JPS5834644B2 - internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a novel internal combustion engine that utilizes static electricity.

Recently, various technologies have been developed to reduce harmful components in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines, but these technologies require major modifications to the main parts of the engine, including the carburetor and combustion chamber. As a result, development and manufacturing costs are high, and the structure is generally much more complex than conventional engines, leading to higher costs and lower reliability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and by charging fuel and attracting fuel particles in the mixture to the vicinity of the ignition plug by an electric field generated near the ignition plug, it is possible to locally charge the mixture. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an internal combustion engine that improves ignitability by enriching the mixture and enables stable operation with a leaner mixture.

In the present invention, the main parts of the engine can be used as conventional ones by simply adding a high voltage power supply, electrodes, etc., so there is no need to change the engine plant etc., and the structure is simple, so the cost can be reduced. It is also characterized by high reliability.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a vaporizer, 2 is a venturi, 3 is an acceleration electrode provided at the lower end of the venturi 2, 4 is a throttle valve, 5 is a main nozzle, 6 is a float chamber, 7 is an electrode, 8 is a cylinder,
9 is a piston, 10 is an intake manifold, 11 is a spark plug,
12 is an anode of the spark plug 11, and 13 is a DC high voltage power source.

In the device shown in FIG. 1, when the ○ terminal of the high voltage power supply 13 is connected to the electrode 7 and a high voltage (several kV to several tens of kV) is applied to the fuel, the fuel is charged to e and is ejected from the main nozzle 5. The apparent surface tension decreases and the fuel becomes a fine mist of particles.

This phenomenon is known as the electrostatic atomization phenomenon (for example, "The second principle of static electricity" in the static electricity series 1 published by Asakura Shoten).
(pp. 32 to 243), the effect will be increased if the accelerating electrode 3 to which a voltage of opposite polarity to the fuel is applied is installed near the main nozzle 5.

This accelerating electrode 3 is considered to correspond to, for example, the second grid in an electron gun of a cathode ray tube, and accelerates the fuel particles ejected from the main nozzle 5 by applying a voltage of opposite polarity to the main nozzle 5. It has the effect of promoting atomization.

The fuel particles charged as described above mix with the intake air and are sent to the cylinder 8 as an air-fuel mixture.

On the other hand, the anode 12 of the spark plug 11 provided in the cylinder 8 is connected to the ■ terminal of the high voltage power source 13.

Therefore, an electric field of ■ is generated in the vicinity of the spark plug 11 and attracts the fuel particles charged with a circle, so that the air-fuel mixture locally becomes rich in the vicinity of the spark plug 11.

Therefore, the ignitability and combustion speed are improved, and the overall lean mixture can be reliably ignited.

Therefore, the engine operates stably even if a leaner air-fuel mixture is supplied than before, so it is recommended to reduce N0x (nitrogen oxides) by using a lean combustion method or increase the exhaust gas recirculation rate of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation system) (mixing I feel weak) and N
A method for reducing Ox can be easily realized.

Further, as shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder 8 and the intake manifold 10 (both of which are normally electrically connected) are connected to the e terminal of the high voltage power supply 13, and a voltage of the same polarity as that of the fuel particles is applied. For example, since the fuel particles receive a repulsive force from the cylinder 8 and the intake manifold 10, the fuel particles
This prevents the particles from adhering to the inner wall of the intake manifold 10 and tends to concentrate near the spark plug 11.

Further, in FIG. 1, the center electrode (hereinafter referred to as an anode) of the ignition plug 11 is shown.

) 12 is applied to the anode 12 and the side electrodes (hereinafter referred to as cathodes).

) 12' or with the cylinder 8 (that is, the high voltage used for normal spark discharge is not high enough).

In the present invention, the fuel particles are concentrated near the spark plug by the attraction or repulsion force acting between the pre-charged fuel particles and the electric field, so there is no need to cause a discharge phenomenon that could potentially ignite the air-fuel mixture. .

The anode 12 of the ignition plug 11 is also connected to an ignition system (not shown), and when igniting the ignition plug, the ignition plug is discharged through normal operation to ignite the ignition.

As mentioned above, the voltage applied to the anode 12 of the spark plug is limited by the discharge starting voltage between the anode 12 and the cathode 12' or the cylinder 8.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the output of the high voltage power supply 13 is divided by the resistors R1 and R2 to create a voltage lower than the terminal (2), and this voltage is applied to the anode 12 of the ignition plug or near the ignition plug 11 as shown by the broken line. It may also be applied to a dedicated concentration electrode 14 provided in the.

