Patent ID: 8596230
Filing Date: 2013-12-03
Classification: F01B,F02B

Abstract:
1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a combustion piston in a combustion cylinder defining a combustion chamber above the combustion piston, the combustion chamber having electronically controlled intake and exhaust valves, the combustion piston not being mechanically connected to any other combustion piston or air compression piston each combustion cylinder having an electronically controlled valve for injection of high pressure air from a high pressure air rail into the combustion chamber; a combustion piston position sensor; a plurality of hydraulic plungers under the combustion piston, each in a respective hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinders being coupled to electronically controlled hydraulic cylinder valving for controllably coupling each hydraulic cylinder to a high pressure hydraulic system or a low pressure hydraulic system; and a controller, the controller controlling the electronically controlled hydraulic cylinder valving and the electronically controlled intake and exhaust valves to control both the upward and the downward motion of the combustion piston in the combustion cylinder responsive to an output of the combustion piston position sensor: each combustion cylinder includes an electronically controlled valve for injection of high pressure air from a high pressure air rail into the combustion chamber, an air compression piston in an air compression cylinder defining an air compression chamber above the air compression piston, the air compression chamber having an intake valve and a valve for delivering high pressure air to the high pressure air rail, the air compression piston not being mechanically connected to any other combustion piston or air compression piston; an air compression piston position sensor; a plurality of hydraulic plungers under the air compression piston, each in a respective hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinders being coupled to electronically controlled valving for controllably coupling each hydraulic cylinder to the high pressure hydraulic system or the low pressure hydraulic system; and the controller controlling the electronically controlled hydraulic cylinder valving and the electronically controlled intake and exhaust valves to control both the upward and the downward motion of the combustion piston in the combustion cylinder, both the upward and the downward motion of the air compression piston in the air compression cylinder responsive to an output of the air compression piston position sensor, and also to control the electronically controlled valve for injection of high pressure air from the high pressure air rail into the combustion chamber.