Combustion engine having mutually connected pistons

The present invention relates to a combustion engine system having a balance arm, first and second sets of opposed combustion cylinders, and a set of opposed worked devices. The balance arm has a pivot point, and is configured so that an exploitable energy is taken from a kinetic energy of the balance arm. The first set of working combustion cylinders being interconnected by a common first piston rod that is connected to the balance arm. The second set of working combustion cylinders being interconnected by a common second piston rod that is connected to the balance arm so that the pivot point is between the first and second piston rods. The worked devices are interconnected by a common worked piston rod that is connected to the balance arm so that the worked devices are between the first and second sets of combustion cylinders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a combustion engine having two sets of mutually connected piston. Said combustion engine can be combined with a steam engine comprising cylinders for combustion and steam.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The efficiency of the Otto motor is known to be relatively low in relation to the energy of the fuel to be combusted. Several attempts have been made to increase the efficiency. Still, however, combustion engines produce large heat losses to the atmosphere.

While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a combustion engine having mutually connected pistons.

Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons that can be used for increasing the efficiency in relation to conventional combustion engines. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the combustion engine having mutually connected pistons according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of increasing the efficiency in relation to conventional combustion engines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of combustion engines now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a combustion engine having mutually connected pistons which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.

With the combustion engine according to the present invention a substantial efficiency increase is reached in relation to conventional combustion engines. The combustion engine may be a two-stroke or four-stroke engine with optional type of fuel. In a development a further efficiency increase is obtained by utilization of the large amounts of heat from the combustion process of the combustion engine for operation of a steam engine connected to the combustion engine.

To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a combustion engine having a balance arm, first and second sets of opposed combustion cylinders, and a set of opposed worked devices. The balance arm has a pivot point, and is configured so that an exploitable energy is taken from a kinetic energy of the balance arm. The first set of working combustion cylinders being interconnected by a common first piston rod that is connected to the balance arm. The second set of working combustion cylinders being interconnected by a common second piston rod that is connected to the balance arm so that the pivot point is between the first and second piston rods. The worked devices are interconnected by a common worked piston rod that is connected to the balance arm so that the worked devices are between the first and second sets of combustion cylinders.

The worked devices can be hydraulic cylinders, compressors or electrical generators.

The invention may also include a heat exchanger for vaporization of a cooling fluid from a cooling jacket on each of the working combustion cylinders by exhaust gases. Heated steam from the cooling jacket of each of the working combustion cylinders is transferred away through pipe systems. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons that has all of the advantages of the prior art combustion engines and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such combustion engine having mutually connected pistons economically available to the buying public.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new combustion engine having mutually connected pistons that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a combustion engine having mutually connected pistons for increasing the efficiency in relation to conventional combustion engines. This allows for the elimination of a crankshaft which thus reduces weight and increases efficiency.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and particularly toFIGS. 1-7, an embodiment of the combustion engine having mutually connected pistons of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral10.

InFIG. 1, a new and improved combustion engine having mutually connected pistons10of the present invention for increasing the efficiency in relation to conventional combustion engines is illustrated and will be described. The combustion engine comprises combustion cylinders12,14,16and18where opposed pistons of combustion cylinders12and16are connected with a common piston rod20and pistons of the opposed combustion cylinders14and18are connected with a common piston rod22. The piston rods20and22are connected with a balance arm26which coordinate the movements of the piston rods. One end of the balance arm26is connected to a balance wheel28, as best illustrated inFIG. 2. Each combustion cylinder12,14,16and18comprises a cooling jacket30. Furthermore the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18each comprises a valve32for fuel, a valve34for air inlet to the combustion cylinders and a valve36for exhaust gas.

In a further development a steam engine may be connected to the combustion engine. Each cooling jacket30thereby being connected with a heat exchanger38where the heated cooling water is further heated by the exhaust gas from the exhaust gas valve36until the cooling water is in the state of super-heated steam. Cooled exhaust gas thereafter is released to the atmosphere or to other possible use. The steam is transferred to a steam cylinder42in the steam engine through a pipe line40.

The pistons of the steam cylinders42and44are connected with a common piston rod52and the pistons of the steam cylinders46and48are correspondingly connected with a common piston rod54. Said piston rods52and54are connected with a balance arm50. The rocking movements of the balance arms24and50are coordinated by a connection56. The balance arms24and50each rock about a pivot point27and51respectively. Upon executed work in the steam cylinder42steam/condensate is returned to the cooling jacket30as cooled condensate.

In the drawing the combustion cylinder12is disclosed at the end of a working stroke. The heated cooling water in the cooling jacket30is conducted to the heat exchanger38through the pipe line40and further to the steam cylinder42. The exhaust gas is flushed out of by air from the air inlet34and through a valve to the heat exchanger38for heating and vaporization of the cooling water. Thereafter fuel is guided through the valve32for compressing and combustion.

