Injection Of Fuel Onto Igniter, Deflector, Heater, Or Atomizer Patents (Class 123/298)
  • Patent number: 7404389
    Abstract: A direct injection engine has a fuel injection valve that directs a spray of fuel to each side of a spark plug electrode. The fuel mixes with the air to define a region of relatively richer air-fuel mixture and a region of relatively leaner air-fuel mixture. The electrode is positioned within the relatively leaner region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daijiro Tanaka, Yuichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7347181
    Abstract: A direct injection spark ignition engine comprises a cylinder, a piston, a fuel injector arranged at one side of a center axis of the cylinder for directly injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, and a smoothly continuous lowered recess formed on a top surface of the piston surface. The recess has a first cross section along a first plane including the cylinder center axis and a nozzle end of the injector. The first and second lower contours are smoothly connected with each other through a lowest point of the first cross section. The first lower contour is located at the one side of the cylinder center axis. The second lower contour is at the other side. The first contour has a larger radius than a radius of the second contour. Accordingly, the fuel spray having greater movement energy may impinge the recess at a regulated impinging angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamashita, Masatoshi Seto, Hiroyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7331325
    Abstract: When an engine is in transitional operation, combustion is carried out by spray guide method. Further, when catalyst temperature T is high, namely, equal to or higher than a specified maximum temperature T1, stratified charge combustion by spray guide method is carried out, and when the catalyst temperature T is low, namely, equal to or lower than a specified minimum temperature T2, stratified charge combustion by wall guide method is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo K.K.
    Inventor: Dai Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7318406
    Abstract: A piston in a direct injection spark ignition internal combustion engine is configured to reciprocate upward and downward within a combustion chamber along a reciprocating axis. The piston comprises an upper end which partly defines the combustion chamber; a bowl defined on the upper end of the piston, the bowl having an at least partially curved sidewall region extending upward from a bottom surface of the bowl, the bowl being configured so that fuel injected laterally into the bowl toward the curved sidewall region from an injection side of the bowl is directed along the curved sidewall region and upward toward a spark plug of the internal combustion engine, where the bowl has a converging contour in which a curvature of the converging contour is greater at a portion of the contour near the spark plug than a portion of the contour near the injection side of the bowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Jianwen Yi, Zheng Xu, Steven Wooldridge
  • Publication number: 20080006238
    Abstract: An improved spark ignition system for an internal combustion engine that includes a pair of electrodes disposed to extend from opposite sides and into a combustion chamber to form a spark gap between them that is central to the combustion chamber. Each electrode is integral with a conductive fuel delivery tube that contains a capillary passage and fuel outlet ports adjacent the electrode. The heat from combustion conducted into the electrodes and fuel delivery tubes is used to vaporize the fuel within the capillary passages before it exits the outlet ports as an atomized fog into the combustion chamber adjacent the spark gap. The vaporization of the fuel flowing in the capillary passages absorbs energy from the electrodes and thus performs a cooling effect on the electrodes. The spacing of the electrodes from opposite sides of the cylinder also allows a design that can utilize and increased spark gap to produce a larger spark across the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Hofbauer, Bengt Ebbe Oskar Ebbeson
  • Patent number: 7281514
    Abstract: A glow member, preferably in the shape of a ring, assists ignition and combustion of a fuel used in an internal combustion engine. A fuel injection valve injects a plurality of fuel jets directly into a combustion chamber during operation of the engine so that the fuel jets are aimed to the proximity of the glow member such that ignition of fuel in each fuel jet is assisted by the glow member. The glow member is made from high temperature materials and can include catalytic materials to further promote combustion. The glow member can be actively heated, for example by an electric current, in addition to being passively heated by the heat generated within the combustion chamber by the combustion of the fuel therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Westport Power Inc.
