Fuel injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10563597-B2
Application number	US-201715814918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A fuel injector includes a nozzle having at least one first orifice provided therein. The at least one first orifice is adapted to selectively inject one of a fuel and an oxidant. An outer check is disposed movably within the nozzle. The outer check includes at least one second orifice provided therein. The at least one second orifice is adapted to selectively inject an other of the oxidant and the fuel. An inner check is disposed movably and concentrically within the outer chock. The at least one second orifice is adapted to align with respect to the at least one first orifice to selectively inject the fuel and the oxidant together through the at least one first orifice based on a position of each of the outer check and the inner check.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel injector comprising:
a nozzle including at least one first orifice provided therein, the at least one first orifice configured to selectively inject both of a fuel and an oxidant therethrough;
an outer check disposed movably longitudinally along a central axis within the nozzle, the outer check including at least one second orifice provided therein, the at least one second orifice configured to selectively inject one of the oxidant and the fuel therethrough; and
an inner check disposed movably longitudinally along the central axis and concentrically within the outer check,
wherein the at least one second orifice is adapted to align in spaced alignment with respect to the at least one first orifice to selectively inject the fuel and the oxidant together through the at least one first orifice based on a position of each of the outer check and the inner check,
wherein the spaced alignment includes an output of the at least one second orifice being spaced from and aligned with an input of the at least one first orifice,
wherein in a first state the at least one second orifice is in the spaced alignment with the at least one first orifice and the inner check is spaced from the at least one second orifice of the outer check to selectively inject the fuel and the oxidant together through the at least one first orifice, and
wherein in a second state the at least one second orifice is in the spaced alignment with the at least one first orifice and the inner check blocks the at least one second orifice of the outer check to selectively inject through the at least one first orifice another of the oxidant and the fuel different from said one of the oxidant and the fuel to be selectively injected through the at least one second orifice.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 further includes a first passage provided between the nozzle and the outer check, the first passage adapted to allow flow of one of the fuel and the oxidant therethrough, the first passage adapted to be selectively connected to the at least one first orifice based on the position of the outer check.

3. The fuel injector of claim 1 further includes a second passage provided between the outer check and the inner check, the second passage adapted to allow flow of one of the oxidant and the fuel therethrough, the second passage adapted to be selectively connected to the at least one second orifice based on the position of the inner check.

4. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the fuel is any one of diesel, gasoline, natural gas, and alcohol, and
the oxidant is at least one of air, oxygen, and an oxidizer.

5. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first orifice is inclined at a first included angle with respect to the central axis; and
the at least one second orifice is inclined at a second included angle with respect to the central axis, such that the first included angle is equal to the second included angle.

6. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first orifice is inclined at a first included angle with respect to the central axis; and
the at least one second orifice is inclined at a second included angle with respect to the central axis, such that the first included angle is different with respect to the second included angle.

7. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the at least one first orifice is equal or greater with respect to a cross-sectional area of the at least one second orifice.

8. A fuel injection system comprising:
a fuel source adapted to provide a fuel therefrom;
an oxidant source adapted to provide an oxidant therefrom;
a fuel injector provided in fluid communication with each of the fuel source and the oxidant source, the fuel injector comprising:
a nozzle including at least one first orifice provided therein, the at least one first orifice configured to selectively inject both of the fuel and the oxidant therethrough;
an outer check disposed movably longitudinally along a central axis within the nozzle, the outer check including at least one second orifice provided therein, the at least one second orifice configured to selectively inject one of the oxidant and the fuel therethrough; and
an inner check disposed movably longitudinally along the central axis and concentrically within the outer check; and

a controller communicably coupled to each of the fuel source, the oxidant source, and the fuel injector,
wherein the at least one second orifice is adapted to align in spaced alignment with respect to the at least one first orifice to selectively inject the fuel and the oxidant together through the at least one first orifice based on positioning of each of the outer check and the inner check, and
wherein the spaced alignment includes an output of the at least one second orifice being spaced from and aligned with an input of the at least one first orifice such that longitudinal axes of the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice are coaxial.

9. The fuel injection system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control flow of the fuel from the fuel source to the fuel injector;
control flow of the oxidant from the oxidant source to the fuel injector;
control a position of the outer check;
control injection of one of the fuel and the oxidant through the at least one first orifice;
control a position of the inner check;
control injection of the other of the oxidant and the fuel through the at least one second orifice; and
control injection of the fuel and the oxidant together through the at least one first orifice.

10. The fuel injection system of claim 8 further includes a first passage provided between the nozzle and the outer check, the first passage adapted to allow flow of one of the fuel and the oxidant therethrough, the first passage adapted to be selectively connected to the at least one first orifice based on the position of the outer check.

11. The fuel injection system of claim 8 further includes a second passage provided between the outer check and the inner check, the second passage adapted to allow flow of one of the oxidant and the fuel therethrough, the second passage adapted to be selectively connected to the at least one second orifice based on the position of the inner check.

12. The fuel injection system of claim 8 , wherein:
the fuel is any one of diesel, natural gas, alcohol and gasoline, and
the oxidant is at least one of air, oxygen, and an oxidizer.

13. The fuel injection system of claim 8 , wherein:
the at least one first orifice is inclined at a first included angle with respect to the central axis; and
the at least one second orifice is inclined at a second included angle with respect to the central axis, such that the first included angle is equal to the second included angle.

14. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one first orifice is inclined at a first included angle with respect to the central axis; and
the at least one second orifice is inclined at a second included angle with respect to the central axis, such that the first included angle is different with respect to the second included angle.

15. The fuel injection system of claim 8 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the at least one first orifice is equal or greater with respect to a cross-sectional area of the at least one second orifice.

16. A method for controlling a fuel injector, the fuel injector having a nozzle, an outer check, and an inner check, the method comprising:
providing flow of a fuel to the fuel injector;
providing flow of a

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• John Bobby
• Martin Glen Clifford
• Anders Jonathan W
• Campion Robert M

Classifications

• F02M61/1806

  characterised by the arrangement of discharge orifices, e.g. orientation or size · CPC title

• F02M2200/46

  Valves, e.g. injectors, with concentric valve bodies · CPC title

• F02D19/081

  Adjusting the fuel composition or mixing ratio; Transitioning from one fuel to the other · CPC title

• F02D41/40

  with means for controlling injection timing or duration · CPC title

• F02M43/04

  Injectors peculiar thereto · CPC title