Plasma electrolytic polished diesel engine components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021269935-A1
Application number	US-201817053967-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 2, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system is provided for reducing surface roughness of a diesel engine component. The method and system may apply a voltage to a plasma electrolyte polishing cell. The plasma electrolyte polishing cell may include a diesel engine component and an aqueous electrolyte solution. The method and system may cause a plasma layer to form around a surface of the diesel engine component as a result of applying the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell. The method and system may terminate the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell. The method and system may apply a coating process to the diesel engine component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for reducing surface roughness of a diesel engine component, comprising:
applying a voltage to a plasma electrolyte polishing cell, wherein the plasma electrolyte polishing cell includes the diesel engine component and an aqueous electrolyte solution; causing a plasma layer to form around a surface of the diesel engine component as a result of applying the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell; terminating the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell; and after causing the plasma layer to form around the surface of the diesel engine component, applying a coating process to the diesel engine component.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diesel engine component is a high pressure fuel injector component.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diesel engine component is a valve seat.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diesel engine component is an injector nozzle.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell causes the injector nozzle to be cleaned.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell comprises applying the voltage for a predetermined period of time.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a user interface, user input indicating a period of time to apply the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell, and wherein the applying the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell comprises applying the voltage for the period of time indicated by the user input.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the coating process to the diesel engine component causes the surface of the diesel engine component to achieve a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating finish.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the coating process to the diesel engine component causes the surface of the diesel engine component to achieve a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) coating finish.

10 . A system for reducing surface roughness of a diesel engine component, comprising:
a plasma electrolyte polishing system comprising:
a plasma electrolyte polishing cell;
the diesel engine component, wherein the diesel engine component is submersed within the plasma electrolyte polishing cell, and wherein the plasma electrolyte polishing cell comprises an aqueous electrolyte solution;
a controller operatively coupled to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell, wherein the controller is configured to:
apply a voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell causing a plasma layer to form around a surface of the diesel engine component; and
terminate the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell; and
a coating system configured to apply a coating process to the diesel engine component.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the diesel engine component is a high pressure fuel injector component.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the diesel engine component is a valve seat.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the diesel engine component is an injector nozzle.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to apply the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell to cause the injector nozzle to be cleaned.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to apply the voltage for a pre-determined period of time, and wherein the plasma layer is formed around the surface of the diesel engine component based on the pre-determined period of time.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a user input indicating a period of time to apply the voltage, and wherein the controller is configured to apply the voltage to the plasma electrolyte polishing cell based on the period of time indicated by the user input.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the coating system is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system, wherein the PVD system applies the coating process to the diesel engine component to cause the surface of the diesel engine component to achieve a PVD coating finish.

18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the coating system is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, wherein the PECVD system applies the coating process to the diesel engine component to cause the surface of the diesel engine component to achieve a PECVD coating finish.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Thete Manoj M
• Edwards Romaine O

Classifications

• B05D1/62

  Plasma-deposition of organic layers (plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00) · CPC title

• C23C16/50

  using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} · CPC title

• F02M65/007

  Cleaning · CPC title

• C23C14/028

  Physical treatment to alter the texture of the substrate surface, e.g. grinding, polishing · CPC title

• C25F3/16 Primary

  Polishing · CPC title