Fuel combustion system, nozzle for prechamber assembly with curved orifices, and method of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739192-B2
Application number	US-201514703605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A nozzle for a prechamber assembly of an engine includes a nozzle body. The nozzle body is hollow and includes an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface defines an outer opening, and the inner surface defines an interior chamber and an inner opening. The nozzle body includes an orifice surface which defines an orifice passage extending between, and in communication with, the outer and inner openings. The orifice passage is in communication with the interior chamber via the inner opening. The orifice surface is continuously curved. The inner surface of the nozzle body can include a groove surface that is contiguous with the orifice surface. The groove surface defines an orifice groove in communication with the interior chamber and with the orifice passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nozzle for a prechamber assembly of an engine, the nozzle comprising:
a nozzle body, the nozzle body being hollow and including an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface defining an outer opening, and the inner surface defining an interior chamber and an inner opening;
wherein the nozzle body includes 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, and wherein the orifice surface is continuously curved;
wherein the inner opening has a first transverse orifice area, and the orifice surface includes an intermediate region disposed between the inner opening and the outer opening, the intermediate region having a second transverse orifice area, the second transverse orifice area being smaller than the first transverse orifice area.

2. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body includes a mounting end and a distal tip, the nozzle body defining a central longitudinal axis extending between the mounting end and the distal tip, and wherein the orifice surface comprises a curved cylindrical segment, the orifice surface being disposed along a longitudinal plane extending through the central longitudinal axis.

3. The nozzle according to claim 2 , wherein the curved cylindrical segment has a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion being closer to the mounting end than is the distal portion, the proximal portion of the curved cylindrical segment having a first radius of curvature and the distal portion of the curved cylindrical segment having a second radius of curvature, and the first radius of curvature being smaller than the second radius of curvature such that the proximal portion is more curved than the distal portion.

4. The nozzle according to claim 2 , wherein the inner opening, the outer opening, the orifice surface, and the orifice passage respectively comprise a first inner opening, a first outer opening, a first orifice surface, and a first orifice passage, the outer surface defines a second outer opening, the inner surface defines a second inner opening, and the nozzle body includes a second orifice surface, the second orifice surface defining a second orifice passage extending between, and in communication with, the second outer opening and the second inner opening, the second orifice passage being in communication with the interior chamber via the second inner opening, the second orifice surface being continuously curved, the second orifice passage being disposed in opposing relationship to the first orifice passage along the longitudinal plane extending through the central longitudinal axis such that the central longitudinal axis is disposed between the first orifice passage and the second orifice passage along the longitudinal plane.

5. The nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein the first orifice passage and the second orifice passage are configured such that first and second flows of a fuel mixture passing respectively therethrough into the interior chamber combine in the interior chamber to move along a flow path generally parallel with the central longitudinal axis.

6. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body includes a mounting end and a distal tip, the nozzle body defining a central longitudinal axis extending between the mounting end and the distal tip, and the orifice surface extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis.

7. A nozzle for a prechamber assembly of an engine, the nozzle comprising:
a nozzle body, the nozzle body being hollow and including an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface defining an outer opening, and the inner surface defining an interior chamber and an inner opening;
wherein the nozzle body includes 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, and wherein the orifice surface is continuously curved; wherein the nozzle body includes a mounting end and a distal tip, the nozzle body defining a central longitudinal axis extending between the mounting end and the distal tip, and the inner surface of the nozzle body includes a groove surface, the groove surface projecting radially outwardly away from the central longitudinal axis and being contiguous with the orifice surface, the groove surface defining an orifice groove in communication with the interior chamber and with the orifice passage.

8. The nozzle according to claim 7 , wherein the orifice surface extends circumferentially about the central longitudinal axis.

9. The nozzle according to claim 7 , wherein the groove surface is generally helical, extending axially along the central longitudinal axis and circumferentially about the central longitudinal axis.

10. The nozzle according to claim 9 , wherein the orifice surface extends circumferentially about the central longitudinal axis.

11. A nozzle for a prechamber assembly of an engine, the nozzle comprising:
a nozzle body, the nozzle body being hollow and including an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface defining an outer opening, and the inner surface defining an interior chamber and an inner opening;
wherein the nozzle body includes 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, and wherein the orifice surface is continuously curved; wherein the nozzle body includes a mounting end and a distal tip, the nozzle body defining a central longitudinal axis extending between the mounting end and the distal tip, and the nozzle body includes a plurality of curved orifice surfaces, the plurality of curved orifice surfaces being circumferentially arranged about the central longitudinal axis, the plurality of curved orifice surfaces correspondingly defining a plurality of orifice passages extending between, and in communication with, a corresponding plurality of outer openings and inner openings defined by the outer surface and the inner surface, respectively, and wherein the inner surface of the nozzle body includes a plurality of groove surfaces, the plurality of groove surfaces being respectively contiguous with the plurality of curved orifice surfaces, the plurality of groove surfaces correspondingly defining a plurality of orifice grooves in communication with the interior chamber, and the plurality of orifice grooves respectively in communication with the plurality of orifice passages.

12. The nozzle according to claim 11 , wherein the orifice surface extends circumferentially about the central longitudinal axis.

13. The nozzle according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of groove surfaces are generally helical, extending axially along the central longitudinal axis and circumferentially about the central longitudinal axis.

14. The nozzle according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of orifice surfaces extend circumferentially about the central longitudinal axis.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Willi Martin

Classifications

• F02M21/0248

  Injectors · CPC title

• F02B19/08 Primary

  the chamber being of air-swirl type · CPC title

• F02B19/108

  with fuel injection at least into pre-combustion chamber, i.e. injector mounted directly in the pre-combustion chamber · CPC title

• F02B19/18

  Transfer passages between chamber and cylinder · CPC title

• F02B19/10

  with fuel introduced partly into pre-combustion chamber, and partly into cylinder · CPC title