Engines and integral engine/ generators

Abstract

Fluid working reciprocating devices are described, including internal combustion engines, compressors and pumps, and how such devices may transfer power to electric generators or turbines. Devices can be within casings which may be “snapped into” larger machinery, such as vehicles, aircraft or marine craft. A number of arrangements for pistons and cylinders of unconventional configuration are described, mostly intended for use in IC engines operating without cooling. Included are toroidal combustion or working chambers, some with fluid flow through the core of the toroid, a single piston reciprocating between a pair of working chambers, tensile valve actuation, tensile links between piston and crankshaft, energy absorbing piston—crank links, crankshafts supported on gas bearings, cylinders rotating in housings, injectors having components which reciprocate or rotate during fuel delivery. In some embodiments pistons may rotate while reciprocating. High temperature exhaust emissions systems are described, including those containing filamentary material.

What I claim is: 
     
         1 . A device for processing fluids having an internal combustion operating cycle suitable for use in a product such as vehicle ship aircraft or item of equipment, said device contained within a housing or casing having an exterior surface, said device comprising at least one cylinder assembly having at least one partly closed end functioning as a cylinder head and having reciprocatable in said cylinder assembly a piston with optionally a linkage to a second device, a first structure partly defining a volume for charge air or gas and a second structure partly defining a volume for exhaust gas, said cylinder assembly and said piston together forming at least one combustion chamber of capacity varying during said cycle, at least one port only open during portion of said cycle positioned between each of said volumes and said combustion chamber, said device being served by a charge air or gas supply system which includes a charge air or gas passage, by a fuel delivery system and by an exhaust gas processing system, said product being provided with a depression or recess of approximately similar dimensions as portion of the exterior surface of said housing or casing, said housing or casing with at least said device being installable and removable in said recess or depression prior to or after operation of said product. 
     
     
         2 . A device for processing fluids having an internal combustion operating cycle and an electrical generator which may optionally also function as starter motor, said generator having as principal operating portions a stator portion and rotor portion, said device contained within a housing or casing having an exterior surface, said device comprising at least one cylinder assembly having at least one partly closed end functioning as a cylinder head and having reciprocatable in said cylinder assembly a piston with optionally a linkage to a second device, a first structure partly defining a volume for charge air or gas and a second structure partly defining a volume for exhaust gas, said cylinder assembly and said piston together forming at least one combustion chamber of capacity varying during said cycle, at least one port only open during portion of said cycle positioned between each of said volumes and said combustion chamber, said device being served by a charge air or gas supply system which includes a charge air or gas passage and a fuel delivery system and an exhaust gas processing system, said rotor portion being mechanically linked to said piston such that in operation said rotor portion rotates relative to said stator portion, said exterior surface including one or more electrical leads or connectors for purpose of transmitting electrical power or signals or data to or from said generator or said device. 
     
     
         3 . A device for processing fluids having an internal combustion operating cycle and an electrical generator which may optionally also function as starter motor, said generator having as principal operating portions a stator portion and another portion, said device contained within a housing or casing having an exterior surface, said device comprising at least one cylinder assembly having at least one partly closed end functioning as a cylinder head and having reciprocatable in said cylinder assembly a piston with optionally a linkage to a second device, a first structure partly defining a volume for charge air or gas and a second structure partly defining a volume for exhaust gas, said cylinder assembly and said piston together forming at least one combustion chamber of capacity varying during said cycle, at least one port only open during portion of said cycle positioned between each of said volumes and said combustion chamber, said device being served by a charge air or gas supply system which includes a charge air or gas passage and a fuel delivery system and an exhaust gas processing system, said other portion being mechanically linked to said piston and reciprocatable relative to said stator portion, said exterior surface including one or more electrical leads or connectors for purpose of transmitting electrical power and/or data to or from said generator or said device. 
     
