The present invention can be used and is designed for all internal combustion engines in order to improve their thermal efficiency, thus reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

It can be used both in Otto and Wankel petrol and diesel two- and four-stroke engines, as well as these engines in marine applications, which use specific fuels.

The subject of the invention is an engine charging ring or a special additionally installed combustion chamber or compression chamber in the area of the primary ignition of mixture (next to the spark plug or heater glow plug), composed of three functional elements, which can be used in different modified forms for all known internal combustion engines in order to ensure the ignition of lean mixtures which could not be ignited by the spark or heater glow plug.

For better understanding, the term “compression chamber” is explained. Conceptually, the compression chamber is also a combustion chamber, comprised of a volume between the engine piston at top dead center and engine head and the secondary volume located directly below the ring, and a primary volume located between the ring and the plug or the heater glow plug.

The use of the proposed invention in engines further prevents engine knock (detonations), which allows for the construction of engines with higher compression ratio, thus increasing their efficiency.

Adiabatic efficiency of internal combustion engines is defined primarily by the compression ratio level.

The higher the compression ratio, the higher the engine efficiency.

However, the maximum compression ratio at which an engine can operate without any mechanical damage is limited to a certain factor. Of course, this data varies and depends on the size and intended use, as well as on the final construction and size of engines and, finally, on the fuel used.

To increase the compression ratio of engines without the risk of mechanical damage with the aim of increasing engine power and efficiency, lowering emissions and reducing specific consumption, the constructors use various known technical solutions, such as: more even distribution of ignition substance, adjusting the ignition angle, installing knock sensors and regulation loop for modifying the ignition mixture in each cycle, delaying one or more ignitions, designing compression chamber geometry etc.

There are also other technical solutions in the form of a pre-chamber used primarily in older and heavier diesel engines. It is designed for easier cold start and is connected to the compression chamber only via a relatively thin connection in relation to the volume of the compression chamber.

The proposed invention in the form of the construction and use of the engine charging ring 1 installed below the spark plug 3.1 (or heater glow plug 3.2 for diesel engine) partially divides the compression chamber 1.3 into two parts:

1. The upper primary ignition part and the secondary operating part - hereinafter referred to as the primary volume 1.1.

2. The lower primary operating part and the secondary ignition part - hereinafter referred to as the secondary volume 1.2.

3. The ring 1.0 is the link between both volumes and has the function of containing fuel in the primary volume and providing additional turbulence of fuel mixture on ignition.

By using the proposed invention in practice, the compression ratio can be structurally increased, and a substantially leaner mixture can be cumulatively supplied to the engine, which results in higher efficiency, lower consumption and reduced emissions of hazardous substances into the environment without risk of detonations.

The engine charging ring 1, which is the subject of this invention, can be used in all internal combustion engines.

The purpose and the function of the engine charging ring 1 is to lower fuel consumption and reduce harmful emissions by using a lean fuel mixture, allowed by the engine charging ring 1. The entire mixture supplied within one cycle is therefore in general the so-called lean mixture, since it contains only a smaller part of rich mixture which ensures the ignition of fuel in the primary volume 1.1, whereas the additional turbulence of mixing this burning mixture homogeneously and quickly ignites this very lean mixture in the secondary volume 1.2 by using the ring 1.0.

The spark plug 3.1 or the heater glow plug 3.2 (for diesel engine) alone could not ignite this lean mixture due to insufficient energy.

In the Otto petrol engine equipped with the spark plug 3.1, the engine charging ring 1 is inserted below the spark plug 3.1 and is located between the spark plug and the front end of the combustion chamber or top of the piston 5.3.

The ignited mixture spreads from the primary volume 1.1 into the secondary volume 1.2 which is connected with the compression chamber 1.3, and its burning extends downwards through the entire engine charging ring 1 and its ring 1.0, where the turbulence of burning increases, thereby helping the lean mixture of fuel and air in the secondary volume 1.2 to ignite faster and more homogeneously and also igniting the very lean mixture in the compression chamber 1.3.

The burning energy of the rich mixture in the primary volume 1.1 is such that is can easily ignite also the very lean mixture in the secondary volume 1.2.

TECHNICAL SCOPE OF PROPOSED INVENTION:

The proposed invention is designed for all internal combustion engines to reduce consumption and polluted emissions, and to maintain high performance.

This is achieved by using the engine charging ring 1 which due to its uniform geometry and position in the compression chamber 1.3 allows the rich mixture to spread into the primary volume 1.1 with the spark plug 1.4 and the lean mixture to spread into the secondary volume 1.2 to the top of the piston 5.3.

The engine charging ring 1 ensures a reliable ignition, since the area of the spark plug 3.1 is filled with rich mixture (stoichiometric ratio).

Because the secondary volume 1.2, which is considerably larger than the primary volume 1.1 in terms of volume, is filled with very lean mixture, it operates in the lean burning regime. Furthermore, the compression ratio with engines using the engine charging ring 1 can be significantly increased, as because of the operation of ignition of rich mixture described above, there is no engine knock or detonations or they occur at a significantly higher level.

