Combination Igniting Means And Injector Patents (Class 123/297)
  • Patent number: 11795851
    Abstract: An electrical heating unit H for introduction into the exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine, in particular upstream with respect to an exhaust gas purification unit, for instance a catalytic converter, which for its operation requires a temperature higher than the ambient temperature, comprises a casing (13) and at least one resistance heating element (14) which is designed as a band and is retained inside the casing (13), wherein the at least one heating band (14) is arranged so that it runs in a meandering pattern and with its flat face parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the casing (13). The heating unit H also comprises at least one support structure (19, 19.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HJS EMISSION TECHNOLOGY GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Simon Steigert, Jochen Koll, Frank Röse
  • Patent number: 11739937
    Abstract: A plasma injection module includes a fuel receiving end, a discharge end opposite the fuel receiving end, and an axial fluid pathway extending between the fuel receiving end and the discharge end. An insulator assembly defines a first portion of the axial fluid pathway proximate to the fuel receiving end. An injection tube assembly having a permanent magnet is positioned downstream of the insulator. A voltage input connection is arranged downstream of the insulator assembly and upstream of the injection tube assembly. The voltage input connection secures a voltage source to the injection tube to form a plasma filament within and adjacent to the axial fluid pathway. During operation a permanent magnet produces a magnetic field that interacts with the plasma filament to rotate the plasma filament and increase an area of ignition between the plasma filament and the combustible material at the discharge end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: University of Notre Dame du Lac
    Inventor: Sergey B. Leonov
  • Patent number: 11536139
    Abstract: A rotary piston and cylinder device (1) comprising a rotor (2), a stator (4) and a rotatable shutter (3), the rotor comprising a piston (5) which extends from the rotor into a working chamber, the rotor and the stator together defining a working chamber, the shutter arranged to extend through the working chamber and forming a partition therein, and the shutter comprising a slot which allows passage of the piston therethrough, a bearing (20) which mounts the rotor relative to the stator, the rotor comprising a formation (12; 30) which extends substantially axially away from the chamber, and the formation being radially outward of the bearing and extending around the axis of rotation, and the formation comprising a surface which at least in part defines a space between the rotor and the stator, and at least part of that space and/or the formation overlaps in an axial direction with the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Lontra Limited
    Inventor: Stephen Francis Lindsey
  • Patent number: 11473551
    Abstract: This disclosure presents, in one or more embodiments, an ignition device for a gasoline compression ignition engine. The ignition device includes a shuttle plunger with a gas chamber. The gas chamber is delimited by at least one sidewall of the shuttle plunger and captures exhaust gases. The ignition device also includes an electromagnetic coil that actuates the shuttle plunger in a first direction, a main body with a cavity containing the shuttle plunger and the electromagnetic coil, and a center electrode, fixed to the shuttle plunger, that ignites a fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
    Inventor: Nayan Engineer
  • Patent number: 11208311
    Abstract: A device for influencing the volume flow of a filling product in a filling plant for filling with filling products includes a valve body with a valve seat and a valve cone which can be displaced relative to the valve seat, an actuator for positioning the valve cone relative to the valve seat, an electronic controller for controlling the actuator, and a housing which is directly connected to the valve body and in which the actuator and the electronic controller are disposed. An arrangement for reducing a heat input into the electronic controller is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Florian Angerer, Josef Doblinger
  • Patent number: 11053904
    Abstract: A fuel injector is described which is able to be preassembled in a receiving opening of a fuel-distributor line in a loss-proof manner in a structural unit in the form of a fuel charge assembly for transport to the final assembly at the vehicle manufacturer. A radial support disk for preventing the loss of the fuel injector is disposed on the inflow-side end of the inlet pipe by press-fitting the radial support disk in the receiving opening. The fuel injector is particularly suitable for the direct injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of a mixture-compressing internal combustion engine having externally supplied ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Jung, Nelly Krause, Tobias Keller
  • Patent number: 10941746
    Abstract: An igniter (09) includes an elongated tubular housing (10) with a polygonal top (14) having a central aperture (16) defined therein, communicating into a central chamber (20) along a longitudinal axis to an end at a base (18). A terminal (13a) projects from the polygonal top (14). A channel (11a) along a longitudinal axis is formed within the housing (10) in which is mounted an insulator (15). At least a portion of the insulator (15) may extend from the base (18). An electrode (13) connected to the terminal (13a) or (13b) is embedded within the insulator (15), to an end in the base (18). Prongs (19) extend from the electrode (13) towards the outer periphery of the housing (10) or towards the central chamber (20). The prongs (19) end in proximity to the outer housing wall (11), or the inner housing wall (12). The prongs (19) may be one or more projections and have sharp edges for multiple and increased spark presentations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventor: Alfred Anthony Black
