Combustion means for a low-pollution engine

Claim 2

Combustion apparatus, comprising a. internal combustion engine means operable in a fuel rich mode to produce exhaust gases rich in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and having a relatively low content of oxides of nitrogen; b. a source of air; c. mixing means for mixing the exhaust gases and the air to produce a fuel-to-air ratio near, and on the lean side of, stoichiometric; and d. burner means for burning said mixture at about one atmosphere pressure to produce a flame having a temperature range of from about 2500* Rankine to about 3300* Rankine for a period of time to effect rapid substantially complete combustion of the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide components without the formation of additional undesirable oxides of nitrogen.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including a housing containing a chamber, said burner means including a burner member mounted in said housing for directing the burner flame longitudinally of said chamber toward one end thereof.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said source of air includes an air cylinder.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said source of exhaust gases comprises an internal combustion engine operable in a fuel-rich mode, said engine including a power output shaft, and further wherein said source of air includes an air cylinder having a piston driven by said power output shaft.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said air cylinder constitutes a reciprocating air motor.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said internal combustion engine includes a plurality of piston-cylinder motor means, and further wherein said reciprocating air motor comprises one of said piston-cylinder motor means.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, and further including means for transforming to mechanical energy the heat energy of the burner flame and for applying this mechanical energy as driving power through said air motor, thereby to drive said engine output shaft.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including heat exchanger means for converting to useful mechanical energy the heat energy of said flame.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said source of exhaust gases includes an internal combustion engine operable in the fuel-rich mode, and further including means for supplying as driving power to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine the useful mechanical energy by means of said heat exchanger means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said driving power supply means comprises an air cylinder having a piston connected with the output shaft of said internal combustion engine.

Claim 12

A pollution free internal combustion engine, comprising a. a crankshaft; b. internal combustion Piston motor means for driving said crankshaft, said piston motor means being operable in a fuel-rich mode to produce an exhaust gas rich in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and low in oxides of nitrogen; c. combustion means for establishing a flame to effect substantially complete combustion of said exhaust gas, thereby to convert the hydrocarbons and the carbon monoxide to water and carbon dioxide; and d. energy conversion means for converting the heat energy of the flame to mechanical energy and for utilizing this mechanical energy to drive said crankshaft.

Claim 13

A pollution free internal combustion engine, comprising a. a crankshaft; b. internal combustion Piston motor means for driving said crankshaft, said piston motor means being operable in a fuel-rich mode to produce an exhaust gas rich in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and low in oxides of nitrogen; c. combustion means for establishing a flame to effect substantially complete combustion of said exhaust gas, thereby to convert the hydrocarbons and the carbon monoxide to water and carbon dioxide; and d. energy conversion means for converting the heat energy of the flame to mechanical energy and for utilizing this mechanical energy to drive said crankshaft.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said combustion means establish a flame having a temperature of between about 2500* Rankine and 3300* Rankine, thereby to avoid the formation of oxides of nitrogen.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said energy conversion means includes an air compression and expansion system including a. an air piston motor connected with said crankshaft, said air piston motor having a working chamber; b. energy storage means having a storage chamber; c. heat exchanger means arranged for heating by said flame; d. means operable upon a compression stroke of said air piston for supplying compressed air from said working chamber to said storage chamber; and e. means including said heat exchanger means operable during the expansion stroke of said air piston for heating and returning the compressed gas from said storage chamber to said working chamber.

Claim 16

Air motor means for supplying power to a rotary output shaft of an engine, comprising a. an air cylinder; b. an air piston mounted for reciprocation within said air cylinder and defining therein a working chamber, said air piston having compression and expansion strokes relative to said air cylinder and being adapted for connection with said output shaft; c. means including an inlet valve for supplying air to said working chamber during an expansion stroke of said air piston; d. means including an exhaust valve for exhausting air from said air cylinder during a compression stroke of said air piston; e. means defining a combustion chamber; f. means including a burner for establishing a flame in said combustion chamber; g. energy storage means defining a storage chamber; h. first conduit means operable during a compression stroke of said air piston for supplying compressed air from said air cylinder working chamber to said storage chamber; and i. means including heat exchanger means arranged for heating by the flame of said burner for supplying the compressed air in said storage chamber to said air cylinder working chamber during an expansion stroke of said air piston, whereby the heat energy of said flame is applied as mechanical energy through said air piston during said expansion stroke.

