GR1009902B - Internal combustion engine with guided gears - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine consisting of a crankshaft driven (29) by a toothed gear (1) bearing the fuel inlet and exhaust ports (5,4); the cylinder part (3) of the gear is mounted inside a cooled cylinder’s head (7) seated on the engine’s block. The rotation of the gear (1) isolates or allows the combustion chamber to communicate with the engine’s inlet channel (24) and exhaust channel (25) through the respective permanent inlet and exhaust ports (8,9) of the cylinder’s head (7) depending on the time of the thermodynamic cycle (intake, compression, explosion, extraction) thus allowing the four-stroke operation. The rotation of the gear (1) is facilitated by a roller bearing (16) which is placed on the cylinder’s head (1) while a final cover (20) is placed between the gear (1) and the cylinder’s head (7) to prevent the transverse oscillations of the gear (1). The proper selection of the number of the ports multiplies the speed of rotation of the gear (1), increasing the reliability and efficiency of the engine and reducing costs and losses, accordingly. In addition, the layout is much simpler than that of a classic four-stroke engine as it eliminates the need for a camshaft and the classic cylinder’s head with all the complexity that comes with it.

Description

Internal Combustion Engine with Driven Gears

The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine with a device for introducing the combustible mixture and extracting the gaseous products of combustion in accordance with the main concept of patent claim 1.

In conventional internal combustion engines that follow the Otto cycle, the introduction of fuel into the combustion chamber as well as the removal of exhaust gases from it takes place through intake and exhaust valves which are placed in a cylinder head. These valves are mechanically controlled by a complex arrangement that includes camshafts, pushrods, control keys, bridges, springs, governors, etc. They operate mechanically through one or more camshafts to ensure the presence of a combustible mixture in the combustion chamber at the required time, as well as the necessary emptying of the combustion chamber at the end of the cycle. This provision presents several disadvantages, such as:

• Large number of moving parts accompanied by the relative complexity, high cost, unreliability, noise, need for space, etc. · Due to deposits, strong thermal stresses, material failure, etc., the valves - more often those of the export - burn (torched valve) with resulting in the removal of the cylinder head.

• The surface of the cylinder head placed inside the combustion chamber includes unevenness and discontinuities due to the intake/exhaust valves that create fertile ground for the creation of deposits and the consequent creation of uncontrolled combustion (knocking) during operation resulting in a reduction in efficiency of the engine or even its destruction.

• Due to the high thermal stress inside the combustion chamber, the valve stem recedes in its seat (recession) which eventually leads to removal of the cylinder head. • Placing the cylinder head at the top of the combustion chamber results in insufficient cooling of the piston exactly at the point where the maximum temperatures / stresses are exerted - the piston head.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems while maintaining the main advantages of internal combustion engines.

The solution of these problems is achieved according to the patent by the features mentioned in claim 1.

It is essentially an internal combustion engine in which the classic cylinder head with the intake and exhaust valves, all the control devices (push rods, control keys, bridges, springs, regulators, etc.) as well as the control camshaft are completely eliminated of these valves (SOHC) or the camshafts in the case where 2 main camshafts are included (DOHC). The principle of operation is described below based on a single-cylinder engine, but the principle of operation is exactly the same regardless of the number of cylinders and the arrangement (V, W or in-line). In addition, the transmission of the movement from the crankshaft to the special type of cylinder head described below involves transmission with gears (idle gears) but the exact same principle is achieved either with a belt or with a chain.

The invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an overview of the assembly including the crankshaft (29), the piston (28), the sleeve (27), the cylinder head (7), the ring gear (1 ), the transmission assembly (gears and shaft) (30) as well as the inlet (24) and outlet (25) ducts.

Figure 2 shows the cylinder head as a whole (7) with the ports of the intake (8) and exhaust (9) as well as a notch (10) in which the cylinder bearing (16) is located and which is fixed to the body of the cylinder head with screws which screw into the holes (15) located around the circumference of the cylinder head. On its upper part is placed a cap (20) which is fixed to the cylinder head (7) with screws that lock in its holes (11) located on its upper surface.