  • Patent number: 10823127
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a fuel injector. In one example, a system may include a fuel injector having a half-annular venturi shaped outlet passage arranged between an outlet surface of the fuel injector and a half-cone shaped end portion of a nozzle. The nozzle may further comprise one or more air entraining features working in tandem with the half-annular venturi outlet passage to promote air-fuel mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xiaogang Zhang
  • Patent number: 10364740
    Abstract: An engine additive fluid port includes a series of material layers arranged as a first oblong hollow member configured to seamlessly surround at least a portion of an intake port of an integrated cylinder head. The member penetrates into a cavity of the intake port via a plurality of nozzles featuring apertures capable of spraying a first fluid into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Donald Wicks
  • Patent number: 10161626
    Abstract: Various technologies presented herein relate to enhancing mixing inside a combustion chamber to form one or more locally premixed mixtures comprising fuel and charge-gas to enable minimal, or no, generation of soot and/or other undesired emissions during ignition and subsequent combustion of the locally premixed mixtures. To enable sufficient mixing of the fuel and charge-gas, a jet of fuel can be directed to pass through a bore of a duct causing charge-gas to be drawn into the bore creating turbulence to mix the fuel and the drawn charge-gas. The duct can be located proximate to an opening in a tip of a fuel injector. The various technologies presented herein can be utilized in a number of combustion systems, such as compression-ignition (CI) reciprocating engines, spark-ignition (SI) reciprocating engines, gas-turbine (GT) engines, burners and boilers, wellhead/refinery flaring, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventor: Charles J. Mueller
  • Patent number: 9970400
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Xinyu Ge
  • Patent number: 9726131
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve in which a valve element is formed at a distal end thereof with a flat portion 13c which is substantially parallel with an injection hole plate 11, injection hole entrances 12a are arranged inside an imaginary envelop 15 along an intersection between an extension 10b of a downstream inner wall of a seat portion of a valve seat and an upstream plane 11c of the injection hole plate and outside the flat plane at the distal end of the valve element, and the relation between the vertical distance h between the flat plane at the distal end of the valve element and the upstream plane of the injection hole plate with the valve opened and the diameter d of the injection hole entrance is h<d, and the injection hole 12 is formed to be inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of the thickness of the injection hole plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoya Hashii, Keishi Nakano, Tsuyoshi Munezane
  • Patent number: 9689362
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve equipped with an in-cylinder pressure sensor is provided, in which the fuel injection valve is fitted into an injection valve mounting hole provided in an engine, the in-cylinder pressure sensor is attached to a valve housing part of the fuel injection valve, the in-cylinder pressure sensor having a front end facing the combustion chamber and detecting a pressure of the combustion chamber, and a signal transmission device is connected to the in-cylinder pressure sensor, the signal transmission device transmitting an output signal thereof to an outside. The signal transmission device is disposed on the valve housing part and covered together with a part of the valve housing part by an insulating layer. In such arrangement, the signal transmission device is protected by the insulating layer, and a contact between the signal transmission device and an inner face of the injection valve mounting hole is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Gaku Sato, Yuki Kojima, Nakaya Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9693442
    Abstract: To make it easy to adjust a location of an emission antenna in a plasma generation device that generates plasma by a discharge and enlarges the plasma by an electromagnetic wave. A plasma generation device 30 includes an electromagnetic wave generation device 31, an emission antenna 16, a high voltage generation device 14, and a discharge electrode 15. The emission antenna 16 forms a discharge gap together with the discharge electrode 15 which a high voltage outputted from the high voltage generation device 14 is applied to. The plasma generation device 30 enlarges discharge plasma using the electromagnetic wave emitted from the emission antenna 16 caused by the electromagnetic wave outputted from the electromagnetic wave generation device 31, where the discharge plasma is generated at the discharge gap by an output of a high voltage from the high voltage generation device 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: IMAGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Yuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9670849
