US3589177A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Combustion microwave diagnostic system
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1968-10-02
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Granted: 1971-06-29
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Expires: 1988-10-02
Abstract
Abstract Systems to resonate the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines at radio frequencies, at all available engine r.p.m. are disclosed. Methods, to employ radio frequency resonances for mechanical and electrical measurements within and near the combustion chamber, at all available engine r.p.m., are also disclosed. The system comprises a tunable source of coherent radio frequency energy and a hybrid transmission line to convey the radio frequency energy into the combustion chamber and also to detect the energy reflected from the combustion chamber. The methods, to perform mechanical and electrical measurements within the combustion chamber are ones that correlate the change in the number and properties of the resonances with the continuously changing properties of the combustion chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 Angelo Louis Merlo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 07:58
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M15/00; G01M15/04; G01M15/10; G01M15/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
Ultrahigh and microwave wavelength apparatus to permit radiation into internal combustion engines comprising, a coherent externally controlled energy source, a dielectrically loaded waveguide first adapter coupled to said source, said first adapter including a crystal detector and second adapter, a dielectrically loaded coaxial transmission line coupled to said second adapter, said line including a spark plug employed as a transmitting and receiving antenna for radiation by said source, combustion chamber being a resonant cavity coupled to said spark plug, said cavity including tuning by piston and chamber mechanical motions and gases and vapors, amplifier coupled to said detector, oscilloscope display coupled to said amplifier to permit measurements of tuning of said combustion chamber by said piston and chamber mechanical motions and gases and vapors throughout engine cycle at all available r.p.m.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
Ultrahigh and microwave wavelength apparatus to permit radiation into internal combustion engines comprising, a coherent externally controlled energy source, a dielectrically loaded waveguide first adapter coupled to said source, said first adapter including a crystal detector and second adapter, a dielectrically loaded coaxial transmission line coupled to said second adapter, said line including a spark plug employed as a transmitting and receiving antenna for radiation by said source, combustion chamber being a resonant cavity coupled to said spark plug, said cavity including tuning by piston and chamber mechanical motions and gases and vapors, amplifier coupled to said detector, oscilloscope display coupled to said amplifier to permit measurements of tuning of said combustion chamber by said piston and chamber mechanical motions and gases and vapors throughout engine cycle at all available r.p.m.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
281 words
Ultrahigh and microwave frequency apparatus to facilitate couPling into internal combustion engines comprising, a coherent externally controlled ultrahigh and microwave wavelength source, a flexible coaxial transmission line coupled to said source, a coax to waveguide adapter coupled to said transmission line, a dielectrically loaded waveguide section coupled to said adapter, said loaded waveguide section coupled to said adapter, said loaded waveguide section including waveguide to rigid coax adapter and crystal detector, a dielectrically loaded removable rigid coaxial transmission line coupled to said waveguide to rigid coax adapter including spark plug termination acting as an antenna on one end and including fittings to couple with said loaded waveguide section on the other end, said fittings including assembly nut to fasten and match said removable rigid coaxial transmission line to said loaded waveguide section and including sufficient dielectric loading material without outer conductor on said other end to prevent arcing from inner conductor to said loaded waveguide section, said inner conductor including diameter controlled to reduce leakage radiation, including said material positioned through said loaded waveguide to coax adapter, including said loaded waveguide section having maximum rotational freedom with respect to said rigid coaxial transmission line, a combustion chamber being a tunable resonant cavity coupled to said spark plug termination, including movable piston and mechanical parts and gases and plasma and vapors existing therein during high-speed operation, said movable piston and mechanical parts and gases and plasma and vapors tuning said tunable resonant cavity, a tunable amplifier coupled to said detector, display and recording and storage devices coupled to said amplifier to permit measurement of tuning of said combustion chamber by said movable piston and mechanical parts and gases and plasma and vapors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
281 words
