INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH OXYGEN CONCENTRATING EQUIPMENT, METHOD, PROGRAM PRODUCT AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM FOR OPERATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITH OXYGEN CONCENTRATING EQUIPMENT

Abstract

The solution of the invention is an internal combustion engine with oxygen concentrating equipment (80) wherein the air compressed in the compression stroke is not yet used for combustion but taken out of the cylinder space (15) and used for operating the oxygen concentrating equipment (80). The essence of the invention is that the cylinder space (15) and one or more cells of the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) are temporarily connected during each compression stroke of the engine. The air taken in the cylinder space (15) during the intake stroke and pushed out by the piston (5) during the compression stroke charges one or more cells (41 A-41Z, 51 A-51Z) of the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) and after separating most of the nitrogen in the cells (41 A-41Z, 51A-51Z), the oxygen rich air is injected into the cylinder space (15) through a compressor (33) at the beginning of the expansion stroke by an injector (11). The fuel is also introduced into the cylinder space (15) at the beginning of the expansion stroke by an injector. The ignition may be spark ignition, self-ignition (heat ignition) or their load dependent, speed dependent or power requirement dependent dynamic combination. The invention further relates to the method, the computer program product and the computer-readable medium operating the internal combustion engine with oxygen concentrating equipment.

Claims

1. Method for operating internal combustion engine comprising a system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17) characterized by that (a) the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) is operated by intake, charging, power and exhaust strokes, (b) the gas pushed out by the piston (5) from the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) during charging stroke is used to operate an oxygen concentrating equipment (80), (c) the oxygen rich gas extracted by the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is injected to the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) through a compressor (33) by an oxygen rich gas injector (11), (d) the fuel is injected to the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) by a fuel injector (19).

2. The method of claim 1 characterized by that the mixture of oxygen rich gas and fuel injected to the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) is ignited by spark ignition.

3. The method of claim 1 characterized by that the mixture of oxygen rich gas and fuel injected to the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) is ignited by self ignition.

4. The method of claim 1 characterized by that the mixture of oxygen rich gas and fuel injected to the system bounded by the cylinder wall (1), the piston (5) and the cylinder head (17) is ignited by load dependent, speed dependent and power dependent dynamic combination of spark ignition and self ignition.

5. The method of claim 1 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a two- or multi-cell adsorption type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (81).

6. The method of claim 2 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a two- or multi-cell adsorption type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (81).

7. The method of claim 3 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a two- or multi-cell adsorption type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (81).

8. The method of claim 4 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a two- or multi-cell adsorption type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (81).

9. The method of claim 1 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a one- or multi-cell membrane type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (82).

10. The method of claim 2 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a one- or multi-cell membrane type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (82).

11. The method of claim 3 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a one- or multi-cell membrane type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (82).

12. The method of claim 4 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a one- or multi-cell membrane type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (82).

13. Internal combustion engine, which applies the method of claim 1 and comprises a system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17), an intake valve (7) and an exhaust valve (14) connected to the system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17) characterized by that the system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17) comprises a charging valve (9), the charging valve (9) is connected to the input (58) of an oxygen concentrating equipment (80) through a charging manifold (8), the first output (30) of the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is connected to the input of a compressor (33), the output of the compressor (33) is connected to the input of an oxygen rich gas injector (11), the output of the oxygen rich gas injector (11) is in the system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17), the output of a fuel injector (19) is in the system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17), the second output (30) of the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is connected to the input of a vacuum pump (38), the output of vacuum pump (38) is in open atmosphere, the oxygen rich gas injector (11) and the fuel injector (19) is operated by control module (50).

14. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 characterized by that the output of a spark plug (12) is connected to the system bounded by at least one cylinder wall (1), piston (5) and cylinder head (17), the input of the spark plug is connected to the output of a spark module (65), the spark module (65), is operated by a control module (50).

15. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a two- or multi-cell adsorption type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (81).

16. The internal combustion engine of claim 14 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a two- or multi-cell adsorption type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (81).

17. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a one- or multi-cell membrane type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (82).

18. The internal combustion engine of claim 14 characterized by that the oxygen concentrating equipment (80) is a one- or multi-cell membrane type gas separation oxygen concentrating equipment (82).