As mentioned above, the voltage applied to the accelerating electrode 3 and the anode 1 of the spark plug
By changing the voltage applied to the accelerating electrode 2, the voltage applied to the accelerating electrode 3 can be made sufficiently high to promote the electrostatic atomization phenomenon, and the voltage applied to the anode 12 of the ignition plug can be kept below the discharge starting voltage. I can do it.

Furthermore, instead of applying a high voltage to the anode 12 of the ignition plug, if a dedicated concentrated electrode 14 (mesh, flat, cylindrical, etc.) is used, the discharge starting voltage can be increased.

For example, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the above-mentioned concentrated electrode 14, in which A shows a partial sectional view and B shows a front view.

In FIG. 3, 15 is an insulator, 16 is a conductor, and 17 is a needle-shaped electrode.

In the case where a concentrated electrode as described above is provided, since the high voltage power source 13 is not connected to the ignition plug, the voltage applied by the high voltage power source 13 can be increased, so that the attraction force of fuel particles can be increased. .

Furthermore, when the needle-like electrode 17 is used, the electric field is concentrated at the tip of the needle, so the suction force becomes stronger.

The concentrated electrode 14 as described above is used by being installed near the spark plug 19 inside the cylinder 18, as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, if the entire spark plug 19 is insulated from the cylinder 18, no discharge will occur between the anode 12 and the cathode 12' of the spark plug, so that the discharge starting voltage can be increased.

In this case, either the anode 12 or the cathode 12' is connected to the (2) terminal of the high voltage power supply 13.

Further, in this case, since the ignition plug is insulated from the body ground, the ignition device (not shown) and the anode 12 and cathode 12' of the ignition plug are connected by conductive wires, respectively.

Next, FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, 20 is a signal Vs corresponding to the engine operating characteristics.
This is a control circuit that changes the output voltage Vo in response to.

In addition, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 2 indicate the same parts. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 changes the voltage applied to the ignition plug 11 or the concentrated electrode 14 according to engine operating characteristics (for example, engine rotational speed, intake air amount, intake negative pressure, engine temperature, etc.). .

However, when the concentrated electrode 14 is provided, the connections are shown by broken lines.

For example, when the engine is idling, the discharge starting voltage is low, and when the engine is rotating at high speed, the discharge starting voltage is high.

Furthermore, since the intake stroke time is short when the engine rotates at high speed, it is necessary to concentrate the fuel particles in a short period of time.

Therefore, if a signal corresponding to the rotational speed is used as the signal 8, and the output voltage o is controlled to be low during low-speed rotation and high during high-speed rotation, there is no risk of electrical discharge occurring even during low-speed rotation. The fuel particles can be effectively concentrated near the spark plug even during high-speed rotation.

Note that in addition to changing the voltage applied to the spark plug 11 or the concentration electrode 14, the voltage applied to the accelerating electrode 3 may also be changed.

Further, it is also possible to control by combining two or more parameters such as rotational speed and intake air amount.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the electrode 7 on the fuel side is connected to the ○ pole, and the accelerating electrode 3 and the spark plug 11 are connected to the ■ pole, but the effect can be obtained even if the polarity is reversed. are the same.

Therefore, it may be selected appropriately depending on insulation and wiring considerations.

Further, the high voltage power supply 13 is not limited to a DC power supply, but a low frequency AC power supply may be used.

Furthermore, the accelerating electrode 3 is made of metal at the lower end of the venturi 2 (in this case, the venturi 2 must be an insulator and the main nozzle 5 and the accelerating electrode 3 must be insulated); It may be provided separately.

For example, a metal cylinder may be provided below the venturi 2 to serve as an accelerating electrode.

In addition, the method of charging the fuel does not use a special electrode 7,
The float chamber 6 or the main nozzle 5 may be made of metal and a voltage may be applied thereto.

In short, it is sufficient to apply a voltage to the part that comes into contact with the fuel.

However, if the tip of the main nozzle near the accelerating electrode 3 is made of metal and used as the electrode 7, the electrostatic atomization phenomenon will be effective due to interaction with the accelerating electrode 3 to which a voltage of opposite polarity is applied. It is possible to charge the fuel particles well.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the air-fuel mixture near the ignition plug becomes locally rich, so that ignition performance and combustion speed are improved.

Therefore, it is possible to operate the engine in a leaner range than usual, so that harmful exhaust gas components such as NOx, HC, and CO can be reduced.

In particular, stable fuel characteristics can be obtained even if the amount of EGR exhaust gas recirculation is increased, so NOx can be significantly reduced and drivability can be improved.

