Pivoting Piston Rod Assembly to Reduce Rotation Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional internal combustion engines face inefficiencies due to high rotation resistance at specific piston positions, leading to increased energy requirements and potential engine knock, which affects overall efficiency and power output.
Innovation Solution
A piston assembly design featuring an upper rod fixed relative to the piston head and a lower rod that pivots about the upper rod, allowing for a shorter lever length and improved mechanical advantage, reducing the force required to move the piston and enhancing engine efficiency by optimizing the crankshaft's leverage and reducing rotation resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional single connecting rod is used with connecting points at the ends of the longitudinal center axis, then the structure is simple, but high rotation resistance occurs at specific piston positions leading to increased energy requirements and engine knock
Solution Approach 1:
The single connecting rod is segmented into an upper rod and a lower rod connected by a pivot joint. The upper rod connects to the piston head and the lower rod connects to the crankshaft, with a pivot joint allowing relative rotation between them. This segmentation allows the mechanism to reduce rotation resistance and energy requirements while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Device complexity
If a conventional single connecting rod is used, then the structure is simple, but engine knock increases due to high rotation resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod is divided into upper and lower segments with a pivot joint between them. This segmentation enables the lower rod to pivot relative to the upper rod, reducing rotation resistance during operation and thereby minimizing engine knock while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
3Force
If a shorter lever length is used in the piston assembly, then mechanical advantage is improved and force required to move the piston is reduced, but the structural design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The piston assembly is segmented into an upper rod and lower rod with a pivot joint. This segmentation enables a shorter lever length design that improves mechanical advantage and reduces the force required to move the piston, while the modular segmented structure keeps the overall design manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot joint between the upper and lower rods introduces dynamic movement capability. The lower rod can pivot relative to the upper rod during operation, allowing the mechanism to adapt its configuration to optimize mechanical advantage and reduce required force while managing structural complexity.
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 piston assembly design reduces the force needed to move the piston, enhances engine efficiency, and minimizes engine knock, leading to increased power output and reduced nitrogen oxide emissions while maintaining cylinder size and piston number.
Implementation Method 1
a lower rod rotatably coupled to an opposite longitudinal end of the upper rod. The lower rod may be configured to pivot about the opposite longitudinal end of the upper rod
Implementation Method 2
allowing for a shorter lever length and improved mechanical advantage, reducing the force required to move the piston and enhancing engine efficiency by optimizing the crankshaft's leverage and reducing rotation resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A piston assembly includes a piston head for reciprocating back and forth within a cylinder of an engine, an upper rod coupled to the piston head at one longitudinal end of the upper rod and fixed relative to the piston head, and a lower rod rotatably coupled to an opposite longitudinal end of the upper rod, the lower rod configured to pivot about the opposite longitudinal end of the upper rod. The lower rod is configured to couple to a crankshaft at a longitudinal end of the lower rod opposite the upper rod. Methods of forming a piston assembly and engines incorporating such piston assemblies are also disclosed.