    Inventors: Philip G. Hill, Guowei Li, Alan B. Welch, Mark E. Dunn, Dehong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7273031
    Abstract: A cylinder head assembly for a direct-injection engine is provided. The cylinder head assembly includes a cylinder head at least partially defining a combustion chamber. The cylinder head is sufficiently configured to receive a fuel injector operable to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber in a spray pattern. An ignition source, such as a spark plug, is spaced from the fuel injector and operable to initiate ignition of the fuel. A fuel mixture diffuser tab is mounted with respect to the cylinder head and extends into the combustion chamber. The fuel mixture diffuser tab is positioned between the fuel injector and the ignition source and is operable to direct a portion of the fuel toward the ignition source. An internal combustion incorporating the disclosed cylinder head assembly is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Huebler, Ronald O. Grover, Andreas M. Lippert
  • Publication number: 20070181094
    Abstract: A fuel injector is disclosed that includes a valve body with a plurality of nozzle holes for injecting fuel in a hollow spray from the fuel injector. The plurality of nozzle holes each include an outlet. The valve body also includes at least one air-introducing aperture with an air outlet port positioned between the outlets of the plurality of nozzle holes. The air-introducing aperture is operable for introducing air into a hollow area of the hollow spray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Noritsugu Katou, Toyoji Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 7237768
    Abstract: A fuel injector is coupled to a fuel source. A vortex generator is coupled with the injector and a gas source and has a passageway there through. A portion of the passageway has a generally tapered configuration. At least one manifold tube has a generally hollow tubular configuration. A throttle body is coupled with the manifold tubes. A head adapter has a plurality of holes there through. The holes are located and configured to mate with the intake ports of the head of an internal combustion engine. The head adapter is configured to couple the throttle body to the internal combustion engine head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Inventor: David Scott
  • Patent number: 7237527
    Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a head which has a free outer face and a main orifice designed to spray a fuel jet in a main direction and a secondary orifice designed to spray a fuel jet in a secondary direction, the main and secondary orifices opening into the outer face and communicating directly with a common injection chamber which is selectively placed in communication with a supply chamber. The secondary direction forms an angle ? between 10° and 80°, with the main direction so that the secondary jet intercepts the main jet in a burst zone which starts at a distance d of between 1 and 15 mm, and the flow rate of the secondary jet is between 80% and 100% of the flow rate of the main jet. The invention also relates to a spark ignition engine and to a method of manufacturing the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli Motopropulsion France SAS
    Inventor: Michaël Pontoppidan
  • Patent number: 7234437
    Abstract: A direct-injection internal combustion engine and a combustion method therefore in which fuel injection timing of a fuel injection valve is so configured that (a) the fuel inverted from a cavity in a crown portion of a piston reaches proximity to the discharge electrode portion of a spark plug later than the time of ignition or (b) fuel injection by the fuel injection valve is completed at approximately the same time of ignition. There is no risk of rich combustion at the discharge electrode portion due to the mixed fuel-air mass having a high fuel density, and consequently problems such as wear on the spark plug or smoke generation can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hiraya, Toshiya Kono, Masahiro Fukuzumi
  • Patent number: 7231901
    Abstract: An injector having three concentrated fuel spray bands is used, one of the fuel spray bands is directed to an spark plug, and the others are directed to curved grooves on a piston. The sprays that enter each groove advance along each groove, mutually collide substantially under the spark plug, and are ascended. Further, these spray bands are carried to the vicinity of the spark plug by a tumble flow and stable stratified air-fuel mixture is formed. As described above, stable and satisfactory stratified combustion can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun'ichi Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Fujii, Ryoichi Komuro
  • Patent number: 7213564
    Abstract: An obstruction is employed in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The obstruction is located within the chamber to generate turbulence and break-up or disrupt the soot rich zone within a directly injected quantity of fuel that is burning. More specifically, a ring disrupts fuel jets directly injected into the combustion chamber that impact on or are influence by the ring. The ring can be suspended from the piston or from the fire deck. Post-type obstructions help generate turbulence and are also targeted at disrupting the soot rich zone of the burning fuel jets. A method involves disrupting the soot rich zone or reducing soot generated within the combustion chamber and increasing burn rate by impacting the fuel jets on an obstruction within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Westport Power Inc.
