CA1174173A - Engine intake valve with heat pipe - Google Patents
Engine intake valve with heat pipeInfo
- Publication number
- CA1174173A CA1174173A CA000393340A CA393340A CA1174173A CA 1174173 A CA1174173 A CA 1174173A CA 000393340 A CA000393340 A CA 000393340A CA 393340 A CA393340 A CA 393340A CA 1174173 A CA1174173 A CA 1174173A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- valve
- stem
- internal
- head
- chamber
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01L3/00—Lift-valve, i.e. cut-off apparatus with closure members having at least a component of their opening and closing motion perpendicular to the closing faces; Parts or accessories thereof
- F01L3/12—Cooling of valves
- F01L3/14—Cooling of valves by means of a liquid or solid coolant, e.g. sodium, in a closed chamber in a valve
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Cylinder Crankcases Of Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
- Fuel-Injection Apparatus (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An internal combustion engine intake valve with an internal heat pipe. The valve stem and valve head are hollow and have a wicking material fixed to the internal hollow surface. A coolant material is contained within the hollow valve. A heat exchanger is provided on the outer surface of the stem at the valve operator end. The portion of the valve in the fuel intake system is main-tained at a temperature that will prevent the addition of heat to the fuel charge from the valve thus reducing the possibility of autoignition due to heating of the fuel charge.
An internal combustion engine intake valve with an internal heat pipe. The valve stem and valve head are hollow and have a wicking material fixed to the internal hollow surface. A coolant material is contained within the hollow valve. A heat exchanger is provided on the outer surface of the stem at the valve operator end. The portion of the valve in the fuel intake system is main-tained at a temperature that will prevent the addition of heat to the fuel charge from the valve thus reducing the possibility of autoignition due to heating of the fuel charge.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an intake valve and 05 particularly a fuel intake valve for an internal combus-tion engine.
BAC GROUND OF THE INVENTION
The internal combustion engine and the fuels consumed in such engines have both undergone recent significant changes. The internal combustion engine as presently used in motor vehicles has been reduced substan-tially in size, to reduce engine weight, and the engine has been designed to accomplish higher horsepower per weight ratios than engines of previous design. Concur-rently, the fuels available for operating such engineshave been reformulated to accomplish improved combustion within the engine and to reduce engine emissions which may contribute to undesirable air polution. The combination of the engine and fuel modifications has changed the manner in whish engine efficiency is accomplished. For example, whereas in years past it was possible to accom-plish increased horsepower from an engine design by increasing the compression ratio and using a fuel of higher octane, it is now economically difficult to produce the required high octane fuels from available crude petro-leum stock and the addition of octane-improving additives has been severely restricted. Alternate approaches to accomplishing the engine horsepower maximization with the available fuels are therefore being considered.
It is known that the power available from an internal combustion engine can be increased by reducing the temperature of input fuel charge. See National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Technical Note No.
839, Rise in Temperature of the Charge in its Passage Through the Inlet Valve and Port of an Air-Cooled Aircraft ~74~73 01 Engine Cylinder, by J. E. Forbes and E. S. Taylor, 1942.
The present invention relates to a method and means for treating the input fuel charge to an internal combustion engine prior to entry of the fuel charge into s the combustion chamber with a novel intake valve design.
PRIOR ART
Prior art engines have included input fuel charge cooling by design of the fuel input manifold including the seat against which an intake valve oper-ates. The usual objective of such manifold designs is toprovide an efficient fuel path from the fuel source to the combustion zone and a valve closure that assures complete sealing of the combustion zone prior to the compression of the fuel charge in the combustion chamber. Intake mani-fold and valve seat designs have provided for valve seatcooling to avoid warping of the valve seat with the resultant incomplete sealing and therefore loss of compression within the combustion chamber.
Some attention has been directed to the intake valve design to provide for dissipation of heat, but such attention has been directed to removal of heat to avoid damage to the valve and to insure prope~r valve seating rather than for controlling the temperature of the input fuel charge. In the most part, such valve cooling designs have been directed toward exhaust valves rather than intake valves. See U.S. Patent 3,892,210, issued July 1, 1975, 4,000,730, issued January 4, 1977, and 4,182,282, issued January 8, 1980.
Exhaust valves have been designed with hollow stem and head construction to provide an internal chamber for containing a coolant. See U.S. Patent 3,871,339, issued March 18, 1975, and 4,164,957, issued August 21, 1979.