Figure 3 shows the same cylinder head (7) with intake (8) and exhaust ports (9) and bearing mounting holes (15) from a different angle. Also shown are holes into which screws (23) are screwed to seat the cylinder head (7) in the engine body.

Figure 4 shows the same cylinder head (7) in section showing the intake port (8), the exhaust port (9), the groove (10) where the cylinder bearing (16) is fixed with bolts in the holes (15) of the cylinder head, the groove (groove) where the combustion gases are sealed (14), as well as the cooled (water) chambers (13) of the head - it can of course also function as an air cooler, so it will be needed in the external treatment and the corresponding brushes . Also, the cylinder head is designed in such a way that on its upper part there is a slot for placing an igniter (12). Of course, it can also work with fuel oil, so no igniter is needed. Finally, at point (11) you can see the holes in which the cover (20) is fixed with screws, which holds the rotating gear (1) described below in place.

Figure 5 shows the cylindrical bearing (16) which is located in the notch (10) of the cylinder head (7) and is fixed with screws in the holes which (19) are located around it.

Figure 6 shows the cylindrical bearing (16) in section showing the "male" notch (17) which fits into the "capillary" notch (10) of the cylinder head (7) as well as the holes (19) in which screws fix it as they terminate in the holes (15) located in the cylinder head body (7).

Figure 7 shows the cylinder head (7) with the swivel bearing (16) fitted onto it.

Figure 8 shows a rotating gear (1) consisting of a toothed upper part (2) and a cylindrical lower part (3). The upper toothed section (2) ensures the rotary movement of the whole assembly as it is turned by driven gears (30) which are driven by the crankshaft (29). The lower cylindrical part of the gear (3) has fixed apertures, permanent exhaust (4) and intake (5) ports, which rotate at the same angular speed as the toothed part. The exact dimensions of these ports as well as their shape are determined by the desired amount of intake mixture as well as by the engine's stroke volume. The combustion chamber is sealed by means of sealing rings (6) located in the lower cylindrical part (3) of the rotating gear as well as by means of a sealing ring (14) located around the perimeter of the inlet (8) and outlet (9) ports of the cylinder head ( 7). The body of the rotating gear has notches (6) like that of the cylinder head (7) around the perimeter of the intake and exhaust ports (14) in which sealing rings are placed, achieving complete isolation of the combustion chamber from the intake and exhaust ducts depending on the time of the thermodynamic cycle. The lower cylindrical part of the gear (3) is fitted inside the cylinder body (7) in such a way that the intake ports of (5) are at the same height as the intake port (8) of the cylinder (7) and the exhaust ports of (4) to be at the same height as the extraction port (9) of the cylinder head (7).

Figure 9 shows the rotating gear (1) with the toothed upper part (2) and the cylindrical lower part (3) and from a cross-sectional view. The inlet (5) and outlet (4) ports are also welded.

Figure 10 shows the rotating gear (1 ) with the toothed upper part (2) and the cylindrical lower part (3) from a cross-sectional cross-sectional view. The inlet (5) and outlet (4) ports are welded.

Figure 11 shows the cover (20) which is placed on top of the cylinder (7).

Figure 12 shows the cover (20) which is placed on the top of the cylinder from a diasporic perspective. The fixing is done with screws which are placed in the holes (22) located in the upper part of the cover and fix it with screws in the corresponding holes (11) in the cylinder body (7). The cover also has a hole in the center so that the breather can be placed which is fixed to the thread of the corresponding hole (12) located in the upper part of the cylinder head (7). Finally, in the lower part of it there are rollers (21) which during operation are in contact with the upper part of the gear (1) and act as rolling bearings allowing the rotation of the gear with as little friction as possible. Fitting the cover (20) allows the gear (1) to rotate without transverse oscillations.

Figure 13 shows the cover (20) placed on top of the cylinder head (7) in section where the fixing holes are drilled with it (22) as well as the rollers (21) that are in contact with the gear (1) and facilitate its rotation.

Figure 14 shows part of the cylinder head (7) and specifically focuses on the inlet port (8) around the perimeter of which, like the outlet port (9), three notches (14) could be made for the placement of sealing rings in order to achieve even more sealing in engines with high compression.

