Multi-fuel engine

摘要

Internal combustion engines and methods of operating an internal combustion engine are provided. The engine may include double-ended pistons such that power strokes can be applied to drive the double-ended piston in both directions along the axis along which the piston reciprocates. In some engines, multiple pistons may be connected to a single piston shaft and arranged inline such that the motion thereof is in the same direction at all times along the piston axis of motion. In one engine, the double-ended piston divides a cavity of the engine block or cylinder wall into two separate compression chambers. Each compression chamber has its own fuel inlet. Each fuel inlet is coupled to a different fuel source such that one fuel may be combusted in one of the compression chambers and a different fuel is combusted in the other one of the compression chambers.

主权项

1. An engine comprising:
a cylinder wall defining a cavity; a pair of cylinder head portions attached to the cylinder wall and closing opposite ends of the cavity; a double-ended piston having opposed piston faces that face axially away from one another, the double-ended piston being positioned within the cavity and separating the cavity into separate first and second compression chambers; a piston shaft extending through at least one of the cylinder head portions and operably connected to the double-ended piston, the piston shaft moving in reciprocating linear motion with the double-ended piston; a crankshaft; a connecting rod operably coupling the piston shaft to the crankshaft; a first fuel injector operably coupled to a first source of fuel positioned to inject the first fuel into the first compression chamber; a second fuel injector operably coupled to a second source of fuel, different than the first source of fuel, positioned to inject the second fuel into the second compression chamber; a controller configured to control operation in a dual power stroke mode where combustion occurs in both the first and second compression chambers; and wherein the controller is also configured to control operation in a single power stroke mode where combustion occurs in only either the first or second compression chamber, the controller configured to switch between the dual power stroke mode and the single power stroke mode.