01 In each of these prior art designs, the objective is to cool the valve itself to avoid damage to ~ the valve.
OS SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to an intake valve for an internal combustion engine and a method of supply-ing a lower temperature input fuel charge to an internal combustion engine whereby the power derived from the internal combustion engine may be increased without modification of the design of the combustion chamber or the formulation of the input fuel charge, or the power derived from the engine may be maintained while using a lower octane rated fuel.
15Autoignition of the fuel charge in an internal combustion engine is known to result in a reduction of engine efficiency. Autoignition in spark-fired engines is the extremely rapid combustion of the last part of the fuel charge to burn in the combustion chamber. When Auto-ignition occurs, it results in a rapid rise in combustion chamber pressure above that for normal combustion and causes high frequency pressure fluctuations and an audible sound that is referred to as knock. When knock occurs, large amounts of heat are transferred to engine parts resulting in a loss of power and, if sustained, can result in engine damage.
The foregoing Technical Note No. 839 of J. E.
Forbes and E.S. Taylor observes that a decrease in average valve-and-seat temperature of 45F, which results in a 5F
reduction in fuel charge temperature in their test engine, permitted an increase in mean effective pressure for the input fuel charge while maintaining the tendency for knock constant. They conclude that, in their engine, a 10F
reduction in inlet valve-and-seat temperature should permit an increase of approximately 0.7 percent in 117 ~
indicated horsepower without increasing the tendency toward knock.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an internal combustion engine intake valve comprising:
(a) an elongated stem, (b) a head disposed on one end of said stem and defining an annular cap and a neck portion between said cap and said stem, (c) an internal channel within said stem, (d) an internal chamber within said head, (e) a coolant material within said valve, (f) a wicking material on the surface of said internal channel and internal chamber, (g) said internal channel and internal chamber being connected to provide a passageway for said coolant material between said head and said stem, (h) and heat exchanger means on said stem at the end spaced from said one end.
A reduction in fuel charge temperature is accomplished by the valve design herein shown. The object of the invention is to accomplish a reduction in heat transferred to the fuel charge by passing the fuel charge through an intake system having a valve with heat dissipating elements.
The invention also provides a method for reducing the tendency toward auto-ignition in an internal combustion engine without changing engine design, engine operating conditions or fuel composition comprising the steps of:
(a) passing the input fuel charge to the combustion chamber of said engine over a cooled intake valve whereby the temperature of said input fuel charge is maintained.
Features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the appended drawings 117 ~
and specification illustrating a preferred embodiment wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a partial sectional view through a cylinder of an internal combustion engine showing the fuel intake path and an intake valve in said path;
FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the valve of the present invention;
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines A-A of FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 1 illustrates a partial sectional view through the cylinder of an internal combustion engine. As illustrated, a piston 10 is operated by conventional means within the cylinder 11 to accomplish compression within a combustion chamber formed by the block 12 and head 13 with the conventional gasket means 14 separating the block and head. The combustion chamber includes the portion 15 within the head wherein com-bustion actually takes place.
A fuel intake system is provided at 16 which is con-nected through a conventional intake manifold and ~ -4a-1~7~173 01 carburetor to a supply of fuel, none of the manifold or carburetion system are herein illustrated. An intake valve 17 having a stem portion 18 and a head portion 19 operates with the head portion within the combustion S chamber 15 and seats against a valve seat 21 suitably held within the head 13. The stem portion 18 operates through a valve guide 22 passing through the head 13 between the fuel intake system and a valve operating means area 23 conventionally enclosed by a valve cover, not herein shown.
The end of the valve stem 18 in the valve operating means area 23 is in contact with a valve operator 24 which is, in a conventional internal com-bustion engine, oscillated by operation of a cam mechanism in synchronism with the operation of the piston 10 within the combustion chamber 15. The operator 24 presses against the end of the stem of the valve to oscillate the valve up and down within the combustion chamber and against the valve seat 21.
The valve is biased into a closed position with the valve head 19 in contact with valve seat 21 by the bias of a valve spring 25 pressing at one end against the external surface of the head 13 and at its other end against a spring retainer 26 held in place by a keeper 27 engaging the end of the stem 18 of the valve.
