Andrew A Pouring, 651152 Bensbrooke Dr, Zephyrhills, FL 33543

6178942, Jan 30, 2001

Oct 19, 1999

9/420940

Carlo Leto di Priolo - Milan, IT
Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD

Sonex Research, Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02B 1900

123273

A diesel cycle, direct injected internal combustion engine is provided with a piston recess or bowl into which fuel is injected each combustion cycle. One or more reaction chambers adjacent the piston recess are in communication with the recess through an array of discrete orifices located along the side wall of the recess. Partial reaction of fuel and air in the reaction chambers each combustion cycle produces radicals including intermediate species for seeding a fuel air mixture of a following combustion cycle through a delayed discharge of radicals from the reaction chamber into the piston recess. The discrete orifices are arranged in a specific array that ensures a desired chaotic flow in the reaction chambers and maximum interaction between radicals discharged from the reaction chamber and the soot cloud formed in the combustion chamber upon ignition of the fuel air mixture in the piston recess. Two or more rows of orifices may be used with at least one row located centrally along the reaction chamber cross-section and at least a second row intersecting the first row and arranged diagonally or vertically relative to the first row. The diagonal or vertical row includes orifices that intersect the reaction chamber tangentially at upper and lower regions thereof.

4592331, Jun 3, 1986

Sep 23, 1983

6/535338

Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD

Sonex Research Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02B 1700

123660

Closed organ pipe resonance is induced in the cylinder of a piston I. C. engine by using a resonating mass of gas in a chamber in the piston adjacent its working face, the chamber and cylinder volume being connected by a restricted orifice. The organ pipe resonance is induced during the expansion part of the combustion cycle to cause intimate mixing of the reacting fuel and air charge.

5862788, Jan 26, 1999

Oct 3, 1997

8/943192

Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD
Carlo Leto di Priolo - Milan, IT

Sonex Research, Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02F 326

123276

A combustion chamber for a direct injected, reciprocating piston diesel cycle internal combustion engine in which fuel is injected into a piston recess and wherein the piston includes a reaction chamber adjacent the piston recess that communicates with the combustion chamber through a discrete orifice, wherein the orifice is located so as to discharge reaction products from the reaction chamber into the central portion of a soot cloud that is formed during combustion of fuel each combustion cycle.

4898135, Feb 6, 1990

Feb 16, 1989

7/311289

Charles C. Failla - Annapolis MD
Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD
Bruce Rankin - Annapolis MD
Carlo L. di Priolo - Milan, IT
William McCowan - Grasonville MD
Dennis Gosewisch - Severna Park MD

Sonex Research, Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02F 328

123263

A piston for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine is provided with a reaction chamber (44, 144) communicating with a recessed area (42, 142) of the piston through a restricted continuous slot orifice (46, 146) that is configured to create a choked fluid flow condition between the combustion chamber (30, 130) and the reaction chamber at all engine operating speeds. Fuel is supplied to the reaction chamber and undergoes a controlled, cold frame reaction process while in intimate contact with the crown portion (54) of the piston (14). The reaction produces fuel radicals in sufficient quantity to seed subsequent fuel charges to properly condition the charge for predetermined desired ignition and combustion characteristics. The choking orifice (46, 146) ensures that outward flow of radicals from the reaction chamber is controlled to the extent that they will be maintained in the combustion chamber following an exhaust event of the combustion cycle so they will be available during a subsequent compression stroke of the piston for seeding the subsequent charge. The radical population in the subsequent charge conditions the charge to obtain dependable and predictable ignition in a compression ignition engine as well as knock free combustion at relatively lean air to fuel ratios in a spark ignited engine.

5322042, Jun 21, 1994

Feb 17, 1993

8/018564

Carlo L. di Priolo - Chester MD
Theodore P. Naydan - Severna Park MD
Charles C. Failla - Annapolis MD
Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD
William P. McCowan - Queenstown MD
Brad R. Bopp - Annapolis MD

Sonex Research, Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02F 328

123263

A piston for an internal combustion engine is provided with a reaction chamber for generating radical fuel species during a combustion cycle for use during the next succeeding combustion cycle. The reaction chamber is located adjacent a piston crown recess and is in communication with the main combustion chamber of the engine through discrete orifices that are intended to separately control the supply of fuel and air to the reaction chamber for fuel injected engines and to enhance reaction chamber function in fuel aspirating engines. The discrete fuel and air control orifices are particularly beneficial for use in high swirl, direct injected combustion chambers.

5095869, Mar 17, 1992

Oct 6, 1986

6/915969

Richard F. Blaser - Edgewater MD
Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD

Sonex Research, Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02F 324

123660

A reciprocating piston internal combustion engine is provided with a fixed volume air chamber located next to the working face of the piston and separated from the combustion chamber solely by a circumferential gap extending between the working face of the piston and the adjacent cylinder sidewall. The gap permits continuous controlled exchange of compression shock and expansion wave energy between the combustion and air chambers during a combustion reaction of fuel and air in the combustion chamber. The air chamber extends along a peripheral length of the piston and is provided with a radially inner sidewall including a generally sloping portion that extends from the piston side edge of the gap towards the bottom area of the air chamber, the inner sidewall characterized in that it is continuous and uninterrupted over the entire length of the air chamber and in that the sloping portion of the sidewall continuously diverges away from the adjacent cylinder sidewall over its respective length. A specific form of wedge-shaped cross sectional area of the air chamber is disclosed.

4788942, Dec 6, 1988

Jun 30, 1986

6/880293

Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD
Daniel G. Ferer - Harwood MD

Sonex Research, Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02B 1700
F02B 2308

123 26

An internal combustion engine includes a moving piston within a combustion chamber that is temporarily divided into two zones when the piston is at and near its minumum volume position. Fuel is confined to a first zone where the fuel is ignited to generate combustion wave energy that drives gas within the second zone in Helmholtz resonance through a restricted passageway. Air from the second zone is periodically expanded into the first zone through the passageway to improve the combustion process in the first zone before the piston moves substantially away from its minimum volume position.

4592318, Jun 3, 1986

Sep 23, 1983

6/535336

Andrew A. Pouring - Edgewater MD

Sonex Research Inc. - Annapolis MD

F02B 1700

123295

An internal combustion engine piston and combustion chamber are configured to produce controlled reaction of the fuel supplied to the working chamber with prolonged supply of air to the reaction zone over the combustion/expansion part of the engine operating cycle. After an axially stratified charge, with little or no fuel near the piston working face, is established in the working chamber of the engine, part of the air is transferred during the compression of the charge into an air chamber near the working face of the piston which communicates with the working chamber through a restricted gap orifice. The air chamber is configured to resonate at the same frequency as the frequency of the combustion waves in the manner of a Helmholtz resonator, with a specific gap dimension and air chamber volume that is mathematically related to gap area, the speed of sound in the air chamber at the autoignition temperature of the compressed charge in the working chamber, the axial length and radial width of the gap orifice, and the natural Helmholtz resonant frequency of the gas in the air chamber. The resonating gases in the air chamber, moreover, induce closed organ pipe resonance in the working chamber at least one fundamental frequency while the piston is between top and bottom dead center positions. A system for controlling air to fuel ratio is also included to cause the combustion cycle to operate at the maximum attainable "Run Quality Index" (a defined term indicative of practical efficiency) for the specific engine.