Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ENGINE AND METHODS THEREOF
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The. present invention generally relates to piston or rotor, engines actuated
by predefined
deflagration of anaerobic fuels. The present invention particularly relates to
applying more
than one ignition and related deflagration per engine cycle, to engines
actuated by anaerobic
fuel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commercially available internal combustion engines are heat engines in which
combustion of
a fuel occurs in a confined space and creates high temperature/pressure
expanding gases. The
expanding gases are used to directly move a piston, rotate turbine blades or
rotors hence
providing the useful work generated by the cyclic engines' action. A
commercially available
four-stroke engine cycle consists of inter alia a cylinder, a piston, a piston
rod, a crosshead, a
connecting rod and a crank. An engine consists of one or more cylinders and
for each
cylinder there is a spark plug, a piston and a crank. A single sweep of the
cylinder by the
piston in an upward or downward motion is known as a stroke and the downward
stroke that
occurs directly after the air-fuel mix in the cylinder is ignited is known as
a power stroke.
Rotary internal combustion engines have a disk that is shaped like a triangle
with bulging
sides rotating inside an enclosed volume (cylinder) shaped like a figure eight
with a thick
waist. Intake and exhaust are through ports in the flat sides of the cylinder.
The spaces
between the sides of the disk and the walls of the cylinder form three
distinct sub-volumes.
(pockets) inside. During a single rotation of the disk each pocket alternately
grows smaller,
then larger, because of the contoured outline of.the cylinder. This provides
for compression
and expansion. The engine runs on a four-stroke cycle. The Wankel engine has
approximately fifty percent fewer parts and about a third the bulk and weight
of reciprocating
cylinder engine. Advanced pollution control devices are easier to design for
rotary engines
than for the conventional piston engine. Furthermore, higher engine speeds are
made possible
by rotating instead of reciprocating motion,' but, this advantage is partially
offset by the lack
of torque at low speeds, leading to greater fuel efficiency.
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External combustion engines, i.e. steam engines, are heat engines where a
working fluid is
heated, often externally to the engine cylinder and entered through an inlet
in the engine wall.
The fluid then performs work during expansion and by exerting force on the
wall of the
surface of the engine piston, providing useable motion and useable work. The
fluid is then
cooled (closed cycle) or dumped (open cycle). Burning fuel with an oxidizer,
or any other
heat source can supply the external heat, hence "external combustion". The
internal fluid is
quite often an inert gas. The fluid can be any liquid or more commonly, any
gas, as well as
mixtures of gases. In the case of the steam engine, the fluid changes phases
between liquid
and gas.
All internal combustion engines depend on the exothermic chemical process of
combustion,
i.e., the reaction of a fuel, typically with air, although other oxidizers,
such as nitrous oxide
are sometimes employed. The most common bio fuels in use today are made up of
hydrocarbons and are derived from petroleum. These include the fuels known as
gasoline,
liquefied petroleum gas, vaporized petroleum gas, compressed natural gas,
hydrogen, diesel
fuel, JP18 (jet fuel), landfill gas, biodiesel, peanut oil, ethanol, methanol
(methyl or wood
alcohol). Fuel must be easily transportable through the fuel system to the
combustion
chamber, release sufficient energy in the form of heat upon combustion and
pressure gasses
to make the engine usable.
The combustion of hydrocarbons produces carbon dioxide, a major cause of
global warming,
as well as carbon monoxide, resulting from. incomplete combustion. The bio-
fuels used
contain also metals, vaporizing during combustion, released to the atmosphere
as pollutant
particles.
Air is commonly used as an oxidizer, yet other oxidizers selected from a group
consisting of
pure oxygen, nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide or mixtures thereof can be used.
Diesel engines are generally heavier, noisier and more powerful at lower
speeds than
gasoline engines. They are also more fuel-efficient in most circumstances and
are used in
heavy road-vehicles, some automobiles (increasingly more so. for their
increased fuel-
efficiency over gasoline engines), ships and some locomotives and electric
generators.
Gasoline engines are used in most road-vehicles including most cars, light
aircraft,
motorcycles and mopeds. Both gasoline and diesel engines. produce significant
emissions.
There are also engines that run on hydrogen, methanol, ethanol,. liquefied
petroleum gas
(LPG) and biodiesel.
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Commercially available bio-fuel engines operate at an efficiency level that
commonly does
not exceed 50 percent. The limited efficiency has a substantial impact on fuel
efficiency as
well as on engine output power.
Many attempts = were made to produce more power, namely increase displacement,
increase
the compression ratio, squeeze more power into each piston cylinder, using
turbo chargers,
heating the incoming air, let air come in more easily, let exhaust exit more
'easily, make
everything lighter, inject the fuel etc.
US patent 7,076,950 incorporated here for reference, discloses an internal
explosion engine
and generator having an explosion chamber, a movable. member forming one wall
of the
chamber, a charge of non-combustible gas sealed inside the chamber, means for
repeatedly
igniting the gas in an explosive manner to drive the movable member from a
position of
minimum volume to a position of maximum volume, means for returning the
movable
member from the position of maximum volume to the position of minimum volume,
and
means coupled to the movable member for providing electrical energy in
response to
explosion of the gas. In one disclosed embodiment, the movable member is a
piston
connected to a crankshaft, and it is returned to the position of minimum
volume by a flywheel
on the crankshaft. In another, two pistons are connected back-to-back in a
hermetically sealed
chamber to prevent loss of the explosive gas. In one embodiment, the
electrical energy is
produced by a generator connected to the crankshaft, and in-the other it is
produced by a coil
positioned near a magnet which moves with the pistons.
Nevertheless, a substantially fuel efficient, environmentally friendly and
powerful engine
structure, accommodating any of the presently available engine types,
providing any desired
power and displacement profile, in a controllable manner, is still a long felt
need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It. is therefore an object of the invention herein disclosed to provide an
engine actuated by
anaerobic fuel, comprising (a) at least one chamber; (b) at least one actuated
member located
within said chamber; (c) at least one deflagration chamber in fluid connection
with said
chamber; (d) fuel feeding means adapted to supply a predetermined quantity of
fuel to said at
least one deflagration chamber according to a predetermined protocol; (e)
ignition means
adapted to ignite said predetermined quantity of said fuel; and (f) exhaust
means for releasing
gases from said chamber. It is in the essence of the invention wherein said
fuel is anaerobic
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fuel, and further wherein said actuated member is actuated by expansion of
gases produced
by predetermined deflagration of said anaerobic fuel.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
.actuated member is a reciprocating piston, said chamber is a cylinder adapted
to
accommodate said reciprocating piston, said fuel feeding means are adapted to
supply said
predetermined quantity of fuel to said at least one deflagration chamber at
least once per
piston cycle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine further comprises at least one additional deflagration chamber in fluid
communication
with said engine chamber and interconnected with said fuel feeding means; each
of said
additional deflagration chambers adapted to accommodate a predetermined
measure of said
anaerobic fuel and for ignition of said anaerobic fuel according to a
predetermined protocol,
said ignition being provided in one or more steps per piston cycle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
ignition means are adapted to provide M ignitions of said fuel per said piston
cycle (M> 1).
