With Ignition Means Particularly Positioned Relative To Precombustion And Main Combustion Chambers Patents (Class 123/260)
  • Patent number: 11591997
    Abstract: The objective is to obtain an internal-combustion-engine ignition apparatus that raises the ignitability at a time when a smolder occurs. An internal-combustion-engine ignition apparatus having a main combustion chamber and a subsidiary combustion chamber includes an ignition plug, an ignition coil having a primary coil, a secondary coil, and a tertiary coil, a first switching circuit that turns on or off energization of the primary coil, a second switching circuit that turns on or off energization of the tertiary coil, and a control apparatus that estimates a combustion state, that performs on/off-control of the first switching circuit so that a spark discharge is produced in the ignition plug and that performs on/off-control of the second switching circuit so that magnetic flux in the tertiary coil is changed so as to increase a secondary current, when deterioration of a combustion state has been estimated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11591951
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a pre-combustion chamber assembly, comprising (a) a body, having a cylindrical end portion having a step-wise increase in diameter forming a sealing surface for sealing to an engine; (b) a tip, with a hollow shaft in fluid communication with a combustion region of the tip, where the shaft has a first shaft diameter that allows the shaft to be slid over a portion of the body; (c) a gasket mounted about the body and resting against the sealing surface, wherein the gasket comprises a wire wound washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Tracy Northington
  • Patent number: 11566559
    Abstract: A precombustion chamber gas engine includes a main-chamber forming portion forming a main combustion chamber, a precombustion-chamber forming portion forming a precombustion chamber communicating with the main combustion chamber via a plurality of nozzle holes, and an ignition device disposed in the precombustion chamber and having an ignition portion spaced from a main chamber central axis of the main combustion chamber at a predetermined distance. In a plan view, the precombustion chamber has a near-ignition region including the ignition portion and a far-ignition region opposite to the near-ignition region separated by a borderline passing through a precombustion chamber central axis of the precombustion chamber and perpendicular to a straight line passing through the precombustion chamber central axis and the ignition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nomura, Daisuke Takemoto, Satoshi Yamada, Akihiro Yuuki, Shunya Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11506168
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a combustion chamber with a cylinder head, a cylinder, and a piston. The internal combustion engine also includes at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve that are connected to the combustion chamber, a fuel injector that injects fuel into the combustion chamber, at least two ignition devices arranged in the combustion chamber, and control means that control the valves, the injector, and the ignition means. The control means operate the engine according to different combustion modes including a controlled ignition combustion mode, a compression ignition combustion mode, and an assisted compression ignition combustion mode. The control means activate the ignition means in the assisted compression ignition combustion mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Sebastien Houille, Virginie Morel, Sankesh Durgada
  • Patent number: 11434862
    Abstract: The objective is to provide an internal-combustion-engine controller that can diagnose a smolder state in a subsidiary combustion chamber of a subsidiary-chamber-type internal combustion engine at low cost and in real time and that can perform control so as to securely produce a spark discharge. The controller controls an internal combustion engine in which a fuel-air mixture in the main combustion chamber is ignited with combustion gas to be injected through an orifice provided in a subsidiary combustion chamber; the controller includes an ignition plug and a detection probe arranged in the subsidiary combustion chamber, an ignition coil, a fuel injector, a smolder detector, and a smolder diagnosis device, and controls at least one of the ignition coil and the fuel injector in accordance with a diagnostic result in the smolder diagnosis device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kimihiko Tanaya
  • Patent number: 11424600
    Abstract: A spark plug includes a tubular metal shell; an insulator including a locking portion locked onto the metal shell; and a cap disposed at a front end side of the metal shell, the cap having a plurality of orifices. The plurality of orifices include orifices with different cross-sectional areas. A sum of the number of one or more largest orifices and the number of one or more large orifices that have a cross-sectional area of larger than or equal to 90% of the one or more largest orifices is smaller than the number of orifices that are other than the one or more largest orifices and the one or more large orifices. A length of the front end portion in an axial direction between a front end of the insulator and a front end of the locking portion is smaller than or equal to 12 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Gozawa, Shunsuke Maeda, Daiki Goto
  • Patent number: 11371419
