Fuel admission valve for pre-chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970400-B2
Application number	US-201514854611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A pre-chamber fuel admission valve includes a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, an actuated valve, and a check valve. The fuel inlet receives a supply of a fuel. The fuel outlet delivers the fuel to a pre-chamber. The actuated valve is between and in fluid communication with the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet. The actuated valve controls a flow of the fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet. The check valve is biased in a closed position and between and in fluid communication with the actuated valve and the fuel outlet. The check valve is configured to open and allow the fuel to exit the fuel outlet in response to a fuel pressure exceeding a pre-chamber pressure plus a bias pressure, and the check valve is configured to close in response to the pre-chamber pressure plus the bias pressure exceeding the fuel pressure.

First claim

I claim:

1. A pre-chamber fuel admission valve comprising:
a fuel inlet configured to receive a supply of a fuel;
a fuel outlet configured to deliver the fuel to a pre-chamber;
an actuated valve disposed between and in fluid communication with the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet, the actuated valve being configured to control a flow of the fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet,
the actuated valve including a plunger; and

a check valve disposed between and in fluid communication with the actuated valve and the fuel outlet, the check valve being biased in a closed position,
the check valve including an assembly,

wherein the actuated valve opens by moving the plunger inwardly relative to the pre-chamber fuel admission valve to prevent leakage of fuel into the pre-chamber, and
wherein the check valve opens by moving the assembly outwardly relative to the pre-chamber fuel admission valve to prevent backflow into the pre-chamber fuel admission valve,
wherein the check valve is configured to open and allow the fuel to exit the fuel outlet in response to a fuel pressure exceeding a pre-chamber pressure plus a bias pressure, and the check valve is configured to close in response to the pre-chamber pressure plus the bias pressure exceeding the fuel pressure.

2. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an annular sealing surface disposed about the fuel outlet; and
a conical sealing member configured to mate with the annular sealing surface to close the check valve.

3. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 2 , further comprising a pintle assembly configured to translate axially within a check valve central bore, the pintle assembly including a pintle shaft with the conical sealing member disposed at a distal end of the pintle shaft.

4. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a stop plate disposed in the check valve and defining a stop plate bore therethrough, the pintle shaft extending through the stop plate bore; and
a valve stop disposed at a proximal end of the pintle shaft, wherein a full open position of the check valve is defined by a position of the pintle shaft relative to the valve stop at which the valve stop contacts the stop plate.

5. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a nose piece having an outlet bore and an interior bearing surface, the outlet bore having a surface defining a pintle shaft passageway configured to allow the pintle shaft to translate along a longitudinal axis of the pintle shaft passageway;
a spring plate disposed in the check valve, the spring plate being secured to the pintle shaft; and
a biasing member disposed between the spring plate and the interior bearing surface of the nose piece.

6. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 1 , wherein the actuated valve is controlled to form an actuated valve seal to stop the flow of the fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet, and
wherein a closing force exerted on the actuated valve seal is equal to a closing force of the actuated valve plus a difference between an upstream fuel pressure and a downstream fuel pressure.

7. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 6 , wherein the pre-chamber fuel admission valve is configured to prevent leakage of the fuel through the actuated valve, and the pre-chamber fuel admission valve is configured to prevent a backflow through the check valve in a direction from the fuel outlet toward the fuel inlet.

8. A pre-chamber fuel admission valve comprising:
a fuel inlet configured to receive a supply of a fuel;
a fuel outlet configured to deliver the fuel to a pre-chamber;
an inward opening valve disposed between and in fluid communication with the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet, the inward opening valve being configured to control a flow of the fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
an actuator configured to operate the inward opening valve in response to a signal; and
an outward opening valve disposed downstream of the inward opening valve and in fluid communication with the inward opening valve, the outward opening valve being biased in a closed position,
wherein the inward opening valve opens inwardly relative to the pre-chamber fuel admission valve to prevent leakage of fuel into a pre-chamber, and
wherein the outward opening valve opens outwardly relative to the pre-chamber fuel admission valve to prevent backflow into the pre-chamber fuel admission valve.

9. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 8 , wherein a closing force acting on the inward opening valve is provided by a positive delta pressure of an upstream fuel pressure relative to a downstream fuel pressure.

10. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 8 , wherein the outward opening valve is configured to automatically close in response to a pre-chamber pressure plus a bias pressure exceeding a fuel pressure.

11. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an annular sealing surface disposed about the fuel outlet; and
a conical sealing member configured to mate with the annular sealing surface to close the outward opening valve.

12. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a pintle assembly configured to translate longitudinally within an outward opening valve central bore, the pintle assembly including a pintle shaft with the conical sealing member disposed at a distal end of the pintle shaft.

13. The pre-chamber fuel admission valve according to claim 8 , wherein the actuator is a solenoid.

14. A pre-chamber ignition system for pre-ignition, the pre-chamber ignition system comprising:
a pre-chamber;
a pre-chamber spark plug to ignite a pre-chamber charge mixture including a fuel;
a pre-chamber passageway to fluidly connect the pre-chamber to a main combustion chamber; and
a pre-chamber fuel admission valve to inject the fuel into the pre-chamber, the pre-chamber fuel admission valve including:
a fuel inlet configured to receive a supply of the fuel;
a fuel outlet configured to deliver the fuel to the pre-chamber;
an actuated valve disposed between and in fluid communication with the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet, the actuated valve being configured to control a flow of the fuel from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet; and
a check valve disposed between and in fluid communication with the actuated valve and the fuel outlet, the check valve being biased in a closed position,
wherein the actuated valve opens inwardly relative to the pre-chamber fuel admission valve to prevent leakage of fuel into the pre-chamber, and
wherein the check valve opens outwardly relative to the pre-chamber fuel admission valve to prevent backflow into the pre-chamber fuel admission valve,
wherein the check valve is configured to open and allow the fuel to exit the fuel outlet in response to a fuel pressure exceeding a pre-chamber pressure plus a bias pressure, and the check valve is configured to close in response to the pre-chamber pressure plus the bias pressure exceeding the fuel pressure.

15. The pre-chamber ignition system according to claim 14 , further comprising:
an annular sealing surface disposed about the fuel outlet; and
a conical sealing member configured to mate with the annular sealing surface to close the check valve.

16. The pre-chamber ignition system according to claim 15 , further comprising a pintle assembly configured to translate axially within a check valve central bore, the pintle assemb

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Ge Xinyu

Classifications

• F02M63/0007

  using electrically actuated valves (injection valves F02M51/06) · 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

• F02B19/12 Primary

  with positive ignition (engines with non-timed positive ignition, and with incandescent chambers F02B9/08) · CPC title

• F02M57/06

  the devices being sparking plugs · CPC title

• F02M61/06 Primary

  the valves being furnished at seated ends with pintle or plug shaped extensions · CPC title