Staged internal combustion engine with modulating interstage temperature control

Claim 2

A staged combustion engine including means defining first and second stage expansible combustion chambers each having an inlet port and an exhaust port, means connected with an output shaft to cyclically expand and contract said chambers and control said ports whereby to cause consecutive admission and combustion of combustible mixtures therein and subsequent exhaust of burned mixtures from said chambers, with a resultant delivery of power to said output shaft, an inlet conduit connected with said first stage inlet port for supplying a rich combustible air-fuel mixture to said first stage combustion chamber, an interstage conduit connecting the exhaust port of ssaid first stage chamber to the inlet port of said second stage chamber, said interstage conduit including a first gas flow path containing a heat exchanger and a second gas flow path connected in parallel with said first flow path and bypassing said heat exchanger, valve means in said interstage conduit and movable between a first position blocking said first flow path and a second position blocking said second flow path to proportion the flow of interstage gas through and around said heat exchanger, and automatic control means connected with said valve means and responsive to at least one variable condition of engine operation to regulate the position of said valve means so as to control the flow of gases through and around said heat exchanger and thereby the temperature of the interstage gases supplied to said second stage combustion chamber in a predetermined manner with respect to said at least one engine operating condition.

Claim 3

A staged combustion engine including means defining first and second stage expansible combustion chambers each having an inlet port and an exhaust port, means connected with an output shaft to cyclically expand and contract said chambers and control said ports whereby to cause consecutive admission and combustion of combustible mixtures therein and subsequent exhaust of burned mixtures from said chambers, with a resultant delivery of power to said output shaft, an inlet conduit connected with said first stage inlet port for supplying a rich combustible air-fuel mixture to said first stage combustion chamber, an interstage conduit connecting the exhaust port of said first stage chamber to the inlet port of said second stage chamber, and interstage conduit including a first gas flow path containing a heat exchanger and a second gas flow path connected in parallel with said first flow path and bypassing said heat exchanger, valve means in said interstage conduit and movable between a first position blocking said first flow path and a second position blocking said second flow path to proportion the flow of interstage gas through and around said heat exchanger, and automatic control means haviNg an actuating member connected with said valve means and a plurality of condition responsive means connected with said actuating member, said condition responsive means being connected with various portions of said engine and responsive to predetermined operating conditions of said engine portions to position said actuating member and said valve means in a predetermined manner for regulating the flow of gases through and around said heat exchanger and thereby the temperature of the interstage gases supplied to said second stage combustion chamber.

Claim 4

A staged combustion engine including means defining first and second stage expansible combustion chambers each having an inlet port and an exhaust port, means connected with an output shaft to cyclically expand and contract said chambers and control said ports whereby to cause consecutive admission and combustion of combustible mixtures therein and subsequent exhaust of burned mixtures from said chambers, with a resultant delivery of power to said output shaft, an inlet conduit connected with said first stage inlet port for supplying a rich combustible air-fuel mixture to said first stage combustion chamber, an interstage conduit connecting the exhaust port of said first stage chamber to the inlet port of said second stage chamber, and interstage conduit including a first gas flow path containing a heat exchanger and a second gas flow path connected in parallel with said first flow path and bypassing said heat exchanger, valve means in said interstage conduit and movable between a first position blocking said first flow path and a second position blocking said second flow path to proportion the flow of interstage gas through and around said heat exchanger, and automatic control means haviNg an actuating member connected with said valve means and a plurality of condition responsive means connected with said actuating member, said condition responsive means being connected with various portions of said engine and responsive to predetermined operating conditions of said engine portions to position said actuating member and said valve means in a predetermined manner for regulating the flow of gases through and around said heat exchanger and thereby the temperature of the interstage gases supplied to said second stage combustion chamber.

Claim 5

A staged combustion engine including means defining a plurality of first and second stage expansible combustion chambers each having an inlet port and an exhaust port, means connected with an output shaft to cyclically expand and contract said chambers and control said ports whereby to cause consecutive admission and combustion of combustible mixtures therein and subsequent exhaust of burned mixtures from said chambers, with a resultant delivery of power to said output shaft, a throttled inlet conduit connected with said first stage inlet ports for supplying a rich combustible air-fuel mixture to said first stage combustion chambers, interstage conduit means connecting the exhaust ports of said first stage chambers to the inlet ports of said second stage chambers, said interstage conduit means including a first gas flow path containing a cooling device and a second gas flow path connected in parallel with said first flow path and bypassing said cooling device, valve means in said interstage conduit means and movable between a first position blocking said first flow path and a second position blocking said second flow path to proportion the flow of interstage gas through and around said cooling device, and automatic control means having an actuating member connected with said valve means and first second and third condition responsive means connected with said actuating member, said first condition responsive means being connected with a portion of said interstage conduit means between said parallel flow paths and said second stage inlet port and responsive to interstage gas temperatures in said conduit means portion to move said actuating member so as to maintain predetermined temperatures therein, said second condition responsive means being connected with an engine load indicating signal and responsive to changes in a load indicating condition thereof to modify said predetermined temperatures maintained by said first means and said third condition responsive means being connected to a moving portion of said engine and responsive to the speed of motion of such moving portion to further modify said predetermined temperatures maintained by said first means, whereby said automatic control means actuates said valve means to control final interstage gas temperatures at a predetermined temperature varied as a function of engine speed and load.

