Achates Power Inc patents

Hybrid opposed-piston engine system

An opposed-piston engine system equipped for full hybrid compressed-air/combustion includes capacity for storing air compressed by the engine during a combustion mode of operation. The hybrid opposed-piston engine system includes a control mechanization for operating the opposed-piston engine in a combustion mode by provision of fuel, in a compressed-air mode... Achates Power Inc

Skewed combustion chamber for opposed-piston engines

A combustion chamber for an opposed-piston engine has a rotationally skewed shape in a longitudinal section that is orthogonal to a chamber centerline, between diametrically-opposed openings of the combustion chamber through which fuel is injected. The rotationally skewed shape interacts with swirl to generate a tumble bulk charge air motion... Achates Power Inc

Cylinder liner for an opposed-piston engine

A cylinder liner for an opposed-piston engine, and corresponding methods of extending engine durability and thermal management therewith, has opposite ends and a bore with a longitudinal axis for supporting reciprocating movement of a pair of opposed pistons. An intermediate portion of the liner extends between the opposite ends and... Achates Power Inc

Port edge shape with continuous curvature for improved ring-port interaction and flow area

A port opening edge shape for a port in a cylinder of an opposed-piston combustion engine is optimized for flow area, as well as for minimization of piston ring clipping. The port opening edge shape includes a top edge, a bottom edge, a first and second side edge connecting the... Achates Power Inc

Port edge shape with continuous curvature for improved ring-port interaction and flow area

A port opening edge shape for a port in a cylinder of an opposed-piston combustion engine is optimized for flow area, as well as for minimization of piston ring clipping. The port opening edge shape includes a top edge, a bottom edge, a first and second side edge connecting the... Achates Power Inc

Piston cooling for opposed-piston engine

Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.... Achates Power Inc

Gear backlash control for an opposed-piston engine

An opposed-piston engine includes a backlash reducing gear with at least a first and second gear that move relative to each other because of a hydraulic pressure applied within the gear. A backlash control system that includes the backlash reducing gear can dynamically adjust backlash between at least two gears... Achates Power Inc

Open exhaust chamber constructions for opposed-piston engines

A configuration for a uniflow-scavenged, opposed-piston engine reduces exhaust cross-talk caused by mass flow between cylinders resulting from one cylinder having an open exhaust port during scavenging and/or charging while an adjacent cylinder is undergoing blowdown. Some configurations include a wall or other barrier feature between cylinders that are adjacent... Achates Power Inc

Transmissions for opposed-piston engines with two crankshafts

A transmission for an opposed-piston engine with two crankshafts includes a crankshaft gear train that combines the torque inputs from the two crankshafts and a gear arrangement coupled to the gear train that is operable to obtain various speed ratios for an output torque drive.... Achates Power Inc

Piston cooling for opposed-piston engines

Pistons for opposed-piston engines include an interior annular cooling gallery. The gallery is provided with inlet and drain passageways constructed to shield a jet of liquid coolant entering the gallery, thereby reducing interference between the incoming jet and liquid coolant circulating in the gallery.... Achates Power Inc

Barrier ring and assembly for a cylinder of an opposed-piston engine

A barrier ring for a cylinder assembly for an opposed-piston engine fits into a groove fashioned into a portion of the cylinder liner that is adjacent to the top dead center location of the end surfaces of the pistons, in a volume of the cylinder liner that defines the combustion... Achates Power Inc

Multi-layered piston crown for opposed-piston engines

A piston crown for a piston of a pair of pistons in a two-stroke, opposed-piston, compression ignition combustion engine has a barrier layer and a conductive layer. The barrier layer at least partially surrounds a combustion chamber formed by the piston crown and an end surface of an opposing piston.... Achates Power Inc

Fuel limiter for a uniflow-scavanged, two-stroke cycle, opposed-piston engine

Control of fuel flow in a uniflow-scavenged, two-stroke cycle, opposed-piston engine includes limiting an amount of torque or fuel in response to a torque demand, based upon a comparison and a selection of fuel delivery options derived from a global airflow parameter and/or a trapped airflow parameter.... Achates Power Inc

Control of airflow in a uniflow-scavanged, two-stroke cycle, opposed-piston engine during transient operation

Control of airflow in a uniflow-scavenged, two-stroke cycle, opposed-piston engine during transient operation includes monitoring at least one operating parameter of the engine to recognize a transition to a transient state of engine operation. If a transient state of operation is detected, fuel injection and airflow into to the cylinders... Achates Power Inc

Fuel injection strategies in opposed-piston engines with multiple fuel injectors

In an opposed-piston engine, two or more fuel injectors are mounted to a cylinder for direct side injection into the cylinder. The injectors are controlled so as to inject either a single fuel pulse or a plurality of fuel pulses per cycle of engine operation in order to initiate combustion... Achates Power Inc

Compact ported cylinder construction for an opposed-piston engine

A compact construction for an opposed-piston engine includes a cylinder liner with longitudinally-spaced exhaust and intake ports in which the exhaust port has inner and outer edges presenting a port height that causes the exhaust port to be fully open before a piston associated with the exhaust port reaches bottom... Achates Power Inc

Minimizing oil leakage from rocking journal bearings of two-stroke cycle engines

A rocking journal bearing is provided in a piston coupling mechanism of a two-stroke cycle engine. The bearing includes a sleeve and a wristpin constructed with two sets of eccentrically-disposed bearing surfaces which alternate in accepting a compressive load during an operational cycle of the bearing. The sleeve includes a... Achates Power Inc

Multi-speed planetary drive for a supercharger

A multi-speed drive for a supercharger includes a planetary gear mechanism with a sun gear mechanism, a plurality of planet gears mounted on a planet carrier, and a ring gear, all mounted for rotation on a stationary shaft. A rotary-mechanical drive input is received by either the ring gear or... Achates Power Inc

Skewed combustion chamber for opposed-piston engines

A combustion chamber for an opposed-piston engine has a rotationally skewed shape in a longitudinal section that is orthogonal to a chamber centerline, between diametrically-opposed openings of the combustion chamber through which fuel is injected. The rotationally skewed shape interacts with swirl to generate a tumble bulk charge air motion... Achates Power Inc

Piston thermal management in an opposed-piston engine

An opposed-piston engine includes pistons, each piston having an annular cavity in the piston's sidewall and positioned between its crown and ring grooves to block transfer of heat from the crown to the piston body.... Achates Power Inc