Dual combustion process for an internal combustion engine

Claim 2

An internal combustion process in an internal combustion engine having first and second expansible combustion chambers operative to apply power to the engine output member comprising the steps of: inducting air into a first said chamber; compressing said air in said first chamber to a first pressure; inducting air into a second said chamber; compressing said air in said second chamber to a second pressure substantially greater than said first pressure; inJecting fuel into said second chamber in an amount sufficient to provide an air/fuel mixture in which the amount of said fuel is substantially in excess of the stoichiometric amount for complete combustion by said air; combusting said air/fuel mixture in said second chamber to provide a first expansion of the combustion gases; exhausting said combustion gases from said second chamber; flowing said combustion gases into said first chamber at a pressure initially at least equal to said first pressure to mix with said compressed air to provide an air/fuel mixture in which said air is in excess of the stoichiometric amount of air required for complete combustion of said fuel; combusting the mixture of said compressed air and said combustion gases in said first chamber to produce a second expansion; exhausting the expanded combustion gases resulting from the combustion in said first chamber from said first chamber; and repeating said steps.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 in which a portion of said compressed air in said first chamber is withdrawn from said first chamber at a third pressure which is less than said first pressure prior to said air being compressed to said first pressure in said first chamber and wherein said portion of said compressed air is inducted into said second chamber to provide the air in said second chamber.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 in which air is inducted independently into said first and said second chamber.

Claim 5

An internal combustion process comprising the steps of: inducting air into a first chamber; compressing said air in said first chamber to a first pressure; withdrawing a portion of said compressed air from said first chamber at a third pressure which is less than said first pressure prior to said air being compressed to said first pressure in said first chamber; inducting said portion of said compressed air into said second chamber to provide the air in said second chamber; compressing said air in said second chamber to a second pressure substantially greater than said first pressure; injecting fuel into said second chamber in an amount sufficient to provide an air/fuel mixture in which the amount of said fuel is substantially in excess of the stoichiometric amount for complete combustion by said air; combusting said air/fuel mixture in said second chamber to provide a first expansion of the combustion gases; exhausting said combustion gases from said second chamber; flowing said combustion gases into said first chamber at a pressure initially at least equal to said first pressure to mix with said compressed air to provide an air/fuel mixture in which said air is in excess of the stoichiometric amount of air required for complete combustion of said fuel; combusting the mixture of said compressed air and said combustion gases in said first chamber to produce a second expansion; exhausting the expanded combustion gases resulting from the combustion in said first chamber from said first chamber; and repeating said steps.

Claim 6

An internal combustion process comprising the steps of: inducting air into a first chamber; compressing said air in said first chamber to a first pressure; withdrawing a portion of said compressed air from said first chamber at a third pressure which is less than said first pressure prior to said air being compressed to said first pressure in said first chamber; inducting said portion of said compressed air into said second chamber to provide the air in said second chamber; compressing said air in said second chamber to a second pressure substantially greater than said first pressure; injecting fuel into said second chamber in an amount sufficient to provide an air/fuel mixture in which the amount of said fuel is substantially in excess of the stoichiometric amount for complete combustion by said air; combusting said air/fuel mixture in said second chamber to provide a first expansion of the combustion gases; exhausting said combustion gases from said second chamber; flowing said combustion gases into said first chamber at a pressure initially at least equal to said first pressure to mix with said compressed air to provide an air/fuel mixture in which said air is in excess of the stoichiometric amount of air required for complete combustion of said fuel; combusting the mixture of said compressed air and said combustion gases in said first chamber to produce a second expansion; exhausting the expanded combustion gases resulting from the combustion in said first chamber from said first chamber; and repeating said steps.

Claim 7

The process of claim 4 in which the air/fuel ratio in said second chamber is between about 8:1 and about 13:1.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 in which the air/fuel ratio in said first chamber is at least about 16:1.

Claim 9

The process of claim 5 in which the air/fuel ratio in said first chamber is between about 16:1 and about 20:1.

Claim 10

The process of claim 4 in which the volumetric displacement of said second chamber is substantially less than the volumetric displacement of said first chamber.

Claim 11

The process of claim 8 in which the ratio of said volumetric displacement in said second chamber to said volumetric displacement in said first chamber is between about 1:3 and about 1:12.