The steam from the heat exchanger38, which is transferred through the pipe line40, brings the steam cylinder42to perform a working stroke in the steam cylinder42by forcing the piston rod52downwardly inFIG. 1whereby the piston rod20of the combustion cylinder12thereby is pressed upwardly. By the return stroke of the steam cylinder42, steam from the steam cylinder42is forced through the pipe line58to the temperature regulator59whereby cooled cooling water is transferred from the temperature regulator59to the cooling jacket30around the combustion cylinder12. With the arm26the movements of the mutually connected balance arms24and50may turn balance wheel28by rotation or the linear movement of the arm26may be used directly in a working machine.

The combustion cylinder with the piston connected with the piston rod20and the steam cylinder44work oppositely of the combustion cylinder12and the steam cylinder42. Correspondingly the combustion cylinder18and the steam cylinder48work together with the combustion cylinder12and the steam cylinder48by the heat exchanger38and the temperature regulator59. The combustion cylinder14and the steam cylinder46work oppositely of the combustion cylinder12and the steam cylinder42.

Correspondingly the combustion cylinder14of the combustion engine is connected with the steam cylinder46, the combustion cylinder16is connected with the steam cylinder44and the combustion cylinder18is connected with the steam cylinder48. Hereby pipe lines correspond with the pipe lines40,58and temperature regulators corresponding with the temperature regulator59being connecting the cylinders.

The geometry between the connection of the balance arms24to the piston rods20and22and connection of the balance50to the piston rods52and54in relation to the turning point of the connection56as well as the distance to the turning point of the balance wheel arm26of the balance arm24is optimized as regards to achieving as large moment of force as possible. At the same time the output of the steam engine in relation to the heat development of the combustion engine is optimized thereby to achieve optimal efficiency.

RegardingFIG. 3, an alternated embodiment combustion engine having mutually connected pistons60of the present invention is illustrated. The combustion engine60comprises combustion cylinders12,14,16and18in connection with hydraulic cylinders or compressors64,66,68and70by a balance arm62. Pistons of combustion cylinders12and16are opposed to each other and are connected with the common piston rod20and pistons of the opposed combustion cylinders14and18are connected with the common piston rod22. Pistons76of the hydraulic cylinders64and68are connected with a common piston rod72and pistons76of the hydraulic cylinders66and70are correspondingly connected with a common piston rod74. Said piston rods20,22,72and74are connected with the balance arm62, so that piston rods20and72are connected to a free side of the balance arm62past a pivot point63, and the piston rods22and74are connected between to the balance arm62between the pivot point63and the balance arm26. The rocking movements of the balance arms24and50are coordinated by a connection56. The balance arm62is configured to rock about the pivot point63. The combustion engine60is configured so that that the hydraulic cylinders64,66,68and70are connected to the balance arm62so as to be between the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18. Alternatively, it can be appreciated that the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18may be located between the hydraulic cylinders64,66,68and70.

The balance arm62coordinates the movements of the piston rods20,22,72and74. One end of the balance arm26may be connected to the balance wheel. Each combustion cylinder12,14,16and18may comprise a cooling jacket. Furthermore the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18each comprises a valve for fuel, a valve for air inlet to the combustion cylinders and a valve for exhaust gas.

Each of the hydraulic cylinders64,66,68and70includes a piston76, and valves78for controlling the input and output of a fluid from the hydraulic cylinders respectively.

Combustion cylinder16and the hydraulic cylinder70work oppositely of the combustion cylinder12and the hydraulic cylinder66. Correspondingly the combustion cylinder18and the hydraulic cylinder68may work together with the combustion cylinder12and the hydraulic cylinder68. The combustion cylinder14and the hydraulic cylinder64work oppositely of the combustion cylinder12and the hydraulic cylinder66.

Correspondingly the combustion cylinder14of the combustion engine is connected with the hydraulic cylinder64, the combustion cylinder16is connected with the hydraulic cylinder70and the combustion cylinder18is connected with the hydraulic cylinder68. It can be appreciated that the cylinders may be connected by pipe lines and temperature regulators.

The geometry between the connection of the balance arm62to the piston rods20,22,72and74in relation to the pivot point63is optimized as regards to achieving as large moment of force as possible.