Due to its energy of combustion and turbulent transition through the engine charging ring 1, the ignited mixture in the primary volume 1.1 provides a reliable ignition of the lean mixture in the secondary volume 1.2 which is primarily designed as the so-called working volume and is of course significantly larger than the primary volume 1.1, which is designed mainly for a reliable ignition of the mixture in the entire combustion chamber 1.3.

This allows the engine to operate with a substantially leaner mixture, as the stoichiometric ratio of ignition substance is supplied only to the primary volume 1.1, whereas the secondary volume 1.2 is filled with a substantially leaner mixture.

Both parts of the compression chamber 1.3 can be filled with a single fuel injector 2 into the primary volume 1.1 or with two fuel injectors 2, whereby one fuel injector is directed to the primary volume 1.1 and the other to the secondary volume 1.2 or in such a way that one fuel injector is directed to the primary volume 1.1 and the other only to the compression chamber 1.3 or that a single fuel injector is directed only to the compression chamber.

The extension of the fuel injector 2 can be equipped with a fuel supply channel or channels for primary volume 1.1.1, which can be divided and equipped with a nozzle or nozzles through which fuel is injected into the primary volume 1.1.2.

These channels and nozzles can be of various dimensions, cross-sections, geometries and surface areas.

The nozzle or nozzles are directed into different areas of the primary volume 1.1 of the engine charging ring 1 or different areas of the ring 1.0.

The extension of the fuel injector 2 can be equipped with a fuel supply channel or channels for secondary volume 1.2.1, which can be divided and equipped with a nozzle or nozzles through which fuel is injected into the secondary volume 1.2.2.

These channels and nozzles can be of various dimensions, cross-sections, geometries and surface areas. The nozzle or nozzles are directed into different areas of the secondary volume 1.2 of the engine charging ring 1 or different areas of the compression chamber 1.3. If a special fuel injector 2 for filling the primary volume is used, it is called the fuel injector for primary volume 2.0.1.

If a special fuel injector 2 for filling the secondary volume is used, it is called the fuel injector for secondary volume 2.0.2.

Several fuel injectors 2 can be combined by directing them individually or through the above- mentioned channels into different above-mentioned areas, depending on the size and intended purpose of engines. There are countless options, which is why they are not specifically described.

Different significant options are described in the description of the invention below, and depend on the construction or application of the engine.

STATE OF THE ART IN THIS AREA

When it comes to Otto internal combustion engines with spark plugs or diesel engines with heater glow plugs or Wankel engines, there is no example of the so-called engine charging ring described in the proposed invention.

There are no technical ideas concerning the pre-combustion chamber which in combination with the compression chamber enables the ignition of lean mixture in the compression chamber.

Only partially similar technical systems can be found, which, however, greatly differ from our proposed invention.

Known state of the art derives mainly from the needs arising in recent years from new regulations on engines in Formula One.

The change of the rules, which extremely reduced the maximum fuel consumption during the race, forced the engineers to improve the combustion by using direct injection in different angles of the crankshaft and subsequently one pre-combustion chamber to increase the power.

The current patents present and describe only one combustion chamber, where a spark plug on the top alongside a fuel injector injecting fuel into one volume are envisaged.

The existing patents describe a pre-combustion chamber, where a spark plug and an injector converge into the casing from the top, which causes the injection of fuel into the volume below the plug without creating any special turbulences. However, these turbulences allow a faster and more complete combustion which is limited exclusively to high stoichiometric ratio enabled by ignition of the mixture through the holes on the bottom of the pre-chamber. In this way, the combustion spreads into the main combustion chamber, where is activates the combustion of leaner mixture.

If nothing was injected into the combustion chamber, only inlet air would be found, and the combustion would be hindered. Therefore, in some cases, a secondary plug and an injector are used to supply a lean amount of fuel into the combustion chamber in order to allow a proper combustion of this volume.

These additions are integrated into engines which must, in addition to lowering emissions and consumption, also maintain a high level of specific power.

Other examples of patents use an injector in the combustion chamber, a spark plug always inside the chamber and pre-chamber which is defined as passive, since it does not include any injectors in its interior, and which is connected to the chamber through small holes in which another spark plug is installed.

Pre-chambers have been used in diesel-powered engines for several years.

The first pre-chamber was patented in 1909 by the engineer Prosper L'Orange in order to favour the combustion phase in diesel engines by creating a primary ignition which spreads into the remaining mixture as a result of detonation.

This technology was always used exclusively in diesel -powered engines, and still greatly differs from the technology and idea proposed in our invention.

As far as two-stroke engines are concerned, where the volume of the combustion chamber is very small, the use of pre-chambers was never considered reasonable.

Since this type of engine was later replaced with a four-stroke engine, the development of these two-stroke engines came to an end.

After several years of stagnation in the development, two-stroke engines are returning to the market.

For example, Ford presented a vehicle equipped with an opposed-piston two-stroke engine. Even engine constructors who favoured only four-stroke engines are now forced to keep up with the times and more accurately evaluate all the advantages offered by the two-stroke engine.

This type of engine was also selected as one of the options for the future in Formula One, as it can provide almost double the power of four-stroke engines.