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a pre-chamber. In one example, a pre-chamber comprises a plurality of slots fluidly coupling it to a primary combustion chamber. The plurality of slots comprising a plurality of corresponding flaps configured to direct gases through the plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Claudia Olivia Iyer, James Yi
  • Patent number: 11359537
    Abstract: A spark ignition engine includes: a pre-chamber (PC); a main chamber (MC); and a cylinder head coupled with a water jacket. The PC includes: a spark plug; and a PC body. The spark plug is surrounded by a jacket with thermal-conductive substance. The thermal-conductive substance is solid at room temperature and liquid at working temperature of the PC. At working temperature of the PC, the liquid thermal-conductive substance conducts heat from the spark plug to the water jacket. The PC body is coated with a layer of non-thermal-conductive substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Patrick Gastaldi
  • Patent number: 11346318
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for multiplexing ignition signals in an engine system based on engine operating conditions, each cylinder of the engine system including a main chamber spark plug and a pre-chamber system. In one example, a method may include multiplexing spark signals to a first spark plug and a second spark plug, the first spark plug coupled to a pre-chamber of a first cylinder and the second spark plug coupled to a main chamber of a second cylinder. In this way, one ignition coil may be used to actuate two different spark plugs coupled to separate cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Michael Damian Czekala
  • Patent number: 11333061
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a prechamber. In one example, a system comprises a reservoir fluidly coupled to a prechamber and a compressor. The reservoir is configured to store boost air or residual gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11313300
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the start of an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine is equipped with an ignition device comprising a fuel-fed prechamber to ignite an air-fuel mixture in a main combustion chamber. In order to reduce the emissions of the internal combustion engine during engine start a prechamber heating operations is performed by injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the prechamber and igniting an air-fuel-mixture therein, while the main fuel injector is deactivated during at least a first engine cycle after engine start request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Yoneya, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11313270
    Abstract: The present invention uses an improved engineered metal seal with or without an internal energized spring that is disposed in a pre-combustion chamber apparatus assembly to improve sealing over the flat washer seals that are currently used. The seals of the present invention comprise at least three different geometrical configurations of seals that are manufactured from titanium, Inconel, and/or hastelloy. The design of the tip and body of the pre-combustion chamber provide for movement of the seal without leaking. The sealing is provided on the axial surfaces of the tip and the body instead of the face of the tip and body by a flat washer seal, as is currently done.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Tracy Northington
  • Patent number: 11306648
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a cylinder head having a cylinder roof defining first and second intake ports. The cylinder head supports a spark plug positioned between a central axis of the cylinder roof and a fuel injector. A combustion pre-chamber is connected to and extends outwardly from the roof. The pre-chamber encapsulates the spark plug, and is offset from the central axis and positioned between the central axis and the first and second intake ports. The pre-chamber defines an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture positioned along a spray streamline of the fuel injector, and defines first and second side apertures. Each side aperture is positioned adjacent to a respective one of the first and second intake ports. A method of operating an engine having a pre-chamber is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11300039
    Abstract: A precombustion chamber gas engine includes a main-chamber forming portion forming a main combustion chamber, and a precombustion-chamber forming portion forming a precombustion chamber communicating with the main combustion chamber via a plurality of nozzle holes. The precombustion-chamber forming portion includes a cylindrical portion extending along an extension direction of a precombustion chamber central axis of the precombustion-chamber forming portion, and a tip portion closing a main-combustion-chamber-side end of the cylindrical portion and having the nozzle holes. The tip portion includes a thin region having a thickness T satisfying T<L where L is a length of each nozzle hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kashiwagi, Daigo Watanabe, Yuta Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11187142
    Abstract: A diesel engine employs a turbulent jet ignition system and method. In another aspect, diesel fuel and air are premixed prior to introduction of the mixture into a main engine combustion chamber. A further aspect employs a turbocharger compressor to boost air pressure into a main piston combustion chamber and/or an ignition pre-chamber for missing with a heavy fuel, such as diesel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Harold Schock, Guoming Zhu
  • Patent number: 11105256