In addition, the electrostatic atomization phenomenon turns the fuel into minute particles, making it easy to create a high-quality air-fuel mixture and preventing fuel from adhering to the intake manifold and inner walls of the cylinders, improving combustion efficiency. improves fuel efficiency.

In addition, the device of the present invention only requires adding a high voltage power source and electrodes, and the engine body may be the same as the conventional one, so there is no need to change the engine plant etc., and it can be manufactured at an extremely low cost. The structure is simple and there are no mechanically moving parts in the extension, making it highly reliable.

In addition, a high voltage power supply only applies voltage and requires almost no current, so power consumption is extremely low.

Further, the present invention can be applied not only to ordinary piston engines but also to internal combustion engines such as rotary engines.

The present invention can also be applied to fuels that vaporize, such as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), as long as they are charged during the liquid phase.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an embodiment of a concentrated electrode, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a method of installing a concentrated electrode, and FIG. 5 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention. It is an example figure. Explanation of symbols: 1... Carburizer, 2... Venturi, 3... Accelerating electrode, 4... Throttle valve, 5... Main nozzle, 6... Float chamber, 7... Electrode, 8... Cylinder,
9... Piston, 10... Intake manifold, 11... Spark plug, 12... Anode, 12'... Cathode, 13... ... High voltage power supply, 14 ... Concentrated electrode, 15 ... Insulator, 16 ... Conductor, 17 ... Needle electrode, 18...Cylinder, 19...Ignition plug, 20...Control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The fuel injection port portion of the intake system is made of a conductive material to serve as the first electrode, or the first electrode is provided at a location where it comes into contact with the fuel before it is ejected from the fuel injection port, Further, an accelerating electrode insulated from the first electrode is provided near the fuel injection port of the intake system,
Further, a second electrode is provided near the spark plug in the combustion chamber, and a voltage is applied between the accelerating electrode and the second electrode and the first electrode,
By attracting the fuel particles charged by the first electrode and energized by the accelerating electrode to the vicinity of the spark plug by the electric field generated by the second electrode, the air-fuel mixture near the spark plug in the combustion chamber is localized. An internal combustion engine characterized by being enriched with. 2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the center electrode of the spark plug is used as the second electrode to locally enrich the air-fuel mixture near the spark plug. 3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the entire spark plug is insulated from the combustion chamber, and a center electrode or a side electrode of the spark plug is used as the second electrode. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a dedicated electrode provided near the ignition plug in the combustion chamber is used as the second electrode to locally enrich the air-fuel mixture near the ignition plug. Internal combustion engine. 5 Insulate the lower end of the venturi of the carburetor from other parts,
2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the lower end portion is used as the accelerating electrode. 6. The fuel injection port portion of the intake system is made of a conductive material to serve as the first electrode, or the first electrode is provided at a location where it comes into contact with the fuel before it is ejected from the fuel injection port, and the fuel injection port portion of the intake system is An accelerating electrode insulated from the first electrode is provided near the exit,
Further, a second electrode is provided near the spark plug in the fuel chamber, and a voltage is applied between the accelerating electrode and the second electrode and the first electrode,
By applying a voltage of the same polarity as the first electrode to the mixture passage from the vicinity of the fuel injection port of the intake system to the combustion chamber and the combustion chamber itself, the mixture is charged by the first electrode and charged by the accelerating electrode. The energized fuel particles are attracted to the vicinity of the spark plug by the electric field generated by the second electrode, thereby locally enriching the mixture near the spark plug in the combustion chamber, and causing the fuel particles to adhere to the inner wall of the mixture passage. An internal combustion engine characterized by preventing 7. The fuel ejection part of the intake system is made of a conductive material to serve as the first electrode, or the first electrode is provided at a location where it comes into contact with the fuel before it is ejected from the fuel ejection port, and the fuel injection part of the intake system An accelerating electrode insulated from the first electrode is provided near the combustion chamber, and a second electrode is provided near the spark plug in the combustion chamber, and a voltage is applied between the accelerating electrode and the second electrode and the first electrode. The fuel particles charged by the first electrode and energized by the accelerating electrode are attracted to the vicinity of the spark plug by the electric field generated by the second electrode, thereby reducing the air-fuel mixture near the spark plug in the combustion chamber. An internal combustion engine characterized by comprising a control circuit that locally enriches the output voltage and changes the output voltage according to the operating characteristics of the engine, and changes the applied voltage according to the operating characteristics of the engine. 8. The internal combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein the applied voltage is changed according to the rotational speed of the engine.