Circulating Piston Air-Fuel Sealing for Torque and Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional piston engines face inefficiencies in managing air pressure and fuel delivery during the combustion process, leading to suboptimal torque and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The circulating piston engine employs a combustion piston assembly with first and second sealing rings to manage air pressure and provide selective access to fluid conduits, allowing for efficient air-fuel mixture delivery and combustion chamber management, which enhances torque and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional piston engines use standard fuel injection systems, then fuel delivery is straightforward, but air pressure management during combustion is inefficient leading to suboptimal torque and efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The piston assembly incorporates movable sealing rings that dynamically adjust their position along the piston surface. These rings transition between different radial positions to selectively open or close passages for air-fuel mixture delivery and exhaust gas evacuation, enabling dynamic control of combustion parameters to optimize both efficiency and torque output
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing and duration of air-fuel mixture delivery by controlling the angular position of the piston assembly relative to the cylinder bore. By varying the rotational position, the sealing rings open/close fluid passages at different crank angles, allowing precise control over combustion chamber pressurization and exhaust evacuation timing to improve combustion efficiency and power output
2Productivity
If the engine uses selective access mechanisms for fluid conduits, then air-fuel mixture delivery is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a structural component containing combustion, a sealing element preventing gas leakage, and a control mechanism for selective fluid passage opening/closing. The sealing rings integrated into the piston perform both sealing and flow control functions, eliminating the need for separate valve mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing rings are integrated directly into the piston assembly structure, combining the sealing function with the flow control function. This merging of functions allows the piston to simultaneously seal the combustion chamber and control the timing of air-fuel mixture delivery and exhaust evacuation, simplifying the overall engine architecture while improving mixture delivery efficiency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables the engine to produce higher torque and efficiency compared to conventional engines, with improved power output and reduced need for supplemental components, resulting in a more efficient combustion process.
Implementation Method 1
The first sealing ring is configured to mitigate blowby of combustion gasses relative to a piston following a combustion within a combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
The second sealing ring is configured to provide selective access between the annular bore and one or more fluid conduits... When misaligned relative to the fluid conduits, isolate the fluid conduits from the annular bore, thereby mitigating the flow of air
Implementation Method 3
manage the air pressure entering the engine during the combustion process
Implementation Method 4
a second position within the annular bore to define a combustion chamber relative to the combustion piston assembly at the second location
Data Source
AI summary
An engine includes a housing and a combustion assembly. The combustion assembly includes an annular bore and a combustion piston assembly disposed within the annular bore. The combustion piston assembly includes a set of pistons, a first sealing ring connected to each piston and a second sealing ring connected to each piston. The second sealing ring is configured to provide selective access between the annular bore and at least one fluid conduit carried by the engine. The engine includes at least one valve configured to move between a first position within the annular bore to allow the combustion piston assembly to travel within the annular bore from a first location proximate to the at least one valve to a second location distal to the at least one valve and a second position within the annular bore to define a combustion chamber.