The valve herein illustrated has the addition of a heat exchanger means 28 fixed to the end of the valve stem in the valve operating means area and serving a function to be described hereinafter.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partially in section, of the valve of the present invention removed from the internal combustion engine. In this figure, part of the spring, the retainer, and the keeper are shown in phantom to permit the valve to be more fully illus-trated. The valve of the present invention includes an 117 ~
01 internal chamber 31 between the cap 32 within the head19. The stem 18 includes a hollow internal channel 33 connected to the internal chamber 31 in the head and extending through the entire length of the stem with the OS exception of a small portion of the top thereof where engagement of the stem and the valve operator 24 occur.
The internal surface of the internal chamber 31 and the internal channel 33 is covered by a wicking material 34 and the chamber and channel are hermetically sealed to provide for containment of a coolant material 35.
The end of the valve at the stem end opposite to the head end is provided with an external heat exchanger 36 which is formed with a plurality of annular fins 37 spaced axially along the heat exchanger. The heat lS exchanger may be permanently fixed to the stem af the valve as by being pressed fit thereon. Alternatively, the heat exchanger may be fixed to the stem of the valve by clip rings 38 and 39 at the bottom and top thereof with respect to FIG. 2. The clip rings would fit into machine slots along the stem of the valve so as to permit the heat exchanger to be added to the valve when installed in the head of the internal combustion engine.
The valve of the present invention is intended to provide a means for avoiding heat transfer to the fuel charge coming through the intake manifold into the combus-tion chamber 15 of the engine. The coolant material 35 in the internal chamber 31 and internal channel 33 is nor-mally a liquid and is then in contact with the head of the valve in chamber 31. The coolant is heated by the valve cap 32 which itself is heated by the process of internal combustion within the combustion chamber 15. The coolant material has a low vapor pressure and is primarily liquid at ambient temperature but upon being heated by the heat generated within the combustion chamber the vapor pressure rises and part of the coolant is evaporated to form into a 1~7~1 7~
01 vapor phase 41 shown along the upper ends of the stem 18.
The external heat exchanger 36 is cooled by the lubricants within the valve operating means area, particularly by lubricating oils passing within that area. The heat 05 exchanger extracts heat from the valve-stem and from the vaporized coolant material to cause the material to con-dense against the wicking material 34. In the condensed form the coolant material passes down the wicking material from the top of the stem toward the head end of the valve to be reheated again by the cap to vaporize and repeat the cycle. As the coolant material passes along the wicking material, the neck portion 42 of the valve is cooled or maintained at temperature of the condensed coolant mate-rial. "Cooled" in the sense used herein is a relative term meaning that the surface of the neck portion is cooler than the surface of the cap portion of the valve due to the evaporation and condensation procedures.
The internal chamber 31, internal channel 33 and wicking material 34 function as a heat pipe within the valve. As long as there is both a liquid and vapor phase of the coolant material they are both at the same tempera-ture whereas the cap 32 of the valve and the neck portion 42 may be at different temperatures because of the opera-tion of the heat pipe.
The intake fuel charge passing through the intake channel 16 to the combustion chamber 15 passes the neck portion 42 of the valve and is cooled or prevented from picking up additional heat before entering the combustion chamber. As previously described in the introductory portion of this specification, a process of reducing the fuel charge temperature permits an increase in mean effective pressure for the input fuel charge while maintaining the tendency for autoignition constant. In that respect, the reduction in input fuel charge tempera-ture permits a reasonable increase in the horsepower 1~7'~7;~
01 generated by the ignition process within the combustion chamber without increasing a tendency toward autoignition.
Stated in another way, if it is possible to avoid an increase in the input fuel charge temperature it is pos-05 sible to obtain the same horsepower from a spark ignitedinternal combustion engine with a fuel having a lower octane rating while avoiding the expected tendency toward autoignition. Autoignition is known as a process wherein the effective horsepower of the combustion process is reduced and the efficiency of the engine is decreased.
With the valve of the present invention, it is possible to avoid heat transfer to the intake fuel charge to the internal combustion engine at the intake valve thus increasing the effective horsepower while decreasing the tendency toward autoignition. This reduction in the tendency toward autoignition has been accomplished without modifying the fuel and without decreasing the compression ratio of the design of the combustion chamber. Each of the foregoing improvements provides for a potential increase in engine fuel efficiency and therefore a reduction of fuel consumption.
It is contemplated that the valve would be assembled in an internal combustion engine head with the valve being inserted from the combustion chamber side and the external heat exchanger added to the valve stem in the valve operating means area after the stem is passed through the valve stem guide 22. The springs retainer and keeper would be then added to maintain the valve biased against the valve seat.