This would allow the production of engines with volumes reduced by half and significantly smaller dimensions and mass compared to the four-stroke engines.

These are very important factors in current vehicles in terms of support in the hybrid power unit or simply as an auxiliary unit for battery charging in situations which do not allow a traditional connection to the mains power.

The proposed invention with the process called Dual Expansion Activation DEA can offer countless advantages even for this type of engines, since it allows a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, and effectively prevents engine detonations which damage the engine and reduce its efficiency.

Both types of engines are also used in marine engines, however, two-stroke engines are used for more powerful versions.

Fuel consumption per hour in these large engines is impressive.

The innovation described below could bring major benefits both in terms of consumption and emissions.

To prevent this problem (in order to achieve a faster and better consumption without detonations), we propose the insertion of the engine charging ring.

PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THE PROPOSED INVENTION OR PROBLEMS OF EXISTING TYPES OF ENGINES:

In general, the proposed invention enables the following technical improvements in the existing constructions of internal combustion engines:

1. Rich fuel mixture is present only in the area between the spark plug electrode 3.1.1 and the grounding electrode 3.1.2 of the spark plug 3.1, whereas the remaining mixture in the compression chamber 1.3 is very lean. 2. The ring 1.0 ensures that the fuel mixture flows in the appropriate direction and is homogeneous.

3. The compression chamber - secondary volume 1.2, which is connected to the compression chamber 1.3, is concentrated in the area below the ring 1 as closely as possible.

4. The injector 2 or, if two different injectors are used, the injector 2.0.2 (which supplies the very lean mixture) can also be installed in the compression chamber 1.3.

5. The injector 2 or injectors 2 inject fuel into the interior of the engine charging ring 1 or its vicinity.

6. The fuel flow is in or near the center of the engine piston 5.

7. Elimination of detonation and pre-ignition.

8. Reducing the amount of fuel required per cycle.

9. Reducing the pollutant emissions per cycle.

10. Excellent power and torque results, since the compression ratio can be increased without the risk of detonations.

11. Fast spreading of mixture combustion, with all of the physical and chemical advantages it brings.

12. The same applies for Wankel engines. The spinning rotor in the casing replaces the function of the piston and combustion chamber 1.3.

13. The same conclusions can be applied to marine engines which use several engine charging rings 1 due to the size of pistons 5. The engine charging rings 1 supply and disperse the mixture of fuel and air evenly throughout the whole area of the head of piston 5.

Diesel engines:

In the past, these engines used the so-called indirect injection into the pre-chambers to ensure easier ignition, especially with cold engines.

Modern designs of these engines hardly use these pre-chambers, since the advantages of a high- pressure direct injection of fuel have prevailed. The disadvantages resulting from indirect injection into the pre-chamber are:

1) the pre-chamber is not in line with axis of the cylinder;

2) because it is offset, the combustion starts on one side of the piston, thus forcing the flame to combust on different lengths on top of the piston, which slows down the complete ignition at a greater distance;

3) lack of homogeneous and simultaneous combustion;

4) high-pressure engines with direct injection have a problem of lowering the fuel level below the specified values of fuel-air ratio.

Petrol engines:

Recently, in connection with the technology developed in Formula 1, pre-combustion chambers are inserted into a new generation of engines.

The best-known systems are Mazda HCCi and Mahle.

In view of the new rules for Formula 1 engines, Ferrari in partnership with Mahle also created a patent for new internal combustion engines which will power cars for the next few years.

What are the disadvantages of known systems:

1) Because the pre-chamber has to be inserted into the engine head, the spark plug and the injector have to be repositioned, which means that their position is not ideal and the shape of the pre-chamber is also not ideal due to the lack of space.

2) Due to the forced shape of the pre-chamber, it is difficult to create an appropriate turbulence of the mixture.

3) The combustion chamber is equipped with another injector which disperses the lean petrol mixture.

4) The second injector is installed on top of the combustion chamber between two valves and directs the flow to the other side, thus covering a larger area on one side, thereby not ensuring homogeneity.

5) If the injection occurs next to the top dead center, an appropriate turbulence is not ensured. 6) The lean mixture in the chamber has to be activated with diffusion flames coming from the holes in the pre-chamber.

7) Ignition diffusers must reach the entire volume of the chamber and in modem engines with large piston diameters, they require long ignition times.

8) The pre-chamber is not equipped with an injector and is characterised by passive functionality.

Two-stroke engines:

In the case of two-stroke engines, the shape of the combustion chamber is very important for operation efficiency and generation of harmful emissions.

This engine is designed primarily for small and medium-sized motorcycles, since the manufacturers aimed at creating a simple construction with low costs.

As a result, this low-cost version used a simple carburettor for mixing air with fuel. It is only in recent years, with the enforcement of new restrictive laws on emissions, indirect injection has been used, and direct fuel injection has been introduced for engines with lower consumption and cleaner emissions, where the engine charging ring could be used to additionally lower the consumption and emissions.

There are some examples of good practice in this segment, such as KTM and ROTAX, which followed this route to ensure compliance with emission regulations.

However, as far as we know, none of the manufacturers use the engine charging ring as described in this application.

