2013-02-01

The internal combustion engine without batteries, generator and starter

There was a news article on ability to ignite ICE using its own chambers for the first push. No details, but in a week later the whole chain of relative ideas came over.

It looks like modern gasoline cars could loose the weight(and read the cost) of batteries, generator and starter(which sometimes combined with generator). The heavy weight of those three components along with additional load on engine to spin the generator is good reason to improve the efficiency/performance.

The diesel engines are ignited by compressed fuel which requires quite more energy to start in comparison with simple fuel injection and spark in gasoline one. I will set diesel aside for now, lets see what could be done in gasoline car.

Complete removal of electrical storage does not seem possible as fuel ignition requires a spark (gasoline engine) not only for initial start but also during work cycle. But for this purpose the amount of energy will be significantly less than carried in current car batteries.

Most of us have more than sufficient energy to produce the spark with a twist of thumb. The piezoelectric gas lighter is a prove. The last peace in this puzzle is fuel injection. Could it use same energy from car keys twist? Hmm... possibly. As a last resort, gas pedal could serve as additional starting energy source. Perhaps it recall the time when initial fuel injection was controlled manually in carburetor :)

The small amount of electricity to support the work cycle could be stored in small capacitor. I remember the times where it was used instead of dead batteries. But at such situations spinning of generator was a pain - the classic engine required full spin by starter. Or as in 100 years ago, make a starter from your own hands.

How the generator could disappear? It could not. But classic generator is not required anymore. Instead few wire rings making an electromagnetic coil fused into ceramic cap of engine plus magnetized plunger will render enough energy to keep the cycle of gas pump, injector and ignition. As motor gain enough RPM, amount of generated electricity should fulfill whole car's needs.

Reduction of batteries volume will affect on ability to use the car lights and say stereo without engine on. Seems bad... But if you think of the gasoline as a electricity source it will be justifiable. Obviously the engine should be working as efficient generator.

I love the car without gears, transmission, all-wheel powered with independent torque (and even spin direction) control. More light-weight and efficient.

Which come to the next generation: fusion of ICE with generator.
Details for that idea are following...

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