The valve 11 would preferably be formed in pieces from a hollow stem material and a hollowed head.
The wicking material would be added before the pieces were permanently joined. The wicking material may be a wire mesh or other woven material that is compatible with cooling material and can withstand the temperatures 1~'7~ '3 01 encountered in the engine. The pieces of the valve may be joined by any welding process including inertia welding.
While a certain preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically disclosed, it should be 05 understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest .i possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.
This invention relates to an intake valve and 05 particularly a fuel intake valve for an internal combus-tion engine.
BAC GROUND OF THE INVENTION
The internal combustion engine and the fuels consumed in such engines have both undergone recent significant changes. The internal combustion engine as presently used in motor vehicles has been reduced substan-tially in size, to reduce engine weight, and the engine has been designed to accomplish higher horsepower per weight ratios than engines of previous design. Concur-rently, the fuels available for operating such engineshave been reformulated to accomplish improved combustion within the engine and to reduce engine emissions which may contribute to undesirable air polution. The combination of the engine and fuel modifications has changed the manner in whish engine efficiency is accomplished. For example, whereas in years past it was possible to accom-plish increased horsepower from an engine design by increasing the compression ratio and using a fuel of higher octane, it is now economically difficult to produce the required high octane fuels from available crude petro-leum stock and the addition of octane-improving additives has been severely restricted. Alternate approaches to accomplishing the engine horsepower maximization with the available fuels are therefore being considered.
It is known that the power available from an internal combustion engine can be increased by reducing the temperature of input fuel charge. See National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Technical Note No.
839, Rise in Temperature of the Charge in its Passage Through the Inlet Valve and Port of an Air-Cooled Aircraft ~74~73 01 Engine Cylinder, by J. E. Forbes and E. S. Taylor, 1942.
The present invention relates to a method and means for treating the input fuel charge to an internal combustion engine prior to entry of the fuel charge into s the combustion chamber with a novel intake valve design.
PRIOR ART
Prior art engines have included input fuel charge cooling by design of the fuel input manifold including the seat against which an intake valve oper-ates. The usual objective of such manifold designs is toprovide an efficient fuel path from the fuel source to the combustion zone and a valve closure that assures complete sealing of the combustion zone prior to the compression of the fuel charge in the combustion chamber. Intake mani-fold and valve seat designs have provided for valve seatcooling to avoid warping of the valve seat with the resultant incomplete sealing and therefore loss of compression within the combustion chamber.
Some attention has been directed to the intake valve design to provide for dissipation of heat, but such attention has been directed to removal of heat to avoid damage to the valve and to insure prope~r valve seating rather than for controlling the temperature of the input fuel charge. In the most part, such valve cooling designs have been directed toward exhaust valves rather than intake valves. See U.S. Patent 3,892,210, issued July 1, 1975, 4,000,730, issued January 4, 1977, and 4,182,282, issued January 8, 1980.
Exhaust valves have been designed with hollow stem and head construction to provide an internal chamber for containing a coolant. See U.S. Patent 3,871,339, issued March 18, 1975, and 4,164,957, issued August 21, 1979.
01 In each of these prior art designs, the objective is to cool the valve itself to avoid damage to ~ the valve.
OS SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to an intake valve for an internal combustion engine and a method of supply-ing a lower temperature input fuel charge to an internal combustion engine whereby the power derived from the internal combustion engine may be increased without modification of the design of the combustion chamber or the formulation of the input fuel charge, or the power derived from the engine may be maintained while using a lower octane rated fuel.
15Autoignition of the fuel charge in an internal combustion engine is known to result in a reduction of engine efficiency. Autoignition in spark-fired engines is the extremely rapid combustion of the last part of the fuel charge to burn in the combustion chamber. When Auto-ignition occurs, it results in a rapid rise in combustion chamber pressure above that for normal combustion and causes high frequency pressure fluctuations and an audible sound that is referred to as knock. When knock occurs, large amounts of heat are transferred to engine parts resulting in a loss of power and, if sustained, can result in engine damage.
The foregoing Technical Note No. 839 of J. E.
