Open-Faced Piston Assembly for Burning Crevice Fuel

Solution Overview

Problem

In conventional combustion engines, crevice volumes between the piston and cylinder, and between the piston ring and groove, lead to unburned fuel due to quenching of combustion reactions, resulting in hydrocarbon emissions and reduced efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The design of an open-faced piston with communicating openings between the piston face and circumferential groove, allowing combustion reactions to propagate into crevice volumes and burn fuel, with openings larger than the quench distance to ensure complete combustion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If conventional piston design with closed face is used, then structural strength and sealing are improved, but hydrocarbon emissions increase due to unburned fuel in crevice volumes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrocarbon emissionsVSAvoidpiston structural strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The piston face is segmented with radial openings that divide the closed crevice volume into open regions, allowing combustion to penetrate into areas that would otherwise trap unburned fuel. The openings are strategically positioned to maintain structural integrity while enabling flame propagation into crevice zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The piston design implements local quality by creating openings only in specific regions where crevice volumes exist, rather than making the entire piston face open. The openings are positioned to target specific crevice zones while maintaining structural strength in other critical areas of the piston.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If openings are added to piston face, then combustion propagation into crevice volumes is improved, but piston structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecombustion efficiencyVSAvoidpiston structural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The piston face is segmented with radial openings that divide the closed crevice volume into open regions, allowing combustion to penetrate into areas that would otherwise trap unburned fuel. The openings are strategically positioned to maintain structural integrity while enabling flame propagation into crevice zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of trying to strengthen the closed piston structure to prevent emissions, the design inverts the approach by creating controlled openings that deliberately expose crevice volumes to combustion, transforming the structural challenge into a combustion enhancement opportunity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If openings larger than quench distance are created, then complete combustion in crevice volumes is achieved, but piston face area available for structural support is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunburned fuel in crevice volumesVSAvoidpiston face area

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The piston design implements local quality by creating openings only in specific regions where crevice volumes exist, rather than making the entire piston face open. The openings are positioned to target specific crevice zones while maintaining structural strength in other critical areas of the piston.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The design converts the harmful effect of large openings reducing structural area into a benefit by strategically positioning them where they provide maximum combustion access to crevice volumes. The openings are placed in regions where structural demands are lower, transforming a potential weakness into a combustion enhancement feature.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 ensures that a significant portion, or all, of the fuel and air mixture in crevice volumes is burned, reducing hydrocarbon emissions and improving engine efficiency by allowing combustion reactions to reach and react with the fuel in these volumes.

Implementation Method 1

allowing combustion reactions to propagate into crevice volumes and burn fuel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Data Source

PatentUS11946435B2Open-faced piston assembly

Publication Date: 2024.04.02 MAINSPRING ENERGY INC

AI summary

The present disclosure provides an open-faced piston with a circumferential groove into which a piston ring assembly is arranged. Openings at the bottom of the circumferential groove and between a front land of the open-faced piston and the piston face are provided. The openings are arranged to allow for a combustion reaction to propagate through the volume defined between the bottom of the piston ring assembly and the piston face such that at least a portion of an air and fuel mixture located in that volume is reacted.