Internal combustion reciprocating engine and method for burning a

Abstract

An internal combustion reciprocating engine includes a cylinder defining a main combustion chamber, a piston reciprocally movable in the cylinder, and a cylinder head providing an end wall for the main combustion chamber. A body is mounted in the cylinder head and is provided with an end wall substantially coincident with the main combustion chamber end wall, the body defining a pre-chamber and a passage interconnecting the pre-chamber and the cylinder. The body is in contact with the cylinder head only proximate the end wall of the body, the remainder of the body being insulated from the cylinder head, to store heat for heating air and vaporizing fuel introduced into the pre-chamber. A fuel inlet is in communication with the pre-chamber, and a spark source is mounted in the body and exposed to the pre-chamber. The invention further contemplates a method for burning a mixture of fuel and air in an internal combustion engine having a cylinder defining a main combustion chamber, and a piston reciprocally movable in the cylinder, the method comprising the steps of igniting a mixture of fuel and air in a pre-chamber, and directing a high velocity jet of air and remaining unburned fuel in fine droplet form from the pre-chamber and into the main combustion chamber wherein the high-velocity jet causes vaporization, ignition and combustion of the remaining unburned fuel in the main combustion chamber.