CHARGE CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR ENABLING COLD STARTCHARGE CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR ENABLING COLD STARTING AND RUNNING OF SPARK-IGNITED, DIESEL FUELED PIING AND RUNNING OF SPARK-IGNITED, DIESEL FUELED PISTON ENGINES STON ENGINES

摘要

A spark ignited, piston type diesel fueled internal combustion engine is provided with a charge conditioning system that includes a fuel preheater for vaporizing liquid fuel to enable starting of the engine and a least one secondary heater for adding additional heat to the charge supplied to the engine. The fuel vaporizer receives liquid fuel from the starting fuel circuit of the engine and uses an electrically or chemically energized heater device, or a direct combustion heater. The secondary heater may be associated with the charge intake conduit of the engine or with the combustion chamber of the engine. The secondary heater device may be electrically or chemically activated, or may constitute a heat regenerator that retains heat from a previous combustion cycle of the engine. Spark plug fouling is avoided by utilizing secondary chambers adjacent the combustion chamber of the engine that direct expanding jets of high velocity gases towards the spark plug electrodes each combustion cycle during the power stroke of the piston.