19. Computer program product characterized by that the computer program product comprises instructions that execute steps of method described in claim 1 executed by computer.

20. Computer-readable medium characterized by that the computer-readable medium comprises instructions that execute steps of method described in claim 1 executed by computer.

Description

[0008] The invention of internal combustion engine with oxygen concentrating equipment will be described in more detail via drawings, wherein

[0009] FIG. 1 is showing the connection of one cylinder of the internal combustion engine, the oxygen concentrating equipment and the compressor according to the invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is showing one cylinder of the internal combustion engine at the beginning of the intake stroke (at the end of the exhaust stroke) according to the invention;

[0011] FIG. 3 is showing one cylinder of the internal combustion engine at the beginning of the charging stroke according to the invention;

[0012] FIG. 4 is showing one cylinder of the internal combustion engine at the opening of the charging valve according to the invention;

[0013] FIG. 5 is showing one cylinder of the internal combustion engine before the power stroke according to the invention;

[0014] FIG. 6 is showing one cylinder of the internal combustion engine at the beginning of the power stroke according to the invention;

[0015] FIG. 7 is showing one cylinder of the internal combustion engine at the beginning of the exhaust stroke according to the invention;

[0016] FIG. 8 is showing the multi-cell oxygen concentrating equipment with adsorption gas separation according to the invention;

[0017] FIG. 9 is showing the multi-cell oxygen concentrating equipment with membrane gas separation according to the invention;

[0018] FIG. 10 is showing the control module of the internal combustion engine with oxygen concentrating equipment according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 11 is showing the cyclical operation of the multi-cell oxygen concentrating equipment with adsorption gas separation according to the invention.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows connection of one 70 cylinder of an internal combustion engine, the 80 oxygen concentrating equipment, and the 33 compressor according to the invention. The 8 charging manifold of the 70 cylinder is connected to the input of the 80 oxygen concentrating equipment, the output of the 80 oxygen concentrating equipment is connected to the input of the 33 compressor, the output of the 33 compressor is connected to the 11 injector. The fuel is delivered to the 70 cylinder through the 19 injector. The input of the 80 oxygen concentrating equipment is the charging gas pushed out from the cylinder space by the piston, the oxygen gas concentration at the output of the 80 oxygen concentrating equipment used for operating the engine is higher than the oxygen concentration of the air, and the nitrogen concentration of the gas emitted to the atmosphere is higher than the nitrogen concentration of the air.

[0021] FIGS. 2-7 show the 1 cylinder wall of one 70 cylinder of the internal combustion engine according to the invention, which is connected to the 2 crank case, to the 3 crack shaft built in the 2 crank case, to the 5 piston through the 4 piston rod on the 3 crank shaft. The 15 cylinder space is delimited from the bottom by the top surface of the 5 piston, from the side by the 1 cylinder wall, from the top by the 17 cylinder head. The 17 cylinder head comprises 7 intake, 14 exhaust and 9 charge valves operated synchronized with 3 crank shaft, the 11 oxygen rich gas injector, the 10 oxygen rich gas supply connected to the 11 oxygen rich gas injector, the 19 fuel injector and the 18 fuel supply connected to the 19 fuel injector, and the 12 spark plug in case of spark ignition.