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a pre-chamber. In one example, a pre-chamber comprises a plurality of slots fluidly coupling it to a primary combustion chamber. The plurality of slots comprising a plurality of corresponding flaps configured to direct gases through the plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Claudia Olivia Iyer, James Yi
  • Patent number: 11105255
    Abstract: The invention is provided with an ignition control section and an injection control section. When partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the ignition control section causes an ignition plug to carry out: main ignition in which a spark is generated in a late period of a compression stroke or an initial period of an expansion stroke to initiate SI combustion; and preceding ignition in which the spark is generated at earlier timing than the main ignition. Also, when the partial compression ignition combustion is carried out, the injection control section causes an injector to inject fuel at such timing that the fuel exists in a cylinder at an earlier time point than the preceding ignition. Ignition timing of the preceding ignition is set to be more retarded when fuel concentration specified by a fuel concentration specification section is low than when the fuel concentration is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Keiji Maruyama, Masanari Sueoka, Ryohei Ono, Yuji Harada, Toru Miyamoto, Atsushi Inoue, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Takuya Ohura, Yusuke Kawai, Tomohiro Nishida, Keita Arai, Yodai Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11066979
    Abstract: Combustion cylinder (10) of an internal combustion engine, having a combustion chamber wall (20), which surrounds a combustion chamber (30), and a combustion chamber cover (40), which closes off the combustion chamber (30) on the upper side, wherein at least one inlet valve (50) for letting in a fluid is arranged on an inlet side (42) in the combustion chamber cover (40), and at least one outlet valve (60) for letting out a fluid is arranged on an outlet side (44) in the combustion chamber cover (40), wherein, furthermore, a prechamber spark plug (70) is arranged between the at least one inlet valve (50) and the at least one outlet valve (60) in the combustion chamber cover (40), which prechamber spark plug is arranged between the at least one inlet valve (50) and an injector (80) for injecting combustion fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Andre Casal Kulzer
  • Patent number: 11060443
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for increasing an amount of oxygen in a pre-chamber of a cylinder prior to combustion. In one example, a method may include purging residual gases from a pre-chamber to a cylinder via a pre-chamber air injection, and reducing a flow of the oxygen from the pre-chamber to the cylinder via a cylinder fuel injection directed toward an orifice fluidically connecting the pre-chamber with the cylinder. In this way, a composition of pre-chamber gases may be adjusted during a combustion cycle of a cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Lyle Thomas, Ross Pursifull, Adam Nathan Banker, Mark Meinhart, David Bidner, Michael Damian Czekala
  • Patent number: 11053883
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a cylinder for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber and a squish area disposed at or around a base of the at least one combustion chamber, wherein the at least one combustion chamber comprises a paraboloidal cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventor: Richard William Condon
  • Patent number: 11002178
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a pre-chamber. In one example, a pre-chamber comprises a plurality of venturi passages fluidly coupling it to a primary combustion chamber. The plurality of venturi passages may be configured to assist in drawing out residual gases from a previous combustion event during a current combustion event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10975759
    Abstract: A spark plug is disclosed that includes at least one bore extending through a shell of the spark plug in order to form a passageway between an annular volume around the spark plug insulator nose and a pre-chamber volume of a pre-chamber device, thus directing a purge of exhaust gases trapped in the annular volume to a space formed by the exterior of the spark plug body and the interior of the pre-chamber device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Alan C. Anderson, William Marshall Cover, Xu Han, Benjamin L. Olivas, Daniel J. O'Connor, Daniel Guillermo Gonzalez Medina, Xiao Qin, Nicholas James Welch, Andrew Guy Kitchen
  • Patent number: 10968817
    Abstract: In a spark-ignition internal combustion engine in which a protrusion including an intake-side inclined surface and an exhaust-side inclined surface is formed on a top surface of a piston, and a cavity is formed in the protrusion at a position associated with a spark plug, the intake-side inclined surface and the exhaust-side inclined surface are formed in such a way that an inclination angle of the exhaust-side inclined surface is smaller than an inclination angle of the intake-side inclined surface, and a difference in inclination angle between the intake-side inclined surface and the exhaust-side inclined surface is 4 degrees or larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shuma Aoki, Hiroaki Muranaka, Naohiro Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka Wada
  • Patent number: 10947948