Figure 15 shows the cylinder head (7) on which the rotating gear (1) and the cover (20) are installed.

Figure 16 shows the cylinder head (7) in which the rotating gear (1) is mounted from a different angle in which the placement of the cylindrical bearing (16) is visible which allows rotation with as little friction as possible of the gear (1) ).

Figure 17 shows the above arrangement in section in which it can be seen that all the above described parts are interlocked. The cylinder head (7), the rotating gear (1), the cover (20) and the cylinder bearing (16).

Figure 18 shows the largest part of the assembly in section, the cylinder head (7), the rotating gear (1), the cover (20), the cylindrical bearing (16), as well as the mounting bolts (23) of the head (7). on the machine body. The cylinder intake chute (24), the exhaust chute (25), as well as the sleeve (27) in which the piston (31) moves.

As shown in Figure 1, the transmission of the movement from the crankshaft is done through a device that includes a shaft (30) and bevel gears. The bevel gears convert the vertical rotational movement of the crankshaft and planetary transmission gears into a horizontal one, suitable to rotate the horizontally positioned gear (1) that is mounted on the crown of the cylinder head (7). In this way, the need to use a camshaft is eliminated. Please note that the planetary and bevel gears with shaft shown in Figure 1 are indicative. Calculating the meshing ratios of these gears is beyond the scope of this paper. It is also pointed out that a belt, chain or purely planetary gears without any shaft could be used to transmit the movement.

In the crown of the cylinder now sits a fixed, cooled cylinder head (7) which connects its combustion chamber with the fuel inlet (24) and exhaust (25) ducts of the combustion gases. Figures 2 and 3 show this cylinder head (7) from different angles, while Figure 4 shows it in section.

This has fixed openings, permanent inlet (8) and outlet (9) ports, which are opposite and at the same level as the respective inlet (24) and outlet (25) channels of the cylinder. In its upper part there is a notch (10) in which the cylindrical bearing (16) described in Figures 5 and 6 is fixed to the holes (4) by means of screws for the smooth movement of the rotating gear (1) shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, and described below.

Figure 5 shows the cylindrical bearing (16) which is located on the cylinder head (7), while Figure 6 shows a section. In Figure 6, the notch (17) locks into the notch (10) of the cylinder head (7) and is fixed to its body by bolts which are placed in the holes (19) and terminate in the corresponding holes (15) of the cylinder head (7).

In a conventional engine following the Otto cycle (or Atkinson - the arrangement can be used in other cycles as well), each complete thermodynamic cycle (intake, compression, expansion and exhaust) involves 2 complete revolutions of the crankshaft for 1 complete revolution of the camshaft with the corresponding movement and stress frequencies of the other mechanical parts that control combustion (valves, buttons, springs, etc.). That is, for every 720° of rotation of the crankshaft, for 2 complete rotations of it, 360° of rotation of the camshaft are required, that is, 1 full rotation of it. By means of the present invention, the angular speed of the rotating gear (1) can be sub-multiplied as follows: each conventional camshaft carries 1 intake valve control cam and 1 exhaust valve control for each cylinder, resulting in the camshaft rotating at half the speed of the crankshaft shaft so that the intake and exhaust valves open once per cycle. Based on the present innovation, this corresponds to 1 inlet port (5) and 1 outlet port (4) of the rotating gear (1). However, given the much larger radius of the cylindrical part of the gear (3) compared to that of a conventional camshaft, instead of 1 inlet (5) and 1 outlet (4), more could be made in the cylindrical part (3) of gear (1) submultiplying the rotation speed of the cylinder head gear according to the number of slots it carries. An intake port (5) and an exhaust port (4) will correspond to twice the speed of rotation relative to the crankshaft, as would be the case if we had a conventional camshaft. However, two intake ports (5) which would be opposite each other in the cylindrical part (3) of the gear (1) and two exhaust ports (4) in the same arrangement, correspond to a sub-quadruple rotation speed as each complete thermodynamic cycle, during the which requires the intake and exhaust valves to open 1 time, half a turn of the gear (1) will be made. With now three inlet ports (5) and three outlet ports (4) placed in an arc of 120° to each other in the cylindrical part (3) of the gear, it will be necessary to expand it by six times, for four ports by eight times, etc. In this particular presentation four inlet ports have been installed ( 5) per 90° and four extraction (4) per 90° between them. This means that for every 720° of rotation of the crankshaft required for each complete thermodynamic cycle, only 90° of rotation of the rotating gear is needed. In machines with a large embolization volume and therefore a large sleeve circumference, even more ports could be made. Generally speaking, the relationship applies:

