Fuel injector assembly having sleeve with flow-directing cap and engine system using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540593-B2
Application number	US-202418602500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2024
Priority date	Mar 12, 2024
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

An engine system includes an engine housing having an intake port to convey an incoming flow of intake air to a first intake valve opening and a second intake valve opening located downstream of the first intake valve opening. A port fuel injector assembly is supported in the engine housing and includes a fuel injector within a sleeve and an outwardly opening fuel injection valve. The sleeve includes a fuel-directing cap extending into the intake port and forming a fuel injection opening defining an outgoing fuel path axis oriented at a fuel exit angle, to improve distribution of a gaseous fuel such as a gaseous hydrogen fuel to the respective intake valve openings for mixing and combustion in an engine cylinder. Related apparatus of a port fuel injector assembly and methodology is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An engine system comprising:
an engine housing including an intake port structured to convey an incoming flow of intake air from an upstream intake air feed opening to a first intake valve opening and a second intake valve opening located downstream of the first intake valve opening; a port fuel injector assembly including a sleeve supported in the engine housing, and a fuel injector within the sleeve and including a fuel injection valve movable between a closed position, and an open position to inject a fuel into the intake port; and the sleeve defining a sleeve axis and including a fuel-directing cap extending into the intake port and forming a fuel injection opening defining an outgoing fuel path axis extending in opposition to the incoming flow of intake air.

2 . The engine system of claim 1 wherein:
the first intake valve opening defines a first valve opening axis and the second intake valve opening defines a second valve opening axis; and
a linear distance from the upstream intake air feed opening to the sleeve axis is greater than a linear distance from the upstream intake air feed opening to the first valve opening axis.

3 . The engine system of claim 2 wherein the outgoing fuel path axis defines a fuel exit angle with the sleeve axis from 50° to 90°.

4 . The engine system of claim 3 wherein the fuel exit angle is 80° plus or minus 5°.

5 . The engine system of claim 2 wherein a clocking angle less than 90° is defined, in a projection plane, between the outgoing fuel path axis and a line defined between the sleeve axis and the first valve opening axis.

6 . The engine system of claim 5 wherein the sleeve includes an external locating surface, and the port fuel injector assembly includes a second locating surface in contact with the external locating surface and fixing the sleeve at the clocking angle.

7 . The engine of claim 6 wherein the port fuel injector assembly includes an injector mount assembly positioned externally of the engine housing, and the second locating surface is formed by a removable insert of the injector mount assembly.

8 . The engine system of claim 1 wherein the fuel injection valve includes an outwardly opening fuel injection valve, and further comprising a gaseous fuel supply, and a gaseous fuel supply conduit fluidly connecting the gaseous fuel supply to the port fuel injector assembly.

9 . A fuel injector assembly comprising:
a sleeve defining a sleeve axis and including a fuel-directing cap forming a fuel injection opening defining an outgoing fuel path axis oriented at a fuel exit angle relative to the sleeve axis; and a fuel injector within the sleeve and including an outwardly opening fuel injection valve movable along the sleeve axis between a closed position, and an open position to inject a fuel from the fuel injection opening.

10 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 9 wherein the sleeve includes a total of one fuel injection opening.

11 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 9 wherein the fuel-directing cap includes a dome shape, and the sleeve further includes an axially extending central cavity and the fuel injection opening includes a cylindrical fuel injection opening extending from the central cavity through the dome shape of the fuel-directing cap.

12 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 11 wherein the fuel injector includes a conical valve seat, and the fuel injection valve includes a conical valve seating surface in contact with the conical valve seat at the closed position.

13 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 9 wherein the sleeve includes an external locating surface, and the fuel injector assembly further includes a second locating surface in contact with the external locating surface and fixing an orientation of the sleeve about the sleeve axis.

14 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 13 further comprising an injector mount assembly including the second locating surface.

15 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 14 wherein the injector mount assembly includes an injector mount, and a removable insert that includes the second locating surface.

16 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 9 wherein a fuel exit angle defined between the fuel path axis and the sleeve axis is from 50° to 90°.

17 . The fuel injector assembly of claim 16 wherein the fuel exit angle is 80° plus or minus 5°.

18 . A method of operating an engine system comprising:
opening a fuel injection valve of a port fuel injector supported in a sleeve in an engine housing; injecting a gaseous fuel admitted via the opening of the fuel injection valve through a fuel injection opening in the sleeve into an intake port in the engine housing; advancing the injected gaseous fuel from the fuel injection opening in opposition to a flow of a stream of incoming intake air; and distributing the injected gaseous fuel to a first intake valve opening and a second intake valve opening for combustion in a cylinder in the engine housing.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the opening a fuel injection valve includes opening the fuel injection valve outwardly, and the injecting a gaseous fuel includes injecting the gaseous fuel at a fuel exit angle that is between 50° and 90° relative to a sleeve axis of the sleeve.

20 . The method of claim 18 wherein the gaseous fuel includes gaseous molecular hydrogen.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• John Bobby
• Anders Jonathan W
• Kavuri Naga Krishna Chaitanya
• Diers Dean C

Classifications

• F02M21/0275

  for in-cylinder direct injection, e.g. injector combined with spark plug · CPC title

• F02M21/0206 Primary

  Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide · CPC title

• F02M61/14 Primary

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

• F02M69/042

  Positioning of injectors with respect to engine, e.g. in the air intake conduit (mounting of injectors F02M61/14) · CPC title

• F02M61/145

  the injection nozzle opening into the air intake conduit · CPC title