RegardingFIG. 4, an alternated embodiment combustion engine having mutually connected pistons80of the present invention is illustrated. The combustion engine80comprises combustion cylinders12,14,16and18in connection with generators80,82,84and86by a balance arm62. Pistons of combustion cylinders12and16are opposed to each other and are connected with the common piston rod20and pistons of the opposed combustion cylinders14and18are connected with the common piston rod22. Reciprocating member88of the generators80and84are connected with a common piston rod72and reciprocating members88of the generators82and86are correspondingly connected with a common piston rod74. Said piston rods20,22,72and74are connected with the balance arm62, so that piston rods20and72are connected to a free side of the balance arm62past a pivot point63, and the piston rods22and74are connected between to the balance arm62between the pivot point63and the balance arm26. The rocking movements of the balance arms24and50are coordinated by a connection56. The balance arm62is configured to rock about the pivot point63. The combustion engine60is configured so that that the hydraulic cylinders80,82,84and86are connected to the balance arm62so as to be between the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18. Alternatively, it can be appreciated that the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18may be located between the generators80,82,84and86.

The balance arm62coordinates the movements of the piston rods20,22,72and74. One end of the balance arm26may be connected to the balance wheel. Each combustion cylinder12,14,16and18may comprise a cooling jacket. Furthermore the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18each comprises a valve for fuel, a valve for air inlet to the combustion cylinders and a valve for exhaust gas.

Each of the generators80,82,84and86includes a reciprocating member or piston88which contain magnets, and a coil90configured around the piston88so as to produce electricity upon linear movement of the piston88. Electrical contacts98are connected to coil90to transfer electrical energy to a load (not shown).

Combustion cylinder16and the generator86work oppositely of the combustion cylinder12and the generator82. Correspondingly the combustion cylinder18and the generator84may work together with the combustion cylinder12and the generator84. The combustion cylinder14and the generator80work oppositely of the combustion cylinder12and the generator82.

Correspondingly the combustion cylinder14of the combustion engine is connected with the generator80, the combustion cylinder16is connected with the generator86and the combustion cylinder18is connected with the generator84. It can be appreciated that the cylinders may be connected by pipe lines and temperature regulators.

The geometry between the connection of the balance arm62to the piston rods20,22,72and74in relation to the pivot point63is optimized as regards to achieving as large moment of force as possible.

FIG. 5best illustrates the geometry of the head points of the combustion cylinders12,14,16and18and the hydraulic cylinders64,66,68and70or the generators80,82,84and86. The pressure P on the hydraulic cylinders64,66,68and70or the generators80,82,84and86is determined by Equation 1,
CPcomb×B−CPhc×b=PEquation 1
where CPcombis the cylinder pressure of the combustion cylinder, B is the distance from the pivot point63to the piston rod22and balance arm62connection point, CPhcis the cylinder pressure of the hydraulic cylinder64, and b is the distance from the pivot point63to the piston rod72and balance arm62connection point.

FIGS. 6 and 7illustrate the difference between a conventional crankshaft and the geometry of the present invention. Conventional engines are limited by the crankshaft radius to obtain maximal geometry, while the geometry of the present invention overcomes this limitation. The improvements of the present invention as compare to a conventional engine can be shown with the below calculations using a cylinder pressure of 10 kg.

Equation 2 is representative of a conventional engine with a piston angle of approximately 20°.
10 kg×1.7 cm=17 kg/cm  Equation 2

Equation 3 is representative of a single combustion cylinder of the combustion engine of the present invention with the piston in a top position, as per Equation 1.
10 kg×20 cm=200 kg/cm−10 kg×5 cm=150 kg/cm  Equation 3

Equation 4 is representative of the combustion engine of the present invention while using two opposed working combustion cylinders.
150 kg/cm×2 (2 cylinders working together)=300 kg/cm  Equation 4

Equation 5 is representative of a conventional engine with a piston angle of approximately 90°.
5 kg×5 cm=25 kg/cm  Equation 5

Equation 6 is representative of a single combustion cylinder of the combustion engine of the present invention with a piston angle of approximately 90°, as per Equation 1.
5 kg×20 cm=100 kg/cm−5 kg×5 cm=75 kg/cm  Equation 6

The combustion engine of the present invention overcomes the limitations of a convention engine by not having a crankshaft. The power of the combustion engine of the present invention is delivered via the balance arm which provides a new geometry that is optimized for the specific engine and its use. High power output is obtained by the pair of two cylinders working in parallel.

Due to the control of the temperature of each cylinder, the combustion engine of the present invention can use hydrogen as fuel since it is now possible to avoid detonation because the temperature of the cylinders can be controlled. As described above, the combustion engine of the present invention can be used in combination with a steam engine. Thus heat from cooling and from the exhaust may be utilized for other purposes.

While embodiments of the combustion engine having mutually connected pistons have been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. And although increasing the efficiency in relation to conventional combustion engines have been described, it should be appreciated that the combustion engine having mutually connected pistons herein described is also suitable for pumps, compressors, power trains, and non-combustion engines.