AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH DIVIDED COMBUSTION CHAMBER

摘要

An internal combustion engine 10 includes a first combustion chamber (20) in each of its cylinders (12). First fuel injector (24) injects a first volume of fuel into the chamber (20). A housing (28) defining an auxiliary combustion chamber (30) is coupled to the engine (10). The housing (28) includes a passage (32) that extends from the auxiliary combustion chamber (30) to the first combustion chamber (20). Fluid communication through the passage (32) is controlled by a valve (34). When the valve (34) is in an extended position it provides a high impedance to the flow of fluid between the auxiliary combustion chamber (30) and the first combustion chamber (20). However when in a retracted position, the valve (34) allows unimpeded fluid flow between the two chambers. An auxiliary air and fuel injector (38) to inject a fuel/air mixture into the auxiliary combustion chamber (34). Air for the auxiliary injector (38) is sourced from outside of the first combustion chamber (20), ie typically via a compressor or in a multi-cylinder engine one of the engine cylinders could be devoted to this task.As a piston (14) in a cylinder (12) of the engine (10) approaches top dead centre during its compression stroke, fuel and air is injected into the auxiliary chamber (30), and the valve (34) is held in the extended position. A spark is delivered to the auxiliary combustion chamber causing ignition of the fuel and air mixture therewithin. Just prior to the piston (14) reaching top dead centre, a valve controller (36) operates the valve (34) to move it to its retracted position whereby the ignited fuel and air from the auxiliary combustion chamber passes through the passage (32) into the first combustion chamber (20). At approximately top dead centre the fuel injector (24) injects the first volume of fuel into the combustion chamber (20) which is very rapidly vaporised and combusted by the ignited fuel and air from the auxiliary combustion chamber (30).