The other uses of two-stroke engines apply to marine engines with large dimensions and major problems in terms of consumption and pollution.

We need to understand that their consumption is 6,200 litres/hour and despite their massive power, there are clear advantages of optimal combustion which would reduce consumption and emission levels.

The engine charging ring 1 in these engines would reduce fuel consumption by at least 30%, and similarly also reduce emission levels. WANKEL:

For this type of engine, the insertion of the engine charging ring 1 has never been envisaged so far.

Only two manufacturers - in the beginning NSU and recently Mazda - invested in the development of rotary engine.

For many years, no other manufacturers invested in the development of this type of engine, and consequently very few experiments have been carried out in this area.

The fuel combustion in this type of engine is a problem which has always perplexed the designers, since the combustion chamber volume is far from constant, and it is equipped with a rotary piston which constantly moves in the elliptical direction and does not achieve the speed reduction as with the piston engine, where it is provided by the connecting rod at top and bottom dead center.

In this case, the combustion does not occur at a constant volume but as the volume changes (the rotation of the piston continuously changes the volume).

As a result, in addition to problems with sealing elements, which Mazda solved to a large extent, the consumption and harmful emission levels still remain high.

By using the engine charging ring which would allow the complete ignition of lean mixtures as well, this problem would be solved, in particular if the heater (for diesel engines) 3.2.1 was also used.

SOLUTIONS OFFERED BY THE PROPOSED INVENTION OR PROPOSALS OF PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF ENGINE CHARGING RING IN KNOWN ENGINES:

Diesel engines:

The engine charging ring 1 as an element in the engine head 4 combines the advantages of direct and indirect injection.

Due to its construction, it can be inserted or installed completely in the center of four valves (modern engines are usually equipped with four valves per cylinder). Even if the engine is equipped with only two valves, the engine charging ring 1 can be installed next to the best point for fuel dispersion and combustion, and is directly connected to the compression chamber 1.3.

The fuel injector 2 disperses fuel within the engine charging ring 1 which is produced with defined geometry, the most important being the shape of the ring 1.0.

The engine charging ring 1 is inserted on top of the combustion chamber in the engine head 4, the fuel injector 2 divides the amount of fuel supplied in two directions, i.e. rich into the top part - primary volume 1.1 - and lean into the bottom part - secondary volume 1.2.

The fuel combustion process is triggered by the spark plug or heater glow plug (in the case of diesel engines also by heating the primary chamber), depending on which technology is observed.

In the top part of the engine charging ring 1 in the engine head 4 the rich mixture (which ignites more easily) is ignited, after which the ignited mixture combusts downwards through the ring 1.0 into the secondary volume 1.2 and ignites the lean or very lean mixture which is injected into the secondary volume 1.2 via the injector 2.

Injectors are generally marked as injector 2.

If two different injectors are used, which is proposed and described in our invention: one for the primary volume and another for the secondary volume or compression volume which is essentially also the combustion chamber, the injector installed in the primary volume is referred to as the injector 2.0.1.

The injector installed in the secondary volume or compression volume or combustion chamber is referred to as the injector 2.0.2.

Petrol engines:

The engine charging ring 1 is inserted below the spark plug 3.1 (in the case of 4-valve engines which are most commonly used) exactly in the middle of valves or, if the external dimensions of valves (intake valve 4.2 and exhaust valve 4.1) are different, in the middle of piston 5. The high-pressure fuel injector 2 injects the fuel into the engine charging ring 1 which sends one part of the mixture into the area of the spark plug 3.1 upwards and another part into the compression chamber 1.3 downwards (Figures 1, 2 and especially 7A).

As described above, several injectors can also be used, and they can be directed through the supply channels into all the areas of the engine charging ring or compression volume.

The engine charging ring 1 or its shape creates a double turbulence - one for the area of the spark plug 3.1 and one for the area of the compression chamber 1.3 (which does not exist in known systems since they do not use similar engine charging rings 1).

The ignition of mixture at the spark plug 3.1 (or heater glow plug 3.2 with diesel engines) enables the activation of rich mixture in the combustion chamber or primary volume 1.1. Considering that the rich mixture is concentrated in the central area, it allows a very fast combustion, which ensures lower fuel consumption and emissions, and completely eliminates the problems with detonation.

This technology also allows the adjustment of the angle between the exhaust valve 4.1 and the intake valve 4.2 since it ensures a better shape of the combustion chamber.

Two-stroke engines:

The insertion of the engine charing ring 1 will reduce the consumption and emissions in these large consumers of fuel.

The problem of two-stroke engines when lean mixture of petrol and air and high compression ratio are used is detonation.

The effect which is present in racing engines is mitigated by controlling the distance between the squish area (the distance between the engine head and piston at top dead center).

Detonations are present regardless of whether a greater or smaller squish distance (the difference between the top of the piston 5.3 and the engine head 4) is used, except that low squish values ensure high turbulence and combustion speed, consequently reducing the emissions, whereas the opposite is true for high squish values.

This problem could easily be solved by using the engine charging ring 1. The engine charging ring 1 allows the use of a very lean mixture in the compression chamber 1.3, which is concentrated in the central area of the piston 5, thereby effectively eliminating detonations.