    Inventors: Philip G. Hill, Dehong Zhang, Guowei Li
  • Patent number: 7210448
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes one or more of the following: a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle; a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; chamfer with dimensional parameters; and a transition radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald W. Stanton, Randall L. Zehr, Wayne A. Eckerle, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 7165526
    Abstract: A direct injection engine and a controller for the engine, which can realize super-retard combustion under high backpressure and can minimize an emission amount of HC at the startup. A cavity is formed in a piston such that fuel spray injected from a fuel injection valve is blown into the cavity. An obstacle member, such as a step, is provided in the cavity to decelerate or stop the fuel spray blown into the cavity. A mount position, mount posture, nozzle structure, injection port shape, etc. of the fuel injection valve are set such that the fuel spray injected from the fuel injection valve is made up of a lead fuel spray component directed toward the ignition plug and having a penetration to extend long beyond the ignition plug, and a main fuel spray component directed toward the piston, thereby enabling the super-retard combustion to be performed under high backpressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoko Nakayama, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Takuya Shiraishi, Yusuke Kihara, Kenji Tsuchita
  • Patent number: 7143738
    Abstract: In a direct-injection spark-ignition internal combustion engine having one injector per cylinder for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, wherein the injector has an injection nozzle with a plurality of injection holes which are distributed over its circumference, so that the jets of fuel from the injection holes form during an injection process a conical cloud of fuel, the piston opposite the injection nozzle includes a piston recess provided with a plurality of radial cavities extending from the recess radially into the piston head for receiving fuel injected into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Benedikt Ganz, Jean-Francois Gaudry, Hans Hartmann, Rolf Klenk, Andreas Mleinek, Klaus Röbler, Helmut Scheffel, Dirk Strubel, Matthias Zahn
  • Patent number: 7104247
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection engine has a fuel injection valve that injects fuel toward a cavity formed in a top of a piston, and a spark plug that ignites the fuel-air mixture resulting from the fuel injection. The direct fuel injection engine is configured to strengthen the penetration of the fuel streams, to improve the directionality of the fuel streams and to form in the cavity an agglomerate fuel-air mixture that is homogeneous and has uniform concentration. The cavity preferably has a bottom surface, a curved surface, and a flat surface. The fuel injection valve has a plurality of injection vents that spray solid-core fuel streams with angles formed between adjacent injection vents that are less than or equal to the spray angle of the fuel stream sprayed from each injection vent. The fuel streams form a combined fuel stream having a hollow circular cone shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hiraya, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Patent number: 7086378
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection internal combustion engine includes a fuel injector arranged above a center portion of the piston and positioned higher than a combustion chamber upper surface of a cylinder head. The cylinder head includes a recess portion in which a tip of the fuel injector is disposed in a cross sectional view of the cylinder head in a plane perpendicular to a fuel injection center axis. The recess portion is provided with a channel extending longitudinally away from the tip of the fuel injector configured and arranged to reduce negative pressure within the recess portion. The channel is oriented in such a direction as to avoid the interference between the channel and other parts of the cylinder head. When the fuel injector is a multi-hole fuel injector, the channel can be oriented toward a direction along a centerline between two adjacent injection vents of the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Tanaka, Koji Hiraya, Isamu Hotta, Hirofumi Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 7082921
    Abstract: A fuel injection valve with high freedom to optimize the direction of fuel spray, the shape of spray, the length of penetration, the existence/absence of lead spray and the like, in correspondence with each type of internal combustion engine is provided. A swirling force about a central axis of an injection orifice is supplied by a swirler to fuel injected from the injection orifice. A central axis E of the injection orifice is slanted at a predetermined deflection angle to a central axis of a valve body. Further, a step portion is formed in an end surface of the injection orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuuichi Shimizu, Takuya Shiraishi, Motoyuki Abe, Masahiko Hayatani, Kouji Shibata
  • Patent number: 7073478
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with auto-ignition in which the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber by means of a fuel injection nozzle in the form of multiple fuel jets, wetting of the combustion chamber-side cylinder head surface is minimized by recesses formed in the cylinder head whereby some of the fuel is reflected by the piston towards the cylinder head when the piston is in a position adjacent the cylinder head and directed at least partially into the recesses formed in the cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventor: Herbert Zöller