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein at least
one of said reciprocating pistons is a multi-sectional piston, said multi-
sectional piston
comprising a plurality of pressure rings adapted to divide the volume between
the surface of
said piston and the inner surface of said cylinder into a plurality of
substantially isolated
volumes and adapted for use in a cylinder comprising a plurality of gas inlet
channels.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine further comprises (a) at least one channel substantially parallel to
said cylinder, said
channel fluidly interconnected at one end. with said cylinder; (b) at least
one additional
deflagration chamber ("side chamber"), said at least one side chamber fluidly
interconnected ..
with the second end of said channel; (c) means for independently introducing a
predetermined quantity of said fuel into said at least one side chamber; and
(d) means for
controlling the timing of ignition of said fuel in said at least one side
chamber relative to said
ignition of said fuel in said deflagration chamber such that expanding gases
produced by
predetermined deflagration of said fuel in said at least one side chamber
arrive at the point of
interconnection with said channel substantially contemporaneously with the
passage of said
piston past said point of interconnection. It is in the essence of the
invention wherein said
expanding gases from said predetermined deflagration of said fuel in said side
chamber
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provide additional force to said piston and a. constant speed to said piston
over substantially
the entire length of its travel during the downward stroke of the piston
cycle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein at least
one of said reciprocating pistons additionally comprises a plurality of
centering rings of outer
diameter adapted to the inner diameter of the cylinder and further adapted to
keep said piston
centered within said cylinder and to maintain the roundness of the cylinder.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine configured as a steam type engine wherein said piston is actuated
within said cylinder
by at least one deflagration chamber located on each side of said piston,
adjacent to the ends
of said piston.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine is adapted to operate as a two stroke internal combustion engine.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
actuated member is a rotor with a cross-section characterized by an N-sided
polygon (N > 3)
with convex sides, said chamber is of substantially oval cross section and
adapted to contain
said rotor such that contact between the corners of said polygon and the inner
surface of said
chamber divides said chamber into N substantially isolated sub-volumes, and
further
comprising means for exhausting gas from each of said N sub-volumes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine further comprises (a) N deflagration chambers, each of N deflagration
chambers in
fluid connection with one of said N sub-volumes; and (b) exhaust means for
independently
exhausting gas from each of said N said sub-volumes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
anaerobic fuel is chosen from the group consisting of compositions of sulfur,
ammonium
nitrate, ammonium picrate, aluminum powder, potassium chlorate, potassium
nitrate
(saltpeter), nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin pentaerythiotol tetranitrate
(PETN), CGDN, 2,4,6
trinitrophenyl methylamine (tetryl),and any other booster propellants, and or
any other types
of propellants, a mixture containing (a) about 97.5% RDX, (b) about 1.5%
calcium stearate,
(c) about 0.5% polyisobutylene, and. (d) about 0.5% graphite (CH-6), a mixture
of about (a)
98.5% RDX and (b) about 1.5% stearic acid (A-5), cyclotetramethylene
tetranitramine
(HMX), octogen-octahydro-1,3,5,7 tetranitro 1.3.5.7. tetrazocine, cyclic
nitramine
2,4,6,8,10, 1 2-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20),
2,4,6,8,10,12-
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hexanitrohexaazaiso-wurtzitan (HNIW), 5-cyanotetrazol-pentaamine cobalt III
perchlorate
(CP), cyclotri-methylene trinitramine (RDX), triazidotrinitrobenzene (TATNB),
tetracence,
smokeless powder, black powder, boracitol, triamino trinitrobenzene (TATB),
TATB/DATB
mixtures, diphenylamine, triethylene . glycol dinitrate (TEGDN), tertyl, N,N'-
diethyl-N,N'
diphenylurea (ethyl centralite), trimethyleneolethane, diethyl phtalate
trinitrate (TMETM),
trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), sodium azide, nitrogen gas, potassium oxide, sodium
oxide, silicon
dioxide, alkaline silicate, salt, saltwater, ocean water, dead sea water,
acetobacteria, algae,
alkali, paints,-- inks or any combination thereof.
It. is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said fuel
feeding system further comprises (a) at least one cellulose chamber
interconnected with said
deflagration chamber, said cellulose chamber adapted for storage of cellulose;
(b) at least one
nitrating agent chamber interconnected with said deflagration chamber, said
nitrating agent
chamber-adapted for storage of a nitrating agent, said nitrating agent chosen
from the group
consisting of (i) substantially pure HNO3; (ii) a solution of HNO3 in water
containing more
15, than about 80% HNO3 on a molar basis; (iii) a solution of HNO3 in water
containing between
about 70% and about 80% HNO3 on a molar basis; (iv) NO2; (v) a mixture of NO2
and water;
(vi) any other substance capable of nitrating cellulose in the gas phase; and
(vii) any
combination of the above; (c) means for transferring a predetermined quantity
of cellulose
from said cellulose 'chamber into said deflagration chamber; and (d) means for
transferring a
predetermined. quantity of nitrating agent from. said nitrating agent chamber
into said
deflagration chamber. It is within the essence of the invention wherein said
ignition means is
adapted to initiate chemical reaction between said cellulose and said
nitrating agent to form
nitrocellulose in situ, and to ignite nitrocellulose formed in said chemical
reaction, and
further wherein said anaerobic fuel comprises said nitrocellulose formed in
said chemical
reaction.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein the rate
of deflagration of said fuel is adapted to a predetermined value by the value
of at least one of
the properties of the individual particles of said anaerobic fuel, said.
property chosen from the
group consisting of (a) particle linear dimensions, (b) particle shape, (c)
particle volume, (d)
number of void spaces within said fuel particle, (e) length of void spaces
within said particle,
(f) diameter of void spaces within said particle.
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It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine is adapted to provide a shaft efficiency exceeding about 70% at a 1:24
compression
ratio.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine is adapted to provide a shaft, efficiency exceeding about 76% at a 1:60
compression
ratio.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, further
comprising an electronic controller.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
electronic controller comprises a digital processing controller, said digital
processing
controller adapted to accept data input from a plurality of sensors and to
provide output
signals for controlling engine parameters chosen from the group comprising (a)
ignition
timing, (b) valve opening, (c) valve closing, (d) fuel feeding rate, (e)
quantity of fuel fed per
ignition, (f) rate of flow of exhaust gas, and (g) all of the above.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, further
comprising at least one pressure relief valve, said pressure relief valve in
fluid
communication with said at least one deflagration chamber and adapted to open
if the gas
pressure within said at least one deflagration chamber exceeds a predetermined
value; and
further comprising means for transporting gas from said deflagration chamber
through said
relief valve to a location with substantially lower gas pressure than said
predetermined value.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, further
comprising (a) CO combustion means, said means adapted for combustion of the
CO content
of gases produced by said predetermined deflagration; and (b) means for
fluidly connecting
said exhaust means to said combusting means. It is within the essence of the
invention
wherein exhaust gases flow from said engine to said combusting means, and
further wherein
combustion of said CO content of said exhaust gases occurs within said CO
combustion
means.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said CO
combustion means are contained within a secondary engine.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine further comprises a heat exchanger in thermal contact with said engine
and said
secondary engine.
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It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein said
engine further comprises (a) at least one secondary heat exchanger; and (b) at
least one
exhaust port in fluid connection with said secondary engine and in thermal
contact with said
secondary heat exchanger. It is in the essence of the invention wherein said
at least one
secondary heat exchanger is adapted to utilize the heat of the gases exhausted
from said
secondary engine.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an engine as defined
above, wherein the shaft.
efficiency of said engine exceeds about 89% level at a 1:24 compression ratio.
It is a further object of this. invention to provide an engine as defined
above, further
comprising a catalyst adapted to reduce the NOX content of said exhaust gases.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for utilizing
energy from
predetermined deflagration of an anaerobic fuel comprising the steps of (a)
obtaining an
engine as defined above; (b) feeding said anaerobic fuel into said
deflagration chamber; (c)
igniting said anaerobic fuel; (d), generating pressurized gas from
deflagration of said
anaerobic fuel; (e) actuating mechanically said actuated member by the action
of said
pressurized gas; and (f) repeating steps (b) - (e).