Near or between the spark plug electrode 3.1.1 and the grounding electrode of the spark plug 3.1.2 of spark plug 3.1 or near the heater glow plug 3.2 (e.g. with large marine two-stroke diesel engines), there is a stoichiometric amount of mixture which allows the immediate ignition of mixture, the flames of which will spread through the ring 1.0 of the engine charging ring 1, thus activating the combustion of lean mixture present in the compression chamber 1.3, which can be further improved with vanes in the secondary volume 1.2 to additionally turbulate the mixture and increase the speed and homogeneity of burning.

The advantage of this solution for marine engines is much more evident, considering the fuel consumption and emissions of these engines.

These engines use fuels of different type - they are not diesel or petrol fuels but crude oil or mazut with low sulphur content.

Two-stroke diesel engines are most commonly used as high-power engines. These engines are equipped with one exhaust valve installed in the middle of engine head 4 and three injectors 2 installed on the outer edge to inject fuel. Of course, several injectors can be installed in different ways and on different positions.

These engines are characterised by very long piston strokes and large dimensions.

As a result, there are no turbulences and combustion takes place very slowly from the outside towards the center of the compression chamber 1.3.

By inserting three or more engine charging rings 1 and related high-pressure fuel injectors 2, the combustion of mixture would be accelerated, and the flow of the mixture would enter the compression chamber 1.3 through the engine charging rings 1, thus additionally mixing the fuel with air.

The engine charging ring 1 could also be used with four-stroke large marine engines with all the advantages described for diesel engines. Wankel:

The engine charging ring 1 in these engines allows a much faster combustion of fuel mixture, which improves the consumption and reduces emissions.

OUR PROPOSED INVENTION IS DESCRIBED BELOW TOGETHER WITH THE KEY TO MARKINGS AND EXPLANATION OF FIGURES:

- Key to markings:

1 - Engine charging ring

1.0 - Ring

1.1 - Primary volume

1.1.1 - Fuel supply channel for primary volume

1.1.2 - Nozzles through which fuel is injected into the primary volume

1.2 - Secondary volume

1.2.1 - Fuel supply channel for secondary volume

1.2.2 - Nozzles through which fuel is injected into the secondary volume

1.2.3 - Directional vanes into secondary volume

1.2.4 - Guide vanes of the ring in the secondary volume

1.3 - Compression chamber

1.3.1 - Nozzles through which the fuel is inj ected into the compression chamber

2 - Fuel injector

2.0.1 - Fuel injector for primary volume

2.0.2 - Fuel injector for secondary volume

2.1 - Fuel connection on the injector

2.2 - Injector control electrical connection 3.1 - Spark plug

3.1.1 - Spark plug electrode

3.1.2 - The grounding electrode of the spark plug

3.2 - Heater glow plug (for diesel engines)

3.2.1 - Heater (for diesel engines)

4 - Engine head

4.1 - Exhaust valve in the engine head

4.2 - Intake valve in the engine head

4.3 - Insert block in the engine head

5 - Engine piston

5.1 - Sealing piston rings

5.2 - Piston with piston rod (for marine engines)

5.3 - Top of the piston

6 - Engine cylinder

6.1 - Intake channel

6.2 - Exhaust channel

7 - Engine connecting rod

7.1 - Piston pin

8 - Cooling area

Description of figures:

- Figure 1A shows the cross-section of four-stroke petrol engine equipped with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of different or arbitrary shapes or cross-sections into the primary volume 1.1 and secondary volume 1.2. - Figure IB shows the cross-section of four-stroke petrol engine equipped with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2.0.1 directed through channels and nozzles into the primary volume 1.1 and another fuel injector 2.0.2, which can be the same or different, directed into the compression chamber 1.3.

- Figure 1C shows the cross-section of four-stroke petrol engine equipped with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of arbitrary shapes, dimensions and cross-sections into the primary volume 1.1 and parallelly also into the compression chamber 1.3.

- Figure 2A shows the cross-section of two-stroke petrol engine equipped with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of different or arbitrary shapes, dimensions and cross-sections into the primary volume 1.1 and secondary volume 1.2.

- Figure 2B shows the cross-section of two-stroke petrol engine equipped with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2.0.1 directed through channels and nozzles of arbitrary shapes, dimensions and cross-sections into the primary volume 1.1 and another fuel injector 2.0.2 directed through channels and nozzles of arbitrary shapes, dimensions and cross-sections into the secondary volume 1.2 or also parallelly or only into the compression chamber 1.3.

- Figure 3 A shows the cross-section of two-stroke diesel marine engine equipped with the exhaust valve 4.1 with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of different or arbitrary shapes, dimensions and crosssections into the primary volume 1.1 and parallelly also into the secondary volume 1.2.

- Figure 3B shows the cross-section of two-stroke diesel marine engine equipped with exhaust valve 4.1 with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of different or arbitrary shapes, dimensions and crosssections into the primary volume 1.1 and parallelly also into the secondary volume 1.2, whereas the engine charging ring 1 is installed at an angle in such a way that the secondary volume 1.2 is bevelled.

