OPOC engine

Abstract

An Opposing Piston Opposing Cylinder (“OPOC”) internal combustion engine combined with an externally mounted pre-ignition assembly with an internal swirl chamber to improve cold start and continuing operation. The pre-ignition assembly contains both a fuel injector and an ignition device that are in communication with the swirl chamber. The inlet/outlet passage opening that extends between the combustion chamber of the engine and the swirl chamber allows fresh combustion air to be forced from the cylinder of the engine into the swirl chamber during the compression stroke and allows the subsequently ignited plasma gases from the swirl chamber to enter into the combustion chamber as to the pistons reach their TDC positions.

1 . A pre-ignition assembly for use in an OPOC engine containing a first pair of opposing pistons in a first cylinder and a second pair of opposing pistons in a second opposing cylinder, wherein opposing cylinders are configured to allow said pistons to operate in opposing and complementary stroke cycles;
 said pre-ignition assembly includes a fuel injector, an ignition device and a pre-ignition chamber;   a pre-ignition assembly being mounted on each said opposing cylinder at a location that provides communication between said pre-ignition chamber and the interior of the cylinder at the location of a combustion chamber defined between opposing pistons;   said pre-ignition chamber having a passage with an opening in communication with the interior of the cylinder to allow combustion air compressed by said pistons during a compression stroke to enter said pre-ignition chamber,   said fuel injector containing an injector nozzle that is in communication with said pre-ignition chamber to inject a predetermined amount of fuel into said pre-ignition chamber to form a fuel/air mixture; and   said ignition device containing a fuel/air ignition element that extends into the fuel/air mixture within said chamber.   
   
   
       2 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said assembly is mounted on to be in communication with the fuel injection port in the cylinder of said engine. 
   
   
       3 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said pre-ignition chamber of said assembly is configured to generate a generally circular flow path for said combustion air as it enters said chamber from the cylinder. 
   
   
       4 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said pre-ignition chamber is configured to define a generally circular swirl flow path for combustion air entering from the cylinder. 
   
   
       5 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 4 , wherein said ignition device is a glow plug that has an ignition tip and said tip is positioned in said pre-ignition chamber to intersect the flow of the fuel/air mixture downstream from said injector nozzle. 
   
   
       6 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said ignition device is a glow plug and said glow plug has an ignition tip positioned in said pre-ignition chamber to be in the approximate center of said pre-ignition chamber. 
   
   
       7 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said passage is oriented generally orthogonal to the cylinder axis and said passage opening has a generally oval shape that conforms to the inner circular surface of the cylinder; and
 the faces of said pistons within the cylinder are formed with depressions to accommodate the flow of plasma from said opening to enter said combustion chamber without interference.   
   
   
       8 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 1 , wherein said opening in the passage of said pre-ignition chamber provides continuous open communication between said pre-ignition chamber and the interior of the cylinder throughout the entire stroke cycle of said engine. 
   
   
       9 . A pre-ignition assembly as in  claim 8 , wherein said passage in said pre-ignition chamber functions both to allow said air to enter said pre-ignition chamber and to allow a plasma of ignited fuel/air mixture to escape said pre-ignition chamber and enter the combustion chamber of the cylinder. 
   
   
       10 . A method of providing a plasma of pre-ignited an fuel/air mixture to the combustion chamber within a cylinder of an OPOC engine containing a first pair of opposing pistons in a first cylinder and a second pair of opposing pistons in a second opposing cylinder, wherein said first and second opposing cylinders are configured to allow said pistons to operate in opposing and complementary stroke cycles, comprising the steps of:
 providing a pre-ignition assembly that includes a fuel injector, an ignition device and a pre-ignition swirl chamber;   mounting a pre-ignition assembly on a cylinder at a location that provides communication between its pre-ignition swirl chamber and the interior of the cylinder at the location of a combustion chamber defined between opposing pistons;   providing said pre-ignition swirl chamber with a passage having an opening in communication with the interior of the cylinder to allow combustion air to enter the pre-ignition chamber,   providing the fuel injector with an injector nozzle that is in communication with the pre-ignition chamber;   injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the pre-ignition chamber to be swirl mixed with said air;   providing said ignition device with a fuel/air ignition element that extends into the flow path of fuel/air mixture within said chamber;   igniting said fuel/air mixture in said pre-ignition chamber prior to said pistons reaching their respective top dead center positions in said stroke cycle to generate a plasma which escapes said pre-ignition chamber into said combustion chamber as a first one of said pistons passes its top dead center position.   
   
   
       11 . An improved OPOC engine containing a first pair of opposed pistons in a first cylinder and a second pair of opposed pistons in a second cylinder, wherein said first and second cylinders are configured to allow said pistons to operate in opposing and complementary stroke cycles along a cylinder axis;
 said improvement includes a pre-ignition assembly mounted externally to each cylinder at a location corresponding to a fuel injection port on each cylinder;   said pre-ignition assembly includes a fuel injector, an ignition device and a pre-ignition chamber;   said pre-ignition chamber having a passage in open communication between said pre-ignition chamber and the interior of the cylinder through the fuel ignition port to allow combustion air to enter said pre-ignition chamber;   said pre-ignition chamber being configured to define a circular swirl flow path for air entering from said cylinder;   said fuel injector being mounted on said assembly and containing an injector nozzle in communication with said chamber to inject a predetermined amount of fuel into said chamber to be swirl mixed with said air; and   said ignition device being mounted on said assembly and containing an ignition element that extends into the fuel/air mixture flowing within said chamber.   
   
   
       12 . An improvement as in  claim 11 , wherein said ignition device is a glow plug that has an ignition tip and said tip is positioned in said pre-ignition chamber to intersect the flow of the fuel/air mixture downstream from said injector nozzle. 
   
   
       13 . An improvement as in  claim 11 , wherein said ignition device is a glow plug and said glow plug has an ignition tip positioned in said pre-ignition chamber to be in the approximate center of said pre-ignition chamber. 
   
   
       14 . An improvement as in  claim 11 , wherein said passage is oriented generally orthogonal to the cylinder axis and said passage opening has a generally oval shape that conforms to the inner circular surface of the cylinder; and
 the faces of said pistons within the cylinder are formed with depressions to accommodate the flow of plasma from said opening to enter said combustion chamber without interference.   
   
   
       15 . An improvement as in  claim 11 , wherein said opening in the passage of said pre-ignition chamber provides continuous open communication between said pre-ignition chamber and the interior of the cylinder throughout the entire stroke cycle of said engine. 
   
   
       16 . An improvement as in  claim 15 , wherein said passage in said pre-ignition chamber functions both to allow said air to enter said pre-ignition chamber and to allow a plasma of ignited fuel/air mixture to escape said pre-ignition chamber and enter the combustion chamber of the cylinder.