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method as defined above,
wherein steps (b)
- (e) are performed more than once per engine cycle.:
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method as defined above,
further
.20 comprising the steps of (a) obtaining CO combusting means; (b) obtaining
igniting means
adapted for igniting inflammable gases within said CO combusting means; (c)
transporting
exhaust gases from said engine to said CO combusting means; and (d) igniting
at least part of
CO contained within said exhausted gases. It is within the essence of the
invention wherein
additional energy is obtained from said combustion of CO contained within said
exhaust
gases.
It. is a further object of this invention to provide a method as defined
above, further
comprising the steps of (a) obtaining a secondary heat exchanger; (b)
transporting exhaust
gases from said combustion of said CO from said CO combusting means to said
secondary
heat exchanger; (c) passing said exhaust gases from said combustion of CO
through said
secondary heat exchanger; and (d) using the heat of said exhaust gases of said
combustion of
said CO for air conditioning or heating,
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It is a further object of this invention to provide a method as defined above,
further
comprising the step of passing said exhaust gases from said combustion of said
CO over a
catalyst adapted for reducing the NOX content of gases.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in
practice, a
plurality of preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non-
limiting example
only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. la provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a W. J. Ideal
EngineTM,
accommodating dual thrust sources, according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. lb provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a W. J. Ideal
EngineTM, actuated by
pre-determined deflagration of an anaerobic fuel, accommodating a single
thrust
source, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 represents graphically a numerical simulation of.the pressure in the
cylinder head as a
function of time during actuation of a W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM by multiple
independent predefined deflagrations of anaerobic fuel;
FIG. 3a provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a W. J. Ideal
Piston EngineTM, with
the piston in close proximity to the cylinder head, according to an embodiment
of
the present invention;
FIG. 3b provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a W. J. Ideal
Piston EngineTM, with
the piston in a close proximity to the cylinder head and a modified cylinder
head,
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a W. J. Ideal
EngineTM,
accommodating an integrated multiple surface piston, according to an
embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the electronic control system,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
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FIG. 6 provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a rotary-type W. J.
Ideal EngineTM,
accommodating three thrust sources, according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 7 provides a schematic illustration (not to scale) of a W. J. Ideal
EngineTM, locomotive
steam engine type, accommodating dual thrust sources for pushing the piston
forward and a single deflagration source for pushing the piston backward,
according
to an embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 8 illustrates a complete deflagration actuated W. J. Ideal EngineTM
system consisting of
a second stage deflagration engine followed by a heat exchanger and a
catalyst,
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art
to make use of
said invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of
carrying out this
invention. Various modifications, however, will remain apparent to those
skilled in the art,
since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined
specifically to provide
an internal engine accommodating high efficiency, high power and high engine
capacity.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth
in order to
provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Those skilled in
the art will understand, however, that such embodiments may be practiced
without these
specific details. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment"
or "an
embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in
connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
invention.
Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment"
in various
places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the
same embodiment
or invention. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or
characteristics may be
combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
The drawings set forth the.preferred embodiments of .the present invention.
The embodiments
of the, invention disclosed herein are the best modes contemplated by the
inventors for
carrying out their invention in a commercial environment, although it should
be understood
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that various modifications can be accomplished within the, parameters of the
present
invention.
The term 'predefined deflagration (PD)' refers herein in a non limiting manner
to
controlling the deflagration W. J. Ideal FuelTM by controlling the properties
of the fuel
particles, said properties chosen in a non-limiting manner from the group
consisting of (a)
particle linear dimensions, (b) particle shape, (c) particle volume, (d)
number. of void spaces
within said fuel particle, (e)' length of void spaces within said particle,
(f) diameter of void
spaces within said particle.
The term 'actuated member' refers hereinafter to the main moving part of an
engine which
is displaced by the force and/or impulse of a pressurized gas on its surface.
The . term 'W. J. Ideal Fue1TM' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to
a pre-
determined deflagration composition being chemically or otherwise
energetically unstable
usable.as the energy source in engines.
The term 'W. J. Ideal EngineTM' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to
any engine
operated by PD of W. J..IdealTM fuel:
The term ' W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting
manner to W. J.
Ideal EngineTM in which the actuated member is a piston.
The term ' W. J. Ideal Rotor EngineTM' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting
manner to a W. J.
Ideal EngineTM in which the actuated member is a rotor rotating within an
enclosed volume.
The term 'sub-volume' refers hereinafter in a non limiting manner to more than
one varying
part of the entire volume of the chamber, which is separated from another part
of the chamber
volume by the contact area between the chamber inside wall and the actuated
member wall.
The sum of the sub-volumes within a chamber plus the volume of the interior
walls that
separate the sub-volumes equals the volume of the chamber.
The term 'profile' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to force or
displacement pattern
of the actuated member of a W. J. Ideal EngineTM, as a function of time.
The term 'lead screw' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to a
rotating screw
mechanism for moving changeable quantities of the anaerobic fuel from the fuel
container to
the deflagration chamber in .a W. J. Ideal EngineTM.
The term 'deflagration chamber' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to
chambers
disposed in the inside wall of a W. J. Ideal EngineTM, where the anaerobic
fuel is ignited.
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The term 'igniter' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to any device
used for igniting
the anaerobic fuel in a W. J. Ideal EngineTM.
The term 'controllable manner' refers hereinafter in a non-limiting manner to
the provision
of controlling the engine power and displacement profiles by initiating any
desired multiple
ignitions of changeable quantities of W. J. Ideal FueITM
The terms 'anaerobic-fuel' and 'W. J. FueITM' refer hereinafter in a non-
limiting manner to
an anaerobic fuel which is selected in a non-limiting manner to one or more of
a group
consisting inter alia of a composition or compositions of compositions of
sulfur, ammonium.
nitrate, ammonium picrate, aluminum powder, potassium chlorate, potassium
nitrate
(saltpeter), nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin pentaerythiotol tetranitrate
(PETN), CGDN, 2,4,6
trinitrophenyl methylamine (tetyl) and any other booster propellants and or
any other types
of propellants, a mixture containing (a) about 97.5% RDX, (b) about 1.5%
calcium stearate,
(c) about 0.5% polyisobutylene, and (d) about 0.5% graphite (CH-6), a mixture
of about (a)
98.5% RDX and (b) about 1.5% stearic acid (A-5), cyclotetramethylene
tetranitramine
(HMX), octogen-octahydro-1,3,5,7 tetranitro 1.3.5.7. tetrazocine, cyclic
nitramine
2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20),
2,4,6,8,10,12-
hexanitrohexaazaiso-wurtzitan (HNIW), 5-cyanotetrazOl-pentaamine cobalt III
perchlorate
(CP), cyclotri-methylene trinitramine (RDX), triazidotrinitrobenzene (TATNB),
tetracence,
smokeless powder, black powder, boracitol, triamino trinitrobenzene (TATB),
TATB/DATB
mixtures, diphenylamine, triethylene glycol dinitrate (TEGDN), tertyl, N,N'-
diethyl-N,N'-
diphenylurea (ethyl centralite), trimethyleneolethane, diethyl phtalate
trinitrate (TMETM),
trinitroazetidine (TNAZ), sodium azide, nitrogen gas, potassium oxide, sodium
oxide, silicon
dioxide, alkaline silicate, salt, saltwater, ocean water, dead sea water,
acetobacteria, algae,
alkali, paints, inks or any combination thereof.