This figure shows one of the possible installations of engine charging rings 1 into the engine head. - Figure 3C shows the cross-section of two-stroke diesel marine engine equipped with exhaust valve with the engine charging ring 1 with one mechanically-operated fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of different or arbitrary shapes, dimensions and cross-sections into the primary volume 1.1 and parallelly also into the secondary volume 1.2, whereas the engine charging ring 1 is installed at an angle in such a way that the secondary volume 1.2 is bevelled.

This figure shows one of the possible installations of engine charging rings 1 into the engine head and the possible use of the so-called mechanical injectors.

- Figure 3D shows the cross-section of two-stroke diesel marine engine equipped with exhaust valve 4.1 with the engine charging ring 1 with one fuel injector 2 directed through channels and nozzles of different or arbitrary shapes, dimensions and crosssections into the primary volume 1.1 and parallelly also into the secondary volume 1.2, whereas the engine charging ring 1 is installed at an angle in such a way that the secondary volume 1.2 is bevelled.

The primary volume 1.1 is heated with the heater 3.2.1 through an external source (electrical resistance heating, induction heating or any other known technical methods) and replaces the hater glow plug 3.2.

This figure shows one of the possible installations of engine charging rings 1 into the engine head and an additional optional function of the engine charing ring 1 and the heater glow plug 3.2.

- Figure 4 shows the engine charging ring 1 with guide and directional vanes 1.2.3 installed in the secondary volume 1.2.

- Figure 5 shows the engine charging ring 1 with guide ring and guide vanes of the ring 1.2.4 installed in the secondary volume 1.2.

- Figure 6A shows the position of injectors 2 and the so-called tangential direction of the supply channels.

- Figure 6B shows the position of injectors 2 and the so-called radial direction of the supply channels.

- Figure 6C shows the position of injector 2 or the so-called centric direction of the supply channel, where the injection of fuel divides the ring 1.0, forming a heart-shaped crosssection. - Figure 6D shows the position of injector 2 or the so-called centric direction of the supply channel, where the injection of fuel divides the ring 1.0 of concave shape.

- Figure 7 A shows the cross-section of the engine charging ring 1, spark plug 3.1 and injectors 2 for channels 1.1.1 and channels 1.2.1, nozzles 1.1.2 and nozzles 1.2.2.

- Figure 7B shows the cross-section of the engine charging ring 1, spark plug 3.1 and injectors 2 for primary volume 2.0.1, channels 1.1.1 and nozzles 1.1.2 directly into the primary volume 1.1 and the fuel injector for secondary volume 2.0.2, channels 1.2.1 and nozzles 1.3.1 directly into the compression chamber 1.3.

The engine charging ring 1 which is the subject of the proposed invention is composed of three essential parts:

- the upper primary part called the primary volume 1.1;

- the lower secondary part called the secondary volume 1.2;

- the narrowed or contracted or parallel or extended section between the secondary and primary volume called the ring 1.0.

To facilitate its production, technical implementation, installation and servicing, the engine charging ring 1 can be at the point of the ring 1.0 physically divided in such a way that the primary volume 1.1 constitutes one part and the secondary volume 1.2 constitutes another part, whereas both parts are interconnected into an indivisible whole as a result of their shape or in any other way, and the ring 1.0 is in this case part of the primary or secondary volume.

In certain cases, the ring 1.0 can also be used as an independent component, and the engine charging ring 1 is assembled from the primary volume 1.1, the ring 1.0 and the secondary volume 1.2, which is particularly suited for versions for larger engines (e.g. marine engines), making it much easier to produce and service these engines.

The inner surface of the engine charging ring 1 can be smooth or equipped with spirals which additionally swirl the mixture of fuel and air. The surface can also be rough to allow microturbulences and lower the resistance.

The spark plug 3.1 or the heater glow plug (for diesel engines) 3.2 is screwed into the primary volume 1.1. Special versions are also possible, where the plugs are not screwed into the primary volume 1.1 but directly into the engine head 4, and the primary volume is positioned just below the spark plug 3.1 or heater glow plug (for diesel engines) 3.2.

The engine charging ring 1 is usually constructed in such a way that it is screwed into the engine head 4 from the top.

This is particularly the case if the engine charging ring 1 is part of the spark plug 3.1 or heater glow plug 3.2.

In larger engines, it can also be installed from the bottom (e.g. in marine engines) or side by using all known technical means which, however, are not the subject of this invention.

In heavy diesel marine engines which are equipped with three or many more engine charging rings 1 (due to the size of the engines and the need to homogeneously disperse fuel into the compression chamber 1.3 the diameter of which can reach 1 meter or more), the engine charging rings 1 can also be installed from the bottom of the engine head 4 or from the side or by using all possible means or any other known means which, however, are not the subject of this invention.

There can be one or several engine charging rings 1 per one cylinder or engine piston 5. The maximum number of engine charging rings 1 is not limited and is determined on the basis of engine size and its function.

The secondary volume 1.2 can be equipped with guide with directional vanes 1.2.3 of various or arbitrary known shapes, as shown in Figure 4.

The guide can also be constructed as a ring with integrated guide vanes of the ring 1.2.4, as shown in Figure 5.

