An outboard motor for a marine vessel application, and related methods of making and operating same, are disclosed herein. In at least one embodiment, the outboard motor includes a horizontal-crankshaft engine in an upper portion of the outboard motor, positioned substantially positioned above a trimming axis of the outboard motor. In at least another embodiment, first, second and third transmission devices are employed to transmit rotational power from the engine to one or more propellers at a lower portion of the outboard motor. In at least a further embodiment, the outboard motor is made to include a rigid interior assembly formed by the engine, multiple transmission devices, and a further structural component. In further embodiments, the outboard motor includes numerous cooling, exhaust, and/or oil system components, as well as other transmission features.

An outboard motor is provided with: an encoder which detects the rotational speed of an engine; a position sensor which detects an operating position of a shift lever; and a state quantity detection unit which detects a state quantity of a shift actuator. A control device of the outboard motor determines whether the state quantity is more than or equal to a stop-initiating threshold value when the operating position has been switched. If the state quantity is more than or equal to the stop-initiating threshold value, the control device implements a stop control to stop ignition and/or fuel injection in the engine.

An outboard motor including an internal combustion engine for propelling a ship is equipped with an air-guiding system using a covering hood surrounding surfaces of the internal combustion engine and auxiliary units. The covering hood is provided with airflow inlet and outlet openings in its interior, and a fan driven by the internal combustion engine influences airflows in the covering hood. An air-guiding system includes channeling devices for partial air flows. First partial air flows are fed as intake air to an engine intake system, and second partial air flows act, with the aid of the fan, on surfaces of the internal combustion engine and the auxiliary units heated by operation of the internal combustion engine. The heated airflows are conveyed by the fan and a third channeling device as exhaust air via an outlet opening in the covering hood outside of the covering hood or into the atmosphere.

A fan is suitable for an air-guiding system of an outboard motor including an internal combustion engine and a covering hood bounding an engine interior space. The engine drives the fan, which is connected to an upright shaft journal projecting beyond an upper side of a housing of the engine. The covering hood has air flow openings, and the fan influences the air flows in the covering hood interior space. A flywheel, fixedly attached to the upright shaft journal, carries a fan wheel of the fan. The fan wheel is set in place from above, and the flywheel carries the fan wheel for conjoint rotation. Airflows enter the interior space via an inlet opening and a first conducting device, and the airflows, under the action of the fan, act upon at least parts of surfaces of the internal combustion engine and the auxiliary units to cool the internal combustion engine.

An internal combustion engine for an outboard motor for driving a vessel has an air guide system acting by way of a covering hood surrounding surfaces of the internal combustion engine and ancillary units. Covering hood inlet and outlet openings permit airflows to move in an interior space of the covering hood, and a fan driven by the internal combustion engine influences the airflows in the covering hood interior space. Airflows enter the interior space of the covering hood via an inlet opening and a first routing arrangement. Assisted by the fan, part of the airflows acts on the surfaces of the internal combustion engine and of the ancillary units. A second routing arrangement routs another portion of the airflows, as intake air, to an engine suction system. Airflows heated by engine and ancillary unit surfaces are conveyed by the fan and a third routing arrangement outside the covering hood.

A compound engine assembly including an air conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with ambient air around the compound engine assembly, a compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the air conduit, an engine core including at least one rotary internal combustion engine and having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the compressor, a turbine section having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the engine core and configured to compound power with the engine core; and at least one heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air conduit, each heat exchanger configured to circulate a fluid of the engine assembly in heat exchange relationship with an airflow from the air conduit circulating therethrough. A method of supplying air to a compound engine assembly is also discussed.

A compound engine assembly including an air conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with ambient air around the compound engine assembly, a compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with the air conduit, an engine core including at least one rotary internal combustion engine and having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the compressor, a turbine section having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the engine core and configured to compound power with the engine core; and at least one heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air conduit, each heat exchanger configured to circulate a fluid of the engine assembly in heat exchange relationship with an airflow from the air conduit circulating therethrough. A method of supplying air to a compound engine assembly is also discussed.

A UAV propulsion system is disclosed that utilizes a crankcase having a first crankcase compartment and a second crankcase compartment. Each crankcase compartment includes a corresponding cylinder assembly and piston, with each piston being interconnected with a rotatable crankshaft. A first airflow path extends from an exterior of the UAV propulsion system to the first crankcase compartment, and a separate second airflow path extends from the exterior of the UAV propulsion system to the second crankcase compartment. A first rotary valve may be mounted on and rotate with the crankshaft to control the airflow along the first airflow path to the first crankcase compartment, while a second rotary valve may be mounted on and rotate with the crankshaft to control the airflow along the second airflow path to the second crankcase compartment.

A reciprocating internal combustion engine includes at least one piston, which is operatively connected by two connecting rods having two crankshafts rotating in opposite directions and running parallel to each other, which crankshafts are oriented in an upright manner to a horizontal water line of a boat, and an internal combustion engine housing of the internal combustion engine is composed of at least a cylinder crank housing and a cylinder head, having inlet and outlet valves, and is bounded by an upper end face and a bottom end face. To optimize the internal combustion engine, a joint ventilation system has an oil separating device provided with an oil pre-separator and a main oil separator, via which, when operating the internal combustion engine, a mixture of oil and leaking gas, resulting in a crankcase of the cylinder crank housing, reaches, by way of a discharge line extending adjacent to the upper end face, the oil pre-separator, from where the mixture of oil and leaking gas is led into the main oil separator and there is separated into the components of oil and leaking gas. The oil flows into an oil pan connecting at the bottom end face and the leaking gas near the upper end face flows into an intake system of the internal combustion engine.

An outboard motor includes a cylinder block, a cylinder head unit, a delivery pipe, a plurality of injectors, a fuel pump, and a fuel pipe. The cylinder block includes a plurality of cylinders. The cylinder head unit is connected to the cylinder block. The delivery pipe is attached to the cylinder head unit. The injectors are attached to the delivery pipe. The fuel pump is attached to the cylinder head unit. The fuel pipe is attached to the delivery pipe and the fuel pump. A first attachment direction of attaching the fuel pump to the cylinder head unit is parallel or substantially parallel to a second attachment direction of attaching the fuel pipe to the delivery pipe.