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for multiplexing ignition signals in an engine system based on engine operating conditions, each cylinder of the engine system including a main chamber spark plug and a pre-chamber system. In one example, a method may include multiplexing spark signals to a first spark plug and a second spark plug, the first spark plug coupled to a pre-chamber of a first cylinder and the second spark plug coupled to a main chamber of a second cylinder. In this way, one ignition coil may be used to actuate two different spark plugs coupled to separate cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Michael Damian Czekala
  • Patent number: 10833485
    Abstract: A pre-chamber spark plug having a shell, an insulator disposed at least partially within the shell, a center electrode disposed at least partially within the insulator, a ground electrode forming a spark gap with the center electrode, and a pre-chamber cap connected to the shell and forming a pre-chamber. The pre-chamber cap includes two or more openings that are configured so that at least one inflowing fuel-air mixture jet is directed to a pre-chamber wall gap so as to flush out or remove gas from a previous ignition cycle. The two or more openings are angled so that a first inflowing fuel-air mixture jet of a first opening does not intersect with a second inflowing fuel air-mixture jet of a second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: FEDERAL-MOGUL IGNITION GMBH
    Inventors: Werner Niessner, Peter Janas, Alexander Ott
  • Patent number: 10704522
    Abstract: An ignition control device includes a main ignition circuit to generate a spark discharge to a spark plug by controlling energization of a primary coil of an ignition coil for an internal combustion engine, an energy supply circuit that supplies energy based on a discharge continuation signal by controlling the energization of the primary coil during the spark discharge started by the operation of the main ignition circuit to supply a secondary current in the same direction as a main ignition continuously in a secondary coil of the ignition coil, a secondary current command circuit for outputting a command value of the secondary current based on the secondary current command signal, and an ignition control unit for setting signal values of the secondary current command signal and the discharge continuation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunichi Takeda, Mitsunobu Niwa, Hisaharu Morita
  • Patent number: 10639777
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive-in device, comprising a drive-in piston, guided in a cylinder, for driving a nail member into a workpiece, and a combustion chamber arranged above the drive-in piston, said combustion chamber being Tillable with a combustion gas, wherein the combustion chamber has a bottom that is adjustable along an axis, wherein the bottom has a groove that extends in the circumferential direction and has an inserted seal which bears in a radial direction against a rigid combustion-chamber wall, wherein a front surface, in the axial direction, of the seal protrudes in the direction of the axis from a terminating plane of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: HILTI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Peter Stauss-Reiner, Norbert Heeb, Thomas Sperrfechter, Markus Woerner, Tilo Dittrich
  • Patent number: 10563569
    Abstract: A diesel combustion system including a piston, an annular impinging block, and a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is divided by the annular impinging block into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The annular impinging block includes a lower guide surface that is adjacent to the lower chamber and that extends from a trough line connected to the piston to a crest line. The ratios among the inner diameter of the top of the piston, the outer diameter of the top of the piston, the diameter of the trough line, and the diameter of the crest line define the shape of the combustion chamber which leads to increased rate of combustion, reduced soot emission, and increased fuel efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Wuqiang Long, Hua Tian, Jiangping Tian, Yao Fu, Jingchen Cui, Kai Sheng, Ping Yi, Kunpeng Qi, Qiang Zhang, Yicong Wang
  • Patent number: 10400696
    Abstract: A method for starting an internal combustion engine comprises the steps of: providing an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder and a piston supported at a crankshaft for repeated reciprocal movement in the cylinder so as to define a main combustion chamber, the internal combustion engine further having an ignition device arranged in said cylinder with an igniter portion and a fuel injector which are both arranged at a pre-chamber, wherein the pre-chamber has a plurality of orifices for providing fluid communication between said pre-chamber and the main combustion chamber, injecting fuel in the pre-chamber, and igniting the injected fuel in the pre-chamber for pre-heating of the pre-chamber prior to injecting fuel in the main combustion chamber for combusting the injected fuel in the main combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: MAHLE POWERTRAIN, LLC
    Inventors: Hugh Blaxill, Michael Bunce
  • Patent number: 10202891
    Abstract: An object is to provide a precombustion-chamber gas engine in which occurrence of knocking is restricted. The precombustion-chamber gas engine includes: a cylinder; a cylinder head; a piston delimiting a main combustion chamber with the cylinder head; a precombustion-chamber cap delimiting a precombustion chamber inside thereof and including a plurality of nozzle holes through which the precombustion chamber is in communication with the main combustion chamber; an intake valve for opening and closing an intake port that opens on the cylinder head; and an exhaust valve for opening and closing an exhaust port that opens on the cylinder head. In a planar view where the cylinder head is seen from below, there are at least one intake-side nozzle hole and at least one exhaust-side nozzle hole, and a total nozzle-hole area of the at least one intake-side nozzle hole is larger than that of the at least one exhaust-side nozzle hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Oda, Kengo Tanaka, Akihiro Yuuki