These guides and rings are designed in a similar manner as guide vanes in Kaplan water turbines or similar known and established systems.

Their function is to additionally swirl the mixture in order to redistribute it more homogeneously and add kinetic energy which (in additional to the function of the ring 1.0) additionally pushes the mixture towards the spark plug 3.1 or heater glow plug (for diesel engines) 3.2 and in the opposite direction towards the top of the piston 5.3 after the mixture is ignited, whereby ensuring an even faster and more homogeneous combustion of mixture in the secondary volume 1.2. The guides, their directional vanes 1.2.3, the rings and their guide vanes 1.2.4 can be of any known shape designed for the engine concerned, which is equipped with the engine charging ring 1. They belong to the known state of the art and are not subject of this invention, therefore, they are not described in detail.

The engine charging ring 1 can also be part of the spark plug 3.1 or heater glow plug 3.2. In this case, the bottom part of the plug is the engine charging ring 1, however, it is constructed in one piece.

In practice, the described invention of the engine charging ring 1 can be used in two ways:

A. In new engine constructions.

B. As an upgrade of existing engines to achieve cleaner emissions and higher fuel economy (for modifications aimed at reducing emissions and consumption with large engines, e.g. marine engines).

Version B is intended primarily for heavy and powerful engines with high consumption and long service life.

These are mainly marine two-stroke and four-stroke diesel engines and heavy machinery engines which can be modified in such a way to operate in accordance with the standards on maximum emissions and consume significantly less fuel by using the described invention.

It should be noted that the described technical invention of the engine charging ring 1, in addition to the primary function of new engine constructions, is also very important for reconstructing existing internal combustion engines which can be modified in such a way that they allow economic and ecologically cleaner operation with minimum costs and relatively minor interventions. The reconstruction is envisaged primarily for expensive heavy engines with long service life, which do not comply with the requirements concerning emissions and efficiencies. However, since they are very expensive, users do not replace them until they are worn out.

The fuel injectors 2 can be installed into the engine head 4 and further into the engine charging ring 1 in various ways, some of which are described below:

- Into the ring 1.0 in such a way that the supply channel is divided into the primary fuel supply channel for primary volume 1.1.1 which is directed into the primary volume 1.1 through the nozzles through which fuel is injected into the primary volume 1.1.2, and the secondary fuel supply channel for secondary volume 1.2.1 which is directed into the secondary volume 1.2 of the engine charging ring 1 through the nozzles through which fuel is injected into the secondary volume 1.2.2.

This layout is displayed in Figures 1 A, 2A, 3 and 7A.

- The first fuel injector 2.0.1 through the fuel supply channel for primary volume 1.1.1 and through the nozzles through which fuel is injected into the primary volume 1.1.2 directly into the primary volume 1.1, and the second fuel injector 2.0.2 through the fuel supply channel for secondary volume 1.2.1 and through the nozzles through which fuel is injected into the secondary volume 1.2.2 directly into the secondary volume 1.2 or also directly or parallelly into the compression chamber 1.3.

This layout is displayed in Figures 4 and 5.

The position of the injector in the compression chamber 1.3 is shown in Figure 7B.

- Other various positions of fuel injectors 2 and various fuel calibrations - through a single injector, through various shapes, dimensions and surfaces of supply channels, into the primary and secondary chamber - are also possible, which, however, differ according to the construction and intended use of a certain engine. Because these belong to the known state of the art, they are not described in detail but only different possible uses or modifications are pointed out.

Some of them are displayed in Figures 6A, 6B and 6C.

Description of operation of function of engine charging ring 1 the operation of which or the process that enables its functioning is called the Dual Expansion Activation DEA:

Fuel injectors 2 are controlled through electrical signals 2.2, and fuel is supplied through connections 2.1, which belongs to the known state of the art. Injectors can also be controlled mechanically, as shown in Figure 3C.

When using the engine charging ring 1, fuel is supplied through the injectors into the primary volume 1.1 and secondary volume 1.2, or in some cases only into the secondary volume 1.2 or only into the ring 1.0 or only into the compression chamber 1.3 or as a combination of all these methods. Some of the methods are displayed in Figures 1 to 7.

Fuel injectors 2 are usually controlled through electrical signals 2.2, and fuel is supplied through fuel connections on the injector 2.1. If special fuel injectors for primary volume 2.0.1 and special fuel injectors for secondary volume 2.0.2 are used, these can be controlled electrically or mechanically (e.g. in large diesel engines) without electrical signals, or as a combination of both.

The essence described herein is that the primary volume 1.1 is supplied with only the amount of fuel necessary to achieve a rich mixture the advantage or function of which is to allow fast and reliable ignition with a spark between the electrodes 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 of the spark plug 3.1 (for petrol and gas engines) or due to temperature of the heater glow plug (for diesel engines) 3.2.

The secondary volume 1.2 or the ring 1.0 or directly the compression chamber 1.3 or the combination of these is supplied with only the amount of fuel necessary to achieve a lean or very lean mixture the disadvantage of which is that it could not be ignited by the spark plug 3.1 or the heater glow plug 3.2 alone, which would result in detonations (engine knock), whereas the advantages are increased power, higher engine efficiency and significantly lower levels of harmful emissions. When the engine charging ring 1 is used, the rich mixture from the primary volume ensure a reliable, fast and homogeneous ignition, therefore the engine can operate with lean mixture.