Forbes and E.S. Taylor observes that a decrease in average valve-and-seat temperature of 45F, which results in a 5F
reduction in fuel charge temperature in their test engine, permitted an increase in mean effective pressure for the input fuel charge while maintaining the tendency for knock constant. They conclude that, in their engine, a 10F
reduction in inlet valve-and-seat temperature should permit an increase of approximately 0.7 percent in 117 ~
indicated horsepower without increasing the tendency toward knock.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an internal combustion engine intake valve comprising:
(a) an elongated stem, (b) a head disposed on one end of said stem and defining an annular cap and a neck portion between said cap and said stem, (c) an internal channel within said stem, (d) an internal chamber within said head, (e) a coolant material within said valve, (f) a wicking material on the surface of said internal channel and internal chamber, (g) said internal channel and internal chamber being connected to provide a passageway for said coolant material between said head and said stem, (h) and heat exchanger means on said stem at the end spaced from said one end.
A reduction in fuel charge temperature is accomplished by the valve design herein shown. The object of the invention is to accomplish a reduction in heat transferred to the fuel charge by passing the fuel charge through an intake system having a valve with heat dissipating elements.
The invention also provides a method for reducing the tendency toward auto-ignition in an internal combustion engine without changing engine design, engine operating conditions or fuel composition comprising the steps of:
(a) passing the input fuel charge to the combustion chamber of said engine over a cooled intake valve whereby the temperature of said input fuel charge is maintained.
Features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the appended drawings 117 ~
and specification illustrating a preferred embodiment wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a partial sectional view through a cylinder of an internal combustion engine showing the fuel intake path and an intake valve in said path;
FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the valve of the present invention;
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines A-A of FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 1 illustrates a partial sectional view through the cylinder of an internal combustion engine. As illustrated, a piston 10 is operated by conventional means within the cylinder 11 to accomplish compression within a combustion chamber formed by the block 12 and head 13 with the conventional gasket means 14 separating the block and head. The combustion chamber includes the portion 15 within the head wherein com-bustion actually takes place.
A fuel intake system is provided at 16 which is con-nected through a conventional intake manifold and ~ -4a-1~7~173 01 carburetor to a supply of fuel, none of the manifold or carburetion system are herein illustrated. An intake valve 17 having a stem portion 18 and a head portion 19 operates with the head portion within the combustion S chamber 15 and seats against a valve seat 21 suitably held within the head 13. The stem portion 18 operates through a valve guide 22 passing through the head 13 between the fuel intake system and a valve operating means area 23 conventionally enclosed by a valve cover, not herein shown.
The end of the valve stem 18 in the valve operating means area 23 is in contact with a valve operator 24 which is, in a conventional internal com-bustion engine, oscillated by operation of a cam mechanism in synchronism with the operation of the piston 10 within the combustion chamber 15. The operator 24 presses against the end of the stem of the valve to oscillate the valve up and down within the combustion chamber and against the valve seat 21.
The valve is biased into a closed position with the valve head 19 in contact with valve seat 21 by the bias of a valve spring 25 pressing at one end against the external surface of the head 13 and at its other end against a spring retainer 26 held in place by a keeper 27 engaging the end of the stem 18 of the valve.
The valve herein illustrated has the addition of a heat exchanger means 28 fixed to the end of the valve stem in the valve operating means area and serving a function to be described hereinafter.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partially in section, of the valve of the present invention removed from the internal combustion engine. In this figure, part of the spring, the retainer, and the keeper are shown in phantom to permit the valve to be more fully illus-trated. The valve of the present invention includes an 117 ~
01 internal chamber 31 between the cap 32 within the head19. The stem 18 includes a hollow internal channel 33 connected to the internal chamber 31 in the head and extending through the entire length of the stem with the OS exception of a small portion of the top thereof where engagement of the stem and the valve operator 24 occur.
The internal surface of the internal chamber 31 and the internal channel 33 is covered by a wicking material 34 and the chamber and channel are hermetically sealed to provide for containment of a coolant material 35.
The end of the valve at the stem end opposite to the head end is provided with an external heat exchanger 36 which is formed with a plurality of annular fins 37 spaced axially along the heat exchanger. The heat lS exchanger may be permanently fixed to the stem af the valve as by being pressed fit thereon. Alternatively, the heat exchanger may be fixed to the stem of the valve by clip rings 38 and 39 at the bottom and top thereof with respect to FIG. 2. The clip rings would fit into machine slots along the stem of the valve so as to permit the heat exchanger to be added to the valve when installed in the head of the internal combustion engine.
