gas leakage that travels under the seal between chambers during a seal shift.

I-Beam apex seal

An apparatus and method for improving the combustion process of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. A prechamber containing a combustible mixture is designed to generate a torch eminating thereform upon ignition; the torch is controlled to extend and penetrate deeply into the main combustion at a predetermined orientation without contact with the chamber walls. The swirling flame front of the sustained torch produces superior mixing with the unburned combustible mixture in the main combustion, particularly of a rotary engine. The prechamber is located outside the epitrochoid chamber of the rotary engine; in a nonstratified charge mode of this invention, the prechamber serves to receive a portion of the main chamber inducted charge during the compression cycle, which may lean and difficult to ignite in the main chamber. In the prechamber, concentrated hot walls and a localized spark facilitate ready ignition, which in turn permits generation of a torch therefrom. A scavenging system and method is disclosed which serves to drive residual gas elements from the prechamber after the completion of each combustion cycle; the scavenging apparatus may be operated with an independent gas supply, a supply derived from the carburetor or intake of the engine, or from the inducted mixture within the main chamber. The scavenging system may have fuel enrichment to create a pedetermined charge stratification. A fuel injection system and method is disclosed which serves to augment or act as the sole prechamber charge. Prechamber design, chamber shape, compression ratios and engine controls are arranged to reduce combustion heat losses and selected emission constituents.

An induction and exhaust system for a rotary engine is disclosed which has a wing-type reed valve assembly disposed in the intake port of said system and effective to respond instantaneously to a back-flow differential pressure for closing the intake port; the assembly is capable of cycling at least 120 times/second. The system substantially eliminates various types of dilution and variance of the inducted mixture enabling a high velocity peripherally ported engine to deliver an improved low end engine torque characteristic and improved overall fuel economy for a passenger automotive vehicle. Various types of wing reed valve constructions are illustrated, the preferred mode having 16 reed valves arranged with the trailing edge of the assembly cage aligned with the exit of the intake port; the center line of the intake port is located substantially at theoretical zero pressure difference between the adjacent chambers defined by the rotor and housing. A multiple-staged carburetor increases road load induction velocities and the induction air fuel mixture is heated by the exhaust system in a controllable manner through the use of a modulating flapper valve disposed in a heat transfer section.

Induction-exhaust system for a rotary engine

A rotary engine employing an improved circumferential flow cooling system is employed to provide an increase in fuel economy and engine efficiency. Each housing unit has its own distinct flow circuit with the total volume of cooling medium being variably distributed among such units. The circuits employ flow foils, flow turbulizers, velocity variation and a variable epitrochoid wall thickness to provide flow characteristics which vary along the stations of the circuit. The variations promote a more uniform engine wall temperature throughout, the coolant can be operated at a higher overall temperature, and heat is transferred (extracted or injected) on a programmed basis along the flow circuit as needed.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn Heights, MI, United States of America

Robert P Ernest