Balancing an opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine
US8757123B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 18, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T74/2183
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine in which the intake and exhaust pistons are symmetrically arranged has a small inertial force imbalance in the direction of reciprocation of the pistons. A center of gravity of the crankshaft can be displaced from the axis of rotation to at least partially overcome this imbalance. Such counterweighting of the crankshaft cancels a portion of the inertial balance due to the pistons but introduces an inertial imbalance in an orthogonal direction with respect to the piston-induced imbalance. By providing additional counterweights on pulleys rotating at the same speed, but the opposite direction, as the crankshaft, the imbalance can be substantially eliminated to yield substantially a perfectly-balanced engine.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.