Granted Patent B2

US 12,535,029 · App. 18/648,032 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Inventors: Joerg Ross (Warwick, GB); Simone Malaguti (Warwick, GB); Ian Whelan (Warwick, GB); Davide Carpentiero (Warwick, GB); Mattia Lugli (Warwick, GB); Luke Scott (Warwick, GB)

Assignee: ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LIMITED

F02B19/1061F02B19/12F02B19/16

Abstract

Claims (28)

1 . A pre-combustion chamber assembly for a spark ignition engine, the assembly comprising:

an ignition chamber adapted to contain at least one electrode of a spark generator; and

the ignition chamber being adapted to communicate with a main engine combustion chamber via a plurality of pre-chamber ports;

wherein the ignition chamber communicates for removal therefrom of exhaust gas residuals to a distinct storage chamber via at least one transfer port,

wherein the ignition chamber includes a single substantially cylindrical entrance channel extending directly from said pre-chamber ports in a direction towards an ignition region of the ignition chamber, the ignition region having a larger cross-section than the entrance channel, and

wherein the entrance channel and the ignition region are joined by a flaring chamber connector wall extending outwardly from the entrance channel to the ignition region.

2 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the ignition region is substantially circularly cylindrical.

3 . An assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the ignition region has a diameter between 2 to 5 times that of the entrance channel.

4 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the ignition chamber includes a tumble feature adapted to promote flow tumble: the tumble feature being radially aligned with a ground electrode of the spark generator to be mounted with the pre-combustion chamber assembly.

5 . An assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the tumble feature is a step surface located in the region of the flaring chamber wall.

6 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the ignition chamber has a longitudinal direction and is adapted to connect at one end thereof to a substantially coaxially oriented spark generator in the form of a spark plug, in which the ignition chamber is adapted to contain a tip of a ground electrode of a spark plug substantially in the centre of the ignition region.

7 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which wall features of the ignition chamber near where a spark generator is to be contained are of a copper-beryllium material.

8 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which wall features of the ignition chamber distal from where a spark generator is to be contained are of steel, and optionally are 316 stainless steel.

9 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which said pre-chamber ports are configured in an equispaced pattern, in which the pre-chamber ports diverge from one another in a direction away from the ignition chamber.

10 . An assembly as claimed in claim 9 , in which the pre-chamber ports are straight cylindrical tubes each orientated at an angle diverging from a longitudinal direction of the ignition chamber of about 30 to 60°.

11 . An assembly as claimed in claim 9 , in which there are six said pre-chamber ports and the diameter of the entrance channel is about 2 to 4 times the diameter of each pre-chamber port.

12 . An assembly as claimed in claim 9 , in which each pre-chamber port interfaces with a surface of the main combustion chamber which is convexly domed.

13 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which the storage chamber is adapted to communicate only with the ignition chamber, otherwise being fully sealed.

14 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which the storage chamber is a toroidal ring in shape, and the storage chamber is adapted to be located within a cylinder head assembly for an engine.

15 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which the ignition chamber has a 2 to 10 times larger volume than the storage chamber.

16 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , which includes a series of said transfer ports communicating at spaced apart locations into the ignition chamber; at least one said transfer port communicating into the ignition chamber at a first longitudinal position of the ignition chamber, at least one electrode tip of a spark generator being longitudinally between the first longitudinal location and a pre-chamber port.

17 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which each said at least one transfer port has a cross dimension or diameter which is between 5% and 20% of a cross dimension or diameter of the ignition region of the ignition chamber.

18 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , in which each said at least one transfer port is arranged in a direction which is a substantially radial direction, or having a tangential component, when viewed along a longitudinal direction of the assembly.

19 . An assembly as claimed in claim 1 , which is passive, having no port for direct fuel injection into the ignition chamber.

20 . An engine having a cylinder head, the cylinder head including an assembly as claimed in claim 1 .

21 . An engine as claimed in claim 20 which has a gasoline direction injection (GDI) injector communicating directly into a main combustion chamber thereof; optionally including a port fuel injection (PFI) injector communicating directly into an air inlet port for the main combustion chamber.

22 . An engine as claimed in claim 20 which has no ignition generator for the main combustion chamber to which the pre-combustion chamber assembly is connected other than a single ignition generator connected with at least one ignition electrode thereof located inside the ignition chamber.

23 . A motor vehicle including an engine as claimed in claim 20 .

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (393)