Internal combustion engine with igniter cooling sleeve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514017-B2
Application number	US-201715464783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An internal combustion engine including an igniter disposed at least partially within an aperture defined in a housing of the engine, the igniter having a body including a tip supporting portion and having a tip extending from the tip supporting portion. A cooling sleeve is disposed around the tip supporting portion, and the cooling sleeve defines a path of heat transfer between the tip supporting portion and the housing. The engine may be a rotary engine. A method for cooling an igniter of an internal combustion engine is also discussed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for cooling an igniter of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
transferring heat from the igniter to a cooling sleeve disposed around the igniter;
transferring heat through the cooling sleeve;
transferring heat from the cooling sleeve to a housing of the internal combustion engine; and
wherein the internal combustion engine is a Wankel rotary engine, including a rotor having three apex portions mounted for eccentric revolutions within an internal cavity defined in the housing, the internal cavity having an epitrochoid shape with two lobes.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the steps of transferring heat from the igniter to the cooling sleeve and from the cooling sleeve to the housing are performed with the cooling sleeve contacting the igniter and the housing.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising transferring heat from the housing to a coolant circulating in conduits defined in the housing.

4. A rotary engine comprising:
a housing having an internal cavity;
a rotor received in the internal cavity and cooperating with the housing to define combustion chambers of variable volume in the internal cavity;
a fuel injector communicating with the combustion chambers;
an igniter disposed at least partially within an aperture defined in the housing, the igniter having a body including a tip supporting portion and having a tip extending from the tip supporting portion, the tip configured to ignite fuel injected by the fuel injector; and
a cooling sleeve received in the aperture and disposed around the tip supporting portion, the cooling sleeve defining a path of heat transfer between the tip supporting portion and the housing.

5. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , wherein the housing includes a pilot subchamber in successive communication with the combustion chambers, the fuel injector is a pilot fuel injector communicating with the combustion chambers through the pilot subchamber, and wherein the tip of the igniter is in communication with the pilot subchamber.

6. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , wherein the cooling sleeve is in contact with the tip supporting portion and with a surface of the housing defining the aperture.

7. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , wherein the tip supporting portion has a reduced outer diameter relative to that of a remainder of the body.

8. The rotary engine as defined in claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the cooling sleeve corresponds to an outer diameter of the remainder of the body.

9. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of conduits extending through the housing and configured for circulating a coolant, the plurality of conduits in heat exchange relationship with the cooling sleeve through the wall of the housing.

10. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , wherein the cooling sleeve is made of copper.

11. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , wherein the body of the igniter is metallic and the tip of the igniter is made of ceramic.

12. The rotary engine as defined in claim 4 , wherein the rotary internal combustion engine is a Wankel rotary engine, the rotor having three apex portions mounted for eccentric revolutions within the internal cavity, the internal cavity having an epitrochoid shape with two lobes.

13. An internal combustion engine comprising a housing defining a cavity and an inner body sealingly moving inside the cavity for defining at least one combustion chamber of variable volume, the internal combustion engine further comprising an igniter disposed at least partially within an aperture extending through the housing, the igniter having a body including a tip supporting portion and having a tip extending from the tip supporting portion, the tip configured to ignite fuel injected by a fuel injector, and a cooling sleeve disposed around the tip supporting portion, the cooling sleeve defining a path of heat transfer between the tip supporting portion and the housing;
wherein the housing includes a pilot subchamber in communication with the at least one combustion chamber, the fuel injector is a pilot fuel injector communicating with the pilot subchamber, and the tip of the igniter is in communication with the pilot subchamber.

14. The internal combustion engine as defined in claim 13 , wherein the housing further has a plurality of conduits defined therein for circulating a coolant, the conduits in heat exchange relation.

15. The internal combustion engine as defined in claim 14 , wherein an outer diameter of the cooling sleeve corresponds to an outer diameter of the remainder of the body.

16. The internal combustion engine as defined in claim 13 , wherein the tip supporting portion has a reduced outer diameter relative to that of a remainder of the body.

17. The internal combustion engine as defined in claim 13 , wherein the cooling sleeve is in contact with the tip supporting portion and with a surface of the housing defining the aperture.

18. The internal combustion engine as defined in claim 13 , wherein the igniter is a glow plug.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Lanktree Michael
• Schulz Edwin

Classifications

• F02P19/02

  electric, e.g. layout of circuits of apparatus having glowing plugs · CPC title

• F02B2019/002

  with electric heater fitted to at least part of prechamber-wall or transfer passage · CPC title

• F02B19/108

  with fuel injection at least into pre-combustion chamber, i.e. injector mounted directly in the pre-combustion chamber · CPC title

• F02B9/08 Primary

  with incandescent chambers · CPC title

• F01C1/22

  of internal-axis type with equidirectional movement of co-operating members at the points of engagement, or with one of the co-operating members being stationary, the inner member having more teeth or tooth- equivalents than the outer member · CPC title