Claim 17

Air motor means for supplying power to a rotary output shaft of an engine, comprising a. an air cylinder; b. an air piston mounted for reciprocation within said air cylinder and defining therein a working chamber, said air piston having compression and expansion strokes relative to said air cylinder and being adapted for connection with said output shaft; c. means including an inlet valve for supplying air to said working chamber during an expansion stroke of said air piston; d. means including an exhaust valve for exhausting air from said air cylinder during a compression stroke of said air piston; e. means defining a combustion chamber; f. means including a burner for establishing a flame in said combustion chamber; g. energy storage means defining a storage chamber; h. first conduit means operable during a compression stroke of said air piston for supplying compressed air from said air cylinder working chamber to said storage chamber; and i. means including heat exchanger means arranged for heating by the flame of said burner for supplying the compressed air in said storage chamber to said air cylinder working chamber during an expansion stroke of said air piston, whereby the heat energy of said flame is applied as mechanical energy through said air piston during said expansion stroke.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said energy storage means comprises an auxiliary piston mounted for reciprocation within said storage chamber, thereby to define within said storage chamber on the side of said auxiliary piston remote from said storage chamber a pressure chamber, said auxiliary piston being operable between first and second positions in which the volume of said storage chamber is a minimum and a maximum, respectively, and means normally biasing said auxiliary piston toward said first position, the magnitude of biasing force of said biasing means being such as to maintain said auxiliary piston in said first position during the initial stages of the compression stroke of said piston, and to permit said auxiliary piston to be displaced to its second position by the force of the compressed air in said working chamber near the end of said compression stroke; and further wherein said heat exchanger means is connected in series in said first conduit means, whereby air compressed in said air cylinder flows from said air cylinder to said storage chamber via said heat exchanger means during the compression Stroke of said air piston, and compressed air stored in said storage chamber flows through said heat exchanger means to said air cylinder during the expansion stroke of said air piston.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said biasing means comprises biasing valve means for supplying compressed air from said air cylinder to said pressure chamber during a compression stroke of said air piston.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said biasing valve means comprises a check valve.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said energy storage means comprises an auxiliary housing defining a constant volume storage chamber; wherein said means for supplying compressed air from said storage chamber to said working chamber comprises second conduit means in which said heat exchanger means is directly connected; and further including by-pass valve means for closing said first conduit means during the expansion stroke of said air piston.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, and further including flow control means operable during the compression stroke of said air piston for causing a greater quantity of air to flow from said working chamber to said storage chamber through said first conduit means than through said second conduit means and said heat exchanger means.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said flow control means is operable only during the terminal period of the compression stroke of said air piston.

Claim 24

Apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said flow control valve means comprises stub valve means connected between said air piston and the end wall of the air cylinder that is adjacent the piston when said piston is at the end of its compression stroke.

Claim 25

Apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said flow control means comprises a portion of said second conduit means having a cross section that is restricted relative to said first conduit means.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said by-pass valve means comprises a check valve.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said auxiliary housing is remote from said air cylinder.

Claim 28

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said air cylinder has an end wall defining a portion of said working cylinder; and further wherein said auxiliary cylinder is mounted on said air cylinder end wall on the side thereof remote from said working chamber, said end wall containing a port defining said first conduit means.

Claim 29

Apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein said by-pass valve means comprises normally open check valve means arranged to close said port when the pressure differential between said storage and working chambers exceeds a given value.

Claim 30

Apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said inlet and exhaust valve means are each mounted in wall portions of said auxiliary housing.

Claim 31

Apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said second conduit means is connected at one end with a port contained in a wall portion of said auxiliary housing.

Claim 32

Apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein said second conduit means includes at its other end an end portion that extends across said energy storage chamber and through an opening contained in said air cylinder end wall, said end portion terminating in communication with said working chamber.

Claim 33

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said flame establishing means includes third conduit means connecting said exhaust valve with said burner for mixing with the combustible fuel compressed air from said air cylinder in such a fuel-to-air ratio as to establish a fuel-lean flame, whereby the exhaust gas from said flame is low in the production of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and other pollutants.

Claim 34

Apparatus as defined in claim 30, and further including surge tank means connected in said third conduit means for supplying compressed air to said burner during the periods said exhaust valve is closed.

Claim 35

Apparatus as defined in claim 31, wherein said surge tank means comprises a housing member containing a surge chamber means for introducing combustible fuel into one end of said surge chamber and an air supply pipe connected with said third conduit means for supplying air into the other end of said surge chamber, the volume of said surge chamber being such as to accommodate at burner pressure the air delivered on an exhaust stroke of said air piston.

Claim 36

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said heat exchanger means comprises a stack of spaced planar elements longitudinally spaced from, and arranged generally parallel with the axis of, said burner means, means for effecting flow of the flame exhaust gases through first spaces between some of said planar elements, and means for effecting flow of the compressed air from said storage chamber to said working chamber via second spaces between others of said planar elements.

Claim 37

Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said heat exchanger means is generally annular and is arranged concentrically in spaced relation about said burner.

Claim 38

Apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein said annular heat exchanger means contains longitudinal passages for the flow of the flame exhaust gases therethrough, and further wherein said combustion chamber includes means for reversing the flow of the flame combustion gases radially outwardly and reversely backwardly through the heat exchanger longitudinal passages.

Claim 39

Apparatus as defined in claim 35, and further including helical guide vane means on at least one wall surface of the heat exchanger longitudinal passages for causing a minimum Reynolds number to be exceeded and thereby effect turbulent flow of said combustion gases through said heat exchanger, whereby the transfer of heat to said compressed air is enhanced.

Claim 40

Apparatus as defined in claim 36, wherein said annular heat exchanger means includes generally annular passages through which compressed air is conducted from said storage chamber to said working chamber.

Claim 41

Apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said flame establishing means further includes a plurality of internal combustion piston-cylinder motors operable in a fuel-rich mode, whereby the exhaust gas from said internal combustion motors is rich in hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, but low in oxides of nitrogen, the pistons of said internal combustion motors and the air piston being adapted for driving connection with said output shaft, whereby upon complete combustion of said fuel-rich exhaust gases in said combustion chamber, the resultant combustion chamber exhaust gases are substantially free of pollutants.