  • Patent number: 7040280
    Abstract: A spark ignition enhancer is provided in a combustion chamber of a spark ignition direct injection engine. The combustion chamber includes a fuel injector operable to spray a fuel plume into the chamber near a spark gap. The ignition enhancer includes a diversion element that extends into the fuel plume, between the fuel injector and the spark gap, to divert some of the fuel spray toward the spark gap to provide a spark ignitable air-fuel mixture at the spark gap, located outside of the spray plume. The diversion element may be mounted on a spark plug or on an adjacent element. The ignition enhancer improves ignitability by breaking up droplets in the spray plume, enhancing fuel vaporization, and diverting some fuel vapor to a spark gap outside the spray plume or away from a spark gap in the spray plume, so that liquid fuel at the gap is reduced, small scale turbulence is increased and gradients in fuel vapor distribution at the gap are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Michael C. Drake
  • Patent number: 7036492
    Abstract: A system and method for conditioning and/or vaporizing fuel within an intermittent combustion engine in order to effectuate more complete combustion is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, a fuel conditioning system for conditioning fuel within a combustion chamber of an intermittent internal combustion engine can comprise a fuel conditioning cavity defined by walls, wherein at least a portion of said walls include a reflective inner surface; an electromagnetic energy source operable for emitting electromagnetic energy within the fuel conditioning cavity, wherein the electromagnetic energy source is configured to emit and reflect the electromagnetic energy from the reflective inner surface, thereby providing focused electromagnetic energy; a discrete region disposed within the fuel conditioning cavity for receiving the focused electromagnetic energy; and a fuel injector having a dispensing end being oriented for dispensing a fuel spray with a trajectory through the focused electromagnetic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Inventor: Hitoshi Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 7011070
    Abstract: A method and apparatus generate turbulence and impact on soot rich zone within a burning fuel jet within a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. A reservoir accumulates charge and projects the charge into a combustion chamber and into and around the burning fuel directly injected into the combustion chamber. A ring or the fire deck define one or more reservoirs with an orifice for accumulating, directing and ejecting the charge. The method and apparatus are particularly beneficial when employed with gaseous fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Westport Research Inc.
    Inventors: Philip G. Hill, Dehong Zhang, Guowei Li
  • Patent number: 6994073
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to detect combustion conditions using ion signals for use in a feedback control of a diesel engine is presented. The apparatus is a spark plug type of sensor or a sensor integrated with a fuel injector. The spark plug type of sensor is used to provide a cold start mechanism combined with an ion sensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Woodward Governor Company
    Inventors: Luigi P. Tozzi, Kelly J. Benson, Matthew Viele
  • Patent number: 6976469
    Abstract: A control unit is used for controlling a direct fuel injection type internal combustion engine. The control unit controls a fuel injection valve to have a first fuel injection mode wherein a penetration force of an injected fuel sharply increases at an initial stage of a fuel injection and thereafter an increasing rate of the penetration force gradually lowers with passage of time and a second fuel injection mode wherein the penetration force of the injected fuel sharply increases at a middle stage of the fuel injection. The control unit further controls the fuel injection valve in a manner to switch the first and second fuel injection modes in accordance with an operation condition of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Kubo, Atsushi Teraji, Koji Hiraya, Isamu Hotta
  • Patent number: 6966294
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6948474
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine which injects fuel directly into a cylinder 104 and ignites air-fuel mixture formed in the cylinder, wherein each fuel injection of said internal combustion engine comprises a lead spray 105 which moves faster and a main spray 106 which moves slower, the lead spray 105 is oriented towards an ignition plug 114, and the air-fuel mixture made by pre- and main sprays is ignited twice or more. This invention of the above configuration can provide a simple and inexpensive direct cylinder injection type internal combustion engine which reduces abrasion of electrodes and consumption of electric power while assuring stable fuel combustions even when ignition timing is retarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Tanabe, Koji Onishi, Toshio Ishii, Hiroshi Fujii
  • Patent number: 6945219