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for refurbishing an engine using ionized air. During a service mode, a service technician may stream ionized air from an external ionized air source to an engine cylinder via the engine intake system. Concurrently, the service technician may connect a service tool to a vehicle diagnostics port to relay operator input, the input allowing a vehicle control system to rotate the engine and adjust engine throttle and cams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Raymond Martin, Kenneth James Miller
  • Patent number: 9651455
    Abstract: A mass-airflow measurement conversion apparatus for internal combustion engine carburetors includes a plurality of pressure sensors disposed at different location along an air intake path of an internal combustion engine, each sensor adapted to sense a pressure of air flowing into the internal combustion engine and output an electrical signal as a pressure signal corresponding to the sensed air pressure; and a calculation section that receives the pressure signals and generates a mass air flow signal as an output signal based on the received pressure signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: BG Soflex, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce A. Bowling, Albert C. Grippo
  • Patent number: 9410474
    Abstract: Embodiments of injectors configured for adaptively injecting multiple different fuels and coolants into a combustion chamber, and for igniting the different fuels, are disclosed herein. An injector according to one embodiment includes a body having a first end portion and a second end portion. The injector further includes a first flow channel extending through the body, and a second flow channel extending through the body that is separate from the first flow channel and electrically isolated from the first flow channel. The first flow channel is configured to receive a first fuel, and the second flow channel is configured to receive at least one of a second fuel and a coolant. The injector further comprises a valve carried by the body that is movable between a closed position and an open position to introduce at least one of the second fuel and the coolant into a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Roy Edward McAlister, Melvin James Larsen
  • Patent number: 9404443
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber and configured to perform at least a compression stroke and a power stroke. The method comprises direct injecting a first substance having a positive Joule-Thomson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke, thereby reducing an amount of work otherwise may be used to perform the compression stroke and direct injecting a second substance having a negative Joule-Thomson coefficient into the combustion chamber during a power stroke, thereby increasing an amount of work otherwise produced from the power stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 9322373
    Abstract: The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods for treating and delivering a fuel to a combustion chamber of an engine in order to improve efficiency of the engine. In one aspect of the invention, a fuel injector that cooperates with an internal combustion engine to combust a first fuel to produce power is presented. The fuel injector includes a fuel inlet, a pre-conditioning vortex chamber, and an excitation chamber. The fuel injector includes a vortex chamber that conforms a pulsed amount of the first fuel to produce a vortex that includes a coherent dynamic pressure wave. The fuel injector also includes an excitation mechanism that at least partially ignites the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ThrivalTech, LLC
    Inventors: Garrett Hill, Scott Lazar, Dustin Stonehouse
  • Patent number: 9297342
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to integrated injector/igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. One example of such an injectors/igniter can include a body having a base portion opposite a nozzle portion. The base portion receives the fuel into the body and the nozzle portion can be positioned adjacent to the combustion chamber. The injector further includes a valve carried by the nozzle portion that is movable between a closed position and an open position to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber. An actuator is coupled the valve and extends longitudinally through the body towards the base portion, and a driver is carried by the body and is movable between a first position and a second position. Thermochemical regeneration of waste heat produced by combustion and associated combustion events is captured and invested in endothermic reactions to improve efficiency of the combustion event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 9222851
    Abstract: A mass-airflow measurement conversion apparatus for internal combustion engine carburetors includes a plurality of pressure sensors disposed at different location along an air intake path of an internal combustion engine, each sensor adapted to sense a pressure of air flowing into the internal combustion engine and output an electrical signal as a pressure signal corresponding to the sensed air pressure; and a calculation section which receives the pressure signals and generates a mass air flow signal as an output signal based on the received pressure signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: BG SOFLEX LLC
    Inventors: Bruce A. Bowling, Albert C. Grippo
  • Patent number: 9175654
    Abstract: Embodiments of injectors suitable for injection ports having relatively small diameters are disclosed herein. An injector according to one embodiment includes a body having a first end portion opposite a second end portion. The second end portion is configured to be positioned adjacent to a combustion chamber and the first end portion is configured to be spaced apart from the combustion chamber. The injector also includes an ignition conductor extending through the body from the first end portion to the second end portion, and an insulator extending longitudinally along the ignition conductor and surrounding at least a portion of the ignition conductor. The injector further includes a valve extending longitudinally along the insulator from the first end portion to the second end portion. The valve includes a sealing end portion, and the valve is movable along the insulator between an open position and a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 9151258