     
         4 . A device for processing fluids having an internal combustion operating cycle and an electrical generator which may optionally also function as starter motor, said generator having as principal operating portions a stator portion and another portion, said device contained within a housing or casing having an exterior surface, said device comprising at least one cylinder assembly having at least one partly closed end functioning as a cylinder head and having reciprocatable in said cylinder assembly a piston with optionally a linkage to a second device, a first structure partly defining a volume for charge air or gas and a second structure partly defining a volume for exhaust gas, said cylinder assembly and said piston together forming at least one combustion chamber of capacity varying during said cycle, at least one port only open during portion of said cycle positioned between each of said volumes and said combustion chamber, said device being served by a charge air or gas supply system which includes a charge air or gas passage and a fuel delivery system and an exhaust gas processing system, means interposed between said cylinder assembly and said piston so as in operation to cause one of said cylinder assembly and said piston to rotate and reciprocate in combined motion relative to the other, said other portion being mechanically linked to said piston and in operation rotating and reciprocating relative to said stator portion, said exterior surface including one or more electrical leads or connectors for purpose of transmitting electrical power and/or data to or from generator or said device. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  and an electrical generator which may also function as a starter motor, said generator having a stator portion and an other portion, said piston being mechanically linked to said other portion such that said other portion reciprocates relative to said stator portion. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  and an electrical generator which may also function as a starter motor, said generator having a rotor portion and a stator portion, including a mechanism that converts reciprocating motion to rotary motion, said mechanism directly or indirectly linked both to said piston and to said rotor portion such that said rotor portion rotates relative to said stator portion. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  and an electrical generator which may also function as a starter motor, said generator having a stator portion and an other portion, one of said piston and cylinder assembly being mechanically linked to said other portion and the other of said piston and cylinder assembly being mechanically linked to said other portion, said device including means interposed between said cylinder assembly and said piston so as in operation to cause one of said cylinder assembly and said piston to rotate and reciprocate relative to the other, such that said other portion rotates and reciprocates in combined motion relative to said stator portion. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , said housing or casing including thermal insulation which may optionally also function as acoustic insulation. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , said housing or casing comprising a multiplicity of components of differing composition, at least one component substantially nested within another, one of said components including thermal insulation. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein one of said components is designedly capable of movement relative to another. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein said thermal insulation is partly effected by means of a partial vacuum. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , said housing or casing having separately defined apertures for transfer of charge air or gas and exhaust gas. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1  and a fuel pump, said fuel delivery system in operation supplied with fuel by said fuel pump, said surface having at least one defined opening for passage of fuel. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , said exterior surface including one or more electrical leads or connectors for purpose of transmitting electrical power and/or data to or from said device. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein said generator is at least partly located within said charge air or gas passage, and wherein said housing or casing and said product have one set of corresponding electrical connectors, such that when said housing or casing is installed in said product, electrical power or signals or data can be transmitted between said device or said generator and said product. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said three systems is substantially within said housing or casing. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said cylinder assembly has at least one substantial circumferential depression or cylindrical interior volume, said piston has at least one circumferential projection, in operation said projection reciprocating in said depression or volume to form a pair of combustion chambers at least one of which is of toroidal form during at least part of said operating cycle. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said cylinder assembly has two closed ends functioning as cylinder heads partly defining two combustion chambers, said piston having at least one projection to in operation penetrate one of said heads during at least part of said cycle and then define at least one combustion chamber of toroidal form. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 2  and a product of any kind such as vehicle ship aircraft or item of equipment, said product being provided with a depression or recess at least partly of approximately similar dimensions as portion of the exterior surface of said housing or casing, said housing or casing with at least said device being installable and removable in said recess or depression prior to or after operation of said product. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 3  and a product of any kind such as vehicle ship aircraft or item of equipment, said product being provided with a depression or recess at least partly of approximately similar dimensions as portion of the exterior surface of said housing or casing, said housing or casing with at least said device being installable and removable in said recess or depression prior to or after operation of said product. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 4  and a product of any kind such as vehicle ship aircraft or item of equipment, said product being provided with a depression or recess at least partly of approximately similar dimensions as portion of the exterior surface of said housing or casing, said housing or casing with at least said device being installable and removable in said recess or depression prior to or after operation of said product. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said housing or casing and said product have one set of corresponding apertures, such that when said housing or casing is installed in said product, gases including air can be transferred between said device and said product. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein means are interposed between said cylinder assembly and said piston so as in operation to cause one of said cylinder assembly and said piston to rotate and reciprocate relative to the other. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said means comprise at least one pair of fluid working chambers having complementary surfaces of endless approximately wave-like configuration, such that in operation the relative reciprocating motion between piston and cylinder will also cause relative rotational motion between piston and cylinder.