Claim 12

The process of claim 4 in which the compression ratio in said first chamber is between about 3:1 and about 15:1.

Claim 13

The process of claim 10 in which the compression ratio in said second chambEr is at least about 3:1.

Claim 14

The process of claim 11 in which said portion of said compressed air is withdrawn from said first chamber at said third pressure between about 1.5 atmospheres and about 6 atmospheres.

Claim 15

The process of claim 12 in which said portion of said compressed air comprises between about 50% and about 60 percent of the total amount of air inducted into said first chamber.

Claim 16

The process of claim 4 in which said portion of said compressed air is substantially cooled before being inducted into said second chamber and said combustion in said second chamber is initiated by spark ignition.

Claim 17

The process of claim 4 in which said combustion gases from said second chamber are exhausted into a reservoir zone before being flowed into said first chamber.

Claim 18

An internal combustion process which comprises the steps of: inducting air into a first combustion chamber; compressing said air in said first combustion chamber to a first pressure between about 3 atmospheres and about 15 atmospheres; withdrawing a portion of the compressed air from said first combustion chamber at a second pressure lower than said first pressure before said air is compressed to said first pressure; inducting said portion of said compressed air into a second combustion chamber; compressing said compressed air in said second combustion chamber to provide a compression ratio in said second chamber of at least about 3:1, the ratio of the volumetric displacement in said second chamber to that of said first chamber being between about 1:3 and about 1:12; introducing fuel into said second combustion chamber to provide an air/fuel ratio in said second chamber between about 8:1 and about 13:1; combusting said compressed air and said fuel in said second combustion chamber to produce a first expansion of the resulting combustion gases; exhausting said combustion gases from said second combustion chamber; inducting said combustion gases into said first combustion chamber at a pressure substantially equal to but greater than said first pressure to mix with said compressed air at substantially said first pressure and to provide an air/fuel ratio of at least about 16:1; combusting said combustion gases and said air in said first combustion chamber to produce a second expansion of the combustion products; exhausting said combustion products from said first combustion chamber; and repeating the foregoing steps.

Claim 19

An internal combustion process which comprises the steps of: inducting air into a first combustion chamber; compressing said air in said first combustion chamber to a first pressure between about 3 atmospheres and about 15 atmospheres; withdrawing a portion of the compressed air from said first combustion chamber at a second pressure lower than said first pressure before said air is compressed to said first pressure; inducting said portion of said compressed air into a second combustion chamber; compressing said compressed air in said second combustion chamber to provide a compression ratio in said second chamber of at least about 3:1, the ratio of the volumetric displacement in said second chamber to that of said first chamber being between about 1:3 and about 1:12; introducing fuel into said second combustion chamber to provide an air/fuel ratio in said second chamber between about 8:1 and about 13:1; combusting said compressed air and said fuel in said second combustion chamber to produce a first expansion of the resulting combustion gases; exhausting said combustion gases from said second combustion chamber; inducting said combustion gases into said first combustion chamber at a pressure substantially equal to but greater than said first pressure to mix with said compressed air at substantially said first pressure and to provide an air/fuel ratio of at least about 16:1; combusting said combustion gases and said air in said first combustion chamber to produce a second expansion of the combustion products; exhausting said combustion products from said first combustion chamber; and repeating the foregoing steps.

Claim 20

The process of claim 16 in which said second pressure of the withdrawn air is between about 1.5 atmospheres and about 6 atmospheres.

Claim 21

The process of claim 17 in which said portion of said compressed air comprises about 50 percent to about 60 percent of the total amount of said air inducted into said first combustion chamber.

Claim 22

The process of claim 16 in which said air/fuel ratio in said first combustion chamber is between about 16:1 and about 20:1.

Claim 23

The process of claim 19 in which said compression ratio in said second combustion chamber is between about 4:1 and about 10:

Claim 24

The process of claim 16 which comprises the further steps of cooling said portion of said compressed air to a temperature substantially below the temperature of said portion when withdrawn from said first combustion chamber before inducting said portion into said second combustion chamber; and wherein said combusting in said second combustion chamber is produced by spark ignition of said fuel and air.

Claim 25

The process of claim 21 wherein said combustion gases are exhausted from said second combustion chamber into a reservoir chamber before induction into said first combustion chamber.