    Abstract: Embodiments of injectors configured for adaptively injecting and igniting various fuels in a combustion chamber are disclosed herein. An injector according to one embodiment includes an end portion configured to be positioned adjacent to a combustion chamber, and an ignition feature carried by the end portion and configured to generate an ignition event. The injector also includes a force generator assembly and a movable valve. The force generator assembly includes a first force generator separate from a second force generator. The first force generator creates a motive force to move the valve between the closed and open positions into the combustion chamber. The second force generator is electrically coupled to the ignition feature and provides voltage to the ignition feature to at least partially generate the ignition event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 9151252
    Abstract: A combustion system is presented. The combustion system includes a hollow combustion chamber having a chamber head, chamber sidewalls, and a chamber bottom. Further, the combustion system includes a fuel injector coupled to the combustion chamber and configured to introduce a plurality of fuel droplets in the combustion chamber. Moreover, the combustion system includes a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on or about the combustion chamber such that an electromagnetic field is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode in response to an applied electric signal, and where the electromagnetic field is configured to control a trajectory of the plurality of fuel droplets within the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yaru Najem Mendez Hernandez, Jorge Carretero Benignos, Joerg Hermann Stromberger, Sean Craig Jenkins
  • Publication number: 20150144094
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. These integrated injectors/igniters can include, for example, multiple drivers used to shape charges, controllers used to modify operations based on ionization parameters, and so on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20150107549
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for adjusting the operation of a gasoline-fueled engine based on monitored conditions within a combustion chamber of the engine. In some cases, the system monitors regions within the combustion chamber, identifies or determines a satisfactory condition, and applies an ionization voltage to a fuel injector to initiate a combustion event during the satisfactory condition. In some cases, the system monitors the conditions within the combustion chamber, determines a monitored condition is associated with an adjustment, and adjusts a parameters of a combustion event in order to adjust ionization levels within a combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • 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: 20150075486
    Abstract: A fuel injector-igniter incorporating adaptive swirl injection and ignition. The fuel injector-igniter comprises a housing, an actuator, and a valve. The valve includes a valve head operative to open and close against a valve seat in response to activation of the actuator. The valve seat includes an electrode portion extending beyond the valve head and within the housing to form at least one gap, such as an annular gap. A current discharge between the housing and electrode portion establishes a plasma and electromagnetic forces driving the plasma from the gap. The injector-igniter may further comprise a power supply connected to the housing and valve seat that is operative to provide the current discharge. The electrode portion includes a plurality of flow shaping features, such as a plurality of twisted fins disposed around the electrode portion and thereby operative to impart a rotation to the plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20150059685
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for injecting and igniting a fuel using corona discharge for combustion. In one aspect, a method to ignite a fuel in an engine includes injecting ionized fuel particles into a combustion chamber of an engine, and generating one or more corona discharges at a particular location within the combustion chamber to ignite the ionized fuel particles, in which the generating includes applying an electric field at electrodes configured at a port of the combustion chamber, the electric field applied at a frequency that does not produce an ion current or spark on or between the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20150059684
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for injecting a fuel using Lorentz forces. In one aspect, a method to inject a fuel includes distributing a fuel between electrodes configured at a port of a chamber, generating an ion current of ionized fuel particles by applying an electric field between the electrodes to ionize at least some of the fuel, and producing a Lorentz force to accelerate the ionized fuel particles into the chamber. In some implementations of the method, the accelerated ionized fuel particles into the chamber initiate a combustion process with oxidant compounds present in the chamber. In some implementations, the method further comprises applying an electric potential on an antenna electrode interfaced at the port to induce a corona discharge into the chamber, in which the corona discharge ignites the ionized fuel particles within the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140373807
