Combustion pre-chamber device for an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11434811-B2
Application number	US-202016918090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A combustion pre-chamber device for a spark ignition internal combustion engine is configured to engage a spark plug and be mounted to a cylinder head in communication with a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the engine. The combustion pre-chamber device includes any one or combination of a number of features to improve operating effectiveness, including extending the combustion operating range by improving cooling and optimizing the flow field inside the combustion pre-chamber device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a combustion pre-chamber device for engaging a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the combustion pre-chamber device including a body with an outer surface extending between a first proximal end and an opposite second distal end of the body, the first end of the body including an opening to an inner passage defined by the body for receiving a spark plug, the body defining a combustion pre-chamber distally of the spark plug and at least one nozzle in communication with the combustion pre-chamber that opens through a dome-shaped distal end wall at the second end of the body, the dome-shaped distal end wall is convexly curved towards an opening in the cylinder head to which the combustion pre-chamber device is engaged, wherein the dome-shaped distal end wall includes a first curved portion that extends into a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine with the body engaged to the cylinder head, wherein the dome-shaped distal end wall includes a second curved portion that extends from the first curved portion above the combustion chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle includes at least one axial nozzle that extends along a longitudinal axis of the body and at least one swirl nozzle that is obliquely oriented to the longitudinal axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a ratio of a swirl flow component to an axial flow component of the swirl and axial nozzles ranges from 1.55 to 1.85.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a ratio of a volume of the combustion pre-chamber to a cross-sectional area of the least one axial nozzle and the at least one swirl nozzle ranges from 130 mm to 150 mm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle includes a first swirl nozzle that extends along a longitudinal axis of the body and a second swirl nozzle that is obliquely oriented to the longitudinal axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a ratio of a volume of the combustion pre-chamber to a cross-sectional area of the first swirl nozzle and the second swirl nozzle ranges from 130 mm to 150 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one axial nozzle and the at least one swirl nozzle extend through the convexly curved dome-shaped distal end wall.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the combustion pre-chamber includes a volume with a distal cylindrical portion that extends proximally from the dome-shaped distal end wall and a tapered portion that widens proximally and extends from the distal cylindrical portion toward the spark plug.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein electrodes of the spark plug are located at a proximal end of the tapered portion of the volume of the combustion pre-chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the body of the combustion pre-chamber device includes a cylindrical portion extending proximally from the dome-shaped distal end wall that engages the opening of the cylinder head, the body of the combustion pre-chamber device further including a flange at a proximal end of the cylindrical portion, wherein the opening of the cylinder head includes a length from a distal wall facing the combustion chamber to a seal that is engaged by the flange of the combustion pre-chamber device, wherein the cylindrical portion of the combustion pre-chamber device is in contact with the entire length of the opening of the cylinder head between the seal and the distal wall.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the cylindrical portion of the combustion pre-chamber device is in contact with the maximum length of the opening of the cylinder head between the seal and the distal wall.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the body of the combustion pre-chamber device defines a cylindrical neck extending along the engagement of the spark plug with the inner passage of the body, wherein the cylindrical neck is in communication with a coolant passage of the cylinder head and includes a constant thickness along a part of the inner passage that is engaged to the spark plug.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the cylindrical neck defines a cooling channel around the body of the combustion pre-chamber device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an elongated adapter for positioning in the cylinder head, wherein the adapter includes a bore for receiving the spark plug, wherein the distal end portion of the adapter is fixedly engaged to the proximal end portion of the body of the combustion pre-chamber device without an O-ring between the adapter and the combustion pre-chamber device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein one of the distal end portion of the adapter and the proximal end portion of the body of the combustion pre-chamber device includes a circumferential groove for receiving the other of the distal end portion of the adapter and the proximal end portion of the body of the combustion pre-chamber device.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
a combustion pre-chamber device for engaging a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the combustion pre-chamber device including a body with an outer surface extending between a first proximal end and an opposite second distal end of the body, the first end of the body including an opening to an inner passage defined by the body for receiving a spark plug, the body defining a combustion pre-chamber distally of the spark plug and including an axial nozzle that extends along a longitudinal axis of the body and a swirl nozzle that is obliquely oriented to the longitudinal axis, wherein the axial and the swirl nozzles are in communication with the combustion pre-chamber that opens through a dome-shaped distal end wall at the second end of the body, wherein the dome-shaped distal end wall is convexly curved towards and extends across an opening in the cylinder head to which the combustion chamber pre-chamber device is engaged, wherein the dome-shaped distal end wall includes a first curved portion that extends into a combustion chamber of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine with the body engaged to the cylinder head, wherein the dome-shaped distal end wall includes a second curved portion that extends from the first curved portion above the combustion chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a ratio of a swirl flow component to an axial flow component of the swirl and axial nozzles ranges from 1.55 to 1.85.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a ratio of a volume of the combustion pre-chamber to a cross-sectional area of the axial nozzle and the swirl nozzle ranges from 130 mm to 150 mm.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the axial nozzle and the swirl nozzle extend through the convexly curved dome-shaped distal end wall.

20. An apparatus, comprising:
a combustion pre-chamber device for engaging a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the combustion pre-chamber device including a body with an outer surface extending between a first proximal end and an opposite second distal end of the body, the first end of the body including an opening to an inner passage defined by the body for receiving a spark plug, the body defining a combustion pre-chamber distally of the spark plug and at least one nozzle in communication with the combustion pre-chamber that opens through a dome-shaped distal end wall at the second end of the body, wherein the combustion pre-chamber includes a volume with a distal cylindrical portion that extends proximally from the dome-shaped di

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Han Xu
• Qin Xiao
• Anderson Alan C
• Welch Nicholas James

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02P13/00

  Sparking plugs structurally combined with other parts of internal-combustion engines ({connection of ignition coil to spark plug connector F02P3/02;} with fuel injectors F02M57/06 {; spark plug connector per se H01T13/04 – H01T13/06; predominant aspects of sparking plug, see H01T13/40 – H01T13/44}) · CPC title

• F02B19/12

  with positive ignition (engines with non-timed positive ignition, and with incandescent chambers F02B9/08) · CPC title

• F02B19/1014

  design parameters, e.g. volume, torch passage cross sectional area, length, orientation, or the like · CPC title

• F02B19/16

  Chamber shapes or constructions not specific to sub-groups F02B19/02 - F02B19/10 · CPC title