The valve of the present invention is intended to provide a means for avoiding heat transfer to the fuel charge coming through the intake manifold into the combus-tion chamber 15 of the engine. The coolant material 35 in the internal chamber 31 and internal channel 33 is nor-mally a liquid and is then in contact with the head of the valve in chamber 31. The coolant is heated by the valve cap 32 which itself is heated by the process of internal combustion within the combustion chamber 15. The coolant material has a low vapor pressure and is primarily liquid at ambient temperature but upon being heated by the heat generated within the combustion chamber the vapor pressure rises and part of the coolant is evaporated to form into a 1~7~1 7~
01 vapor phase 41 shown along the upper ends of the stem 18.
The external heat exchanger 36 is cooled by the lubricants within the valve operating means area, particularly by lubricating oils passing within that area. The heat 05 exchanger extracts heat from the valve-stem and from the vaporized coolant material to cause the material to con-dense against the wicking material 34. In the condensed form the coolant material passes down the wicking material from the top of the stem toward the head end of the valve to be reheated again by the cap to vaporize and repeat the cycle. As the coolant material passes along the wicking material, the neck portion 42 of the valve is cooled or maintained at temperature of the condensed coolant mate-rial. "Cooled" in the sense used herein is a relative term meaning that the surface of the neck portion is cooler than the surface of the cap portion of the valve due to the evaporation and condensation procedures.
The internal chamber 31, internal channel 33 and wicking material 34 function as a heat pipe within the valve. As long as there is both a liquid and vapor phase of the coolant material they are both at the same tempera-ture whereas the cap 32 of the valve and the neck portion 42 may be at different temperatures because of the opera-tion of the heat pipe.
The intake fuel charge passing through the intake channel 16 to the combustion chamber 15 passes the neck portion 42 of the valve and is cooled or prevented from picking up additional heat before entering the combustion chamber. As previously described in the introductory portion of this specification, a process of reducing the fuel charge temperature permits an increase in mean effective pressure for the input fuel charge while maintaining the tendency for autoignition constant. In that respect, the reduction in input fuel charge tempera-ture permits a reasonable increase in the horsepower 1~7'~7;~
01 generated by the ignition process within the combustion chamber without increasing a tendency toward autoignition.
Stated in another way, if it is possible to avoid an increase in the input fuel charge temperature it is pos-05 sible to obtain the same horsepower from a spark ignitedinternal combustion engine with a fuel having a lower octane rating while avoiding the expected tendency toward autoignition. Autoignition is known as a process wherein the effective horsepower of the combustion process is reduced and the efficiency of the engine is decreased.
With the valve of the present invention, it is possible to avoid heat transfer to the intake fuel charge to the internal combustion engine at the intake valve thus increasing the effective horsepower while decreasing the tendency toward autoignition. This reduction in the tendency toward autoignition has been accomplished without modifying the fuel and without decreasing the compression ratio of the design of the combustion chamber. Each of the foregoing improvements provides for a potential increase in engine fuel efficiency and therefore a reduction of fuel consumption.
It is contemplated that the valve would be assembled in an internal combustion engine head with the valve being inserted from the combustion chamber side and the external heat exchanger added to the valve stem in the valve operating means area after the stem is passed through the valve stem guide 22. The springs retainer and keeper would be then added to maintain the valve biased against the valve seat.
The valve 11 would preferably be formed in pieces from a hollow stem material and a hollowed head.
The wicking material would be added before the pieces were permanently joined. The wicking material may be a wire mesh or other woven material that is compatible with cooling material and can withstand the temperatures 1~'7~ '3 01 encountered in the engine. The pieces of the valve may be joined by any welding process including inertia welding.
While a certain preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically disclosed, it should be 05 understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest .i possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.
Claims (11)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An internal combustion engine intake valve comprising:
(a) an elongated stem, (b) a head disposed on one end of said stem and defining an annular cap and a neck portion between said cap and said stem, (c) an internal channel within said stem, (d) an internal chamber within said head, (e) a coolant material within said valve, (f) a wicking material on the surface of said internal channel and internal chamber, (g) said internal channel and internal chamber being connected to provide a passageway for said coolant material between said head and said stem, (h) and heat exchanger means on said stem at the end spaced from said one end.
(a) an elongated stem, (b) a head disposed on one end of said stem and defining an annular cap and a neck portion between said cap and said stem, (c) an internal channel within said stem, (d) an internal chamber within said head, (e) a coolant material within said valve, (f) a wicking material on the surface of said internal channel and internal chamber, (g) said internal channel and internal chamber being connected to provide a passageway for said coolant material between said head and said stem, (h) and heat exchanger means on said stem at the end spaced from said one end.