    Abstract: A method for converting a fuel-injected diesel engine to be powered by natural gas includes removing a fuel injector from a cylinder of the engine, replacing the removed fuel injector with a combined fuel injection and ignition unit having a natural gas flow path and an ignition device, coupling the natural gas flow path to a pressurized natural gas fuel supply, and connecting the ignition device to an ignition control system. The combined fuel injection and ignition unit is configured to inject the natural gas into the cylinder, and the ignition device is configured to ignite the natural gas in the cylinder, under control and coordination of the ignition control system for operation of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Carlos Alberto Repelli, Edwin DeSteiguer Snead, Thomas Schwertner
  • Publication number: 20140345563
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. These integrated injectors/igniters can include, for example, insulators with adequate mechanical and dielectric strength to enable high-energy plasma generation by components that have very small dimensions, multifunction valving that is moved to injector multiple bursts of fuel and to induce plasma projection, a fuel control valve at the interface to the combustion chamber for the purpose of eliminating fuel drip at undesired times, and one or more components at the interface of the combustion chamber for the purpose of blocking transmission of combustion sourced pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8851047
    Abstract: Fuel injector-igniters with variable gap electrodes. A fuel injector-igniter comprises a housing, an actuator disposed in the housing, and a valve including a valve head operative to open and close against a valve seat in response to activation of the actuator. An electrode cage surrounds the valve head and includes at least one aperture. At least one reed electrode extends from the electrode cage to form a gap between the reed electrode and the housing. The valve head includes a magnet, such as a permanent magnet, wherein the magnet is operative to move the reed electrode toward the electrode cage when the valve head opens, thereby increasing the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: McAllister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8851046
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. These integrated injectors/igniters can include, for example, multiple drivers used to shape charges, controllers used to modify operations based on ionization parameters, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy E. McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140261303
    Abstract: A vehicular fuel system with onboard fuel characterization including an onboard combustion modifier source capable of supplying a combustion modifier agent, such as hydrogen, and a fuel tank capable of storing a fuel. An injector-igniter is operative to direct inject the fuel and a proportionate amount of the modifier agent into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. An engine control unit is operatively connectable to the combustion modifier source and the injector. The system may further comprise a mixing valve operative to proportionately mix the fuel and modifier agent. The combustion modifier source may be a tank containing hydrogen or a thermo-chemical reactor, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: MCALISTER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140245991
    Abstract: A system for transferring and igniting a fuel comprising a fuel supply and a cryogenic fuel processor connected to the fuel supply and operative to remove impurities from the fuel. The system includes a power supply and an injector-igniter. The injector-igniter includes an injector housing connected to the power supply and having a fuel inlet connected to the fuel processor. An actuator body is disposed in the housing and a conductor sleeve is connected to the power supply and supported between the actuator body and injector housing with a first annular gap between the injector housing and the conductor sleeve. There is also a second annular gap between the actuator body and conductor sleeve, wherein the first and second annular gaps are in fluid communication with the fuel inlet, whereby fuel provides a dielectric between the conductor sleeve and the injector housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicants: Advanced Green Technologies, LLC, McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Roy Edward McAlister, David Grottenthaler, Ryan Kemmet
  • Patent number: 8820293
    Abstract: A fuel injection system comprising an injector-igniter and a fuel tank in fluid communication with the injector-igniter. The injector igniter includes an injector housing and a valve assembly. The valve assembly includes a valve and a valve seat electrode located within the injector housing. The valve seat electrode forms an annular spark gap between the electrode and an electrode portion of the injector housing. An actuator, such as a piezoelectric actuator, is disposed in the housing and connected to the valve. In some embodiments, the system further comprises a thermochemical reactor operatively coupled to the injector-igniter to provide a supplemental supply of hydrogen for combustion enhancement. In other embodiments, a hydraulic stroke amplifier is disposed between the actuator and valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140230779
