Oil-Free Internal Combustion Engine With Sealed Bearing Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional internal combustion engines require motor oil for lubrication and cooling, but running out of oil can lead to engine seizure and damage within minutes.
Innovation Solution
The internal combustion engine design includes an oil-free top end with components like the cylinder head and valve train coated with low friction materials, such as diamond-like carbon (DLC), and sealed needle roller bearings in the connecting rod and wrist pin, eliminating the need for external oil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If motor oil is used for lubrication and cooling in conventional engines, then the engine components can operate under high loads and stresses, but the engine requires frequent oil maintenance and oil can enter the combustion chamber causing pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lubrication function from the motor oil system by introducing a separate lubrication chamber that is fluidly isolated from the combustion chamber. This allows the engine to operate without motor oil in the combustion environment, eliminating oil maintenance requirements and preventing oil pollution while maintaining component reliability through alternative lubrication mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The engine is segmented into distinct fluid zones: a lubrication chamber containing lubricant for bearing lubrication, and a combustion chamber free of oil. This segmentation is achieved through fluid isolation mechanisms that prevent oil from entering the combustion environment, thereby eliminating the need for frequent oil changes and reducing maintenance time
2Reliability
If motor oil is used for lubrication, then the engine components are protected from wear, but the engine complexity increases due to oil reservoirs and distribution systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex oil distribution system by extracting the lubrication function to a separate chamber. The lubricant is contained in a dedicated lubrication chamber that directly lubricates the bearings without requiring complex reservoirs, pumps, and distribution passages, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining component protection
Solution Approach 2:
The lubrication system is designed to be self-contained and self-serviceing, with the lubrication chamber automatically providing lubrication to the bearings through the isolated fluid environment. This eliminates the need for external oil reservoirs and complex distribution mechanisms, simplifying the overall engine structure
3Temperature
If motor oil is used for cooling, then the engine components are kept at operating temperatures, but oil contamination occurs in the combustion chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the motor oil by creating a separate lubrication chamber that is fluidly isolated from the combustion chamber. This prevents oil from contaminating the combustion environment while maintaining effective cooling of engine components through the isolated lubrication system
Solution Approach 2:
The engine fluid system is segmented into distinct zones: a lubrication chamber for cooling and lubrication functions, and a combustion chamber free of oil contamination. This segmentation prevents harmful oil pollution in the combustion environment while maintaining effective temperature control of engine components
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 design allows the engine to operate for longer periods without oil maintenance, reduces pollution by preventing oil from entering the combustion chamber, and simplifies manufacturing and assembly by eliminating the need for oil reservoirs and systems.
Implementation Method 1
The first rocker arm, the second rocker arm, the exhaust valve, and the intake valve, each include at least a layer of a low friction material to provide for operation without oil
Implementation Method 2
The first pushrod and the second pushrod each pass through a pushrod seal to prevent fluid from reaching the rocker chamber to fluidly isolate the rocker chamber from the crankcase chamber
Implementation Method 3
sealed needle roller bearings in the connecting rod and wrist pin
Implementation Method 4
sealed needle roller bearings that are configured to operate without external oil
Data Source
AI summary
An internal combustion engine includes an engine block, a piston, and a cylinder head. The engine block includes a cylinder block having a cylinder bore, a crankcase defining a crankcase chamber with a crankshaft positioned within the crankcase chamber, and a cylinder sleeve fabricated from a self-lubricating plastic material. The cylinder head is coupled to the cylinder block to form a combustion chamber. The piston includes a piston top adjacent the combustion chamber, a piston body including a wrist pin hole configured to receive a wrist pin, a first piston ring positioned on the piston body, and a non-metallic gasket positioned on the piston body closer to the combustion chamber than the first piston ring and structured to prevent combustion gases from escaping the combustion chamber. The crankcase chamber is oilless.