Granted Patent B1

US 7,275,511 · App. 11/460,006 · Granted Oct 2, 2007

Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (90)

1. An intake assembly for a sequentially fired eight cylinder V-type internal combustion engine including a cylinder block having a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders wherein the first bank of cylinders defines the first, third, fifth, and seventh cylinder positioned sequentially from a first end to a second end of the engine and wherein the second bank of cylinders defines the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinder positioned sequentially from the first end to the second end of the engine, the intake assembly comprising:

first and second intake plenums mounted with respect to the engine, wherein each of said first and second intake plenums are operable to communicate intake air to at least one of the first, third, fifth, and seventh cylinders;

third and fourth intake plenums mounted with respect to the engine, wherein each of said third and fourth intake plenums are operable to communicate said intake air to at least one of the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinders;

wherein the first bank of cylinders includes a first group of two cylinders that fire ninety crank angle degrees apart from each other and wherein the second bank of cylinders includes a second group of two cylinders that fire ninety crank angle degrees apart from each other;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to one cylinder of said first group of two cylinders and wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to another cylinder of said first group of two cylinders;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to one cylinder of said second group of two cylinders and wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to another cylinder of said second group of two cylinders;

wherein the engine is configured according to one of the following:

A) wherein the engine sequentially fires the first cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, eighth cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, and third cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the first cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the third, fifth, and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the second and fourth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the sixth and eighth cylinder;

B) wherein the engine sequentially fires the first cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, and eighth cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the first and third cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the fifth and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the second cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinder;

C) wherein the engine sequentially fires the first cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, and eighty cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the first and third cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the fifth and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the second, fourth, sixth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the eighth cylinder; and

D) wherein the engine sequentially fires the first cylinder, second cylinder, sixth cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, seventh cylinder, and eighth cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the first, third, and fifth cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the second and fourth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the sixth and eighth cylinder.

2. The intake assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first and second intake plenums are mounted with respect to the engine in an outboard configuration and wherein said third and fourth intake plenums are mounted with respect to the engine in an outboard configuration.

3. The intake assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an intake air duct;

a first flow passage in downstream fluid communication with said intake air duct;

a second flow passage in downstream fluid communication with said intake duct;

first and second runner passages in downstream fluid communication with said first flow passage, wherein said first and second runner passages are in fluid communication with a respective one of said first and second intake plenums; and

third and fourth runner passages in downstream fluid communication with said second flow passage, wherein said third and fourth runner passages are in fluid communication with a respective one of said third and fourth intake plenums.

4. The intake assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one compressor operable to pressurize said intake air.

5. A sequentially fired V-type internal combustion engine, comprising:

a cylinder block having a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders wherein said first bank of cylinders defines a first, third, fifth, and seventh cylinder positioned sequentially from a first end to a second end of the engine and wherein said second bank of cylinders defines the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinder positioned sequentially from the first end to the second end of the engine;

first and second intake plenums mounted with respect to the engine, wherein each of said first and second intake plenums are operable to communicate intake air to at least one of said first, third, fifth, and seventh cylinders;

third and fourth intake plenums mounted with respect to the engine, wherein each of said third and fourth intake plenums are operable to communicate said intake air to at least one of said second, fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinders;

wherein said first bank of cylinders includes a first group of two cylinders that fire ninety crank angle degrees apart from each other and wherein said second bank of cylinders includes a second group of two cylinders that fire ninety crank angle degrees apart from each other;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to one cylinder of said first group of two cylinders and wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to another cylinder of said first group of two cylinders; and

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to one cylinder of said second group of two cylinders and wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to another cylinder of said second group of two cylinders.

6. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , wherein said first and second, third, and fourth intake plenums are mounted with respect to the engine in an outboard configuration.

7. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , further comprising:

an intake air duct;

a first flow passage in downstream fluid communication with said intake air duct;

a second flow passage in downstream fluid communication with said intake duct;

first and second runner passages in downstream fluid communication with said first flow passage, wherein said first and second runner passages are in fluid communication with a respective one of said first and second intake plenums; and

third and fourth runner passages in downstream fluid communication with said second flow passage, wherein said third and fourth runner passages are in fluid communication with a respective one of said third and fourth intake plenums.

8. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , further comprising at least one compressor operable to pressurize said intake air.

9. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , wherein the engine sequentially fires said first cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, eighth cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, and third cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said first cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said third, fifth, and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said second and fourth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said sixth and eighth cylinder.

10. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , wherein the engine sequentially fires said first cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, and eighth cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said first and third cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said fifth and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said second cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinder.

11. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , wherein the engine sequentially fires said first cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, and eighth cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said first and third cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said fifth and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said second, fourth, sixth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said eighth cylinder.

12. The internal combustion engine of claim 5 , wherein the engine sequentially fires said first cylinder, second cylinder, sixth cylinder, third cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, seventh cylinder, and eighth cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said first, third, and fifth cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said second and fourth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to said sixth and eighth cylinder.

13. An intake assembly for a sequentially fired eight cylinder V-type internal combustion engine including a cylinder block having a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders wherein the first bank of cylinders defines the first, third, fifth, and seventh cylinder positioned sequentially from a first end to a second end of the engine and wherein the second bank of cylinders defines the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinder positioned sequentially from the first end to the second end of the engine, the intake assembly comprising:

an intake air duct;

a first flow passage in downstream fluid communication with said intake air duct;

a second flow passage in downstream fluid communication with said intake duct;

first and second runner passages in downstream fluid communication with said first flow passage;

third and fourth runner passages in downstream fluid communication with said second flow passage;

first and second intake plenums mounted with respect to the engine, wherein each of said first and second intake plenums are operable to communicate intake air to at least one of the first, third, fifth, and seventh cylinders;

wherein said first and second runner passages are in fluid communication with a respective one of said first and second intake plenums;

third and fourth intake plenums mounted with respect to the engine, wherein each of said third and fourth intake plenums are operable to communicate said intake air to at least one of the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth cylinders;

wherein said third and fourth runner passages are in fluid communication with a respective one of said third and fourth intake plenums;

wherein the first bank of cylinders includes a first group of two cylinders that fire ninety crank angle degrees apart from each other and wherein the second bank of cylinders includes a second group of two cylinders that fire ninety crank angle degrees apart from each other;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to one cylinder of said first group of two cylinders and wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to another cylinder of said first group of two cylinders;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to one cylinder of said second group of two cylinders and wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to another cylinder of said second group of two cylinders;

wherein the engine sequentially fires the first cylinder, second cylinder, seventh cylinder, eighty cylinder, fourth cylinder, fifth cylinder, sixth cylinder, and third cylinder;

wherein said first intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the first cylinder;

wherein said second intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the third, fifth, and seventh cylinder;

wherein said third intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the second and fourth cylinder; and

wherein said fourth intake plenum is operable to communicate said intake air to the sixth and eighth cylinder.

14. The intake assembly of claim 13 , further comprising at least one compressor operable to pressurize said intake air.

15. The intake assembly of claim 13 , wherein said first and second intake plenums are mounted with respect to the engine in an outboard configuration and wherein said third and fourth intake plenums are mounted with respect to the engine in an outboard configuration.

Assignments (12)