Methods and systems for a fuel injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823127-B2
Application number	US-201815921335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a fuel injector. In one example, a system may include a fuel injector having a half-annular venturi shaped outlet passage arranged between an outlet surface of the fuel injector and a half-cone shaped end portion of a nozzle. The nozzle may further comprise one or more air entraining features working in tandem with the half-annular venturi outlet passage to promote air-fuel mixing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel injector, comprising:
a nozzle comprising a half-cylindrical stem and a half-conical end portion, and where an outlet passage comprises a half-annular venturi shape shaped to flow fuel when the nozzle is actuated toward a combustion chamber,
wherein the end portion is at least partially hollow, the end portion comprising one or more air entraining features configured to flow combustion chamber gases to the outlet passage.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is a single continuous piece.

3. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the stem is physically coupled to the end portion at a first extreme end of the stem, and where the stem is physically coupled to a platform at a second extreme end of the stem, wherein the platform is a rectangular prism and physically coupled to each of an actuator and a plurality of springs.

4. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the end portion hermitically seals the outlet passage by pressing against an outlet surface of the fuel injector in a first position, and where the end portion is spaced away from the outlet surface to fluidly couple a sac to the combustion chamber when in a second position.

5. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the one or more air entraining features comprise a plurality of cylindrical passages extending from a base of the end portion to a venturi throat of the outlet passage.

6. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the one or more air entraining features comprise a single cylindrical passage extending from a base of the end portion to a venturi throat of the outlet passage.

7. A system comprising:
an engine comprising a combustion chamber; and
a fuel injector mounted on a side wall of the combustion chamber positioned to inject in a direction angled to an axis of oscillation of a piston, wherein
the fuel injector comprises a nozzle comprising a stem and a half-cone shaped end portion, where the stem comprises only a half-cylinder shape, where the end portion comprises one or more passages extending from a base of the end portion to an angled surface of the end portion, and where an outlet passage comprising a half-annular venturi shape is arranged between an outlet surface of the fuel injector and the end portion.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the outlet passage is adjustable based on an actuation of the nozzle via an actuator or a plurality of springs.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the actuator overcomes a force of the plurality of springs and presses the nozzle toward the combustion chamber to increase an opening of the outlet passage.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of springs press the nozzle away from the combustion chamber and decrease an opening of the outlet passage.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the end portion is partially hollow, and wherein the one or more passages are configured to direct combustion chamber gases from the combustion chamber to the outlet passage.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the fuel injector is positioned to inject in a direction toward a top surface of the combustion chamber, away from the piston.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a sac for storing fuel in the fuel injector, wherein the sac comprises a half-donut shape.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the fuel injector injects toward a spark plug.

15. A system, comprising:
an engine comprising at least one cylinder, the at least one cylinder comprising a combustion chamber having a volume defined by a side wall, a top surface, and a piston; and
a spark plug mounted on the top surface and a fuel injector mounted on the side wall, the fuel injector positioned to inject only toward the spark plug away from the piston, where
an outlet passage comprises a half-annular venturi shape including a venturi inlet, a venturi throat, and a venturi outlet, where the venturi throat is between the venturi inlet and the venturi outlet, and where the venturi throat is fluidly coupled to an air entraining feature of a half-cone portion of a nozzle of the fuel injector, the air entraining feature comprising a bell-shaped chamber and a cylinder-shaped passage, and where the outlet passage extends between an outlet surface of the fuel injector and the half-cone portion of the nozzle of the fuel injector.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the bell-shaped chamber receives combustion chamber gases from the combustion chamber and the cylinder-shaped passage flows the combustion chamber gases to the venturi throat.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the half-cone portion is physically coupled to a half-cylinder portion extending through a half-toroid shaped sac.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the fuel injector comprises a single plane of symmetry.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the air entraining feature is configured to mix air with fuel prior to combustion.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the half-cylinder portion comprises only a half-cylinder shape.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhang Xiaogang

Classifications

• F02M61/184

  Discharge orifices having non circular sections · CPC title

• F02M61/1893 Primary

  Details of valve member ends not covered by groups F02M61/1866 - F02M61/188 · CPC title

• F02M61/20

  Closing valves mechanically, e.g. arrangements of springs or weights {or permanent magnets; Damping of valve lift} · CPC title

• F02M61/1833

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

• F02M61/1806

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