Typically, and still in a non-limiting manner, the chemical composition of W.
J. IdealTM is
such that the oxidizing agent is contained within .the fuel, and hence the
deflagration of the
fuel does not require an external supply of oxidant. Therefore, in PD of W. J.
IdeaITM
actuated engines ignition can be applied at various instances during the
engine cycle when the
piston is located at various positions for accommodating an engine performance
adhering to
the engine requirements, in a controllable manner.
The proposed engine concept was. analyzed and subjected to experiments. The
analysis was
performed under the following assumptions:
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1. complete reaction, i.e.
CkO,NIHn aCO2 +bCO+-2 H2O+ - N2
where a + b = k, and a + b + (n/2) = 1.
2. CP - Heat capacity estimate:
n,Cpi
C _ mixturecomponents
P
n;
mixturecomponents
3. Maximum temperature assuming:
= Constant volume construction
= Negligible air content
= Constant CP
Tmax = TO +- k
CP
he -heat of combustion
4. Maximum pressure assuming:
= Constant volume combustion
= Negligible air content
= Constant CP
mRTmax
Pmax =
V1c
VTc -volume at top center
5. Final volume assuming:
20. = Expansion to atmospheric pressure
= Isentropic expansion
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= Constant specific heat ratio - k.
k
VBC=VTC* Pm-
Po
PBCVBC
TBC - mR
Whereas BC index is related to values at the bottom center
6. Work assuming:
= Isentropic expansion
= Constant specific heat ratio k
W _PBCVBC Pma.VTC
1-k
7. Efficiency assuming:
= Isentropic expansion
= Constant specific heat k
_ w
mhc
8. Exhaust gas energy assuming constant CP
Eexh = mcP (TBC To
9. Gross efficiency assuming constant CP
W + Eexh
77 _ mh,
Based on the above assumptions and expressions, a W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM
model is
used to evaluate performance by deriving key parameters of an engine
accommodating
predetermined deflagration of anaerobic fuel, according to the present
invention. The
calculated results indicate a very high theoretical thermal efficiency. With
an expansion ratio
of 1:24 the maximum gross theoretical efficiency is calculated to be 84.6%.
This efficiency is
the sum of shaft efficiency (55.2%) and efficiency gained by using the energy
left over in the
exhaust gas (29.4%). With an expansion ratio of 1:60, the gross theoretical
efficiency is
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slightly smaller (83%); under these conditions, the theoretical shaft
efficiency is 61.8% while
the. theoretical utilized exhaust gas efficiency is 21.2%. Furthermore, the W.
J. Ideal Piston
EngineTM does not need costly turbochargers of air blowers, and thus friction
losses are
significantly lower. Since the W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM contains fewer
components than
engines known in the art, the manufacturing costs are significantly, lowered.
Its longer life
span and properties such as less lubricant consumption, lower engine weight,
and fewer
vibrations and noise lead to lower maintenance costs as well. The much lower
compression
ratio required leads to lower strength requirements for the materials of
construction and
consequently to lower cost, smaller physical size, and longer life span.
Another important aspect of the W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM is its capability
of using larger
diameter pistons, thus producing the same power with fewer cylinders and
further decreasing
engine physical size and cost.
It is in the scope of the present invention to disclose W. J. Ideal Piston
EngineTM engines as
defined hereinafter, which are oxidizer-free engines, so that intake of oxygen
or other
oxidizers is not necessary and therefore can exert thrust by pressured gases
mass in a plurality
of piston positions by accommodating an engine, application related optimal
fuel ignition
scheme. After the ignition and subsequent deflagration, the compressed gasses
pressure mass
wave exert force on the piston surface through shaped outlets or nozzles in
the deflagration
pock of the engine. An electrical heating device used for igniting the
anaerobic fuel. An
internal piston engine, actuating the piston and exiting the cylinder head
through the outlet
into the manifold, and then optionally released through catalyst exhaust pipes
and possibly
throughout silenators. However, the high CO content of the exhaust gas
generated by the
deflagration of the anaerobic fuel can be exploited by further burning the,
exhaust gas hence
increasing fuel efficiency and reducing engine pollution. This is realized by.
collecting the
exhaust gas at the manifold and introducing it into a second stage engine
generator where the
high CO content is further ignited and used to actuate the secondary engine
generator. The
hot exhaust gases mass from the second stage engine generator can be further
passed through
a heat exchanger producing electricity or providing hot water or steam as well
operating air-
conditioning systems. The exhaust gas at the output of the heat exchanger is
then passed
through a catalyst for reducing the content of the mixture of nitrogen
monoxide and nitrogen
dioxide (NOX) to less than 7ppm level and thus minimizing environmental
pollution.
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It is further in the scope of the present invention to disclose W. J. Ideal
Piston EngineTM used
in external combustion type engines operating the engines configured for steam
actuating, as
PD W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM
W. J. Ideal Fue1TM is provided according to another embodiment of the present
invention in
changeable types, shapes; colors and sizes. The . changeable pieces' are
produced by
compressing changeable particles selected in a non-limiting manner from a
group consisting
on flakes, powder, and gel, liquid or plastic. The pieces are selected in a
non-limiting manner
from a group consisting of flexible or hard materials, solid bars, bars,
ingots, ball-like
materials and ingots or a combination thereof. Moreover, angle shaped
capsules, ampoules,
pills, plastic disposal cartridge, special combined material cartridge, metal
cartridges, or any
combination thereof. The fuel substance state consisting of the particles and
the fuel pieces
are used to create deflagrations in a controllable manner (predefined
deflagration). Solid bars,
for example, having various shapes and number and size of holes, affect the
burning rate of
the fuel and the applied gas pressure.
Since the W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM does not use compressed air and fuel
mixture for
combustion, piston start position is not limited by the volume of compressed
air fuel mixture
and can be positioned essentially at the, top of the cylinder, hence providing
a longer piston
travel for the same cylinder length and effectively increasing the piston
displacement volume.
The PD of W. J. Ideal Fue1TM takes place in deflagration chambers disposed in
the engine's
head. The number of deflagration chambers, the chamber size and shape, the
controllable
quantity of W. J. Ideal FuelTM and the chamber outlets or nozzles, affect the
deflagration rate
of the fuel and the applied gas mass pressure mass wave and the resultant
exerted force on the
piston.
Reference is now made to FIG. la schematically illustrating (not to scale) an
embodiment of
the present invention comprising a single cylinder reciprocating internal
piston engine and
.dual deflagration sources. A piston 21, fabricated from any appropriate
material or
combination of materials (e.g. cast iron, metal alloy, ceramic, hard carbon,
or composite
materials), is actuated by PD of W. J. Ideal FuelTM. The piston is located
within cylinder 25,
which is located within engine block 24, and separated from it by cooling
system 23 through
which an appropriate coolant (e.g. air or water) flows. The cylinder is
fabricated from any of
the materials used for fabricating the piston. The engine comprises two
independent
deflagration sources, each of which comprises a fuel container (10a and 10b,
respectively), a
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fuel feeding mechanism (11a, 12a, 13a and 11b, 12b, 13b, respectively), a
deflagration
chamber (20a and 20b, respectively) and an igniter (18a and 18b,
respectively). A fuel safety
valve (17a, 17b) prevents gases produced by deflagration of the fuel from
backstreaming
through the feeding system. Exhaust valves 16a, 16b provide an outlet for
exhaust gases.
