Fuel system having a fuel-cooled injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500168-B2
Application number	US-201213665673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2012
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A fuel system for an engine is disclosed. The fuel system may have a fuel injector configured to inject fuel into a cylinder of the engine. The fuel system may also have a first fuel supply line configured to supply liquid fuel to the fuel injector to cool the fuel injector. The fuel system may further have a second fuel supply line configured to direct fuel from the fuel injector back to the fuel injector for discharge into a cylinder of the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel system for an engine, comprising:
a fuel injector configured to inject fuel into a cylinder of the engine;
a first fuel supply line configured to supply liquid fuel to cool the fuel injector and gasifies the liquid fuel;
a second fuel supply line configured to direct the gasified fuel from the fuel injector back into the fuel injector for discharge into the cylinder; and
an air box housing the fuel injector and the fuel supply line, the air box configured to supply air to the cylinder.

2. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid fuel gasifies before discharge into the cylinder.

3. The fuel system of claim 2 , wherein gasification is caused by heat absorbed from the fuel injector.

4. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the second fuel supply line is configured to direct fuel around a valve block of the fuel injector.

5. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the second fuel supply line is configured to direct fuel through a valve block of the fuel injector.

6. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid fuel is liquefied natural gas.

7. The fuel system of claim 6 , wherein the liquid fuel is supplied to the fuel injector at a temperature of approximately −165° C.

8. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel supply line is configured to cool the air box.

9. The fuel system of claim 1 , further including a liquid fuel injector configured to inject liquid fuel into the cylinder.

10. The fuel system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injector is positioned at an air intake port of the cylinder.

11. A method of cooling a fuel injector of an engine, comprising:
directing liquid fuel to an injector;
absorbing an amount of heat from the injector sufficient to gasify the liquid fuel;
directing gasified fuel from the injector back into the injector;
discharging the gasified fuel from the injector into a cylinder of the engine; and
directing the liquid fuel through an air box to the injector to absorb heat from the air box.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein discharging the gasified fuel includes injecting the gasified fuel through an air intake port in the cylinder.

13. The method of claim 11 , further including directing air from the air box through an air intake port in the cylinder.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein directing liquid fuel to an injector includes directing the fuel around a valve block of the injector.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein directing liquid fuel to an injector includes directing the fuel through a valve block of the injector.

16. The method of claim 11 , Wherein the liquid fuel is liquefied natural gas.

17. The method of claim 16 , Wherein directing the liquid fuel to the injector includes supplying the liquid fuel to the injector at a temperature of approximately −165° C.

18. An engine comprising:
an engine block defining a cylinder;
a piston;
a combustion chamber at least partially defined by the cylinder and the piston;
a plurality of air intake ports defined by the cylinder;
a first fuel injector configured to inject natural gas through one of the plurality of air intake ports and into the combustion chamber;
a second fuel injector configured to inject liquid fuel into the combustion chamber;
an air box configured to direct air through the plurality of air intake ports and into the combustion chamber;
a first fuel supply line configured to supply liquid fuel to cool the fuel injector; and
a second fuel supply line configured to direct fuel from the fuel injector back into the fuel injector for discharge into the cylinder.

Assignees

• Electro Motive Diesel Inc

Inventors

• Foege Aaron G

Classifications

• F02M21/0284

  Arrangement of multiple injectors or fuel-air mixers per combustion chamber · CPC title

• F02B25/04

  Engines having ports both in cylinder head and in cylinder wall near bottom of piston stroke · CPC title

• Y02T10/36

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02M21/0287

  characterised by the transition from liquid to gaseous phase (F02M21/06 takes precedence); Injection in liquid phase; Cooling and low temperature storage · CPC title

• F02M69/046

  for injecting into both the combustion chamber and the intake conduit · CPC title