    Abstract: Embodiments of injectors configured for adaptively injecting and igniting various fuels in a combustion chamber are disclosed herein. An injector according to one embodiment includes an end portion configured to be positioned adjacent to a combustion chamber, and an ignition feature carried by the end portion and configured to generate an ignition event. The injector also includes a force generator assembly and a movable valve. The force generator assembly includes a first force generator separate from a second force generator. The first force generator creates a motive force to move the valve between the closed and open positions into the combustion chamber. The second force generator is electrically coupled to the ignition feature and provides voltage to the ignition feature to at least partially generate the ignition event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140224210
    Abstract: Embodiments of injectors suitable for injection ports having relatively small diameters are disclosed herein. An injector according to one embodiment includes a body having a first end portion opposite a second end portion. The second end portion is configured to be positioned adjacent to a combustion chamber and the first end portion is configured to be spaced apart from the combustion chamber. The injector also includes an ignition conductor extending through the body from the first end portion to the second end portion, and an insulator extending longitudinally along the ignition conductor and surrounding at least a portion of the ignition conductor. The injector further includes a valve extending longitudinally along the insulator from the first end portion to the second end portion. The valve includes a sealing end portion, and the valve is movable along the insulator between an open position and a closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8800527
    Abstract: A fuel injector-igniter incorporating adaptive swirl injection and ignition. The fuel injector-igniter comprises a housing, an actuator, and a valve. The valve includes a valve head operative to open and close against a valve seat in response to activation of the actuator. The valve seat includes an electrode portion extending beyond the valve head and within the housing to form at least one gap, such as an annular gap. A current discharge between the housing and electrode portion establishes a plasma and electromagnetic forces driving the plasma from the gap. The injector-igniter may further comprise a power supply connected to the housing and valve seat that is operative to provide the current discharge. The electrode portion includes a plurality of flow shaping features, such as a plurality of twisted fins disposed around the electrode portion and thereby operative to impart a rotation to the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140216396
    Abstract: A direct injection engine includes an ignition assistance section applying energy to fuel injected into a cylinder using an injector to assist auto-ignition combustion of the fuel when the engine is within an auto-ignition combustion operation range. A start time of fuel injection is set within a period from a terminal stage of a compression stroke to a compression top dead center. The energy is applied to the fuel injected into the cylinder in a period from start of the fuel injection to an initial stage of an expansion stroke such that a time of a specific crank angle when an increase rate of in-cylinder pressure, which is a ratio of a change in the in-cylinder pressure to a change in a crank angle in motoring the engine, reaches a negative maximum value overlaps a combustion period when a combustion mass percentage of the fuel ranges from 10% to 90%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Kazuaki Narahara, Tatsuya Tanaka, Yoshitomo Takahashi, Yusuke Nakao, Takashi Ikai, Hidefumi Fujimoto, Masatoshi Seto, Yoshio Tanita, Kazuo Ichikawa, Shingo Kai, Susumu Masuyama, Hirokazu Nakahashi, Keiji Araki
  • Patent number: 8757129
    Abstract: The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods for treating and delivering a fuel to a combustion chamber of an engine in order to improve efficiency of the engine. In one aspect of the invention, a fuel injector that cooperates with an internal combustion engine to combust a first fuel to produce power is presented. The fuel injector includes a fuel inlet, a pre-conditioning vortex chamber, and an excitation chamber. The fuel injector includes a vortex chamber that conforms a pulsed amount of the first fuel to produce a vortex that includes a coherent dynamic pressure wave. The fuel injector also includes an excitation mechanism that at least partially ignites the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Thrival Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Garrett Hill, Scott Lazar, Dustin Stonehouse
  • Patent number: 8752524
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for injecting a fuel using Lorentz forces. In one aspect, a method to inject a fuel includes distributing a fuel between electrodes configured at a port of a chamber, generating an ion current of ionized fuel particles by applying an electric field between the electrodes to ionize at least some of the fuel, and producing a Lorentz force to accelerate the ionized fuel particles into the chamber. In some implementations of the method, the accelerated ionized fuel particles into the chamber initiate a combustion process with oxidant compounds present in the chamber. In some implementations, the method further comprises applying an electric potential on an antenna electrode interfaced at the port to induce a corona discharge into the chamber, in which the corona discharge ignites the ionized fuel particles within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8746197
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for injecting and igniting a fuel using corona discharge for combustion. In one aspect, a method to ignite a fuel in an engine includes injecting ionized fuel particles into a combustion chamber of an engine, and generating one or more corona discharges at a particular location within the combustion chamber to ignite the ionized fuel particles, in which the generating includes applying an electric field at electrodes configured at a port of the combustion chamber, the electric field applied at a frequency that does not produce an ion current or spark on or between the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8673084