The operation of this embodiment of the invention begins with introduction of
a
predetermined quantity of anaerobic fuel (in a preferred embodiment, W. J.
Ideal FuelTM) into
the deflagration chambers, the exact quantity chosen by the operator according
to the desired
power and timing of the deflagration. Fuel containers 10a and 10b supply the
anaerobic fuel
to deflagration chambers 20a and 20b through a dual fuel feeding system
consisting of lead
screw members 11a, 11b and lead screw members 13a and 13b. Lead screw
rotational
displacement is controlled electrically by mechanisms 12a and 12b. The fuel
may be also fed
from the from fuel containers 10a, 10b into the fuel chambers by a hydraulic
or.pneumatic
transport mechanism. Alternatively, when the fuel is for example in liquid
form, pipes and
pumps can be used for feeding the fuel.
Igniters 18a and 18b initiate PD of the fuel within the deflagration chambers,
which are
disposed at the top of the cylinder. Upon ignition, the anaerobic fuel
undergoes deflagration,
creating a pulse of high-pressure gas (as shown below, typical gas pressure at
the cylinder
head is on the order of about 10 bar). Expansion of this high pressure gas
into the cylinder
exerts a downward thrust on piston 21. As the piston moves downward through
the cylinder,
its linear motion is converted to rotary motion through a mechanism (i.e., a
crank shaft) well-
known in the art.
Since deflagration of anaerobic fuel does not require an external supply of
oxidizer, fuel can
be introduced into the deflagration chamber and its ignition initiated more
than once during a
single piston cycle. The high-pressure gas generated as a result of each
independent
25, deflagration actuates the piston by exerting a force on the piston surface
that is proportional
to the amount of W. J. Ideal FuelTM fed into the deflagration chamber.
Multiple thrusts
applied to a piston in a controllable number of ignitions, ignition timing and
quantity of fuel
introduced per ignition, can substantially enhance engine performance in terms
of, e.g., force,
speed, power and efficiency by providing an engine power profile and speed
adapted to the
engine's ultimate performance requirement. Nine thrusts 22 resulting from nine
independent
ignitions of the fuel applied to the piston 21, are depicted in FIG. la as a
series of horizontal
lines. The deflagrations can be initiated at each of the deflagration chambers
20a and 20b
substantially simultaneously. or according to any timing sequence desired by
the operator.
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The number of deflagrations and the timing, depicted in a non-limiting manner,
are
electronically controllable by the operation of the fuel feeding system and
the igniters. Real-
time measurements of the gas pressure and piston position are used to provide
the engine
with online operational feedback that is sent to a digital processing
controller, which controls
the timing and power of the fuel deflagration, in order to optimize engine,
performance
according to the engine specific operational requirements. The digital
processing controller
further controls the fuel feeding system and the opening and closing of the
gas exhaust valves
and fuel safety valves. For certain applications like an aircraft catapult,
the engine can
accommodate a single fast and powerful piston displacement along a
substantially long
cylinder by applying a plurality of deflagrations. Analogously to commercially
available
internal piston engines, the engine can accommodate a piston motion. After
reaching its
bottom position, the piston starts moving upward. During this period of upward
displacement,
exhaust valves 16a and 16b open and exhaust gases are let outside the piston
through a
manifold connected to ports 15a and 15b. In another embodiment of the
invention, exhaust
ports 16a and 16b are be connected through a manifold and an exhaust pipe to a
secondary
engine inlet that connects the engine to a secondary engine in which. CO gas
in the exhaust
(CO constitutes a significant fraction of the exhaust gas following
deflagration) is combusted.
In another embodiment, pressure of the exhaust gases exiting the engine
through exhaust
ports 15a and 15b can be used to drive the fuel feeding mechanism and hence
utilize further
the fuel energy capacity.
In other embodiments of the invention herein disclosed, additional
deflagration chambers are
included; the number of deflagration chambers is limited only by the space
available for
them. The general principles of operation of engines with more than two
deflagration
chambers and associated system are as described in detail above for the case
of two.
In various embodiments of the present invention, ignition of the anaerobic
fuel is performed
by any appropriate method desired by the operator, e.g. sparks, electron
beams, laser beams,
monochromatic or polychromatic light sources, acoustic emitters, vibration
emitters, radiation
emitters or any combination thereof. Said emitters are synchronized with the
piston position
and feeding system.
The nearly full transform of the anaerobic W. J. IdealTM into heat energy,
combined with an
optimal ignition scheme provided by a plurality of deflagrations during an
engine single
displacement and return to the start position, increase substantially the
engine power and
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efficiency. Furthermore, the small quantity of generated pollutant gasses
decreases
substantially atmospheric pollution.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1b, illustrating a single cylinder single
deflagration
reciprocating internal piston engine. The engine depicted here is very similar
to the one
depicted in FIG. la, except that a single deflagration source is used rather a
dual deflagration
ignition source. The embodiment of the W. J. IdealTM engine illustrated in
FIG. lb comprises
a single deflagration chamber 20, a single igniter 18, a single exhaust valve
16 with exhaust
port 15 and a single fuel feeding system, consisting of a fuel container 10, a
lead screw rod
11, lead screw rod 13, fuel electrical driving mechanism 12 and fuel safety
valve 17. As in
FIG. la, nine ignitions 22 during a single piston cycle are schematically
illustrated by a series
of horizontal lines. The number of applied thrusts and their timing are used
by way of
example and are set automatically by a digital processor using gas pressure
sensor input data
and piston position input to apply various thrust schemes, according to the
specific engine
requirements. An engine block 24 surrounds cylinder 25 and is separated from
the cylinder
body by a cooling system 23 through which an appropriate coolant (e.g. water
or air) flows.
The deflagration chamber 20 in the embodiment illustrated has a circular cross
section, but
this is not the only shape possible. Since the shapes of the deflagration
chamber and of the
nozzle that directs the flow of gas from the chamber into the cylinder head
will affect the
timing and properties of the flow of the gas, other deflagration chamber
shapes (e.g.,
parabolic, hyperbolic, cylindrical and polygonal cross sections) may be used
according to the
specific needs of the operator. Similarly, the exact size, shape and
arrangement of the
deflagration chamber openings to the inside of the engine (nozzles) will
depend on: the
specific needs of the operator. Engine simulation design tools well-known in
the art can be
used to determine the optimal geometry and construction for a particular
application.
Reference is now made to FIG.. 2, which is a graph showing gas pressure at the
cylinder head
of a W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM as a function of time for the case of
multiple consecutive
ignitions. The graph was obtained from the results of a numerical simulation
of the engine. At
the beginning of the engine action 201 the graph depicts a gas pressure that
builds up to a
maximum value of 10. bar at t = 40 ms, following which the pressure begins to
decrease.
Further ignitions occur at t = 50, 80, and 110 ms. After each successive
ignition, the pressure
returns to its maximum value of about 10 bar. The pressure is thus maintained
at substantially
constant pressure up to t = about 140 ms (202); the substantially constant
high pressure can
be maintained as long as additional fuel is supplied and ignited and is not
limited to the time
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shown in the figure. Furthermore, since the specific quantities of fuel added
and ignition
timing are at the discretion of the operator, a sequence similar to that shown
in FIG. 2 can be
used for obtaining engine profiles adaptable to specific applications.
Reference is now made to FIG. 3a which depicts the engine system depicted in
FIG. 1b.
