The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine arrangement for a vehicle, said internal combustion engine arrangement comprising a combustion cylinder housing a reciprocating combustion piston, and an expansion cylinder housing a reciprocating expansion piston, said expansion cylinder being arranged in downstream fluid communication with the combustion cylinder for receiving combustion gases exhausted from the combustion cylinder, wherein the internal combustion engine arrangement further comprises a pressure tank arranged in fluid communication with the expansion cylinder, wherein the internal combustion engine arrangement is further arranged to be operated in a first operating mode in which compressed gas generated in the expansion cylinder is delivered to the pressure tank, and a second operating mode in which compressed gas contained in the pressure tank is delivered from the pressure tank to the expansion cylinder.

Disclosed is an active chamber engine including a cylinder fed with compressed air, a piston, a cylinder head which includes an intake duct, an intake orifice, an intake valve, wherein the volume of the cylinder is divided into an included active chamber and an expansion chamber and the torque and the speed of the engine are controlled by the opening and closing of the intake valve characterized in that the intake valve moves in the direction opposite to the flow direction of the pressurized gas stream in its opening direction and is held closed on a seat by a return spring in its closing position, and that the axial forces acting on the intake valve resulting from the pressure in the intake duct and in the cylinder are permanently balanced.

A high efficiency uniflow steam engine having automatic poppet valves yieldably based by fluid such as steam held under pressure within a cavity in the engine and a cutoff control for closing a steam inlet valve at any time selected stops the flow of steam into the cylinder. Proximate the end of the exhaust stroke, around 0.12 inch before TDC the cylinder is sealed to thereby compress residual steam as the piston clearance approaches zero; typically, 0.020 inch which raises cylinder pressure enough to open an inlet valve without making physical contact to push the inlet valve open with the piston thereby eliminating a tappet type of noise, shock and wear.

The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine arrangement for a vehicle, said internal combustion engine arrangement comprising a combustion cylinder housing a reciprocating combustion piston, and an expansion cylinder housing a reciprocating expansion piston, said expansion cylinder being arranged in downstream fluid communication with the combustion cylinder for receiving combustion gases exhausted from the combustion cylinder, wherein the internal combustion engine arrangement further comprises a pressure tank arranged in fluid communication with the expansion cylinder, wherein the internal combustion engine arrangement is further arranged to be operated in a first operating mode in which compressed gas generated in the expansion cylinder is delivered to the pressure tank, and a second operating mode in which compressed gas contained in the pressure tank is delivered from the pressure tank to the expansion cylinder.

An active chamber engine, includes at least one piston (2) slidingly mounted in a cylinder (1) and operating according to a three-phase thermodynamic cycle including an isobaric and isothermal transfer, a polytropic expansion with work and an exhaust at ambient pressure, which is preferably supplied with compressed air contained in a high-pressure storage tank (12), in which the volume of the cylinder (1) swept by the piston is divided into an active chamber (CA) and an expansion chamber (CD), and in which the compressed air is used to move the intake valve (9) in order to open and then close the intake duct, making it possible to supply the active chamber of the engine, the compressed air having been used for the actions then being reused in the engine to produce additional work.

A valve for a marine propulsion unit comprises a valve body (11) having an end face (13) and a wall (14) extending from the end face. An aperture (15) is defined in the end face. A valve stem (12) is moveable within and with respect to the valve body, such that, in the closed state of the valve, the valve stem closes the aperture. A maximum width (d.sub.1) of the valve stem is greater than the width (d.sub.2) of the aperture in the end face of the valveso that, if the valve stem should fracture, the detached portion(s) of the valve stem will be retained in the valve body. The valve may for example be used as a cylinder drain valve in a marine propulsion unit.

A valve arrangement for the measured supply of gaseous fuel in internal combustion engines with a plurality of electromagnetically operable control valves of an individual cross-section, with the control valves being embodied as seat valves, allowing the allocation of the valve arrangement to an internal combustion engine, and the valve arrangement comprising a nominal cross-section for providing a predetermined volume flow, with the seat valves being designed such that a sum of the individual cross-sections is at least equivalent to the nominal cross-section, an effective cross-section due to a valve stroke of all seat valves is equivalent to the nominal cross-section, and the effective cross-section is smaller or equivalent to the sum of individual cross-sections.

An active chamber engine, includes at least one piston (2) slidingly mounted in a cylinder (1) and operating according to a three-phase thermodynamic cycle including an isobaric and isothermal transfer, a polytropic expansion with work and an exhaust at ambient pressure, which is preferably supplied with compressed air contained in a high-pressure storage tank (12), in which the volume of the cylinder (1) swept by the piston is divided into an active chamber (CA) and an expansion chamber (CD), and in which the compressed air is used to move the intake valve (9) in order to open and then close the intake duct, making it possible to supply the active chamber of the engine, the compressed air having been used for the actions then being reused in the engine to produce additional work.

An inlet-valve arrangement is for an external-heat engine, which includes at least one working chamber, each one having a cooperating piston. The working chamber is supplied with a working fluid via at least one controlled poppet valve. The poppet valve is arranged to open in the opposite direction to the flow direction of the working fluid. The center axis of the poppet valve is arranged perpendicularly within a deviation of 45 degrees relative to the center axis of the piston.

A valve for an overhead cam engine includes a valve sleeve, a valve cylinder, and a valve spring. The valve sleeve is cylindrical and has an annular shoulder and ports designed to permit flow of fuel and gases into and out of an internal combustion chamber. The valve cylinder includes a cylindrical body and a top cap. The top cap includes a contact surface to be engaged by a cam lobe and an annular projection. The valve spring is positioned about the cylindrical body and between the annular projection and the annular shoulder. The valve spring is designed to expand and move the valve cylinder partially out of the valve sleeve to unblock the ports and open the valve. The valve spring is designed to be compressed to permit the cam lobe to move the valve cylinder into the valve sleeve to block the ports and close the valve.