Ultrahigh and microwave frequency apparatus to facilitate couPling into internal combustion engines comprising, a coherent externally controlled ultrahigh and microwave wavelength source, a flexible coaxial transmission line coupled to said source, a coax to waveguide adapter coupled to said transmission line, a dielectrically loaded waveguide section coupled to said adapter, said loaded waveguide section coupled to said adapter, said loaded waveguide section including waveguide to rigid coax adapter and crystal detector, a dielectrically loaded removable rigid coaxial transmission line coupled to said waveguide to rigid coax adapter including spark plug termination acting as an antenna on one end and including fittings to couple with said loaded waveguide section on the other end, said fittings including assembly nut to fasten and match said removable rigid coaxial transmission line to said loaded waveguide section and including sufficient dielectric loading material without outer conductor on said other end to prevent arcing from inner conductor to said loaded waveguide section, said inner conductor including diameter controlled to reduce leakage radiation, including said material positioned through said loaded waveguide to coax adapter, including said loaded waveguide section having maximum rotational freedom with respect to said rigid coaxial transmission line, a combustion chamber being a tunable resonant cavity coupled to said spark plug termination, including movable piston and mechanical parts and gases and plasma and vapors existing therein during high-speed operation, said movable piston and mechanical parts and gases and plasma and vapors tuning said tunable resonant cavity, a tunable amplifier coupled to said detector, display and recording and storage devices coupled to said amplifier to permit measurement of tuning of said combustion chamber by said movable piston and mechanical parts and gases and plasma and vapors.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
In combination a radio transmitter, apparatus to facilitate coupling into an internal combustion engine and a combustion chamber acting as a tunable resonance cavity, a dielectrically loaded waveguide coupled to said transmitter including a crystal detector, a dielectrically loaded coaxial transmission line coupled to said combustion chamber, an adapter to couple said waveguide and said transmission line, a spark plug acting as a transmitting and receiving antenna coupling said transmission line into said combustion chamber, combustion chamber tuning by piston motion and mechanical motions and gases and vapors at all available r.p.m., said tuning detected by said detector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
98 words
In combination a radio transmitter, apparatus to facilitate coupling into an internal combustion engine and a combustion chamber acting as a tunable resonance cavity, a dielectrically loaded waveguide coupled to said transmitter including a crystal detector, a dielectrically loaded coaxial transmission line coupled to said combustion chamber, an adapter to couple said waveguide and said transmission line, a spark plug acting as a transmitting and receiving antenna coupling said transmission line into said combustion chamber, combustion chamber tuning by piston motion and mechanical motions and gases and vapors at all available r.p.m., said tuning detected by said detector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
281 words
Ultrahigh and microwave frequency apparatus to measure spark plug firing timing comprising, a coherent externally controlled energy source, a dielectrically loaded waveguide coupled to said source including waveguide to rigid coax adapter and crystal detector, a rigid dielectrically loaded coax transmission line coupled to said adapter including spark plug termination acting as a transmitting and receiving antenna at one end and means to couple to said adapter on the other end, said other end including loop to detect ignition pulses, combustion chamber of internal combustion engine being a tunable resonance cavity coupled to said spark plug, including movable piston, amplifier coupled to said detector, AND gate coupled to said amplifier, peak sensor coupled to said AND gate, flip-flop no. 2 coupled to peak sensor, said sensor detecting only power and exhaust resonances, delay pulse generator coupled to said loop, flip-flop no. 1 coupled to said generator, said flip-flop no. 1 coupled to said AND gate to turn said AND gate ''''on'''' following ignition pulse, leading edge sensor coupled to said flip-flop no. 2, trailing edge sensor coupled to said flip-flop no. 2, power resonance ramp generator coupled to leading edge sensor providing a voltage proportional to time between ignition and power resonance, exhaust resonance ramp generator coupled to trailing edge sensor, providing a voltage proportional to time betwEen ignition and exhaust resonance, a separate peak detector and averager connected to each of said power and exhaust ramp generators, analog divider coupled to both of said separate peak detector and averager, DC meter indicator coupled to analog divider to indicate the ratio between ignition to exhaust resonance voltage divided by ignition to power resonance voltage, said ratio being proportional to firing angle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
281 words
Ultrahigh and microwave frequency apparatus to measure spark plug firing timing comprising, a coherent externally controlled energy source, a dielectrically loaded waveguide coupled to said source including waveguide to rigid coax adapter and crystal detector, a rigid dielectrically loaded coax transmission line coupled to said adapter including spark plug termination acting as a transmitting and receiving antenna at one end and means to couple to said adapter on the other end, said other end including loop to detect ignition pulses, combustion chamber of internal combustion engine being a tunable resonance cavity coupled to said spark plug, including movable piston, amplifier coupled to said detector, AND gate coupled to said amplifier, peak sensor coupled to said AND gate, flip-flop no. 2 coupled to peak sensor, said sensor detecting only power and exhaust resonances, delay pulse generator coupled to said loop, flip-flop no. 1 coupled to said generator, said flip-flop no. 1 coupled to said AND gate to turn said AND gate ''''on'''' following ignition pulse, leading edge sensor coupled to said flip-flop no. 2, trailing edge sensor coupled to said flip-flop no. 2, power resonance ramp generator coupled to leading edge sensor providing a voltage proportional to time between ignition and power resonance, exhaust resonance ramp generator coupled to trailing edge sensor, providing a voltage proportional to time betwEen ignition and exhaust resonance, a separate peak detector and averager connected to each of said power and exhaust ramp generators, analog divider coupled to both of said separate peak detector and averager, DC meter indicator coupled to analog divider to indicate the ratio between ignition to exhaust resonance voltage divided by ignition to power resonance voltage, said ratio being proportional to firing angle.