Improvements in Combined Internal Combustion and Compressed Gas or Air Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Internal Combustion and Compressed
Gas or Air Engines.
FRANK BRYAN 87, Wellesley Road Gunnersbury, London, W., Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the means for using compressed air
or gases for obtaining power, and for utilizing and reducing the surplus and
excessive heat generated by the explosion or combustion taking place in the
clylinders of what are commonly known as gas or oil engines, more especially.
when such engines are required to be portable or used for locomotive purposes.
In order to obtain the advantages to be derived from the combined effect of
the two sources of power viz:--the expansion of and generation of power by the
use of compressed air or gas, with its corresponding production of low temperature
and the power and heating effects given, out by the combustion of gas or other
explosive mixtures, I make use of a cylinder together with a piston and valves
or their equivalents suitably arranged for use as an ordinary single acting
internal combustion or gas engine at one end of the said cylinder, whilst the other
end of the cylinder is so arranged with the necessary valves or the like, as to
be adapted for use as a single acting compressed air engine, the piston being driven
in one direction by means of the force of the explosive mixture and in the other
direction by the expansion of the compressed air or gas. The heat absorbed by
the cylinder walls and piston is thus utilized to heat the expanding compressed
air, and vice versa.
Another method by which I obtain the desired results is to arrange a cylinder
and piston so that by means of a suitable arrangement of vaives or the like
actuated in proper sequences by means of cranks, cams, eccentrics, gear wheels or the
like, as commonly used in gas engines, that the piston may be driven by the com-
bustion of the explosive mixture during certain revolutions of the crank shaft,
and that during certain other revolutions in between these, the compressed air
may be allowed to act upon the same piston on the same side and at the same
end of the cylinder as the previous explosion. These effects may be male to
occur in regular alternate order, or if found more desirable, there may be two or
more explosive charges admitted and fired before one charge of the compressed
air, or vice versa, the object being to so proportion the relative number of impulses
that the heat of the cylinder may never rise above or fall below the proper work-
ing temperature.
In working by alternating impulses given by means of first an explosive charge
and then the expansion of compressed air or gas, an advantage will be gained
when air is used of thoroughly cleaning out the products of combustion from the
cylinders previous to each successive explosive charge being admitted, thus giving
better results in the working of the engine. Where an inert gas, such as carbonic
acid gas is used the result of any remaining gas in the clearance space, would be

page_text: to dilute the incoming explosive charge and modify the force of the explosion.
This arrangement of alternate or regularly arranged impulses of each kind may
be used at both ends of the cylinder if desired.
The hot exhaust products, more especially when one end of the cylinder is kept
exclusively for use as a gas engine may also be caused to heat the compressed
air before its admission to the cylinder if so desired, and the exhausted, expanded
and consequently cooled air may be caused to cool the explosive gas or mixture
previous to its admission into the cylinder and explosion by means of a suitable
arrangement of tube or the like, so that whilst the hot gases pass through or
around one series the compressed air passes around or through another series of
tubes, or a set of tubes or a coil may be surrounded by a closed vessel after the
manner of any of the well known forms of surface condensers or other equivalent
device.
The hot products of combustion may also be caused to pass through a jacket
round the compressed air or gas reservoir, thus raising the temperature and
increasing the pressure of the-same, and a bye pass may be arranged so as to
admit of this taking place or not, as may be found desirable. The firing of the
explosive charge in the cylinder may be done in any of the usual well known ways,
and it is to be understood that I may use any suitable gas instead of compressed
air, carbonic acid gas being in many cases found preferable.
D109 1
1000
Improvements in Combined Internal Combustion and Compressed
Gas or Air Engines.
FRANK BRYAN 87, Wellesley Road Gunnersbury London, W. Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of using compressed air
or gases for obtaining power in conjunction with the use of an internal combus-
tion engine for the like purpose & has for its object the utilizing of the otherwise
wasted heat produced by the explosion in a gas or other internal combustion engine
to supply the necessary heat to produce the most economical results when com-
pressed air or gases are allowed to produce power by expansion.
In order to take advantage of this effect I make use of a cylinder, piston and
valves suitably arranged for using one end of the cylinder as an ordinary single
acting internal combustion or "gas engine" as I shall hereafter call it, whilst the
other end of the cylinder is so arranged with the necessary valves or the like, as
to be suitable for use as a single acting compressed air engine, or as I shall term
it air engine," the piston being driven in one direction by the force of the
explosive mixture, & in the other direction by the expansion of the compressed
air or gas. The heat given off by the explosion which is absorbed by the cylinder
walls & piston is again given out to and assists in raising the temperature of the
air whilst expanding on the return stroke of the piston when the cylinder walls
previously exposed to the hot gases are exposed to the expanding. & consequently
cooling compressed air.
The engine may also be so arranged that by means of suitable valves or the
like actuated in proper sequence, that the piston may be driven by the explosion
at one end of the cylinder in the one direction during certain revolutions of the