  • Patent number: 10180124
    Abstract: A laser igniter that avoids autoignition and soot formation within the prechamber and will minimize the formation of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). The laser igniter has a laser spark plug with a microlaser and a prechamber integrally formed with the laser spark plug. The prechamber has six nozzle holes with three of the nozzle holes having a large diameter and three of the nozzle holes having a small diameter. The large and small nozzle holes are in a staggered arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Sreenath Gupta, Roberto Torelli
  • Patent number: 10037846
    Abstract: An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine includes an annular elastic seal which is tightly attached to a high-voltage tower and a plug installed in the high-voltage tower to be conductible with a spark plug. The elastic seal hermetically seals a gap between the high-voltage tower and the plug and also functions as a buffer to absorb stress, as exerted from the plug on a case of the ignition coil. This enables the case to be reduced in size as a whole without having to partially increase the wall thickness of the case to ensure a required degree of stiffness of the case and also results in improved degree of hermetic sealing between the plug and the high-voltage tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsunori Akimoto
  • Patent number: 9929539
    Abstract: A prechamber spark plug for igniting a fuel-air mixture in an internal combustion engine, in particular a gas engine, having a spark plug body (1) comprising a prechamber housing (2) and a cap (4) that closes the prechamber (3) at least partially, a ground electrode (10) and a central electrode (7) isolated from the ground electrode and projecting into the prechamber, is designed and developed with simple structural means in order to obtain advantageous igniting properties, the ground electrode (10) being designed for that purpose essentially as a cylindrical pin (11) that can be welded in a passage (12), preferably a bore (12), in the spark plug body (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: DKT Verwaltungs-GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Maul, Steffen Kuhnert
  • Patent number: 9670827
    Abstract: A pre-chamber is provided. In one embodiment, the pre-chamber is part of a two-stroke combustion engine having a cylinder head with a sparkplug receptacle that has a generally frustoconical shape, and the pre-chamber is coupled to the sparkplug receptacle. The pre-chamber may include a cooling jacket with a generally frustoconical shape and a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, which may be narrower than the upper zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Compression Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Taliaferro
  • Patent number: 9638146
    Abstract: A gasoline direct-injection engine is provided. The engine performs compression self-ignition combustion, and includes a cylinder, an injector, intake and exhaust ports, intake and exhaust valves, and an ozone generating system for generating ozone inside the cylinder. The system includes an electrode projecting into the cylinder while being partially electrically insulated from walls of the cylinder, and a high-voltage control device for applying a controlled pulse-shaped voltage to the electrode. When the voltage is applied, electric discharge occurs between the non-insulated part of the electrode and the walls of the cylinder, and ozone is generated inside the cylinder due to an effect of the electric discharge. A combustion pattern is provided, in which a compression stroke injection is performed and mixture gas formed by the fuel injection self-ignites to combust. When the combustion pattern is applied, the high-voltage control device is operated on intake stroke or the compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Fujimoto, Yuji Harada, Masatoshi Seto, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9534575
    Abstract: What is described is a method for igniting a fuel/air mixture in a combustion chamber of an engine, wherein a pencil, which is electrically insulated with respect to walls of the combustion chamber and contains a heating resistor, is electrically heated to a temperature of at least 800° C. in the combustion chamber of the engine by applying a heating voltage, and a high voltage of at least 500 V, which is different from the heating voltage, is applied to the pencil and thereby ions are generated in the combustion chamber by field emission of electrons. The invention additionally relates to an ignition system and a glow plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Eberhardt, Martin Allgaier
  • Patent number: 9500118
    Abstract: A prechamber spark plug may have a prechamber having a pre-determined aspect ratio and hole pattern to achieve particular combustion performance characteristics. The aspect ratio and hole pattern may induce a rotational flow of fuel-air in-filling streams inside the prechamber volume. The rotational flow of the fuel-air mixture may include both radial flow and axial flow characteristics based on the aspect ratio and hole pattern. Axial flow characteristics can include a first axial direction proximate the periphery of the rotational flow and a counter second axial direction approaching the center of the rotational flow. The radial and axial flow characteristics may further include radial air-fuel ratio stratification and/or axial air-fuel ratio stratification. The rotational flow, the radial flow and the axial flow may be adjusted by alteration of the aspect ratio and hole pattern to achieve particular combustion performance characteristics in relation to a wide variety of spark gap geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Prometheus Applied Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luigi P. Tozzi, Maria-Emmanuella Sotiropoulou