Vc

(a)

<Vc =>2 * Nh

Where:

• Vg: Velocity gear (1)

• Vc: Velocity crankshaft (29)

• Nh: Number of Inlet (5) or Outlet (4) (Number of hatches) Determining the speed of the rotating gear (1), or the rotating gears in the case of a multi-cylinder engine, can easily be achieved with a submultiplication device (30) by which the rotation of the crank is transmitted to the rotating gears (1). This assembly may include either a timing belt, shaft, chain, gears, or a combination of the above.

Therefore, for the present particular case, in each complete revolution of the rotating gear (1), four complete thermodynamic cycles take place for which eight complete revolutions of the crankshaft are required.

As one can easily perceive from the above, the great advantage of the above process is that by reducing the rotation speed of the rotating gear (1), friction, damage, noise and cost are respectively reduced while simultaneously improving efficiency and engine reliability. In addition, by using the rotating gear that carries the intake (5) and exhaust (4) ports, the need for camshafts and the corresponding valve control mechanism which significantly increase the complexity, unreliability and cost of the engine is eliminated.

The process, now, followed is the well-known Otto cycle (or Atkinson - the arrangement can be used in other cycles). Then there is a description of the procedure concerning a single-cylinder engine, but the principle of operation is exactly the same regardless of the number of cylinders (two-cylinder, four-cylinder, etc.) and arrangement (in-line, V, W, etc.). The transmission of the movement from the crankshaft (29) described below involves transmission with gears and shaft (30) but the exact same principle is achieved with a belt, chain or purely planetary gear.

It should be noted that the intake chute (24) of the engine, the permanent intake port (8) of the cylinder head (7) and the intake ports (5) located in the cylindrical part (3) of the gear (1) are at the same height with each other and align as gear (1) rotates. Accordingly, the intake chute (25) of the engine, the permanent intake port (9) of the cylinder head (7) and the exhaust ports (4) located in the cylindrical part (3) of the gear (1) are at the same height with each other and slightly different from those of the intake system, and align as the gear (1) rotates. The thermodynamic cycle is now as follows: initially the intake (8) and exhaust (9) ports of the cylinder head are in a "blind" position in relation to the corresponding intake (24) and exhaust (25) ducts of the engine as between them the wall of the cylindrical part (3) of the gear (1) is inserted, thus keeping the combustion chamber isolated from the intake (24) and exhaust (25) ducts. As the gear (1) rotates taking drive from the crankshaft (29) through the planetary transmission gears and the shaft (30), the first of its four input ports (5) located in the cylindrical part (3) of the gear ( 1) begins to align with the permanent intake port (8) of the cylinder head (7) which is located opposite and aligned with the intake chute (24) of the engine, with the result that fuel begins to enter the combustion chamber at the moment when the piston ( 31) of the cylinder is in a downward direction. At the same time, the exhaust port (9) on the cylinder head (7) which is placed opposite, begins to align with the permanent opening (9) of the cylinder head (7) which is at the same height as the exhaust chute (25) of the engine but not communicates with him as he is at a different height. As the gear (1) continues to rotate and the piston (31) reaches its bottom dead center (BDC), the combustion chamber is now full of fuel and the intake port (5) closes as the rotation of the gear (1) forces it to lose alignment with the intake port (8) of the cylinder head (7). The first year of the cycle has therefore been completed, i.e. the "introduction" of the fuel. Then, and since the intake port (5) has been closed, the fuel is compressed and at the appropriate timing is ignited by means of an igniter (spark plug) (26) located in a thread (12) in the crown of the cylinder head (or self-igniting in the event that the fuel is oil) just before Top Dead Center (TDC). At the time of compression, the inlet (8) and outlet (8) ports of the cylinder (7) are in "blind" spots with respect to the respective inlet (24) and outlet (25) ducts as the wall of the cylinder is inserted between them of part (3) of the gear, and therefore, the combustion chamber is completely sealed with the result that the combustible mixture is compressed. The second time of the cycle, that is, the "compression", has now been completed. At the time of expansion, when the piston (31) starts to descend to the CNS, the combustion energy is transferred to the crank (29) by rotating it. In the compression and expansion phases, the intake (8) and exhaust (9) ports remain closed to keep the combustion chamber sealed. The third year of the cycle is now coming to an end, i.e. the "discharge". As the piston (31) now begins to rise so that the exhaust gases escape from the combustion chamber, the gear (1) rotates, causing the exhaust port (4) to begin to align with the permanent opening (9) of the cylinder head ( 7) and, consequently, with the exhaust chute (25) of the engine which is at the same height as this port, so that the exhaust gases exit the combustion chamber and through the port (9) to the exhaust chute (25). At the same time, the intake port (4) of the gear (1) begins to align with the permanent opening (8) of the cylinder head (7) which connects it to the intake chute (24) of the engine but does not communicate with it as it is in a different height. Just before the piston reaches top dead center (TDC) and before the exhaust port (4) completely closes, i.e. loses its alignment with the port (9), the intake port (5) of the gear (1) begins to align with the intake port (8) of the cylinder head (7) that connects it to the intake chute (24) of the engine, so that fuel begins to enter the combustion chamber and it is completely cleaned of the combustion products of the previous cycle - Scavenging. Finally, the outlet port (4) closes, as the inlet port (5) continues to open, and the cycle repeats from the beginning.

