Double cam axial engine with over-expansion, variable compression, constant volume combustion, rotary valves and water injection for regenerative cooling

摘要

An axial engine includes a cam assembly housing moveable away from a cylinder head to reduce a compression ratio during conditions giving rise to detonation and movable towards the cylinder head to raise the compression ratio when operation allows the higher compression ratio. Piston rod ends ride in counter rotating slots balancing lateral forces on the piston rods. Piston dwell at Top Dead Center (TDC) provides for constant volume combustion and extended piston travel during the power stroke allows for over-expansion. Rotary valves improve volumetric efficiency and water injection supports increased compression ratio leading to improved thermodynamic efficiency.

主权项

1. A variable compression axial engine comprising:
a cylinder block having parallel cylinder bores; a cylinder head fixed to the cylinder block an engine housing attached to the cylinder block opposite to the cylinder head; a cam assembly residing in the engine housing below the cylindrical block and movable in the engine housing towards and away from the cylinder head, the cam assembly including
a rotating inner cam in the cam assembly and moving towards and away from the cylinder head with the cam assembly; anda counter rotating outer cam in the cam assembly residing co-axial outside the inner cam and rotationally coupled to the inner cam by elements of the cam assembly to counter rotate at a same angular velocity as the inner cam, and moving towards and away from the cylinder head with the cam assembly; a rotating engine shaft parallel to the cylinder bores, the inner cam rotationally coupled to the engine shaft; an inner cam channel on an outside face of the inner cam; an outer cam channel on an inner face of the outer cam; the connecting rods having bottom ends coupled to follow the inner cam channel and the outer cam channel to couple rotational motion of the inner cam and the outer cam to reciprocating motion of the rods; corresponding portions of the inner channel and outer cam channel are adjacent, and the bottom ends of the connecting rods include cam followers simultaneously engaging both the inner cam channel and the outer cam channel at all times; and pistons residing at top ends of the connecting rods.