2. The valve of Claim 1 wherein said coolant material is substantially in the liquid phase at ambient temperature and is vaporizable at operating temperature of said annular cap of said head and condensable to liquid at operating temperature of said internal channel of said stem at the end adjacent to said heat exchanger means.
3. The valve of Claim 2 wherein said vaporized coolant material passes within said internal channel of said stem from said head to said end adjacent said heat exchanger and said con-densed coolant material passes along said wicking material from said end adjacent to said heat exchanger to said internal chamber within said head.
4. The valve of Claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger means is a plurality of radially extending annular fins.
5. The valve of Claim 1 wherein said annular cap is heated by the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and said neck portion is cooled by said condensed coolant material passing along said wicking material.
6. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, an intake valve means for controlling fuel charge to said combustion chamber, a fuel intake system for passing said fuel charge to said combustion chamber, and a valve operating means area external of said combustion chamber and said fuel intake manifold, the improvement in construction of said intake valve comprising:
(a) an elongated stem, (b) a head disposed at one end of said stem and defining an annular cap and a neck portion between said cap and said stem, (c) said head being exposed to said combustion chamber, said neck portion being within said intake fuel system and at least a portion of said stem being in said valve oper-ating means area, (d) an internal channel within said stem, (e) an internal chamber within said head, (f) said internal channel and said internal chamber being connected and sealed from said combustion chamber, said intake fuel system and said valve operating means area, and providing a passageway for said coolant material between said head and said stem, (g) a wicking material along the external surfaces of said internal chamber and said internal channel, (h) a coolant material within said internal chamber and said internal channel, (i) and heat exchanger means on said stem at the end thereof within said valve operating means area, (j) said valve cap being heated by said combustion chamber during operation of said engine to evaporate said coolant material, said heat exchanger means being cooled in said valve operating means area to condense said coolant mater-ial, said wicking material conducting said condensed coolant material from said valve operating means area to said valve cap along said neck portion, and said cooled neck portion being in contact with said fuel charge within said intake system whereby said fuel charge passes over a relatively cooled portion of said valve.
(a) an elongated stem, (b) a head disposed at one end of said stem and defining an annular cap and a neck portion between said cap and said stem, (c) said head being exposed to said combustion chamber, said neck portion being within said intake fuel system and at least a portion of said stem being in said valve oper-ating means area, (d) an internal channel within said stem, (e) an internal chamber within said head, (f) said internal channel and said internal chamber being connected and sealed from said combustion chamber, said intake fuel system and said valve operating means area, and providing a passageway for said coolant material between said head and said stem, (g) a wicking material along the external surfaces of said internal chamber and said internal channel, (h) a coolant material within said internal chamber and said internal channel, (i) and heat exchanger means on said stem at the end thereof within said valve operating means area, (j) said valve cap being heated by said combustion chamber during operation of said engine to evaporate said coolant material, said heat exchanger means being cooled in said valve operating means area to condense said coolant mater-ial, said wicking material conducting said condensed coolant material from said valve operating means area to said valve cap along said neck portion, and said cooled neck portion being in contact with said fuel charge within said intake system whereby said fuel charge passes over a relatively cooled portion of said valve.
7. A method for reducing the tendency toward auto-ignition in an internal combustion engine without changing engine design, engine operating conditions or fuel composition comprising the steps of:
(a) passing the input fuel charge to the combustion chamber of said engine over a cooled intake valve whereby the temperature of said input fuel charge is maintained.
(a) passing the input fuel charge to the combustion chamber of said engine over a cooled intake valve whereby the temperature of said input fuel charge is maintained.
8. The method of Claim 7 wherein said intake valve is cooled by evaporating and condensing a coolant material con-tained within said valve.
9. The method of Claim 8 wherein said coolant material is evaporated by contact with the portion of said valve which is heated by said internal combustion process and condensed by contact with the portion of said valve which is cooled by lubricating materials in said internal combustion engine.
10. The method of Claim 9 wherein said condensed coolant material passes within said valve to cool a portion thereof which is in contact with said input fuel charge whereby said temperature of said input fuel charge is maintained.
