Russian engineers have proposed an unusual way to make piston engines more economical and cleaner. A new patent by PromService describes a star-shaped internal combustion engine in which the fuel-air mixture does not simply burn in the cylinder, but swirls into two vortices and is simultaneously ignited by two spark plugs.
The main feature of the design is hidden inside the combustion chamber. A special inclined surface and a flow divider have appeared there, which direct the mixture in such a way that two vortex flows are formed immediately before ignition.
Then two spark plugs, located on opposite sides of the chamber, come into play. They simultaneously ignite the mixture, creating two flame fronts. As they spread, they collide with each other, ensuring more complete and rapid fuel combustion.
According to the developers, this approach solves one of the main problems of large cylinders — incomplete combustion of the fuel-air mixture. It is because of this that part of the energy is lost, and more harmful substances appear in the exhaust.
Tests of the prototype showed a noticeable effect. According to patent data, the new design provides higher power and torque performance compared to the previous version of the engine, and also helps reduce fuel consumption.