  • Patent number: 9476348
    Abstract: A prechamber spark plug may have a prechamber having a pre-determined aspect ratio and hole pattern to achieve particular combustion performance characteristics. The aspect ratio and hole pattern may induce a rotational flow of fuel-air in-filling streams inside the prechamber volume. The rotational flow of the fuel-air mixture may include both radial flow and axial flow characteristics based on the aspect ratio and hole pattern. Axial flow characteristics can include a first axial direction proximate the periphery of the rotational flow and a counter second axial direction approaching the center of the rotational flow. The radial and axial flow characteristics may further include radial air-fuel ratio stratification and/or axial air-fuel ratio stratification. The rotational flow, the radial flow and the axial flow may be adjusted by alteration of the aspect ratio and hole pattern to achieve particular combustion performance characteristics in relation to a wide variety of spark gap geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Prometheus Applied Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luigi P. Tozzi, Maria-Emmanuella Sotiropoulou
  • Patent number: 9316144
    Abstract: A pre-chamber system for an internal combustion engine, in particular for a gas engine, includes a pre-chamber volume in which an ignitable fuel-air mixture can be fired by an ignition device which can be arranged at the pre-chamber system. The pre-chamber system has a flow transfer passage by which the pre-chamber volume can be connected to a main combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The pre-chamber volume includes an ignition region and a flow transfer region which is at least portion-wise delimited from the ignition region by an intermediate wall. The fuel-air mixture can be fired in the ignition region, and the flow transfer passage opens into the flow transfer region and there is provided an air feed passage. Preferably compressed air can be fed to the flow transfer region by way of the air feed passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: GE JENBACHER GMBH & CO OG
    Inventor: Friedrich Gruber
  • Patent number: 9163573
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are enclosed for an internal combustion engine system for industrial applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Inventor: Chris Wallake
  • Patent number: 9010292
    Abstract: A laser spark plug, in particular for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, is described. A connection arrangement is provided in an end region of the laser spark plug facing the combustion chamber. The connection arrangement allow the laser spark plug to be connected to a prechamber module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Herden
  • Patent number: 9004042
    Abstract: A prechamber spark plug may have a prechamber having a pre-determined aspect ratio and hole pattern to achieve particular combustion performance characteristics. The aspect ratio and hole pattern may induce a rotational flow of fuel-air in-filling streams inside the prechamber volume. The rotational flow of the fuel-air mixture may include both radial flow and axial flow characteristics based on the aspect ratio and hole pattern. Axial flow characteristics can include a first axial direction proximate the periphery of the rotational flow and a counter second axial direction approaching the center of the rotational flow. The radial and axial flow characteristics may further include radial air-fuel ratio stratification and/or axial air-fuel ratio stratification. The rotational flow, the radial flow and the axial flow may be adjusted by alteration of the aspect ratio and hole pattern to achieve particular combustion performance characteristics in relation to a wide variety of spark gap geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Prometheus Applied Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luigi P Tozzi, Maria-Emmanuella Sotiropoulou
  • Publication number: 20150020764
    Abstract: An igniter system for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine having one or more cylinders including at least one igniter per cylinder is disclosed. The igniter system can comprise: a combustion chamber connected to a main cylinder of the engine by a restricted diameter bore, wherein a lean burn fuel mixture is introduced into the combustion chamber by the normal compression stroke of the engine; a hydrogen valve that injects a hydrogen rich gas into the combustion chamber forming a mixture of hydrogen and air having a hydrogen concentration above the stoichiometric ratio for hydrogen and air in the combustion chamber; and a spark ignition source that injects hot unburned hydrogen into the main cylinder, thereby initiating ignition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: V-GRID Energy Systems
    Inventor: Michael Cheiky
  • Patent number: 8875678
