System and method for the production of compressed fluids

Abstract

The invention herein described consists of a single-cylinder free-piston engine system comprising a combustion cylinder, a compression cylinder, a seal between the two cylinders and a piston assembly, capable of being produced in a miniature scale (e.g., less than 10 cubic centimeters volume). The combustion cylinder consists of a holding chamber wherein fuel enters through a fuel inlet port before combustion, a combustion chamber wherein combustion occurs according to an HCCI process, after which the excess fuel and exhaust leaves the engine system through a port for exhaust, and a port extending from the holding chamber to the combustion chamber. The compression cylinder comprises a compression chamber wherein a compressible a compressible fluid enters through an inlet port, is compressed by the single-cylinder engine system, and the compressed fluid exits through an outlet port, and a rebound chamber wherein energy from the combustion process is conserved by a rebound element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing pressurized or compressed fluid comprising a fluid pumping/compression cylinder coupled to a combustion cylinder and a rebound chamber, and a piston assembly contained at least partially and capable of movement within the combustion cylinder and the pumping/compression cylinder, wherein:
 the combustion cylinder comprises
 a holding chamber on a first side of a combustion piston, the holding chamber comprising at least a fuel inlet; and 
 a combustion chamber on a second side of the combustion piston; 
 wherein the holding chamber and the combustion chamber may be connected by at least one passage that is openable and closeable by movement of the combustion piston; 
   and wherein the pumping/compression cylinder comprises a fluid chamber on a first side of a pumping/compression piston;   and wherein the rebound chamber comprises a rebound system;   wherein the pumping/compression chamber comprises at least one inlet and at least one outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the piston assembly is a free piston assembly and is not connected to a crankshaft. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the piston assembly comprises a piston rod connected on one end to a combustion piston head and on the other end to a compression piston head. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the piston assembly comprises a starting element. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the starting element comprises a compressed fluid starter, an electromagnetic starter, a spring-loaded starter, or a starting handle. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the starting element comprises a bar extending beyond the outer cylinder. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the compression cylinder comprises the rebound chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the compression chamber comprises the rebound chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the holding chamber comprises the rebound chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the rebound system comprises an elastic element. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the elastic element comprises a spring. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the elastic element comprises a pneumatic or hydraulic system. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the combustion chamber is configured to utilize loop-flow scavenging to remove exhaust. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the combustion chamber includes at least one inlet port and at least one exhaust port and wherein the orientation of the inlet port relative to the exhaust port enables scavenging. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the inlet ports and exhaust ports are positioned such that as the piston assembly moves away from the combustion chamber, the exhaust ports are exposed before the inlet ports are exposed. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the exposure of the port for exhaust and the inlet port or ports are controlled electronically through a sensory assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  comprising a seal coupled to the combustion cylinder and the compression cylinder so that fuel is substantially prevented from escaping from the combustion cylinder into the compression cylinder. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the seal comprises a jaw seal. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the seal comprises polyether ether ketone. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the compression cylinder comprises a means for preventing collisions between metal elements. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the means for preventing collisions comprises an elastic element. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the means for preventing collisions comprises a rubber bumper. 
     
     
         23 . A method for providing compressed fluid comprising the steps of:
 intaking fuel and oxygen within a combustion chamber;   compressing fuel and oxygen by a piston within the combustion chamber by a first movement of a piston assembly and causing ignition of the fuel and oxygen mixture;   combusting the fuel and oxygen mixture;   causing a second movement of a piston assembly as a result of the combustion within the combustion chamber, wherein the second movement is opposite in direction from the first movement;   storing potential energy in a rebound system;   compressing a fluid;   releasing compressed fluid;   releasing potential energy from the rebound system;
 causing a third movement of the piston assembly in an opposite direction from the second movement by action of the released energy from the rebound system and from energy of the compressed fluid within a compression chamber; 
   intaking a next cycle of fuel and oxygen; and   exhausting combusted fuel and oxygen from the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the intaking of fuel and oxygen comprises supplying fuel and oxygen to a holding chamber within a cylinder that includes the piston assembly comprising a piston rod connected between a combustion piston and a compression piston, the combustion chamber being positioned on one side of the combustion piston within the cylinder and the holding chamber being positioned on an other side of the combustion piston within the cylinder, and further wherein the intaking steps comprise fluidly flowing fuel and oxygen from the holding chamber to the combustion chamber through a passage within the cylinder.