초록 ▼

Power output of a compound engine is increased and fuel consumption per unit of output power is reduced by eliminating the blowdown losses heretofore associated with opening of exhaust valves or ports. Exhaust gases of a positive displacement engine stage drive a turbine or other gas-expansion stage

Power output of a compound engine is increased and fuel consumption per unit of output power is reduced by eliminating the blowdown losses heretofore associated with opening of exhaust valves or ports. Exhaust gases of a positive displacement engine stage drive a turbine or other gas-expansion stage, the two stages being mechanically coupled to jointly contribute to power output. The turbine stage may also drive a compressor to supercharge the positive displacement stage. Flow-regulating means in the exhaust gas passage between the two stages maintain exhaust gas passage pressure at a level corresponding to that which exists in the combustion chambers of the positive displacement stage at the time that exhaust valves or ports open. This avoids exhaust gas expansion between stages and reduces or eliminates the blowdown losses which would otherwise occur. Power losses at the positive displacement stage from the high back pressure are compensated for by the additional power recovered by the turbine stage as a result of the high expansion ratio at the turbine. Automatic control means may adjust the flow-regulating means in response to changes of engine operating conditions in order to maintain the optimum exhaust gas pressure.

대표청구항 ▼

A compound engine comprising: a first engine stage of the positive displacement internal combustion form having an air intake and at least one combustion chamber in which fuel is burned and having exhaust means for releasing pressurized exhaust gas from said combustion chamber and having output mean

A compound engine comprising: a first engine stage of the positive displacement internal combustion form having an air intake and at least one combustion chamber in which fuel is burned and having exhaust means for releasing pressurized exhaust gas from said combustion chamber and having output means for transmitting power to a rotary load, a second engine stage of the form driven by expansion of pressurized gas received at a gas inlet, exhaust gas conduit means connecting said first and second engine stages and forming an exhaust gas flow passage for transmitting said exhaust gas from said exhaust means of said first engine stage through said inlet of said second engine stage to operate said second engine stage by expansion of said exhaust gas therein, drive-transmitting means coupled to said second engine stage for obtaining supplemental output power from said second engine stage, and flow-regulating means for maintaining the pressure in said exhaust gas flow passage at a level substantially similar to the pressure which exists in said combustion chamber of said first engine stage at the time that said exhaust means thereof opens, wherein said flow-regulating means is adjustable to provide for variation of the size of said exhaust gas flow passage. A method for increasing the output power produced by a compound engine which includes an internal combustion engine of the positive displacement form in which pressurized exhaust gases are released from at least one combustion chamber, wherein said internal combustion engine has at least a pair of exhaust means for releasing said exhaust gases from said combustion chamber, comprising the steps: utilizing said pressurized exhaust gases to produce additional power by transmitting said gases to a gas expansion engine, including transmitting said pressurized exhaust gases from said combustion chamber to said gas expansion engine through a first of said exhaust means while maintaining the second of said exhaust means closed, preventing expansion of said exhaust gases between said combustion chambers and said gas-expansion engine, subsequently closing said first exhaust means and opening said second exhaust means to release remaining exhaust gases from said combustion chamber, and recovering energy from the exhaust gas released through said second exhaust means and utilizing said recovered energy to precompress the air supplied to the intake manifold of said positive displacement engine.