FIG. 3a specifically indicates the proximity of the piston to the cylinder
head: The anaerobic
fuel used for the W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM does not necessitate an external
supply of
oxygen for the predefined deflagration. Hence, the proximity of the piston to
the cylinder
head is not limited by the degree to which the air/fuel mixture can be
compressed (as in
typical internal combustion engines), so in the present invention the piston
can translate
essentially all the way to the surface of the cylinder head. As with the
previous embodiment,
anaerobic fuel is supplied to the engine froma fuel container 10 through a
fuel feeding
system 11 and 12 and a safety valve 17 into the deflagration chamber 20. The
engine further
comprises exhaust valves 16 and exhaust ports 15. Deflagration is started by
an igniter 18.
Piston 21 is displaced inside cylinder 25 which disposed in engine block 24.
The minimum
gap 27 between the engine head and the top position of the piston is
substantially smaller than
the same gap in an internal combustion engine, which is determined by the
minimum volume
of the compressed air and fuel. Hence, connecting rod 26 can be longer and
thus provide
more momentum to the crank shaft.
Reference is now made to FIG. 3b depicting another embodiment of the W. J.
Ideal Piston
EngineTM, which is a modification of an internal combustion engine is made to
accommodate
the connecting rod of the original internal combustion engine. As in FIG. 3a,
the engine
comprises fuel feeding system 10, 11, 12, deflagration chamber 20, igniter 18
and safety
valve 17. The engine further comprises piston 21 located within cylinder 25.
and disposed
within engine block 24. The cylinder head of this engine is modified by
introducing a
deflagration chamber (and its associated fuel system, etc.) and placing
deflagration chamber
within the cylinder head such that the minimum distance between the
deflagration chamber
and the piston is determined as in the previous embodiment rather than by the
minimum
volume of the fuel/air mixture. Hence the connecting rod used in the internal
combustion
engine can be used in the W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM just by designing
properly the new
engine head.
Reference is now made to FIG. 4, showing (not to scale) another embodiment of
the present
invention, accommodating an integrated multi-surface piston structure. This
piston
configuration yields a substantially elevated power output by increasing the
effective surface
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area of the piston and by exerting higher force on the actuated piston by the
pressurized gas
created by PD. The piston of the depicted W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM
comprises a unique
structure. A standard piston is shaped like a disk that fits into the cylinder
and translates
within the cylinder, while the piston depicted in FIG. 4. is configured as a
multi-surface
'5 structure. Piston 121 comprises three piston sections connected by top
concave shaped
section 138 and bottom concave shaped section 139 into a single structure. In
this
embodiment of the invention, the engine contains additional deflagration
chambers 120a and
120b with their associated igniters (118a and 118b), safety. valves (117a and
117b); and
exhaust systems (115a, 115b, 116a, 115b). Deflagration occurs within
deflagration
chambers 120a and 120b independently of that in the main deflagration
chambers. Gas
created by PD in deflagration chambers 120a and 120b is introduced into the
middle sections
of the piston via inlets/outlets 125a and 125b. Initially gas pressure is
applied only to the top
surface of the piston. When the downward motion of the piston carries concave
shaped
section 139 into alignment with inlets 125a and 125b, the high-pressure gas
created in
deflagration chambers 120a and 120b enters piston section 139. At this point,
pressure is now
applied on the bottom section of the piston as well. As the downward motion of
the piston
continues, concave surface 138 aligns with inlets 125a and 125b, and high-
pressure gas
enters the middle section of the piston and from this point on gas mass
pressure is applied on
the three surfaces of the piston. When the piston travels upward, inlets 125a
and 125b operate
as outlets for exhausting gas from middle sections of the piston: concave
surface 138 aligns
first with outlets 125a and 125b, exhausting gas entrapped within the top
midsection. As the
piston continues its upward motion, surface 139 aligns with outlets 125a and
125b, providing
an outlet for the gas entrapped in the bottom- mid section.
In this embodiment of the invention, the effective surface of the piston and
the overall force
increase substantially compared to a standard piston, thus providing
substantially higher
engine power for an equivalent engine volume and pressure, leading to
substantial engine size
and weight reduction as well as to significant cost savings. Furthermore, the
three piston
sections comprise separate leading and pressure rings. Leading ring 130 of the
bottom piston
section, leading ring 132 of the mid piston section and leading ring 134 of
the top piston
section are designed to prevent any direct contact between the piston and the
cylinder during
the piston translation within the cylinder = and to ensure parallel motion
without any
components of transverse motion. These rings are constructed of any
appropriate hard
material (e.g. glass, ceramic, metal, etc.) and have the additional function
of maintaining the
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cylinder's roundness. Especially in cases where the cylinder is disposed
horizontally, in
normal piston systems, the weight of the piston eventually causes the cylinder
to distort from
round. Leading rings 130, 132, and 134 ensure that the cylinder maintains its
shape. Pressure
rings 131, 133 and 135 are sealing between the piston wall and the cylinder
wall. The piston
design preventing any surface contacts has a substantial effect on reliability
and the durability
of the engine. As will be clear to. one skilled in the art, the number of
rings associated with
the piston is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 4, which is given as a
non-limiting
illustrative example only. Similarly, the number of concave sections is not
limited to two,
but can be any number that is appropriate to the size of the piston and engine
and to the
particular application for which the engine is being used.
Reference is now made to FIG. 5, illustrating the closed loop engine control
system, which
generates at least one ignition signal per piston cycle; the engine control
system automatically
yields optimum engine performance by taking into account the specific engine
performance
requirements and feedback data provided by engine sensors. The engine digital
processing
controller 31 receives gas pressure data from a pressure sensor 32 disposed
internally within
the engine 30 and piston position data from a piston position sensor 34; in a
preferred
embodiment, the piston position sensor consists of an optical encoder disposed
on the piston
rod. The engine digital processing controller 31 starts fuel feeding by
outputting a signal to
the fuel feeding controller 39. After a predetermined quantity of fuel has
been introduced
into the deflagration chamber, the digital processing controller closes the
fuel safety valve by
sending a signal to the valve controller 38. A signal to the ignition
controller 37 initiates
ignition of the fuel, and after a predetermined amount of the fuel has
undergone deflagration
(in a preferred embodiment, this will be after complete deflagration of the
fuel), the digital
processing controller transmits a signal to exhaust valve controller 38 to
release the gases
generated by PD. The digital processing controller can control an engine
configuration
comprising a plurality of deflagration chambers as well as a plurality of
ignitions during an
engine cycle. The engine digital processor derives the correct timing of the
sequence of
ignition signals by applying closed loop control algorithms comparing the
actual power and
speed profile as calculated from the sensor data inputs with the engine
performance
requirements. Additional sensors can be disposed in the engine, e.g. -a
temperature sensor 33
which can be used, to control the coolant flow through the engine. A vibration
sensor 35 and
an audible noise sensor 36 disposed in the engine can be used to provide
vibration and noise
data for the controller that can be used by the controller for adapting the
engine operation for
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minimum vibration and audible noise levels. More sensors can be used when
additional data
of engine operation are. required for optimizing the engine performance. Any
number of data
sensors is within scope of the engine controller. Furthermore, the scope of
the digital
processing controller is substantially universal to include any type of engine
configuration
used according to the present invention i.e. all configurations of
reciprocating linear internal
combustion engines, all configurations of reciprocating rotor engines, and all
configurations
of steam type engines can be controlled by the digital processing controller
here illustrated.