page_text: crank shaft, & that during certain other revolutions, either arranged so as to
alternate with these or in any other order as may be found to be most suitable,
the said piston may be driven by the expansion of the compressed air at the same
end of the cylinder, in the same direction as by the previous explosion, the object
in all cases being to so proportion the gas explosions & the air charges 'as, to
cause the excessive heat of the one to neutralize the cold produced by the expan-
sion of the other & rice rera, & thus to keep the cylinder & piston at a safe
working temperature & obtain the best effects from hoth sources of power..
This arrangement of alternate charges may be used at both ends of the cylinder
if desired, in which case it will be better to so arrange that an explosive charge
at our end is followed by a charge of air at the other, but this is not absolutely
essential.
In all these cases I use a piston common to both ends & working in the same
portions of the cylinder which is necessarily of uniform diameter throughout to
allow of the one piston being used for both the gas & the air impulses in the one
cylinder.
In order to further utilize these effects of heat & cold production the hot
exploded gases may be caused to heat the compressed air charge before its
admission to the cylinder by means of a series of tubes in a containing vessel as
in a marine surface condenser or in any other convenient manner, through
which tube or vessel the exhaust is caused to pass, the compressed air being passed
through the vessel or tubes as the case may be. The hot gases may also be passed
round the compressed air reservoir, thus raising the temperature & pressure of
the same, & a byo pass may be arranged so as to allow of the exhaust passing
round the reservoir or not at will.
The firing of the explosive charge in the gas engine cylinder may be done in
any of the well known ways, and I may use any suitable gas or mixture of gases
instead of compressed air, carbonic acid gas being readily obtained commercially
in a compressed state being very suitable."
Referring to the drawings; Fig 1 represents an arrangement whereby one end
al of a cylinder a is utilized as a single acting gas engine whilst the other
end a is used as a single acting air engine. d is the valve chest supplied with
compressed air from the reservoir m thro' the tube i. e is the controlling valve
worked by the rod f connected with the eccentric g on the shaft w. s is the
admission port and is the exhaust port for the air end whilst c is the exhaust
valve & y the ignition tube for the gas engine end of the cylinder.
The compressed air in the reservoir m may be heated by the exhaust gases
passing round the casing which gases may be controlled by the valve n & if
desired caused to pass through the opening 7 instead of or in conjunction with
the opening o
Instead of the eccentric g, any suitable arrangement of gear wheels, cams or
the like may be used to actuate the valve e, which may also be replaced by another
suitable form such as a lift valve as at e in Fig 2. The piston b is common to
both ends of the cylinder, receiving impulses on the one side through the gas
explosions & on the other from the expansion of the compressed air. It is con-
nected by means of a piston rod & connecting rod or the like to the crank n on
the main shaft w.
Referring to Fig 2, a is a cylinder containing a piston 6 driving the crank n
on the shaft q. The piston b receives impulses alternately by gas explosions
& by the admission & expansion of compressed air controlled by the-valve e in
the valve box d, supplied through the tube i with an under pressure which passes
through & is heated by contact with the tubes t, contained in the exhaust
chamber which is connected to the common exhaust valve c, which may be
worked in any of the well known ways now common in gas engines, & acts both
to regulate the exhaust of the compressed air or burnt gases according as either
impulse has been used.
The valve e is controlled through the rod fly means of a cam 9 driven by

page_text: suitable gearing from the shaft q, such gearing being so arranged as to admit
air in between the gas explosions in the cylinder, either after every explosion
or otherwise.
y is the ignition tube for the gas charges. The gearing for actuating & regu-
lating the gas charges being well known is not shown in either of the Figs. it
being understood that I may use any form for the purpose.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a combined gas & air engine an arrangement whereby one end of a
cylinder of uniform diameter from end to end in the working portion is utilized
as a gas engine & the opposite end of the same cylinder as an air engine, the
same piston being actuated by both sources of power.
2. In a combined gas & air engine an arrangement of valves or the like so that
the impulses on the same side of the piston are alternately, or in any desired
sequence those produced by the gas explosions & those produced by the expan
sion of air or other gases previously compressed.
3. In a combined gas & air engine the utilization of the arrangement as men-
tioned in claim No. 2 at both ends of the same cylinder & on both sides of the
same piston.
4. In a combined gas & air engine actuated as before mentioned in
claims 1, 2 & 3 the heating of the compressed air or gas by passing it through
or around a tube or series of tubes or the like & a containing vessel as described.
5. In a combined gas & air engine, heating the reservoir containing the com-
pressed air or other gas by passing the hot exhaust of the gas engine round same.
6. In a combined gas & air engine a bye pass arranged so as to allow of the
hot exhaust gases heating the compressed air or gas as desired.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1907