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of measuring the position, within the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, of the piston or mechanical parts, selectively, at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating a externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into said combustion chamber, detecting a resonance mode of said wave reflected from said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said generated wave related to the resonance, continuously measuring the generated wavelength, comparing said measured wavelength with standard wavelengths measured with piston moved slowly, said standard wavelengths correlated with mechanical measurements.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of measuring the position, within the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, of the piston or mechanical parts, selectively, at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating a externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into said combustion chamber, detecting a resonance mode of said wave reflected from said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said generated wave related to the resonance, continuously measuring the generated wavelength, comparing said measured wavelength with standard wavelengths measured with piston moved slowly, said standard wavelengths correlated with mechanical measurements.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
133 words
The method of measuring the conductivity of flames, gases, vapors and materials within and near the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines, at all available r.p.m. comprising the steps of, generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, exciting resonance modes of said wave in said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said wave in combustion chamber to excite selected resonance modes, detecting said selected resonance modes, measuring the magnitude of loss tangent by means of said selected resonance mode, identifying said measured magnitudes of loss tangent with the position of electric fields of said selected resonance modes, comparing measured magnitude of said loss tangent of said selected resonant modes with the loss tangent of the same resonance modes occurring during rotation of the engine in the absence of fuel.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
133 words
The method of measuring the conductivity of flames, gases, vapors and materials within and near the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines, at all available r.p.m. comprising the steps of, generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, exciting resonance modes of said wave in said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said wave in combustion chamber to excite selected resonance modes, detecting said selected resonance modes, measuring the magnitude of loss tangent by means of said selected resonance mode, identifying said measured magnitudes of loss tangent with the position of electric fields of said selected resonance modes, comparing measured magnitude of said loss tangent of said selected resonant modes with the loss tangent of the same resonance modes occurring during rotation of the engine in the absence of fuel.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
94 words
The method of selecting one resonance mode for the purpose of measurement from many possible resonance modes that can be excited within the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at all available r.p.m., by the radiation of a externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency generator, comprising the steps of generating a fixed radio frequency wavelength, radiating said wavelength into said combustion chamber, turning said fixed wavelength power ''''on'''' and ''''off'''' in synchronism with the revolution of said engine, said power being turned ''''on'''' only during the time of the selected resonance.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
94 words
The method of selecting one resonance mode for the purpose of measurement from many possible resonance modes that can be excited within the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at all available r.p.m., by the radiation of a externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency generator, comprising the steps of generating a fixed radio frequency wavelength, radiating said wavelength into said combustion chamber, turning said fixed wavelength power ''''on'''' and ''''off'''' in synchronism with the revolution of said engine, said power being turned ''''on'''' only during the time of the selected resonance.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
75 words
The method of measuring ignition angle in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wavelength, tuning said wavelength to excite one resonance mode in said combustion chamber, radiating said wavelength into said combustion chamber, detecting one direction resonance mode of piston of said radio frequency wavelength, and measuring elapsed time between ignition and said resonance mode.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
75 words