Reference is now made to FIG. 6, illustrating (not to scale) a schematic
diagram of a
deflagration actuated, rotary action engine with multiple thrust sources. In
commercially
available Wankel engines, a rotor of triangular construction (usually with
convex sides)
rotates and revolves within an oval chamber. The corners of the rotor contact
small areas of
the chamber inside wall, dividing the chamber into three chambers. As the
rotor turns, the flat
sides of the rotor get closer and further from the side of the oval,.acting
similarly to the
"strokes" in a four stroke engine. The Wankel engine is considerably simpler
and contains far
fewer moving parts than a linearly moving piston engine as it does not include
valves and
related parts. In addition, the rotor spins the driveshaft directly, so that
there is no need for
connecting rods and related parts, which are used to convert linear piston
displacement into a
rotary displacement. All of this makes a Wankel engine substantially lighter,
typically half
that of a conventional engine with equivalent horsepower.
The rotary W. J. IdealTM engine, one embodiment of which is illustrated in
FIG. 6, does not
include an intake port as do commercially available Wankel engines, since it
runs without
addition of oxygen. The engine's rotor 57 rotates clockwise within oval
chamber 61 so that
the rotor triangular like cross section vertices slide along the inside wall
of the rotor chamber,
creating three dynamically changing volume sections 58a, 58b and 58c within
it.
Deflagration chambers 55a, 55b and 55c, are disposed about the rotor chamber
such that
gaseous products of deflagration pass from the deflagration chamber into one
of the sub-
volumes created by the rotor. The deflagration chambers are placed within
engine heads 56a,
56b and 56c. Unlike in a commercially available engine, thrust is applied to
the rotor three .
times during a revolution by igniters 52a, 52b and 52c operated by an ignition
signal from the
digital processor controller. Triple fuel ignition results applying a thrust
to the rotor in at least
three distinct rotor positions, multiplies the power` output approximately by
three for a given
engine size. Furthermore, power output can be further increased by igniting
the fuel in each
deflagration chamber a plurality of times resulting a substantially continuous
and steady force
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
exerted on the engine rotor or alternatively a required force profile. The
fuel is fed into the
deflagration chambers from fuel containers 65a, 65b and 65c and exhaust gases
exit the
chambers through opening exhaust valves 54a, 54b, 54c and 54d. In another
embodiment,
one fuel container can be used for feeding the fuel into the plurality of
deflagration chambers.
Each of the fuel feeding mechanisms further includes a fuel backup valve 53a,
53b and 53c
that open prior to. feeding of fuel into the appropriate deflagration chamber,
and which close
prior to initiation of ignition. A flywheel 62 rotates by the engine via a
connected sprocket
wheel 64, engaged with a rotor sprocket wheel. Cavities 66a, 66b and 66c on
the rotor three
sections are used as 'gripping' surfaces for the compressed gas pressure.
Reference is now made to FIG. 7, illustrating (not to scale) a deflagration
actuated,
locomotive steam-type engine, containing dual thrust sources for pushing the
piston forward
and a single deflagration source for pushing the piston backward. A commercial
steam engine
is an external combustion engine, i.e. one in which the fuel is burned outside
the engine
cylinder. According to the present invention, the steam engine is converted
into an internal
piston engine. The engine is a triple thrust engine accommodating at the
engine head 80 pre-
deflagration chamber 75a and igniter 72a generating high-pressure gas 81 which
exerts force
on piston 82 in the direction shown by the arrow.. On the engine wall opposite
to the engine
head, two igniters 72b and ,72c ignite the fuel disposed in the smaller
deflagration chambers
75b, 75c and the generated gas pressure exerts force on the piston opposite to
the direction of
the arrow. This side of the piston is connected to the connecting rod in the
center of the
piston; therefore two smaller off-center deflagration chambers are optimized
for this side. At
the engine wall at the side of the engine head 80, igniter 72a ignites the
fuel fed into the
larger deflagration, chamber 75a and expansion of the gas generated by PD
exerts force on the
piston in the direction of the arrow. The fuel in each deflagration chamber
may be ignited a
plurality of times at calculated positions 83 and 84 of the piston, enabling
creation of any
desired force profile. On one side of the engine, the fuel is fed from fuel
containers 85b and
85c into related deflagration chambers 75b and 75c through lead screw type
fuel feeding
systems operated by motors 74b and 74c and fuel safety valves 73b and 73c.
Similarly, on
the side of the engine head the fuel is fed from fuel container 85a into
deflagration chambers
75a through lead screw type fuel feeding system operated by motor 74a and fuel
backup
valve 73a. Exhaust gases cross from one side of the piston to the opposite
side the inlet ports
77 for further use of the heat generated by the deflagration. The exhaust gas
flow direction is
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
determined by a mechanically sliding valve 78 connected through a connecting
rod to the
flywheel actuated by the engine.
Reference is now made to FIG. 8, illustrating a 3D block diagram of a complete
PD W. J.
Ideal EngineTM, accommodating further utilization of exhaust gases from the
main engine.
This utilization of exhaust gases increases the fuel efficiency and decreases
release of
pollutants. The exhaust gas produced by PD of W. J. Ideal FueITM typically has
a high CO
content. Combustion of this gas both increases fuel efficiency and reduces
environmental
pollution (CO is toxic). In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, exhaust
gases from the main
engine 90 (which may be any of the embodiments described above) are collected.
and directed
into a secondary stage engine 91. The hot exhaust. gasses of this second
engine. stage are
passed through a heat exchanger 92, producing electricity, or operating air
conditioning units
or providing hot water or steam. The exhaust gas is then passed through a
catalyst 94 for
reducing the content of the mixture of nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide
(NO,,).
Typical catalysts known in the prior art can reduce the NOX content of the
exhaust gas to less
than about 7ppm.
In another embodiment, the exhaust gasses of the main engine enter a heat
exchanger and the
heat exchanger output gases power engine generator 92. Efficiency is increased
even further
in this configuration.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an engine is
provided with
enhanced high fuel efficiency, engine power capacity and low environmental
pollution by
utilizing a distinctive anaerobic fuel that contains all of the oxidizer
required. for burning and
therefore does not require any external supply of oxygen. This feature changes
the operation
of engines operating with W. J. Ideal _ Fue1TM by being adaptable to several
fuel ignitions
during an engine cycle rather than a single ignition event provided by
commercially available
engines. The engine is controlled by a universal digital processing controller
providing igniter
timing signals, fuel feeding signals, engine valve opening and closing
signals, etc. This
control scheme can be applied to any available commercial internal combustion
or external
combustion engine types and configurations, e.g. four stroke cylinder engines,
two stroke
cylinder engines, V-shaped cylinder engines, diesel engines, rotary engines,
steam
locomotive engines, etc., with substantially higher efficiency, higher power
and smaller size.
Commercially available diesel engines are considered to be very fuel
efficient. A comparison
between the W. J. Ideal EngineTM of the present invention and a' diesel engine
indicates that
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
the present, invention has substantial benefits and higher performance, in the
following
aspects:
(1) W. J. Ideal EngineTM presents a 30% increase in engine power compared to
a diesel engine.
(2) A diesel engine includes a complex air feeding system consisting of fresh
air inlet tunnels, air filter system and air turbocharger system, which are
not
required in the W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM:
(3) The engine head of a diesel engine includes an injector. system, inlet and
exhaust valves and fuel injection system. W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM does
not require an injector system or intake valve control, and includes an
electronically controlled exhaust valve and fuel feeding system.
(4) The cylinder of a diesel engine is made of cast iron and includes hot air
inlet tunnels at the bottom of the cylinder. The cylinder of a W. J. Ideal
Piston EngineTM is made from cast,. iron and smoothed for an extended life
span by carbon or ceramic coating.
(5) A cam shaft is used by a diesel engine mechanically control exhaust valve
operation. The exhaust valves in a W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM are
controlled electronically and a camshaft is not required.
