Nozzle with Contoured Orifice Surface and Method of Making Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016237971-A1
Application number	US-201514622488-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A nozzle for a member of a fuel combustion system of an engine includes a hollow nozzle body. The nozzle body includes an outer surface, an inner surface, and an orifice surface. The outer surface defines an outer opening. The inner surface defines an interior chamber and an inner opening. The orifice surface defines an orifice passage extending between, and in communication with, the outer opening and the inner opening. The orifice passage is in communication with the interior chamber via the inner opening. The orifice surface includes a boundary surface and a protrusion. The protrusion projects from the boundary surface radially inwardly into the orifice passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A nozzle for a member of a fuel combustion system of an engine, the nozzle comprising:
a nozzle body, the nozzle body being hollow and including an outer surface, an inner surface, and an orifice surface, the outer surface defining an outer opening, the inner surface defining an interior chamber and an inner opening, and the orifice surface defining an orifice passage extending between, and in communication with, the outer opening and the inner opening, the orifice passage being in communication with the interior chamber via the inner opening; and wherein the orifice surface includes a boundary surface and a protrusion, the protrusion projecting from the boundary surface radially inwardly into the orifice passage.

2 . The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is disposed adjacent the inner opening, and the protrusion is configured to divert a flow of a fuel mixture/flame front entering the orifice passage from the inner opening radially away from the boundary surface.

3 . The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface is generally cylindrical and has a lower portion and an upper portion, and the protrusion projects from the upper portion of the boundary surface.

4 . The nozzle according to claim 3 , wherein the protrusion extends circumferentially over a segment of the upper portion.

5 . The nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein the protrusion includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface in converging relationship to each other and defining a ridge, the first inclined surface extending between the inner opening and the ridge and inclined away from the boundary surface moving from the inner opening to the ridge, the second inclined surface extending between the ridge and the boundary surface at an intermediate edge thereof, the second inclined surface inclined toward the boundary surface moving from the ridge to the intermediate edge.

6 . The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion comprises a first protrusion, and the nozzle further comprises:
a second protrusion, the second protrusion projecting from the boundary surface radially inwardly into the orifice passage, the second protrusion being discontinuous from the first protrusion.

7 . The nozzle according to claim 6 , wherein the boundary surface is generally cylindrical and has a lower portion and an upper portion, the first protrusion projects from the upper portion of the boundary surface, the second protrusion projects from the lower portion of the boundary surface, and the second protrusion includes a convex surface and a concave surface, the convex surface disposed adjacent the inner opening, and the concave surface disposed axially outward of the convex surface from the inner opening toward the outer opening.

8 . The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface is generally cylindrical and has a lower portion and an upper portion, and the protrusion projects from the lower portion of the boundary surface.

9 . The nozzle according to claim 8 , wherein the protrusion comprises a convex spherical portion.

10 . The nozzle according to claim 8 , wherein the protrusion comprises a torus segment.

11 . The nozzle according to claim 8 , wherein the protrusion is one of a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions projecting from the boundary surface radially inwardly into the orifice passage.

12 . The nozzle according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of protrusions is circumferentially offset with respect to at least one other of the plurality of protrusions about the boundary surface.

13 . The nozzle according to claim 11 , wherein the orifice passage extends along an orifice axis, and the plurality of protrusions is generally circumferentially aligned with respect to each other about the boundary surface and is in spaced relationship to each other along the orifice axis.

14 . The nozzle according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of protrusions extends along the orifice axis substantially between the inner opening and the outer opening.

15 . A method of making a nozzle for a member of a fuel combustion system of an engine, the method of making comprising:
manufacturing a nozzle body, the nozzle body being hollow and including an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface defining an outer opening, the inner surface defining an interior chamber and an inner opening; defining an orifice surface, the orifice surface defining an orifice passage extending between, and in communication with, the outer opening and the inner opening, the orifice passage being in communication with the interior chamber via the inner opening; wherein the orifice surface is defined such that the orifice surface includes a boundary surface and a protrusion, the protrusion projecting from the boundary surface radially inwardly into the orifice passage.

16 . The method of making according to claim 15 , wherein the nozzle body is manufactured and the orifice surface is defined via additive manufacturing.

17 . The method of making according to claim 16 , wherein the nozzle body is manufactured using additive manufacturing such that the nozzle body includes a body wall portion, the body wall portion including the boundary surface, the body wall portion circumscribing the orifice passage and extending between the inner surface and the outer surface, the body wall portion being made from a first material having a first thermal resistance value, and the orifice surface is defined using additive manufacturing such that the protrusion is made from a second material having a second thermal resistance value, the second thermal resistance value being greater than the first thermal resistance value.

18 . The method of making according to claim 16 , wherein the orifice surface is defined such that the protrusion is configured to divert a flow of a fuel mixture/flame front entering the orifice passage radially away from the boundary surface.

19 . The method of making according to claim 18 , wherein the flow of the fuel mixture/flame front comprises at least one of an ignited fuel mixture for a prechamber assembly and a fuel-injector fuel mixture for a fuel injector.

20 . The method of making according to claim 19 , further comprising:
modeling the flow of the fuel mixture/flame front through a geometric representation of at least one baseline orifice passage and at least two different protrusions having different configurations; wherein the protrusion of the orifice surface has a shape based upon the modeling.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Rowan Matthew I
• Burger Lucas

Classifications

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B05B1/3046

  the valve element, e.g. a needle, co-operating with a valve seat located downstream of the valve element and its actuating means, generally in the proximity of the outlet orifice (B05B1/308 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02M47/025

  Hydraulically actuated valves draining the chamber to release the closing pressure · CPC title

• B05B1/265

  the liquid or other fluent material being symmetrically deflected about the axis of the nozzle · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title