It is noted that the arrangement described above, that is, of the rotating gear (1) and the cooled cylinder head (7) as shown in Figure 15, is separate and detachable from the sleeve (27) of the engine. This detachable cylinder head includes its fixed (7, 16, 20) and rotating (1) part as described above, while the lower permanent sleeve (27) consists of the part in which the piston (31) and the pusher move (28) and which is fitted to the engine block as shown in Figure 18. The casting of both parts at their junctions is done in such a way that they are applied exactly to each other (female) to create a single for the sleeve function. This arrangement allows the cylinder head (7) to be easily removed for maintenance should this be required or if any damage to the mechanism occurs. The remaining driven gears are meshed with the primary one in such a way that the firing sequence allows the operation of a multi-cylinder engine as in a conventional internal combustion engine.

In the description of the above procedure, inlet (24) and outlet (25) ducts were chosen which are opposite - 180° angle - to each other, but it is possible to choose a smaller angle if this facilitates the construction geometry.

Advantages: The above arrangement presents several advantages over a conventional internal combustion engine, the main of which are the following:

The conventional cylinder head is completely eliminated. The arrangement described here is simpler as it does not include a valve train, i.e. control buttons, bridges, springs, regulators, etc., and therefore more reliable, less prone to failure, less expensive to manufacture, smaller in size, more compact and quieter.

The need for a camshaft / camshafts as well as push rods, cups etc. is completely eliminated. There are therefore fewer mechanical parts resulting in less power loss and consequently greater engine performance with less fuel consumption.

There is much better cooling of the combustion chamber as the lack of a classic cylinder head and the installation of a water cooler in its place, with the cooled chambers (6) as shown in Figure 4, cools the combustion chamber exactly at the point that receives the maximum thermal stresses - on the surface i.e. of the piston. The better cooling leads to lower stresses and thus increased lifetime of the mechanical parts as well as to lower uncontrolled self-ignition (knocking).

Due to the lack of a classic cylinder head, the maintenance intervals will be much longer as there is no need to adjust valves, no need to check and maintain camshafts, push rods, etc.

The lack of a classic cylinder head eliminates the discontinuities on the surface of the upper part of the combustion chamber where deposits are often created and consequently uncontrolled ignitions (knocking) which reduce the performance of the engine or may even lead to its destruction.