    Abstract: A combustion chamber and method of distributing fuel in a combustion chamber is disclosed. The combustion chamber includes a first section that is generally centrally positioned in the combustion chamber. A second section is offset from the first section and maintains a uniform distance between a fuel spray and a perimeter of the second section. Such a combustion chamber improves combustion by maintaining a generally uniform fuel spray spacing to the combustion chamber walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
    Inventor: Sebastian Strauss
  • Patent number: 6928978
    Abstract: When an inner wall of a cylinder head is viewed along an axis of a cylinder, a line that passes through a center of a fuel injection port and a center of a valve opening adjacent to the injection port is defined as a first line, and a line that is perpendicular to the first line is defined as a second line. A notch is formed in a part of the inner wall that defines the injection port. Specifically, when the inner wall is divided into sections by the second line, the notch is located in the section in which the adjacent opening exists. The notch is also displaced from the first line. Therefore, a sufficient thickness of the section corresponding to the valve seats of intake and exhaust valves are easily ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Iwahashi, Motoki Ohtani, Takuya Ikoma
  • Patent number: 6854438
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a fuel injection nozzle for injecting a gaseous fuel directly into the combustion chamber. shield, is installed in close proximity to the fuel injection nozzle, provides a shielded space around a hot surface igniter and restricts flow between the shielded space and the combustion chamber. The nozzle comprises a fuel injection port oriented to direct a fuel spray against a surface of the sleeve An inlet in the sleeve allows air and fuel to enter the shielded space to form a combustible mixture therein. The sleeve contains a substantial amount of the combustible mixture within the shielded space until it ignites and pressure builds within the shielded space to propel a combustion flame through at least one discharge opening and into contact with the fuel sprays emerging from the fuel injection nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Westport Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hilger, Bernd Bartunek, Kevin Kwame Oversby, Ian Hayden Lockley, John Gordon Crawford, Kenneth R. C. Mann, Richard Wing
  • Patent number: 6854440
    Abstract: Disclosed is an internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder with a reciprocating piston to provide said engine with at least one combustion chamber, said combustion chamber further comprising a delivery injector for injecting fuel directly into said combustion chamber, said engine further comprising at least one valved inlet air duct for delivering combustion air into said combustion chamber, wherein at least said inlet air duct and/or its valve is arranged to provide a low tumble inlet port to said at least one combustion chamber, said combustion chamber, in use, having low in-cylinder tumble gas motion of said combustion air and wherein said low in-cylinder tumble gas motion of said combustion air reduces over-enleanment of fuel in end gas regions of said combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Orbital Engine Company (Australia) Pty Limited
    Inventors: Geoffrey Paul Cathcart, Christian Chandrakumar Zavier, Donald Andrew Railton, John Roy McGrath
  • Patent number: 6854448
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an amount of spray attaching onto an inner wall surface of an intake pipe is reduced by forming a two-directional spray of highly atomized fuel. The highly atomized two-directional spray can be obtained by a spray forming means constructed by piling a fuel in-plate forming fuel passages, a swirl plate forming fuel passages for adding swirl forces to the fuel, and an injection plate for determining injection directions of the fuel. Further, penetrations of the sprays injected toward two directions are made different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Motoyuki Abe, Ayumu Miyajima, Masami Nagano
  • Patent number: 6845746
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a fuel injection nozzle for injecting a gaseous fuel directly into the combustion chamber. Installed in close proximity to the fuel injection nozzle is an ignition device, comprising a sleeve that provides a shielded space around a hot surface igniter. The sleeve restricts flow between the shielded space and the combustion chamber. An inlet opening in the sleeve allows air and fuel to enter the shielded space to form a combustible mixture therein. The sleeve contains a substantial amount of the combustible mixture within the shielded space until it ignites and pressure builds within the shielded space to propel a combustion flame through at least one discharge opening that is oriented to direct the combustion flame into contact with the fuel spray roots emerging from the fuel injection nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Westport Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hilger, Bernd Bartunek
  • Patent number: 6840210