[0022] FIG. 8 shows a multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by adsorption gas separation according to the invention, where the material of 41A-41Z adsorption gas separating cells adsorbs the nitrogen component more than the oxygen of the higher than atmospheric pressure gas that is delivered to them. The material of the adsorption gas separating cells is typically zeolite. Charging of the 41A-41Z adsorption gas separating cells is done by the gas pushed out from the 15 cylinder space as a result of the movement of 5 piston of the internal combustion engine from the 8 charging manifold of the internal combustion engine through the 23 electromagnetic valve optionally inserting 21 filter and 22 intercooler, charging one or more adsorption gas separating cells per charge depending on a momentary power requirement and as a function of the quantity and oxygen concentration of the oxygen rich gas stored in the 40 reservoir. After a certain time has elapsed since the charge, the atmosphere of the adsorption gas separating cell contains oxygen rich gas, while the nitrogen is adsorbed to the material of the adsorption gas separating cell. Then the 29 electromagnetic valve for oxygen rich gas opens and the oxygen rich gas gets to the 33 compressor of the oxygen rich gas through the 30 first output of the adsorption type gas separating multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment and optionally through the 31 filter and optionally through the 32 intercooler, and the high pressure oxygen rich gas is stored in the 40 reservoir until usage. Adsorbing ability of the material of the adsorption type gas separating cell is reciprocal with the quantity of the adsorbed nitrogen. During regeneration of the saturated adsorption type separating cells the 37 electromagnetic valve opens and the 38 vacuum pump removes the nitrogen from the material of the adsorption type gas separating cell through the 42 second output of the adsorption type gas separating multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment by providing vacuum. Nitrogen will be released even after the end of the regeneration step, that is the closure of the 37 electromagnetic valve, while the pressure in the adsorption type gas separating cell is lower than the pressure before the oxygen rich gas was taken out from the cell. The adsorption type gas separating cell is ready for providing oxygen rich gas after the regeneration step. The 41A-41Z adsorption type gas separating cells may be optionally monitored by 26A-26Z oxygen sensors, 27A-27Z pressure sensors and 28A-28Z temperature sensors.

[0023] FIG. 9 shows one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by membrane type gas separation according to the invention, where the 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells permeate the oxygen component of the higher than atmospheric pressure gas delivered to them, while the delivered nitrogen component leaves at the end of the membranes. Material of the 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells is typically polysulfonate (PSO), polyimide (PI), poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) or zeolite. Charging of the 51A-51Z adsorption gas separating cells is done by the gas pushed out from the 15 cylinder space as a result of the upward movement of 5 piston of the internal combustion engine to the top dead center from the 8 charging manifold of the internal combustion engine through the 23 electromagnetic valve optionally inserting 21 filter and 22 intercooler. The oxygen rich component permeated through the 51 membrane type gas separating cell gets on the 54 oxygen rich gas accumulating output of the 51 membrane type gas separating cell through the 56 tube to the 30 first output of the membrane type gas separating one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment optionally through the 31 filter and optionally through the 32 intercooler, and the high pressure oxygen rich gas is stored in the 40 reservoir until usage. The 55A-55Z nitrogen rich outputs of the 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells is connected through the 57A-57Z tubes and through the 42 second output of the membrane type gas separating one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment to the 38 vacuum pump. The 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells may be optionally monitored by 26A-26Z oxygen sensors, 27A-27Z pressure sensors and 28A-28Z temperature sensors.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows beginning of the intake stroke of the 70 cylinder where the 9 charging valve is closed, the 14 exhaust valve is partly open, the 7 intake valve is completely open thereby facilitating charging the 70 cylinder. As soon as the 5 piston starts from the top dead center towards the bottom dead center, the 14 exhaust valve closes, the 7 intake valve remains open until the bottom dead center is reached.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows beginning of the charging stroke of the 70 cylinder, where the 14 exhaust valve and the 9 charging valve are closed, the 7 intake valve is completely open. As soon as the 5 piston starts from the bottom dead center towards the top dead center, the 7 intake valve closes.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows the 70 cylinder at opening of 9 charging valve when the 14 exhaust valve and the 7 intake valve are closed, the 5 piston moves towards the top dead center. Opening of 9 charging valve is possible at a certain position of the 5 piston, or when pressure of the 15 cylinder space is higher than the pressure read by 66 pressure sensor on 58 input of 80 oxygen concentrating equipment.

[0027] FIG. 5 shows the 70 cylinder at closing of the 9 charging valve when the 14 exhaust valve and the 7 intake valve are closed, and the 9 charging valve closes. At this point the 5 piston is still before the top dead center.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows 70 cylinder at the beginning of burning. At this point the 14 exhaust valve, the 7 intake valve and the 9 charging valve are closed, the 5 piston is still before the top dead center. The 11 injector from the 10 pressurized oxygen rich gas line injects oxygen rich compressed gas to the 15 cylinder space as a function of the required engine power. The 19 injector from the 18 pressurized fuel line injects fuel to the 15 cylinder space as a function of the required engine power. The mixture of fuel and oxygen rich compressed gas is ignited by the 12 spark plug in case of spark ignition. The mixture of fuel and oxygen rich compressed gas is ignited when the fuel is injected in case of self ignition. The 5 piston is moving from the top dead center towards the bottom dead center in the 70 cylinder transforming part of the energy generated from burning the fuel to mechanical energy.

