Fuel injector for internal combustion engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10612508-B2
Application number	US-201715635360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes a body defining an orifice. The orifice is configured to provide passage to a fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The orifice includes an inlet port having a first oval shape and an outlet port having a second oval shape. The second al shape is orthogonal to the first oval shape. Moreover, a transition from the first oval shape to the second oval shape defines a stagnation plane, facilitating an exit of the fuel as a fan spray from the outlet port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising:
a body defining an orifice configured to provide passage to a fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, the orifice including:
an inlet port having a first ellipse shape; and
an outlet port having a second ellipse shape orthogonal to the first ellipse shape,
wherein a transition from the first ellipse shape to the second ellipse shape defines a stagnation plane, the stagnation plane running through a center of the first ellipse shape of the inlet port and a center of the second ellipse shape of the outlet port and facilitating an exit of the fuel as a fan spray from the outlet port,
wherein a center axis of the orifice is linear and runs through the center of the first ellipse shape of the inlet port and the center of the second ellipse shape of the outlet port,
wherein the first ellipse shape and the second ellipse shape are respectively and planarly defined along a first plane and a second plane,
wherein the orifice defines the center axis, the center axis being perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane, and
wherein the orifice has a first cross-sectional area defined by the first ellipse shape of the inlet port greater than a second cross-sectional area defined by the second ellipse shape of the outlet port.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the transition from the first ellipse shape to the second ellipse shape is defined along the center axis.

3. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the orifice defines the center axis and an axial end, the second ellipse shape being orthogonal to the first ellipse shape from the axial end.

4. The fuel injector of claim 3 , wherein the second ellipse shape being orthogonal to the first ellipse shape corresponds to a major inlet axis of the first ellipse shape being tilted at a right angle relative to a major outlet axis of the second ellipse shape, from the axial end.

5. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein a minor axis of the first ellipse shape of the inlet port is greater than a major axis of the second ellipse shape of the outlet port.

6. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first plane is parallel to the second plane.

7. The fuel injector of claim 1 ,
wherein the orifice is a first orifice, the fuel injector including at least one second orifice, and
wherein the first orifice and the at least one second orifice are tilted relative to a longitudinal axis of the fuel injector.

8. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the fan spray defines a thickness that reduces along a direction of the fan spray exiting the outlet port.

9. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
a combustion chamber defined between a flame deck surface of a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine and a piston crown of a piston disposed within a cylinder bore of the internal combustion engine; and
a fuel injector configured to inject a fuel into the combustion chamber, the fuel injector including:
a body defining an orifice configured to provide passage to the fuel into the combustion chamber, the orifice including:
an inlet port having a first elliptical shape; and
an outlet port having a second elliptical shape orthogonal to the first elliptical shape,
wherein a transition from the first elliptical shape to the second elliptical shape defines a stagnation plane, the stagnation plane running through a center of the first elliptical shape of the inlet port and a center of the second elliptical shape of the outlet port and facilitating injection of the fuel as a fan spray into the combustion chamber from the outlet port,
wherein a center axis defined by the orifice is linear and runs at all times through a center of the orifice and through the center of the first elliptical shape of the inlet port and the center of the second elliptical shape of the outlet port,
wherein the first elliptical shape and the second elliptical shape are respectively and planarly defined along a first plane and a second plane,
the center axis is perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane, and
wherein the orifice has a first cross-sectional area defined by the first elliptical shape of the inlet port greater than a second cross-sectional area defined by the second elliptical shape of the outlet port.

10. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 , wherein the transition from the first elliptical shape to the second elliptical shape is defined along the center axis.

11. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 ,
wherein the orifice defines an axial end, the second elliptical shape being orthogonal to the first elliptical shape from the axial end, and
wherein the second elliptical shape being orthogonal to the first elliptical shape corresponds to a major inlet axis of the first elliptical shape being tilted at a right angle relative to a major outlet axis of the second elliptical shape, from the axial end.

12. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 , wherein the stagnation plane is defined by a major outlet axis of the second elliptical shape of the outlet port and a minor inlet axis of the first elliptical shape of the inlet port.

13. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 , wherein a major axis of the outlet port is less than a minor axis of the inlet port.

14. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 , wherein the first plane is parallel to the second plane.

15. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 ,
wherein the orifice is a first orifice, the fuel injector including at least one second orifice, and
wherein the first orifice and the at least one second orifice are tilted relative to a longitudinal axis of the fuel injector.

16. The internal combustion engine of claim 9 , wherein the fan spray defines a thickness that reduces along a direction of the fan spray exiting the outlet port.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Ginter David
• Koci Chad
• Fitzgerald Russell P
• Anders Jonathan W

Classifications

• F02M61/14

  Arrangements of injectors with respect to engines; Mounting of injectors · CPC title

• F02M61/1833 Primary

  Discharge orifices having changing cross sections, e.g. being divergent · CPC title

• F02M61/184

  Discharge orifices having non circular sections · CPC title