Claim 6

A staged combustion engine including means defining a plurality of first and second stage expansible combustion chambers each having an inlet port and an exhaust port, means connected with an output shaft to cyclically expand and contract said chambers and control said ports whereby to cause consecutive admission and combustion of combustible mixtures therein and subsequent exhaust of burned mixtures from said chambers, with a resultant delivery of power to said output shaft, a throttled inlet conduit connected with said first stage inlet ports for supplying a rich combustible air-fuel mixture to said first stage combustion chambers, interstage conduit means connecting the exhaust ports of said first stage chambers to the inlet ports of said second stage chambers, said interstage conduit means including a first gas flow path containing a cooling device and a second gas flow path connected in parallel with said first flow path and bypassing said cooling device, valve means in said interstage conduit means and movable between a first position blocking said first flow path and a second position blocking said second flow path to proportion the flow of interstage gas through and around said cooling device, and automatic control means having an actuating member connected with said valve means and first second and third condition responsive means connected with said actuating member, said first condition responsive means being connected with a portion of said interstage conduit means between said parallel flow paths and said second stage inlet port and responsive to interstage gas temperatures in said conduit means portion to move said actuating member so as to maintain predetermined temperatures therein, said second condition responsive means being connected with an engine load indicating signal and responsive to changes in a load indicating condition thereof to modify said predetermined temperatures maintained by said first means and said third condition responsive means being connected to a moving portion of said engine and responsive to the speed of motion of such moving portion to further modify said predetermined temperatures maintained by said first means, whereby said automatic control means actuates said valve means to control final interstage gas temperatures at a predetermined temperature varied as a function of engine speed and load.

Claim 7

A staged combustion engine having a cylinder block, a plurality of aligned cylinders including both first and second stage cylinders in said cylinder block and opening through one end thereof, a cylinder head closing the ends of said cylinders, pistons reciprocably disposed in said cylinders and defining therein variable volume combustion chambers, said pistons being connected with an output shaft for the delivery of power thereto, said cylinder head having a pair of valve controlled ports connecting with each cylinder including an inlet port and an exhaust port, the inlet ports of the first stage cylinders and the exhaust ports of the second stage cylinders opening through one side of said cylinder head and the exhaust ports of the first stage cylinders and the inlet ports of the second stage cylinders extending toward another side of said cylinder head and generally aligned longitudinally thereof, an inlet manifold connected with the first stage inlet ports for delivering air-fuel mixture thereto, an exhaust manifold connected with the second stage exhaust Ports for receiving exhaust gases therefrom, said inlet and exhaust manifolds having connecting portions in heat exhange relation to transfer exhaust gas heat to the air-fuel mixture in the inlet manifold, interstage manifold means extending longitudinally of said head along said another side thereof and defining separate parallel cooling and bypass passages both connecting with said second stage exhaust ports and said first stage inlet ports and providing gas flow paths therebetween, said cooling passage having cooling heat exchange means in the flow path between each of the connected inlet and exhaust ports, and valve means in said manifold means and movable between a first position blocking flow through said cooling passage and a second position blocking flow through said bypass passage, whereby movement of said valve means modulates flow through and around said heat exchange means and thereby regulates the temperature of interstage gases supplied to said second stage inlet ports, and means for adding supplemental combustion air to the interstage gases before their admission to said second stage combustion chambers.

Claim 8

A staged combustion engine having a cylinder block, a plurality of aligned cylinders including both first and second stage cylinders in said cylinder block and opening through one end thereof, a cylinder head closing the ends of said cylinders, pistons reciprocably disposed in said cylinders and defining therein variable volume combustion chambers, said pistons being connected with an output shaft for the delivery of power thereto, said cylinder head having a pair of valve controlled ports connecting with each cylinder including an inlet port and an exhaust port, the inlet ports of the first stage cylinders and the exhaust ports of the second stage cylinders opening through one side of said cylinder head and the exhaust ports of the first stage cylinders and the inlet ports of the second stage cylinders extending toward another side of said cylinder head and generally aligned longitudinally thereof, an inlet manifold connected with the first stage inlet ports for delivering air-fuel mixture thereto, an exhaust manifold connected with the second stage exhaust Ports for receiving exhaust gases therefrom, said inlet and exhaust manifolds having connecting portions in heat exhange relation to transfer exhaust gas heat to the air-fuel mixture in the inlet manifold, interstage manifold means extending longitudinally of said head along said another side thereof and defining separate parallel cooling and bypass passages both connecting with said second stage exhaust ports and said first stage inlet ports and providing gas flow paths therebetween, said cooling passage having cooling heat exchange means in the flow path between each of the connected inlet and exhaust ports, and valve means in said manifold means and movable between a first position blocking flow through said cooling passage and a second position blocking flow through said bypass passage, whereby movement of said valve means modulates flow through and around said heat exchange means and thereby regulates the temperature of interstage gases supplied to said second stage inlet ports, and means for adding supplemental combustion air to the interstage gases before their admission to said second stage combustion chambers.