The combination of both volumes (especially because the primary volume 1.1 is quite small) or their mixtures allows the engine to operate in the so-called lean mode or with a lean mixture, since the percentage of rich mixture in the entire volume of the compression chamber 1.3 is very small or negligible and is only needed to ensure a reliable ignition of fuel or mixture and, consequently, a controlled, fast and homogeneous ignition of lean mixture in the secondary volume 1.2 and the bottom part of the compression chamber 1.3.

Since these volumes are substantially different (the primary volume 1.1 is much smaller than the compression chamber 1.3), the same amount of fuel could be supplied into both volumes at the same time. As a result of different volumes, the fuel would be divided in such a way that rich mixture would be achieved in the primary volume 1.1 and lean mixture in the secondary volume 1.2. This is due to the ratio of fuel amount to the difference in volumes.

The engine charging ring 1 is usually constructed centrically, as this shape is the most suitable for installation into the heads 4 of four-cylinder engines and it can be produced at low cost. It allows optimum mixing or turbulence of the fuel mixture when moving from both volumes of the engine charging ring 1 through the ring 1.0. In some cases, the engine charging ring 1 can also have an oval, heart, triangle, square or arbitrary shape.

The heart shape is shown in Figure 6C.

The position of the engine charging ring 1 depends on the position of exhaust valves 4.1 and intake valves 4.2, cooling areas 8 and partially also intake channels 6.1 and exhaust channels 6.2 in unconventional layouts.

The engine charging ring can be installed into the engine head also by using a special insert block 4.3. This insert block 4.3 can be made of specific thermal insulation material which allows the engine charging ring 1 or at least its primary volume 1.1 to retain heat or temperature, enabling an easier and faster ignition of the fuel mixture. In diesel engines, the heating system for diesel engines called the heater 3.2.1 (if equipped) fully replaces the heater glow plug 3.2.

These versions are displayed in Figures 3D, 4, 5 and 7B.

Rich mixture of fuel and air in the primary chamber, which was easily ignited by the spark plug 3.1 (or heater glow plug for diesel engines 3.2) because this part of the mixture is rich or saturated with fuel, bums and spreads through the ring 1.0 which can cause the cross-section of both volumes to narrow, expand or remain unchanged at the point of contact, in the direction of the secondary volume 1.2 and further into the compression chamber 1.3.

Due to relatively high energy of burning, the so-called lean mixture is easily, homogeneously and quickly ignited in the secondary volume 1.2 and connected compression chamber 1.3 which pushes the piston 5 or piston with piston rod 5.2 (for large diesel marine engines) downwards, whereas the sealing piston rings 5.1 seal the wall of the engine cylinder 6 and the piston applies pressure on the engine connecting rod 7 through the piston pin 7.1.

Since the forces applied on the engine connecting rod 7 during detonations are extreme as a result of lean mixtures which are desirable due to efficiency and emissions reduction, the constructors cannot allow that engines would operate in these conditions for an extended period of time.

The use of the engine charging ring 1 significantly reduces the occurrence of detonations, as there is no fuel in the compression chamber 1.3, which could cause detonations, but when ignition occurs, the fuel homogeneously spreads from the primary volume 1.1 through the ring 1.0 into the secondary volume 1.2 which is connected to the compression chamber 1.3. This lean mixture could not be ignited by the spark plug 3.1 (or heater glow plug 3.2 for diesel engines) itself because it lacks the energy, whereas it can be easily, very quickly and homogeneously ignited by this part of the rich mixture which was ignited by the spark plug 3.1 in the primary volume 1.1 of the engine charging ring 1 (due to relatively high energy of burning).

Consequently, there are no detonations (engine knock) and the engine can operate with a very lean mixture of fuel and achieve exceptional efficiency, while significantly reducing the emissions of harmful gasses.

In some cases, the heater 3.2.1 for the external surface of the primary volume 1.1 can be installed to replace the heater glow plug 3.2 in disel engines, since the heater internal surface of the primary volume acts as the heater glow plug 3.2 with a larger surface.

Induction heating, electrical resistance heating or any other known methods can be used, which, however, are not the subject of the proposed invention as they belong to the known state of the art.

The technical solution or the invention of the method of heat retention of the primary volume 1.1, which is constructed as the insert block 4.3 acting as a heat insulator, constitutes the invention in this area.

The shape of the engine charging ring 1 and its ring 1.0 allows that the mixture of fuel and air in the compression phase passes upwards towards the spark plug 3.1 or the heater glow plug 3.2 (for diesel engines).

When passing through the ring 1.0, the mixture accelerates and loses pressure (in accordance with the ideal gas equation), resulting in high turbulences which allow the fuel injected from the fuel injectors 2 to additionally and homogeneously mix with air.

A uniform homogeneity of the fuel mixture is very important for controlled ignition and determining the minimum amount of fuel required to achieve the stoichiometric ratio which is optimal for a reliable ignition.