Patent ID: 11933215
Assignee: ACHATES POWER INC.
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. An opposed-piston engine, comprising:
at least one ported cylinder with a bore;
a pair of pistons disposed for mutually opposing movements in the bore;
an intake channel for providing a flow of charge air through an intake port of the cylinder;
an exhaust channel for receiving a flow of exhaust gas through an exhaust port of the cylinder;
a hydrogen fuel provisioning device configured to provide hydrogen fuel;
at least one fuel injection device coupled to the hydrogen fuel provisioning device and configured to inject the provided hydrogen fuel directly into the cylinder bore; and,
at least one ignition device configured to ignite a mixture of charge air and injected hydrogen fuel in a combustion chamber formed in the bore between end surfaces of the pair of pistons; and,
a control unit coupled to the at least one fuel injection device and to the at least one ignition device and configured to:
initiate injection of the provided hydrogen fuel in response to closure of a designated one of the intake port and the exhaust port;
initiate ignition of the mixture of charge air and injected hydrogen fuel using the at least one ignition device according to an external-ignition mode of operation of the opposed-piston engine; and,
initiate a pilot injection of hydrogen fuel, and initiate injection of a main charge of hydrogen fuel following the pilot injection of the hydrogen fuel, whereby, the pilot injection and the main injection auto-ignite in response to compression of the charge air according to a compression-ignition mode of engine operation.