Opposed Piston Engine Lever Mechanism Eliminates Crankshaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional internal combustion engines are large and require complex transmissions, making them unsuitable for compact applications, and suffer from 'piston slap' due to crank angle issues, which reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An opposed piston internal combustion hydraulic engine design with parallel assembly axes and levers that eliminate the need for a crankshaft, using pivot pins and levers to mechanically communicate between combustion and hydraulic assemblies, allowing for compact size and efficient energy conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a crankshaft is used to convert lateral piston movement to axial rotation, then the engine can generate rotational motion, but the crank angle causes piston slap and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the crankshaft entirely from the engine system, replacing it with a direct lever mechanism that connects the combustion piston directly to the output shaft. This extraction of the crankshaft eliminates the crank angle problem that causes piston slap, while the lever mechanism provides direct force transfer from the combustion piston to the output shaft without the intermediate rotational conversion that creates harmful impacts.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a crankshaft to convert lateral piston movement to axial rotation (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by using a lever mechanism where the combustion piston's lateral movement directly actuates the lever to produce rotational motion of the output shaft. This inversion eliminates the crank angle issue by changing the fundamental mechanism of motion conversion.
2Power
If conventional internal combustion engine design is used, then the engine can produce power, but the engine becomes large and requires complex transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The lever mechanism in the patent serves multiple functions simultaneously: it converts the combustion piston's lateral movement to rotational motion of the output shaft, it directly drives the hydraulic pump, and it eliminates the need for a separate transmission system. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity while maintaining power output capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the power generation function and the hydraulic fluid pressurization function into a single integrated system. The combustion piston directly drives the lever, which in turn directly drives the hydraulic pump, combining what would traditionally be separate systems (engine and transmission/pump) into one unified mechanism, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
3Speed
If a crankshaft is used for motion conversion, then rotational motion is achieved, but the engine size increases making it unsuitable for compact applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the crankshaft from the system and replaces it with a compact lever mechanism that achieves the same motion conversion function in a smaller space. The lever directly connects the combustion piston to the output shaft, eliminating the need for the bulky crankshaft structure and its associated components, thereby reducing engine size while maintaining rotational speed capability.
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
The engine achieves compactness and improved efficiency by directly converting combustion energy into pressurized hydraulic fluid without the need for a crankshaft, reducing the 'piston slap' issue and enabling more efficient energy transfer.
Implementation Method 1
reciprocating combustion pistons are mechanically connected to reciprocating hydraulic pistons. Expanding combustion gases drive the reciprocating combustion pistons
Implementation Method 2
causing reciprocating hydraulic pistons to squeeze hydraulic fluid thereby producing a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid
Data Source
AI summary
An internal combustion hydraulic engine for producing a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid includes a frame, a pair of pivot pins, two levers, and combustion assemblies and hydraulic assemblies mechanically communicating with each other through the levers. Each of the assemblies includes a pair of opposed pistons engaged to the levers with a variable volume chamber between them, the piston faces being movable boundaries defining the variable volume chamber. In cyclic operation, a compressed fuel-air mixture in a first combustion chamber detonates, driving the combustion pistons apart. The pistons drive connecting rods, pivoting the lever arms, the lever arms, in turn drawing apart the pistons of a first hydraulic assembly, driving together the pistons of a second hydraulic assembly to produce pressurized hydraulic fluid, and driving together the combustion pistons of a second combustion assembly into which a fuel-air mixture has been introduced, compressing the mixture therein.