    Abstract: A direct cylinder injection-type spark ignition internal combustion engine is disclosed. The engine comprises a spark plug, a cavity formed in the top surface of a piston, and a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into the cavity in nearly the shape of a fan having a relatively small thickness. When the fuel injected in nearly the shape of a fan from the fuel injection valve is considered by being divided into a plurality of fuel segments in a radial direction, a side wall of the cavity has a first fuel deflection passage 82a and a second fuel deflection passage 82b for so deflecting at least two of the plurality of fuel segments as to pass near the spark plug. The side wall of the cavity is at least partly provided with a return portion 83 that protrudes toward the inside of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toyokazu Baika, Tatsuo Kobayashi, Fumiaki Hattori, Takashi Hashima, Hiroyuki Hokuto, Toshimi Kashiwagura, Matsumi Kanda, Hiroya Tanaka, Souichi Matusita, Shizuo Abe, Nobuyuki Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20040211388
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection engine basically comprises a combustion chamber, a piston with a cavity, a fuel injection valve, a spark plug and a control unit. The fuel injection valve is configured and arranged to directly inject a fuel stream into the combustion chamber in a substantially constant hollow circular cone shape in a stratified combustion region. The control unit is configured to ignite a first air-fuel mixture formed directly after the fuel stream is injected and prior to a majority of the fuel stream striking the cavity when the direct fuel injection engine is operating in a low-load stratified combustion region, and to ignite a second air-fuel mixture formed after a majority of the fuel stream is guided by the cavity toward an upper portion of the combustion chamber above the cavity when the direct fuel injection engine is operating in a high-load stratified combustion region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hiraya, Eiji Takahashi, Hirofumi Tsuchida, Isamu Hotta, Akihiko Kakuho
  • Patent number: 6748917
    Abstract: In internal combustion engines having direct injection, an injector injects fuel into the combustion chamber to form an ignitable fuel/air mixture with combustion air supplied separately, the mixture being ignitable by a spark plug. The fuel is injected in a conical pattern, and the electrodes are protected from wetting by fuel and from coking if they are located outside the lateral surface of the fuel cone produced by the injection nozzle. To introduce an ignitable mixture between the electrodes and to ensure optimum operating performance of the internal combustion engine by improving the combustion process, a combustion chamber is configured so that the fuel cone is injected in a free jet which is substantially completely unaffected by the combustion chamber perimeter, and the electrodes of the spark plug project into a fuel vortex emerging from the lateral surface during injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Michael Hoffmann, Uwe Kreckel
  • Patent number: 6732703
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6732706
    Abstract: There is provided a cylinder injection type internal combustion engine capable of performing stratified charge operation at the time of a vehicle speed of 120 km/h and/or an engine rotational speed of 3200 rpm to enhance the fuel efficiency and/or to observe the emission regulations. In the internal combustion engine, a stratum of air and/or air flow is formed between a fuel spray injected from an injection valve and the top face of a piston and/or the wall surface of a combustion chamber, and a face shape contrived to guide the air flow is formed on the top face of the piston. Also, the stratified charge operation can be performed even at the time of cold start or cranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Shiraishi, Toshiharu Nogi, Minoru Ohsuga, Yoko Nakayama, Noboru Tokuyasu
  • Patent number: 6725827
    Abstract: A fuel injector (6) and spark plug (7) are arranged in a combustion chamber (5) of an internal combustion engine. By forming by stratification a self-ignitable preliminary air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber (5), a spatial distribution is given to the density of the preliminary air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber (5). Part of the preliminary air-fuel mixture formed in the combustion chamber (5) is ignited by the spark plug (7) to cause combustion by flame propagation, then the remaining preliminary air-fuel mixture is successively made to self-ignite and burn with a time lag. The ignition timing is set so that the ratio of the preliminary air-fuel mixture made to burn by self-ignition becomes more than a predetermined lower limit and less than a knocking generation limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Takanori Ueda, Takeshi Okumura, Shigeo Furuno, Satoshi Iguchi, Kazuhiro Akihama, Masahiro Taki, Satoshi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20040074472
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel injector (1) for an internal combustion engine, in which the fuel jets (4a, 4b) emerging from two orifices (3a, 3b) collide prior to traveling to the ignition device. In this way, it is possible to produce an ignitable fuel mist in the vicinity of the ignition device, without the ignition device being directly struck by liquid fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Martin Wirth, Ulrich Kramer, Diana Zimmermann, Karl Walder
  • Publication number: 20040055560
    Abstract: A fuel injection equipment to control the instability of combustion when the airflow is weak, and improve the fuel cost. A fuel injection equipment for an cylinder injection type and spark ignition type internal combustion engine that injects gasoline directly to a combustion chamber, wherein the top angle at the point of fuel spray in the pressurized atmosphere of absolute pressure 0.5 MPa is from −10° to 10°. Further, the fuel is injected at the compression stroke of the internal combustion engine which installs the fuel injection equipment, and said internal combustion engine is started.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoko Nakayama, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Toshiharu Nogi
