Stratified charge internal combustion engine

Patent · Tue Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6104768

Bell, J L

An internal combustion engine is disclosed having a cylinder and a reciprocating piston which, together with the cylinder head, define the boundaries of a combustion chamber. A movable septum is supported by the cylinder head adjacent the combustion chamber for selectively dividing the combustion chamber into a first and second combustion chamber. The movable septum may be formed by a cylindrical plate or by a flat or curved plate which makes nominal contact with the walls of the cylinder and the face of the reciprocating piston to divide the combustion chamber. The fuel supply system provides a rich-fuel mixture through a rich mixture intake valve to the first combustion chamber, and a lean-fuel mixture through a lean mixture intake valve to the second combustion chamber. The movable septum tracks the movement of the reciprocating piston during the compression stroke to maintain the division between the first and second combustion chambers. However, just prior to the power stroke, the actuator retracts the movable septum from the combustion chamber, and the spark plug ignites the rich air-fuel mixture which then ignites the lean air-fuel mixture to complete the power stroke. During the exhaust stroke of the reciprocating piston, the movable septum is maintained in a retracted position. As a result, effective stratification is achieved between the first and second combustion chambers.

• Assignee: TIC; EDB-79-111845
• Patent Number(s): US 4160430
• OSTI ID: 6104768
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330101* -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Spark-Ignition
DESIGN
ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
STRATIFIED CHARGE ENGINES