[0029] FIG. 7 shows the 70 cylinder at the beginning of the exhaust stroke. At this point the 14 exhaust valve opens, the 7 intake valve and the 9 charging valve are closed. The 5 piston is moving from the bottom dead center towards the top dead center in the 70 cylinder, removing majority of the exhaust fumes through the 14 exhaust valve and the 13 exhaust manifold.

[0030] The end of the exhaust stroke of the 70 cylinder is identical to the beginning of the intake stroke of the 70 cylinder, which is shown on FIG. 2. Operation of the 70 cylinder is continuous by repeating steps described on FIGS. 2-7 as long as conditions to operate the engine are provided (rotational energy of crankshaft, fuel supply, oxygen supply, ignition in case of spark ignition, removal of heat and exhaust gas).

[0031] FIG. 10 shows the 50 control module of the internal combustion engine with the 80 oxygen concentrating equipment according to the invention. The 50 control module has 16 crank shaft position sensor, 20 cam shaft position sensor, 34, oxygen sensor, 35 pressure sensor and 36 temperature sensor, 26A-26Z oxygen sensors, 27A-26Z pressure sensors and 28A-28Z temperature sensors, 66 pressure sensors, and optionally 61 load sensor, 62 tachometer sensor and 63 pedal position sensor inputs, the 23A-23Z input electromagnetic valve, 29A-29Z output electromagnetic valve, 37A-37Z electromagnetic valve, 38 vacuum pump, 39 compressor control, 11 oxygen rich gas injector, 10 oxygen rich gas supply connected to the 11 oxygen rich gas injector, the 19 fuel injector, and the 64 ignition control outputs. The 64 ignition control output is connected to the 65 ignition control module, the 65 ignition control module is connected to the 12 spark plug.

[0032] Operation of the internal combustion engine with the 50 control module is as follows:

[0033] The 50 control module detects the position of the 3 crank shaft and the cam shaft and the 5 piston pulls air to the 15 cylinder space that is enclosed by the 1 cylinder wall and the 17 cylinder head during the intake stroke. The 9 charging valve opens at a given position after the bottom dead center position during the charging stroke.

[0034] In case of using the multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by adsorption gas separation depicted on FIG. 8, this time the 23A-23Z electromagnetic valve belonging to the latest used and regenerated 41A-41Z adsorption gas separating cell opens and the 5 piston moving towards the top dead center charges the latest used and regenerated 41A-41Z adsorption gas separating cell with the air pulled in the 15 cylinder space and the residual gas remained in the cylinder at the beginning of the intake stroke. The next latest used and regenerated 41A-41Z adsorption gas separating cell is charged in the next charging stroke that follows this charging stroke. In the arrangement of the cells according to FIG. 11 in case of circular arrangement of the cells by placing the first 41A cell in sequence next to the last 41Z adsorption gas separating cell, the 50 control module will perform the following steps on the farthest positioned cell from both direction along the perimeter of the circle typically from the latest used and regenerated 41A-41Z adsorption gas separating cell - from the 41B adsorption gas separating cell on FIG. 11 - on 41N adsorption gas separating cell: a) opens the 29 electromagnetic valve of 41N adsorption gas separating cell and the oxygen rich gas gets from the first 30 output of the multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by adsorption gas separation to the 40 reservoir through, the optional 31 filter, the optional 32 intercooler and through the 33 compressor for the oxygen rich gas, and b) the 41N adsorption gas separating gets to the regeneration phase by opening 37N electromagnetic valve of 41N adsorption gas separating cell. The 50 control module typically opens the 37C-37M electromagnetic valves of cells that are found from the latest used and regenerated 41A-41Z cells towards the direction of the next latest used and regenerated cell from the farthest positioned 41A-41Z cell from both direction along the perimeter of the circle and keeps them in regeneration phase. The 41C adsorption gas separating cell will be charged at the next charging stroke and the produced oxygen rich gas is used and removed from the 41O adsorption gas separating cell by opening and closing the 29O electromagnetic valve and the 37O electromagnetic valve is kept open until repeated charging of the 41O adsorption gas separating cell and the a 41O adsorption gas separating cell is placed into regenerating phase. The distance between the latest used and earliest used adsorption gas separating cells may change depending on the momentary oxygen rich gas quantity needed for the engine, i.e. in case of higher demand of oxygen rich gas quantity the number cells in used and regeneration phase may increase, and in case of lower demand of oxygen rich gas quantity the number cells in charging phase may increase. In case of using adsorption type gas separation multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment, opening the 9 charging valve and one of the 23A-23Z electromagnetic valve belonging to one of the 41A-41Z cells that is ready for the next charge is advantageous right after the bottom dead center because the pressure in the 41A-41Z cell that is ready for the next charge is less than atmospheric pressure and this lower pressure helps the upward movement of the 5 piston. The process may be further optimized by that when the calculated momentary pressure based on the volume change of the air taken in the 15 cylinder space is equal or less than the pressure reading of the 66 pressure sensor.