    Abstract: A system including a free-radical ignition system, including a pre-combustion chamber, an air intake coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, a fuel intake coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, an ignition source coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, a free-radical injection passage coupled to the pre-combustion chamber, and a quench system coupled to the pre-combustion chamber or the free-radical injection passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Compression Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Everette R. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8844491
    Abstract: A laser spark plug, e.g., for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle or a heavy-duty gas engine, has an antechamber for receiving an ignitable medium and a combustion chamber window which separates the antechamber from a part of the laser spark plug facing away from the combustion chamber. At least one flow-guiding element is provided in the antechamber and is situated in such a way that it deflects a fluid flow, which occurs in the antechamber and moves toward the combustion chamber window, into a radially inner direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Weinrotter, Igor Orlandini, Werner Herden, Pascal Woerner, Juergen Raimann
  • Patent number: 8839762
    Abstract: Air/fuel mixture is received from a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine into an enclosure about a flame kernel initiation gap between a first ignition body and a second ignition body. Air/fuel mixture received into the enclosure is directed into a flame kernel initiation gap. The mixture is then ignited in the flame kernel initiation gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Domenico Chiera, Gregory James Hampson, Nolan Polley
  • Publication number: 20140261296
    Abstract: In certain embodiments with large size prechambers and/or with prechambers that have large spark-gap electrode assemblies, a poor scavenge of the crevice volume may cause deterioration of the preignition margin, which then may limit the power rating of the engine, may cause the flow velocity field of the fuel-air mixture to be excessively uneven and may result in the deterioration of the misfire limit. One or more auxiliary scavenging ports may allow admission of fuel rich mixture to the crevice volume, thereby cooling the residual gases and preventing occurrence of preignition. More organized and powerful flow velocity fields may be obtained in the spark-gap electrode assembly region. This condition may result in a significant extension of the flammability limit and may significantly improve the combustion efficiency of the prechamber. Passive prechambers using the active scavenge concept may increase the engine power output and reduce the emission of pollutants from engine combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Prometheus Applied Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Maria Emmanuella Sotiropoulou, Luigi P. Tozzi
  • Publication number: 20140251259
    Abstract: Pre-chamber system for an internal combustion engine with: -a pre-chamber having a wall, -a spark plug having at least one electrode, -a gas introduction device, particularly a gas valve, -a gas channel connecting the gas introduction device to the pre-chamber via an inlet opening, -a rise channel for connecting the pre-chamber to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, -a guiding device for influencing the flow of the gas in the pre-chamber, said guiding device being arranged adjacent to the inlet opening in such a manner that in operation, a volume flow of hot gas flowing into the pre-chamber via the rise channel and reaching the electrode of the spark plug is reduced by the guiding device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: GE Jenbacher GmbH & Co OG
    Inventors: Frederic DUMSER, Florian BECKER
  • Publication number: 20140224208
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating at least one precombustion chamber-fired internal combustion engine, in particular a stationary gas Otto cycle engine, having a pilot chamber and a main combustion chamber associated with the precombustion chamber, wherein a gas mixture is fed to the precombustion chamber as flushing gas, wherein a synthesis gas generated in a fuel reformer and a fuel from a fuel source are fed to the flushing gas and wherein a fuel and at least one further substance stream are fed to the fuel reformer for the reforming process, wherein at least one operating parameter of the at least one internal combustion engine is monitored, wherein in accordance with a change in the at least one operating parameter the chemical composition of the flushing gas is modified by changing the mass stream of the at least one further substance stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: GE Jenbacher GmbH & Co OG
    Inventors: Friedrich GRUBER, Guenther WALL
  • Publication number: 20140165958
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a precombustion chamber structure for a gas engine. The precombustion chamber structure is configured to facilitate disassembly of a precombustion chamber tip, thus making maintenance, repair or inspection of the precombustion chamber easy. For this, the precombustion chamber structure includes: a body (110) having a main body (111), a water jacket (112) and a precombustion chamber tip (113); and a spark plug (120) for igniting fuel gas injected into the precombustion chamber (114) formed in the body (110). The precombustion chamber structure ignites fuel gas and supplies the ignited fuel gas into a main combustion chamber. A tool insert groove (1131) is formed in the junction between the precombustion chamber tip and the water jacket. The tool insert groove (1131) allows a tool for disassembly to be inserted into a space between the precombustion chamber tip and the water jacket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae-Jin Lee, Kwang-Cheol Heo, Chae-Soon Lim, Jong-Suk Kim