(6) A diesel engine includes an air scavenging system. used to remove the
= burned gases from the remote parts of the cylinder. An air scavenging
system is not needed in a W. J. Ideal Piston EngineTM.
According to another embodiment, any commercially available engine
configuration can be
further converted to a new type of engine by disposing a plurality of
deflagration chambers in
the engine at key positions rather than just by replacing the ignited fuel
position in a
commercial engine with the new.deflagration chamber.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the core of the
invention
accommodates new engine configurations adapted to provide extremely powerful
engines for
special applications, like for example an aircraft carrier catapult, extremely
fast engines,
miniature powerful engines and any required special engine application.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the core of the
invention
accommodates new engine configurations accommodating high piston speeds along
any
practical linear cylinder length.
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
The W. J. IdealTM-based engines are able to operate from a cold start. Hence
the engine starts
to operate without any special, long, expensive and tedious preparations, such
as cleaning the
fuel from water contamination by means of an expensive (commercially available
Alfa Laval
products, for example) centrifugal system. Moreover, no preheating of oil or,
fuel is required
by expensive oil boilers.
The W. J..IdealTM engines do not require expensive, complicated (and subject
to many
failures) additional equipment, e.g. means for providing an oxidizer, for
their operation.
The PD W. J. IdealTM engines and related technology reduce dependence on oil
and gas
sources and provide cheaper energy substitutes. The technology allows cost
effective
construction of powerful engines. Import of oil product can thus significantly
be reduced.
Electricity costs are further significantly reduced.
The reliability of the PD W. J. IdealTM-based engines provides a period of
about three years
or more between overhauls, especially pistons and.piston head overhaul.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, costly storage of
liquid oil
products and hydrocarbon gas is effectively reduced. The use of heavy fuel is
thus eliminated.
Hence, PD W. J. IdealTM piston engines are especially useful for use in
vehicles where a light
weight mass of efficient fuel is required and advantageous. Hence for example,
utilization of
W. J. IdealTM-based engines in cargo vessels with high capacity load is
advantageous and
save a significant measure of space which is currently required to store
hundreds and
thousands of fuel tanks in the bottom of the vessel such as airplanes, ships
and submarines,
for loading additional profitable cargo.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the PD W. J.
IdealTM cylinder
head engines are characterized in various shapes and sizes, selected in a non-
limiting manner
from mortar-like, cannon-like or rocket-like configurations.
Storage of the W. J. Ideal FueITM is preferably provided in either
commercially available or
specially designed and made containers, such as W. J. ContainerTM containers,
that are well
isolated against heat, static electricity, sparks, lightning, fire, shocks and
shock waves. A
container-in-a-container arrangement is preferred. Standard containers are
preferably yet not
exclusively of 20 ft or 40 ft. The container may be in a CO2 safety
environment and/or will be
in communication with fire extinguishing systems. A "black box" is used for
recording safety
data transmit to a distribution center events selected from a group consisting
of fuel loading,
discharge history, present location, shaking force, type of fuel presently
stored and history of
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
the container from day one. The W. J. Ideal Fue1TM can be loaded and unloaded
from its
container with a completely automated system. According to one "embodiment of
the present
invention, the containers are arranged in a cascade or an array in which one
container is in
communication with at least another one, located e.g., next to it, above it,
belowit, etc. Said
array is either provided in series or in parallel, and is either 2D or 3D or
any combination
thereof. The feeding is provided in any commercially available means known in
the art, e.g.,
rail, conveyer belts, magazines, e.g., round magazines, pipes, conduits, snail-
like or screw-
like apparatuses, robots,.linear tables, systems equipped with electric and/or
pneumatic servo
systems for fast'and accurate movement, etc.
W. J. Ideal FueITM is a very compact and effective deflagration propagator, so
that it requires
only limited storage volume. Hence, recharging the container is required
relatively
infrequently. W. J. Ideal Fue1TM containers can safely store the fuel for
extended periods
(years to decades). Moreover, W. J. Ideal Fue1TM containers are
environmentally friendly; and
do not leak hazardous materials to their surroundings.
The detailed description of the present invention presents a generic
technology derived from
the W. J. Ideal TM fuel., and the associated effect on the engines operated
with fuel. The
benefits of the present invention are substantially apparent throughout the
detailed description
of assorted embodiments. A consolidated summary of above apparent benefits is
included in
the following detailed list of advantages of the present invention over
commercially available
engine technologies:
(1) Smokeless operation at all engine running speeds.
(2) Reduced fuel consumption due to engine parts load.
(3) Increased controllability.
(4) Capability-of running at lower minimum speeds.
(5) Higher reliability.
(6) Unlimited operation at all altitudes, including those where the partial
pressure of atmospheric oxygen is insufficient to support combustion.
(7) Operational at higher environmental temperature ranges.
(8) Operational in space and underwater.
(9) Low fuel consumption.
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
(10) Low cylinder oil consumption.
(11) Low part count engine.
(12) Full compliance with IMO NO,, emission regulations of Annex 4 MARPOL
73/78 convention.
(13) Long time between overhauls.
(14) Reduced Mechanical stress.
(15) Reduced number of moving parts.
(16) Reduced mechanical stress.
(17) Lower mechanical vibrations.
(18) Lower operational noise.
It will be appreciated that the above described methods may be varied in many
ways,
including, changing the order of steps, and/or performing a plurality of steps
concurrently.
It should also be appreciated that the above described description of methods
and apparatus
are to be interpreted as including apparatus for carrying out the methods, and
methods of
using the apparatus, and computer software for implementing the various-
automated control
methods on a general purpose or specialized computer system, of any type as
well known to a
person or ordinary skill, and which need not be described in detail herein for
enabling a
person of ordinary skill to practice the invention, since such a person is
well versed in
industrial and control computers, their programming, and integration into an
operating
system.
For the main embodiments of the invention, the particular selection of type
and model is not
critical, though where specifically identified, this may be relevant. The
present invention has
been described using detailed descriptions of embodiments thereof that are
provided by way
of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. No
limitation, in general,
or by way of words such as "may", "should", "preferably", "must", or other
term,denoting a
degree of importance or motivation, should be considered as a limitation on
the scope of the
claims or their equivalents unless expressly present in such claim as a
literal limitation on its
scope. It should be understood that features and steps described with respect
to one
embodiment may be used with other embodiments and that not all embodiments of
the
invention have all of the features and/or steps shown in a particular figure
or described with
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WO 2009/022350 PCT/IL2008/001133
respect to one of the embodiments. That is, the disclosure should be
considered complete
from combinatorial point of view, with each embodiment of each element
considered
disclosed in conjunction with each other embodiment of each element (and
indeed in various
combinations of compatible implementations of variations in the same element).
Variations
of embodiments described will occur to persons of the art. Furthermore, the
terms
"comprise," "include," "have" and their conjugates, shall mean,,when used in
the claims,
"including but not necessarily limited to." Each element present in the claims
in the singular
shall mean one or more element as claimed, and when an option is provided for
one or more
of a group, it shall be interpreted to mean that the claim requires only one
member selected
from the various options, and shall not require one of each option. The
abstract shall not be
interpreted as limiting on the scope of the application or claims.
It is noted that some of the above described embodiments may describe the best
mode
contemplated by the inventors and therefore may include structure, acts, or
details of
structures and acts that may not be essential to the invention and which are
described as
examples. Structure and acts described herein are replaceable by equivalents
which perform
the same function, even if the structure or acts are different, as known in
the art. Therefore,
the scope of the invention is limited only by the elements and limitations as
used in the
claims.