11. The method of Claim 9 wherein said coolant material includes a liquid phase at ambient temperatures, said liquid phase is partially evaporated to a vapor at the temperature of said portion of said valve which is heated by said internal combustion process, and said vapor phase is condensed to a liquid at the temperature of lubricating materials in said internal combustion engine.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US22148880A | 1980-12-30 | 1980-12-30 | |
| US221,488 | 1980-12-30 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1174173A true CA1174173A (en) | 1984-09-11 |
Family
ID=22828026
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000393340A Expired CA1174173A (en) | 1980-12-30 | 1981-12-29 | Engine intake valve with heat pipe |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (2) | JPS57135208A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1174173A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3150919A1 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2497269B1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2090332B (en) |
| IT (1) | IT1140186B (en) |
| SE (1) | SE8107792L (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE19714030A1 (en) * | 1997-04-04 | 1998-10-15 | Horst Peschel | Cooled valve for internal combustion engine |
| DE10141261A1 (en) * | 2001-08-23 | 2003-03-13 | Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag | Cooling electromagnetic actuators for internal combustion engine valve control, involves using endothermic phase transition of cooling medium into gaseous phase to cool actuator |
| JP2009085077A (en) * | 2007-09-28 | 2009-04-23 | Toyota Motor Corp | Heat recovery device for internal combustion engine |
Family Cites Families (15)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR490855A (en) * | 1917-07-17 | 1919-05-13 | Domestic Engineering Company | Improvements to engine valves |
| US1670965A (en) * | 1923-06-09 | 1928-05-22 | Sam D Heron | Cooling of exhaust valves of internal-combustion engines |
| FR2051731B1 (en) * | 1969-07-14 | 1973-04-27 | Eaton Yale & Towne | |
| US3701342A (en) * | 1971-03-08 | 1972-10-31 | Herbert B Owsley | Valve member |
| JPS4835223A (en) * | 1971-09-09 | 1973-05-24 | ||
| FR2158654A5 (en) * | 1971-10-27 | 1973-06-15 | Semt | |
| FR2221961A5 (en) * | 1973-03-13 | 1974-10-11 | Etud Machines Thermiques | |
| CH571154A5 (en) * | 1973-10-31 | 1975-12-31 | Sulzer Ag | |
| JPS5321238B2 (en) * | 1973-12-19 | 1978-07-01 | ||
| DE2410893C2 (en) * | 1974-03-07 | 1982-09-16 | M.A.N. Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG, 8900 Augsburg | Valve cage for internal combustion engines |
| JPS522803A (en) * | 1975-06-24 | 1977-01-10 | Tone Boring Co | Hydraulic striking device for boring |
| JPS5237139A (en) * | 1975-09-17 | 1977-03-22 | Kenji Okamoto | Magic transparent matter |
| JPS538012A (en) * | 1976-07-10 | 1978-01-25 | Toshiba Corp | Facsimile trnsmission unit |
| FR2399541A1 (en) * | 1977-08-05 | 1979-03-02 | Semt | COOLED MUSHROOM VALVE CHAPEL BY CIRCULATION OF A REFRIGERANT FLUID, FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES |
| US4164957A (en) * | 1977-11-23 | 1979-08-21 | Caterpillar Tractor Co. | Oil-cooled engine valve |
-
1981
- 1981-12-18 DE DE19813150919 patent/DE3150919A1/en active Granted
- 1981-12-21 GB GB8138459A patent/GB2090332B/en not_active Expired
- 1981-12-22 FR FR8123934A patent/FR2497269B1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-12-24 IT IT25856/81A patent/IT1140186B/en active
- 1981-12-25 JP JP56209491A patent/JPS57135208A/en active Pending
- 1981-12-28 SE SE8107792A patent/SE8107792L/en unknown
- 1981-12-29 CA CA000393340A patent/CA1174173A/en not_active Expired
-
1990
- 1990-08-10 JP JP1990085428U patent/JPH0327807U/ja active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2090332B (en) | 1984-07-18 |
| DE3150919A1 (en) | 1982-10-07 |
| IT8125856A0 (en) | 1981-12-24 |
| JPS57135208A (en) | 1982-08-20 |
| SE8107792L (en) | 1982-07-01 |
| DE3150919C2 (en) | 1990-02-08 |
| JPH0327807U (en) | 1991-03-20 |
| FR2497269A1 (en) | 1982-07-02 |
| GB2090332A (en) | 1982-07-07 |
| FR2497269B1 (en) | 1987-05-15 |
| IT1140186B (en) | 1986-09-24 |
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