Internal combustion engine operation utilizing exhaust gas recirculation

Claim 1

In an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber including; exhaust and intake valves communicated therewith, the latter mentioned valve being operable to cyclically admit a preliminary combustion supporting gaseous mixture to said combustion chamber, and an exhaust valve being operable to pass a hot exhaust stream therefrom, and fuel injection means communicated with said combustion chamber being operable to cyclically introduce a stream of fuel to the latter, conduit means communicating said exhaust valve with said intake valve to segregate and carry a stream of gas to the latter; gas mixing means positioned in said conduit means, and being communicated with a source of a combustion supporting medium to intermix the latter with said stream of exhaust gas whereby to form a preliminary gaseous mixture; first flow regulating means having a by-pass means therein; being positioned in said conduit means at a point down stream of said gas mixing means to receive said preliminary mixture of exhaust gas and combustion supporting medium, said first flow regulating means being connected to said intake valve whereby to controllably regulate the flow of said preliminary gas mixture, passing to said intake valve, and second flow regulating means having by-pass means therein, being disposed in said conduit means upstream of said gas mixture means, and being operable to regulate the flow of said exhaust gas stream subsequent to discharge thereof from said exhaust valve.