    Abstract: Methods for removing and preventing the buildup of unwanted deposits and varnishes on combustion chamber surfaces, particularly injector-igniter components that are exposed to combustion events. A method of removing deposits from an injector-igniter comprises monitoring the current across a pair of electrodes in the injector-igniter, comparing the current with a predetermined threshold level, and performing a cleaning cycle if the current exceeds the threshold level. The cleaning cycle may comprise injecting oxidant through the injector-igniter and into the combustion chamber. The cleaning cycle may further comprise ionizing the oxidant with an electrical discharge having a first polarity and ionizing the oxidant a second time with an electrical discharge having a second polarity. In other cases the cleaning cycle comprises injecting hydrogen through the injector-igniter and into the combustion chamber. In still other cases the cleaning cycle may comprise injecting coolant onto the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Publication number: 20140048037
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to various embodiments of systems and methods for reducing the production of harmful emissions in combustion engines. One method includes correlating combustion chamber temperature to acceleration of a power train component, such as a crankshaft. Once the relationship between acceleration/deceleration of the component and combustion temperature are known, an engine control module can be configured to adjust combustion parameters to reduce combustion temperature when acceleration data indicates peak combustion temperature is approaching a harmful level, such as a level conducive to the formation of undesirable oxides of nitrogen. Various embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed herein can employ injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: MCALISTER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: MCALISTER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
  • Patent number: 8646432
    Abstract: A system for transferring and igniting a fuel comprising a fuel supply and a cryogenic fuel processor connected to the fuel supply and operative to remove impurities from the fuel. The system includes a power supply and an injector-igniter. The injector-igniter includes an injector housing connected to the power supply and having a fuel inlet connected to the fuel processor. An actuator body is disposed in the housing and a conductor sleeve is connected to the power supply and supported between the actuator body and injector housing with a first annular gap between the injector housing and the conductor sleeve. There is also a second annular gap between the actuator body and conductor sleeve, wherein the first and second annular gaps are in fluid communication with the fuel inlet, whereby fuel provides a dielectric between the conductor sleeve and the injector housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Roy Edward McAlister, David Leigh Grottenthaler, Ryan Kennedy Kemmet
  • Publication number: 20140026848
    Abstract: In an ignition device, a base section of a discharge chamber is formed by a part of a central dielectric body. A front section of a ground electrode and a front end section of the central dielectric body are projected toward a combustion chamber of a head cylinder of an internal combustion engine by a predetermined height which is measured from a top ceiling wall of the head cylinder. The predetermined height of the front end section of the central dielectric body projected into the inside of the head cylinder is the same or higher than the predetermined height of the front end section of the ground electrode projected into the inside of the head cylinder. The predetermined height of the front end section of the ground electrode is within a range of 3 mm to 25 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Yuya ABE, Akimitsu SUGIURA, Shinichi OKABE
  • Patent number: 8635985
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. These integrated injectors/igniters can include, for example, insulators with adequate mechanical and dielectric strength to enable high-energy plasma generation by components that have very small dimensions, multifunction valving that is moved to injector multiple bursts of fuel and to induce plasma projection, a fuel control valve at the interface to the combustion chamber for the purpose of eliminating fuel drip at undesired times, and one or more components at the interface of the combustion chamber for the purpose of blocking transmission of combustion sourced pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy E. McAlister
  • Patent number: 8597021
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for the creation, placement and control of an area of electrical ionization within an internal combustion engine combustion chamber or a fuel burner is disclosed. A furnace includes a fuel source, a fuel burner, a plasma nozzle and igniter assembly, and the associated housing and flue structures. The plasma nozzle and igniter assembly is arranged so that the fuel sprayed out from the nozzle into the combustion area passes through or in close proximity to the area of plasma ionization. A fuel burner equipped with this electrical ionization device has its fuel efficiency enhanced by the complete and immediate combustion of substantially all of the fuel that passes through the area of plasma ionization. Exhaust gas recirculation using this system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Inventor: Michael E. Jayne