[0035] In case of using one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by membrane type gas separation, the 23 electromagnetic valve belonging to the latest used 51 membrane type gas separating cell opens and the 5 piston moving towards the top dead center charges the latest used 51 membrane gas separating cell with the air pulled in the 15 cylinder space and the residual gas remained in the cylinder at the beginning of the intake stroke. The next latest used and regenerated 51 membrane type gas separating cell is charged in the next charging stroke that follows this charging stroke. Regeneration step is not necessary in case of using one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by membrane type gas separation; separation of oxygen from the gas pushed out by the 5 piston is continuous. The 55A-55Z nitrogen rich output of the 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells is connected through the 57A-57Z tubes and through the 42 second output of the membrane type gas separating one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment to the 38 vacuum pump. The oxygen rich component permeated through the 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells get on the 54A-54Z oxygen rich gas accumulating outputs of the 51A-51Z membrane type gas separating cells without valve through the 56A-56Z tubes to the 30 first output of the membrane type gas separating one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment optionally through the 31 filter and optionally through the 32 intercooler, and through the 33 compressor the high pressure oxygen rich gas gets to the 40 reservoir.

[0036] The 50 control module controls the adjustable parameters of the engine such as pre-ignition, quantity of oxygen rich gas and fuel, quantity, timing and length of their injections based on reading values of 26A-26Z oxygen sensors, 34, oxygen sensor, 27A-26Z pressure sensors, 35 pressure sensor, 28A-28Z temperature sensors, 36 temperature sensor, 61 load sensor, 62 tachometer sensor and 63 pedal position sensor inputs.

[0037] The 50 control module also makes decision whether the same one or more previously selected 41 adsorption cells or the next 41 adsorption cell is needed to be charged based on reading values of 26A-26Z oxygen sensors, 34, oxygen sensor, 27A-26Z pressure sensors, 35 pressure sensor, 28A-28Z temperature sensors, 36 temperature sensor, 61 load sensor, 62 tachometer sensor and 63 pedal position sensor inputs.

[0038] Additional advantage of the engine according to the invention is that the engine maybe further operated in emergency mode by closing the 9 charging valve in case of malfunction of the 33 compressor.

[0039] Advantage of the invention is that volume of 24A-24Z or 53A-53Z cavities are added to the 15 cylinder space during charging stroke, therefore the engine according to the invention reduces the energy loss caused during compression stroke more than the Atkinson engines because the engine according to the invention uses charging stroke instead of compression stroke in case of either using multi-cell 81 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by adsorption gas separation or using one- or multi-cell 82 oxygen concentrating equipment operated by membrane type gas separation. The lower than atmospheric pressure generated in the 41A-41Z adsorption gas separation cells or 51A-51Z membrane type gas separation cells by the 33 compressor and 38 vacuum pump during the charging stroke further helps upward movement of 5 piston.

[0040] Additional advantage of the invention is that pollutant emission, first of all the N.sub.xO.sub.y emission is lower compared to the conventional engines.

[0041] Additional advantage is that the fuel consumption is lower because the fuel is burned more perfectly than at the engines burning the fuel by air.

[0042] Additional advantage is that wear of the engine is less than at the conventional engines because the piston, piston pin, piston rod, and the crank shaft are not exposed to high torque due to lack of compression by the piston.