In addition, at Top Dead Center (TDC), the piston comes very close to the flat surface of the combustion chamber resulting in the fuel mixture being compressed more giving a much better mixture between fuel and air with consequent better combustion. The shape of the combustion chamber allows an even greater degree of compression and therefore better engine performance.

Also, in relation to a conventional internal combustion engine where 1 revolution of the crankshaft requires 2 revolutions of the camshaft / camshafts, here, for each revolution of the crankshaft the rotational speed of the rotating gear is sub-multiplied according to relation (a) on page 7 of the present. This allows operation in a wider range of revolutions with much greater reliability as the more inlets / outlets, the lower the rotational speed of the rotating gear, smaller inertias, increased efficiency and at the same time greater fuel economy.

Finally, the height of the intake ports (5) of the cylindrical part (3) of the gear (1) can be increased so that more fuel enters the combustion chamber during the mixture intake time. This can lead to smaller engine and/or supercharger dimensions and much higher performance.

Claims (4)

CLAIMS Internal Combustion Engine with Driven Gears 1. An internal combustion engine characterized in that it includes a driven gear (1) which rotates within a fixed cooled cylinder head (7). The driven gear assembly (1) comprises an upper toothed section (2) which is driven via a transmission assembly (30) from the crankshaft (29) and a lower cylindrical section (3) which has inlet ports (5) and outlet ports ( 4) which are at a different height and rotate at the same angular speed with which the whole assembly rotates. The rotating gear (1) is seated in a cooled cylinder head (7) which is constructed in such a way as to allow the placement of the cylindrical part (3) of the rotating gear (1) inside it. The cylinder head (7) is characterized by the fixed opening (8) that connects it to the intake channel (24) of the engine fuel and the fixed opening (9) that connects it to the exhaust channel (25) of the exhaust gases and which is located at a different height in relation to the intake opening (8). In addition, the device contains cooling chambers (13) and in the center a slot (12) for placing a lighter if the fuel requires it (diesel use does not require the use of a lighter). The head is also characterized by a suitable notch (10) in which is placed a rolling bearing (16) that facilitates the movement of the rotating gear (1) as well as holes (11) in which a cover (20) is fixed with screws that holds the rotating gear (1) ) during operation. As the pinion (1) rotates within the stationary cylinder head (7) taking drive from the crankshaft (29) via a drive train (30), the intake (24) and exhaust (25) ducts of the engine communicate or are isolated from the combustion chamber depending on the position of the intake (5) and exhaust (4) ports which rotate at the same angular speed as the gear (1) allowing the operation of a four-stroke combustion cycle. Communication is possible through the permanent intake (8) and exhaust (9) ports of the cylinder head (7) which are opposite and aligned with the respective intake (24) and exhaust (25) ducts of the engine and at a different height from each other. 2. Internal combustion engine, according to claim 1, where the rotation of the fuel inlet ports (5) in the combustion chamber and the exhaust gas outlet (4) from it, which makes possible the operation of a four-stroke thermodynamic cycle, is achieved without the use camshafts but using a gear (1) driven by the crankshaft (29) through a transmission device (30). The rotation of these ports also makes the existence of a classic cylinder head unnecessary. In addition, the amount of fuel mixture entering the combustion chamber, and therefore the engine's performance, is determined by the height of the intake ports (5). 3. Internal combustion engine according to claims 1 and 2 where the sealing of the combustion chamber from the intake (24) and exhaust (25) ducts is done by means of sealing rings which are placed in the corresponding grooves (grooves) (6) located in the cylindrical part (3) of the rotating gear (1) as well as around (14) the inlet (8) and outlet (9) ports of the cooled cylinder head (7). 4. Internal combustion engine according to claims 1 to 3, where the rotation speed of the rotating gear (1) carrying the inlet (5) and outlet (4) ports is reduced according to the number of these ports according to the relationship: Vc Vg(a) 2 * Nh Where: • Vg: Velocity gear (1) (Velocity gear) • Vc: Crankshaft speed (29) (Velocity crankshaft) Nh: Number of hatches (5) or (4)