The method of measuring ignition angle in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wavelength, tuning said wavelength to excite one resonance mode in said combustion chamber, radiating said wavelength into said combustion chamber, detecting one direction resonance mode of piston of said radio frequency wavelength, and measuring elapsed time between ignition and said resonance mode.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
125 words
The method of determining the direction of piston motion within the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at all available r.p.m. comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a resonance mode of said wave, detecting said resonance mode coupled out in the form in which initially the resonance has one detected polarity followed by the opposite polarity, when the piston moves in one direction, having the reverse sequence in time of polarities when the piston moves in the opposite direction, comparing the sequence of polarity reversals with those taken as a calibration by moving the piston very slowly as a standaRd.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
125 words
The method of determining the direction of piston motion within the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at all available r.p.m. comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a resonance mode of said wave, detecting said resonance mode coupled out in the form in which initially the resonance has one detected polarity followed by the opposite polarity, when the piston moves in one direction, having the reverse sequence in time of polarities when the piston moves in the opposite direction, comparing the sequence of polarity reversals with those taken as a calibration by moving the piston very slowly as a standaRd.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
69 words
The method of determining engine crank angular velocity at all available r.p.m. comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a resonance mode, detecting said resonance mode, measuring the time duration of said resonance, employing said time duration to determine engine angular velocity.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
69 words
The method of determining engine crank angular velocity at all available r.p.m. comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a resonance mode, detecting said resonance mode, measuring the time duration of said resonance, employing said time duration to determine engine angular velocity.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
153 words
The method of tracking one resonance in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled ultrahigh and microwave frequency wave, radiating said wave into said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a resonance mode, detecting said resonance mode, amplifying said detected resonance mode, turning the amplifier ''''on'''' during the time of occurrence of said resonance mode one time per engine cycle, and ''''off'''' during all other times, measuring the average value of the voltage comprising the resonance mode during said ''''on'''' time, determining that zero average value identifies the coincidence of the ''''on'''' time with the time of resonance, other polarities measured identify the polarity of anticoincidence of the ''''on'''' time with the time of resonance, employing this measurement to automatically alter said time of ''''on'''' to maintain coincidence of ''''on'''' time with the time of resonance.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
153 words
The method of tracking one resonance in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled ultrahigh and microwave frequency wave, radiating said wave into said combustion chamber, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a resonance mode, detecting said resonance mode, amplifying said detected resonance mode, turning the amplifier ''''on'''' during the time of occurrence of said resonance mode one time per engine cycle, and ''''off'''' during all other times, measuring the average value of the voltage comprising the resonance mode during said ''''on'''' time, determining that zero average value identifies the coincidence of the ''''on'''' time with the time of resonance, other polarities measured identify the polarity of anticoincidence of the ''''on'''' time with the time of resonance, employing this measurement to automatically alter said time of ''''on'''' to maintain coincidence of ''''on'''' time with the time of resonance.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of controlling internal combustion engine operating efficiency at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into the combustion chamber of said engine, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a selected resonance mode, further changing the wavelength of said wave to position the time of occurrence of said resonance mode in a sensitive region of gas conductivity, continuously measuring the loss tangent of materials by said resonance mode, employing said measurement to control the efficiency of operation of the internal combustion engine.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
99 words
The method of controlling internal combustion engine operating efficiency at all available r.p.m., comprising the steps of generating an externally controlled coherent ultrahigh and microwave radio frequency wave, radiating said wave into the combustion chamber of said engine, changing the wavelength of said wave to excite a selected resonance mode, further changing the wavelength of said wave to position the time of occurrence of said resonance mode in a sensitive region of gas conductivity, continuously measuring the loss tangent of materials by said resonance mode, employing said measurement to control the efficiency of operation of the internal combustion engine.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-28 | 1974-12-28 | 1975-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-28 | 1978-12-28 | 1979-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-28 | 1982-12-28 | 1983-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |