WO2025158168A1

WO2025158168A1 - Increasing the torque and efficiency of internal combustion engines

Info

Publication number: WO2025158168A1
Application number: PCT/IB2024/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Christian CORBIC
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2024-01-25
Filing date: 2024-01-25
Publication date: 2025-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-25

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for effectively increasing the torque of an internal combustion engine, with a crankshaft, with at least one working cylinder to which a working piston is assigned, by using only lever-effective angular degrees to generate torque by the force of the working piston. Here, the position of a rocker, the angular degrees due to longer levers are restricted, so that this rocker never has an upper dead center (TDC), in which no torque is generated. This rocker is offset from the working piston in such a way that the connecting rod of the piston is always at a torque-optimum lever angle to the rocker. The piston strokes are carried out by means of a crankshaft. To ensure that the drive shaft always rotates at the same time when the rocker permanently changes direction, the torque is transmitted via the freewheel clutch, which can only transmit torques in one direction of rotation. Due to the fact that the force of the working piston acts almost exclusively on the crankshaft bearings to generate torque, and not, as in conventional internal combustion engines, especially in the TDC and BTC and in their nearest crankshaft angle degrees, the efficiency of this device according to the invention increases considerably.

Description

Technican Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for increasing the torque and the efficiency of an internal combustion engine with a crankshaft to which at least one working cylinder is assigned, according to the general term of patent claim 1.

Technical background

[0002] Usually, in order to increase the torque of internal combustion engines, the radius between the center of the crankshaft and the connecting rod journals ("crankshaft crank") is selected to be as large as possible in order to bring about a large leverage effect of the piston force on the crankshaft and thus generate a large torque. However, this considerably increases the piston speed at the same engine speed and can therefore only be achieved to a limited extent, as the diameter of the working piston, which together with its stroke forms the engine displacement, must have a certain minimum size in order to provide space for the valves, among other things, and the piston area is decisive for the piston pressure. Turbocharging internal combustion engines by means of exhaust gas turbochargers and/or compressors is another option for increasing torque and power, but there are limits here too, as it is very difficult to eliminate power gaps, especially in the "lower" speed ranges, preferably by means of variable timing or other variable fuel supply.

[0003] A planned increase in torque in the "lower" speed ranges can be used to reduce the displacement and lower the rated speed. This automatically leads to fuel savings and increases driving comfort.

[0004] The invention is based on the task of improving a method and an internal combustion engine of the above-mentioned type with regard to torque, power, consumption behavior, i.e. efficiency, and running comfort as well as pollutant emissions.

[0005] In internal combustion engines which are designed as piston engines, a working piston, which executes an oscillating movement in a working cylinder, moves a crankshaft via a connecting rod, the crank in which a journal is oscillatingly connected to the connecting rod, determines the stroke of the working piston in its 180° crankshaft angle, and moves the working piston in an oscillating manner, except in the working cycle of the working piston, in which the latter sets the crankshaft in rotation. At each top dead center of the working piston, the crankshaft journal is therefore at a crankshaft angle of 0°, and at each bottom dead center of the piston, the crankshaft journal is at a crankshaft angle of 180°. At these points in time, the pressure resulting from the working cycle of the working piston as a force acting on the connecting rod cannot generate any torque. The nearby arc lengths after top dead center and before bottom dead center of the working cycle also generate hardly any torque, as the leverage effect of the radius of the crankshaft journal is very small or pointed. As a result, approximately half of the working piston force acts mainly on the crankshaft bearings, which does not lead to any torque but only generates heat and considerably reduces the efficiency of the internal combustion engine. Summary

[0006] The function of this invention was calculated and tested in the course of measurements on a prototype, which was designed as a test stand, and it was found that in the range from 50° after top dead center (TDC) to a crankshaft angle of 50° before bottom dead center (BDC), i.e. when the force-effective torque crankshaft angle a is only 80° instead of 180°, the torque is blatantly greater.

[0007] The solution to this problem of wasted force or torque in a reciprocating engine of the type is provided by the formation of a rocker located between the crankshaft and the working piston, which is connected by two connecting rods. The power or torque transmission of the working piston takes place via this rocker, which is connected to a drive shaft via an overrunning clutch, and is implemented in accordance with the characterizing features of patent claim 1.

[0008] For this purpose, in a method of the above-mentioned type, it is provided in accordance with the invention that, during a working cycle of the internal combustion engine, the force of the working piston acts on the radius lever of the rocker, and this is located on a circumference of a circle a of, for example, 50° after TDC, up to a maximum of 50° before BDC.

[0009] This circular radius of the rocker can be of different sizes, the smaller the radius of the rocker is in relation to the crankshaft radius, the larger the force effective angle of the rocker becomes, and the torque becomes smaller overall due to the acute angle shortly after the crankshaft TDC and before the crankshaft BDC.

[0010] According to the invention, this restriction of the circular angle circumference of the rocker is caused by the radius of the crankshaft offset, which is smaller than the radius of the rocker, and therefore causes a reduction ratio.

[0011] Irrespective of the radius of the rocker, the radius of the crankshaft crank determines the stroke of the working piston. It would also be possible to select the connection point of the two connecting rods, i.e. the upper connecting rod eye of the crankshaft connecting rod and the lower connecting rod eye of the piston connecting rod, on the same pin of the rocker.

[0012] The installation position of the crankshaft can be varied. It should be noted that the working piston is only at TDC or BDC when the three geometric points of the crankshaft center, the connecting rod journal of the crankshaft and the upper connecting rod bearing of the crankshaft are aligned, i.e. they are maximally extended or contracted.

[0013] The torque is further transmitted through the rocker to a drive shaft via a friction- locking overrunning clutch.

[0014] The crankshaft does not absorb any force or torque, but is only used for the oscillating movement of the working piston when it is not in the working cycle.

[0015] To ensure that the drive shaft rotates in the same direction and does not permanently change direction from the rocker due to the counter-rotating oscillating working piston movement, a overrunning clutch (prior art) is placed between the rocker and the drive shaft in accordance with the invention. [0016] This overrunning clutch can absorb large torques and is designed in the "prior art".

[0017] This one-way clutch can have different designs; according to the invention, it is necessary that it only transmits torque in one direction of rotation and releases the shaft to be driven in the opposite direction of rotation.

[0018] The invention is based on the idea of limiting the angular degree circumference by dividing the force -acting lever (rocker radius), which generates the torque, by a certain area and thus wasting as little force or pressure as possible, which the working piston generates, on the crankshaft bearing or converting it into heat, but instead directing it into the force-acting lever of the rocker. A longer lever of the rocker arm than the lever r of the crankshaft generates more torque without increasing the piston stroke.

[0019] This mechanical torque increase according to the invention is a suitable means of increasing the power or torque of an internal combustion engine with unchanged displacement, or of reducing the displacement and/or the number of cylinders of the internal combustion engine with the same power, i.e. of significantly increasing the efficiency. With the same vehicle boundary conditions, the load spectrum can be shifted to higher loads and the specific fuel consumption becomes lower, which naturally also reduces pollutant emissions.

[0020] Due to limited resources of fossil fuels and the enormous amount of pollutant emissions, which are largely responsible for the current climate change, this measure supports the effort to reduce the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines, i.e. to improve the efficiency of the internal combustion engine.

[0021] It is the task of the present invention to provide an increase in torque in an internal combustion engine which overcomes the disadvantages of torque increase known in the prior art and which, in particular, leads to a significant increase in torque in all speed ranges. Since the torque is a function of the power, the power is specifically increased depending on the engine speed.

[0022] This task is solved by a method for increasing the torque in an internal combustion engine which is characterized by the fact that the lever ratios which generate the torque are changed and the force of the working piston is used almost exclusively for the rotation of the drive shaft and not, as is the case in conventional internal combustion engines with a crankshaft, a large part of the force of the working piston acts on the crankshaft bearings and only heat is generated in this position.

[0023] The method according to the invention provides a lever transmission of a rocker for increasing the torque, which is transmitted to a drive shaft via an overrunning clutch, as well as a crankshaft, which forces the working piston to oscillate, apart from the working cycle.

[0024] As a result, the torque is significantly increased mechanically, depending on the lever ratio or the arc length of the power lever. This increase in torque depends on the respective lever ratio, because this lever ratio of the rocker determines the arc length of the rocker and thus the effective lever angle of the rocker.

[0025] Another design option would be to reduce the working stroke of the working piston and thus reduce the displacement while maintaining the same engine power, although the size of the cylinder bore remains the same. [0026] This solves the first problem underlying the invention, namely to provide a method for increasing the torque in an internal combustion engine, which in particular leads to a significant torque increase in the entire speed range.

[0027] Advantageously, the significant increase in torque at all engine speeds results in lower fuel consumption, i.e. an increase in efficiency, and consequently lower pollutant emissions, since the specific engine output is increased.

[0028] It is advantageous that it is not necessary to run the internal combustion engine at higher speeds with an internal combustion engine with greater torque, as the efficiency is significantly better.

[0029] An advantage of this method according to the invention is that the lever ratios of the rocker can be changed and thus the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine can be changed, because this changes the stroke of the working piston.

[0030] An advantage of this method according to the invention is that this method can be applied to any piston engine and is independent of the type of fuel, i.e. it is also suitable for fuels with a low calorific value.

[0031] Referring to the patent specification DD 258442 Al by Hellmuth Hempel (24.12.85, German Democratic Republic) "Reciprocating piston engine", in particular its description, citation line 12: "Limitation of the piston stroke by a crank mechanism in cooperation with buffers. " and the claim to the invention, citation line 9: "..., for absorbing and releasing a certain part of the kinetic energy of the piston and the parts moving up and down with it, buffers are fitted at the dead centers and for relieving the crankshaft and its bearings, the lower of which is stronger than the upper. " Is to be countered: A) In this patent application, the piston stroke is not limited by buffers, as in patent specification DD 258

442 Al, but by a crankshaft which defines the entire piston stroke 2r as a radius "r" by rotation due to the distance from the center of the crankshaft to the center of the connecting rod journal, as is the state of the art for piston engines. B) Patent specification DD 258442 Al has installed "buffer springs" in front of top dead center and bottom dead center, which partially destroy the generated torque by converting it into thermal energy. This design feature is not found in the present patent application. C) In patent specification DD 258442 Al, "buffer springs" are fitted in front of the top and bottom dead center, which brake the inertia of the crankshaft and convert it into thermal energy. This design feature is not found in the present patent application. Invention claim patent specification DD 258 442 Al, quote line 1: "Reciprocating piston engine, characterized in that a piston rod is pivotably mounted in the piston, the piston rod is articulated at its lower end to a link plate, the link plate, which acts as a power transmission lever,..., a crankshaft is arranged below the drive shaft, a connecting rod is articulated at its upper end to the link plate in such a way that the crank length of the crankshaft can be kept relatively short..." is to be opposed: In the present patent application, the power transmission is not reduced by the attachment point (rl) on the connecting rod link and a different attachment point (r2) on the connecting rod link, as in patent specification DD 258 442 Al, but the piston stroke in the present invention is determined by the distance between the connecting rod pin and the center of the drive shaft.

[0032] Referring to patent specification US005967016A by Edward L. Simonds (U.8.A. Oct.19, 1999) "Anti-Backlash Sprag", in particular claim 8(a): A) defines a variable piston stroke which is limited with the cylinder head and the working piston at bottom dead center, and the crankcase with the rocker arm at bottom dead center. It should be noted that in this patent application the piston stroke is defined by the crankshaft 2r. B) In this patent specification, the engine cannot suck in fuel, but fluids are to be introduced, (citation claim 5 (il) "a first input in, fluid communication with said hollow cylinder; ...") and the ejection is effected by a "piston return spring" (96, 98). It should be noted that in the present patent application a fuel engine according to the "prior art" is used on the engine side.

[0033] Referring to patent specification US 20140137824A1 by Robert Lionel Jacques and Jeff Jocsak (May 22, 2014, U.S.A.) citation: "Engine assembly with phasing mechanism on eccentric shaft for variable cycle engine", in particular claim la: "phasing mechanism operatively tot he second shaft and controllable to vary the rotational position oft he second shaft relative tot he crankshaft to thereby vary the operation oft he piston within the cylinder between an Otto cycle and an Atkinson cycle. " Is to be countered: A) Patent specification US 20140137824A1 relates, as can be seen from the general description, from claim la and from the patent drawings, to a construction for variable piston stroke or variable engine compression, which can be varied eccentrically by means of levers and an adjustment mechanism and thus electrically adjusts the piston stroke. In contrast, in the present patent application, the piston stroke is determined by the crankshaft crankpin. B) Patent specification US 20140137824A1 in claim 3, quote: "The engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the Otto cycle and the Atkinson cycle each have an intake stroke, a combustion stroke, and an exhaust stroke: and wherin the top death center position oft he piston is lower in the compression stroke of the Otto cycle than in the compression stroke of t he Atkinson cycle." is to be opposed: Patent specification US 20140137824A1 provides for an optimization of. four-stroke engines by variable application of the Otto cycle and the Atkinson cycle, in that the piston stroke is controlled by a lever mechanism which is controlled by an electrical adjusting device. In contrast, the present patent application intends to optimize the reciprocating piston engine by enlarging the power lever to increase the torque and by directing the piston force away from top and bottom dead centre, which otherwise acts exclusively on the crankshaft bearings.

Brief description of the drawings

[0034] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. This shows in

[0035] Fig. 1 a graphic representation of a torque generation M by means of the piston force F with limited arc length a.

[0036] Fig.2 a graphic representation of the device according to the invention with the reference signs.

[0037] Fig. 3 a graphic representation of the detail of the drive unit together with the reference signs, in which the rocker, the freewheel clutch and the drive shaft are shown.

[0038] Figs. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d a graphic representation of the device according to the invention in a kinematic sequence, in which in Fig. 4a the working piston is in TDC, in Fig. 4b the working piston is in downward movement at half of its stroke, in Fig. 4c the working piston is in BDC, and in Fig. 4d in which the working piston is in upward movement and the drive shaft rotates in the same direction in each of the four positions.

[0039] Fig.5 shows an exemplary arrangement of pistons, rocker with freewheel clutch, the two connecting rods, the crankshaft and a primary drive with a clutch driven by the drive shaft in an oblique crack. Detailed description

[0039] Fig.1 schematically shows a force diagram of the torque generation, in which the connecting rod journal of the crankshaft does not, as usual, rotate a whole revolution of 360°, and does not rotate in the power stroke, as usual, from 0° to 180°, but the connecting rod journal rotates, for example, 50° after the TDC of position 1, up to 50° before the BDC to position 2, and this results in a pitch angle a of 80°. This has the effect that the pressure force F of the working piston via the connecting rod 1 is at an optimum lever angle at all times, and therefore the force F never acts only on the crankshaft bearing, as is the case in the 0° and 180° positions, and angles unfavorable to the lever after TDC and before BDC are also avoided. This results in a significant overall increase in torque.

[0040] Fig.2 shows the device 1 according to the invention with the reference signs, here the working piston 2 is at TDC and the crankshaft center is therefore aligned with the connecting rod pin 8b and the upper connecting rod pin 9a. The Installation position of the crankshaft 16 and the installation position of the primary drive or clutch 15 can be varied. The rocker 6 transmits the torque to the drive shaft 10 via overrunning gear 7.

[0041] Fig.3 is an isolated graphical representation, including reference signs from Fig. 2, of the rocker 6, which has a rocker flange for the connecting rod of the working piston 19 and a rocker flange for the connecting rod of the crankshaft 20, rotated by 90° as an example. The force F of the working piston is absorbed by the connecting rod journal 8a and transmitted via the rocker 6 to the overrunning clutch 7, which transmits the torque to a drive shaft 10. The flange 20 serves the crankshaft to carry out the oscillating stroke movements of the working piston 2 via the two connecting rods 4 and 5 and the rocker 6, except in the working cycle, in which the working piston introduces the force F. A flywheel mass 11 is attached to the drive shaft 10 to support the flywheel mass of the primary drive and the clutch (state of the art).

[0042] Figs.4a, 4b, 4c, 4d show the actuators of the device according to the invention In four steps, starting with Fig.4a in which the working piston 2 in the working cylinder 3 is at TDC as well as the directions of movement (arrows) of the working piston 2, the crankshaft 16 and the primary drive with the clutch 15. In Fig.4b, the working piston 2 is at half stroke. In Fig. 4c, the working piston 2 is at BDC, and in Fig. 4d, the working piston 2 is moving upwards from BDC to TDC. Due to the freewheel gearbox 7, the drive shaft 10 and the primary drive 15 always rotate in the same direction.

List of reference symbols

1....0.erall construction 11...Flywheel mass of the drive shaft

2....Piston 12...Gear teeth for primary drive wheel

3....cylinder 13...Primary drive wheel

4....Connecting rod. for piston 14...Primary drive (chain or gear wheel)

5....Connecting rod for.crankshaft 15...Primary drive with clutch

6....0.ter overrining clutch 16...Crankshaft

7....0.errunning pits 17...Camshaft drive

8a, 8b...Connecting rod journals 18...Counterweight on rocker

9a, 9b...Pin 19...Rocker flange for piston connecting rod

10...Driveshaft 20...Rocker flange for crankshaft connecting rod

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. method for increasing the torque of an internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft 8, at least one working cylinder 3 with which a working piston 2 is associated, characterized in that the working piston 2, which runs in an oscillating stroke movement in a working cylinder 3, sets a rocker 6 in rotation via a connecting rod 4 and a connecting rod journal 8a, which rocker 6 moves only at a partial circle angle a Fig.1, •and is not tangent to a top dead center TDC and a bottom dead center BDC, and avoids acute or flat lever angles of the connecting rod 4 and the radius r of the crankshaft journal on the crankshaft 16. The oscillating stroke movement of the working piston 2 is moved by a crankshaft 16, which is moved via a second connecting rod 5 by a connecting rod journal 8b with the rocker 6 and further via the connecting rod 4 with the working piston 2. The torque M, which arises from the piston force F and the leverage effect of the rocker flange 19, is transmitted to the drive shaft 10 via an overrunning clutch 7, which acts non-positively in only one direction of rotation.

2. method according to claim 1, characterized in that the torque of the internal combustion engine is significantly increased because the leverage of the working piston 2 does not act primarily on a rotating crankshaft, but the force F of the working piston 2 acts primarily on a rocker 6, the radius r of which is greater than the radius r of the crankshaft 16.

3. method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the crankshaft

16 serves only to indirectly drive the working piston 2.

4. method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application of force F Fig.1 meets a lever-optimal position of the connecting rod journal

8a, because due to the different radii r of the crankshaft 16 and the rocker 6, a reduction ratio arises which results in the lever angle a becoming smaller than 180°.

5. method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the torque M, which is produced by the force F and the radius r of the rocker 6, is transmitted to the drive shaft 10 via an overrunning clutch 7, which is non-positively connected to the bore of the rocker 6 and the drive shaft 10 due to the rotation (state of the art), and thus rotates exclusively in the same direction, although the rocker 6 is subject to a constant change in direction.

6. method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the camshaft drive 17 is carried out by the crankshaft 16 (state of the art).

7. method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the position of the crankshaft 16 and its direction of rotation as well as the direction of rotation of the camshaft drive 17 can be positioned as a function of the crankshaft 16.

4 pages of drawings follow