Fuel injector including extensions for split spray angles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9518547-B2
Application number	US-201514706448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes a tip in fluid connection with a combustion chamber of the engine and includes an orifice for injecting fuel as a fuel jet. The fuel injector includes a protruding member in fluid connection with the first orifice extending from the tip at a protruding angle. The orifice injects the fuel jet into the first protruding member. The fuel injector includes a plurality of extension members in fluid connection with the protruding member and includes at least, a first extension member and a second extension member. The first and second extension members may extend from the protruding member at extension angles. The fuel jet may be distributed into, at least, a first distributed jet and a second distributed jet when the first fuel jet flows from the protruding member to the first plurality of extension members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, the fuel injector comprising:
a tip in fluid connection with the combustion chamber, the tip including a first orifice for injecting fuel as a first fuel jet; and
a first protruding member in fluid connection with the first orifice and having a first opening end proximate to the first orifice and a first opposing end, the first protruding member extending from the tip at a first protruding angle, the first protruding angle defined between a first protruding axis of the first protruding member and a center axis of the tip, the first orifice injecting the first fuel jet into the first protruding member; and
a first plurality of extension members in fluid connection with the first protruding member and extending from the first opposing end, the first plurality of extension members including, at least:
a first extension member extending from the first opposing end at a first extension angle, the first extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a first extension axis; and
a second extension member extending from the first opposing end at a second extension angle, the second extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a second extension axis; and

wherein the first fuel jet is distributed into, at least, a first distributed jet and a second distributed jet when the first fuel jet flows from the first protruding member to the first plurality of extension members, the first distributed jet flowing through the first extension member and the second distributed jet flowing through the second extension member.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 , further comprising a second protruding member in fluid connection with a second orifice of the tip and having a second opening end proximate to the second orifice and a second opposing end, the second protruding member extending from the tip at a second protruding angle, the second protruding angle defined between a second protruding axis of the second protruding member and the center axis of the tip, the second orifice injecting a second fuel jet into the second protruding member.

3. The fuel injector of claim 2 , further comprising a second plurality of extension members in fluid connection with the second protruding member and extending from the second opposing end, the second plurality of extension members including, at least:
a third extension member extending from the second opposing end at a third extension angle, the third extension angle defined between the second protruding axis and a third extension axis; and
a fourth extension member extending from the second opposing end at a fourth extension angle, the fourth extension angle defined between the second protruding axis and a fourth extension axis; and
wherein the second fuel jet is divided into, at least, a third distributed jet and a fourth distributed jet when the second fuel jet flows from the second protruding member to the second plurality of extension members, the third distributed jet flowing through the third extension member and the fourth distributed jet flowing through the fourth extension member.

4. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of extension members further includes, at least, a third extension member extending from the first opposing end at a third extension angle, the third extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a third extension axis.

5. The fuel injector of claim 1 , further comprising a tip attachment, the tip attachment defining the first protruding member and the first plurality of extension members as bores through which the first fuel jet, first distributed jet, and second distributed jet are injected.

6. The fuel injector of claim 5 , further comprising a second protruding member in fluid communication with a second orifice of the tip and having a second opening end proximate to the second orifice and a second opposing end, the second protruding member extending from the tip at a second protruding angle, the second protruding angle defined between a second protruding axis of the second protruding member and the center axis of the tip, the second orifice injecting the second fuel jet into the second protruding member,
wherein the second protruding member is defined by the tip attachment as a bore through which the second fuel jet is injected.

7. The fuel injector of claim 6 , further comprising a second plurality of extension members in fluid connection with the second protruding member and extending from the second opposing end, the second plurality of extension members including, at least:
a third extension member extending from the second opposing end at a third extension angle, the third extension angle defined between the second protruding axis and a third extension axis; and
a fourth extension member extending from the second opposing end at a fourth extension angle, the fourth extension angle defined between the second protruding axis and a fourth extension axis;
wherein the second fuel jet is distributed into, at least, a third distributed jet and a fourth distributed jet when the second fuel jet flows from the second protruding member to the second plurality of extension members, the third distributed jet flowing through the third extension member and the fourth distributed jet flowing through the fourth extension member; and
wherein the second plurality of extensions is defined by the tip attachment as a plurality of bores through which the second fuel jet is injected as, at least, the third and fourth distributed jets.

8. The fuel injector of claim 5 , wherein the tip attachment is formed by three-dimensional (3-D) printing.

9. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first protruding member is a generally diverging shaped protruding member, the generally diverging shaped protruding member diverging about the first protruding axis in a flow direction of the first fuel jet.

10. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first protruding member is a generally converging shaped protruding member, the generally converging shaped protruding member converging about the first protruding axis in a flow direction of the first fuel jet.

11. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first protruding member is a generally diverging shaped extension member, the generally diverging shaped extension member diverging about the first extension axis in a flow direction of the first distributed jet.

12. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first extension member is a generally converging shaped extension member, the generally converging shaped extension member converging about the first extension axis in a flow direction of the first distributed jet.

13. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first extension member is a generally diverging shaped extension member, the generally diverging shaped extension member diverging about the first extension axis in a flow direction of the first distributed jet.

14. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the first extension member and the second extension member are horizontally coplanar with respect to the center axis of the tip.

15. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
an engine block having at least one cylinder bore;
a cylinder head having a flame deck surface disposed at one end of the cylinder bore;
a piston connected to a crankshaft and configured to reciprocate within the cylinder bore, the piston having a piston top surface facing the flame deck surface such that a combustion chamber is defined within the cylinder bore bo

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• John Bobby

Classifications

• F02M61/18

  Injection nozzles, e.g. having valve seats; {Details of valve member seated ends, not otherwise provided for} · CPC title

• F02M61/184

  Discharge orifices having non circular sections · CPC title

• F02M61/1873

  Valve seats or member ends having circumferential grooves or ridges, e.g. toroidal · CPC title

• F02M61/1866

  Valve seats or member ends having multiple cones · CPC title

• F02M61/1853

  Orifice plates · CPC title