  • Patent number: 6705279
    Abstract: By setting the configuration of a cavity (25) of a piston (5) appropriately, tumble is produced in air that is aspirated into a combustion chamber (6) inside a cylinder (3) from an intake port (8), and by means of this tumble, the spray of fuel injected by a fuel injector (12) is caused to gather around the periphery of a spark plug (7). A predetermined tumble in the form of an upright ellipse is set in the longitudinal cross section of the cylinder (3) which includes an injection point (I) of the fuel injector (12) and an ignition point (T) of the spark plug (7). The bottom surface (26) of the cavity (25) is curved so as to conform to the radius of curvature (R1) of the lower end of the elliptical tumble, thereby advancing the formation of elliptical tumble which is unlikely to interfere with the cylinder wall surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuuichi Iriya
  • Publication number: 20040031464
    Abstract: There are internal combustion engines with at least one cylinder and a reciprocating piston that can be moved in this cylinder, with a cylinder head associated with the cylinder, with a direct injector, and optionally with an electric spark plug, and with a device that is disposed in a stationary fashion on or in the cylinder head and is for absorbing electrical energy so that a surface of the device can be heated and used to at least partially vaporize fuel and at least partially for encouraging the ignition of the fuel/air mixture, particularly when the relevant internal combustion engine needs to be started, for example when cold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Inventors: Stefan Arndt, Hans Schlembach, Ulrich Brenner, Udo Sieber
  • Patent number: 6691670
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method providing mixing of at least one gaseous fluid in the combustion chamber of a direct-injection internal-combustion engine comprising at least a cylinder (10), a cylinder head (12), a piston (22) sliding in this cylinder, a fuel-injection nozzle (24), a combustion chamber delimited on one side by the upper face of piston (22) comprising a teat (30) pointing towards cylinder head (12) and arranged in a concave bowl (28), and intake means (14, 16) for at least one gaseous fluid, said intake means being designed so as to admit the gaseous fluid into the combustion chamber with a swirling motion or swirl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Bertrand Gatellier, Bruno Walter
  • Publication number: 20040011323
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a fuel injection nozzle disposed in a combustion chamber for injecting a gaseous fuel directly into the combustion chamber. An ignition device, also disposed within the combustion chamber, is installed in close proximity to the fuel injection nozzle. The ignition device comprises a sleeve that provides a shielded space around a hot surface igniter and the sleeve restricts flow between the shielded space and the combustion chamber. At least one inlet opening in the sleeve allows air and fuel to enter the shielded space to form a combustible mixture therein. The sleeve contains a substantial amount of the combustible mixture within the shielded space until it ignites and pressure builds within the shielded space to propel a combustion flame through at least one discharge opening and into contact with the fuel spray roots emerging from the fuel injection nozzle. The discharge opening(s) are oriented to direct the combustion flame in the direction of the fuel spray roots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventors: Ulrich Hilger, Bernd Bartunek
  • Patent number: 6675767
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a direct-injection internal-combustion engine comprising at least a cylinder (10), a cylinder head (12), a piston (22) sliding, in this cylinder, intake means (14, 18) for at least one gaseous fluid, a multijet fuel-injection nozzle (24) comprising a fuel jet angle (&bgr;) and a fuel jet nappe angle (a1), and a combustion chamber delimited on one side by the upper face of piston (22), said face comprising a teat (36) pointing towards the cylinder head and arranged in a concave bowl (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Bertrand Gatellier, Bruno Walter
  • Patent number: 6675766
    Abstract: At an outlet portion of an injection hole (8) of a fuel injection valve (1), through removal of a part (A1, 7B) of a wall forming the injection hole (8), a restriction to a spray flow is released, thereby, a deflection spray is formed in which the spray is rich at the side of restriction released and is learn at the side of restricted, accordingly, ignition property of an internal combustion engine is improved, and an optimum spray is realized which reduces exhaust amount of unburnt gas components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumu Miyajima, Yoshio Okamoto, Yuzo Kadomukai, Shigenori Togashi, Kiyoshi Amo, Makoto Yamakado, Tohru Ishikawa, Hiromasa Kubo, Hiroshi Fujii
  • Patent number: 6672276
    Abstract: A direct fuel injection engine has a fuel injection valve that injects fuel toward a cavity formed in a top of a piston, and a spark plug that ignites the fuel-air mixture resulting from the fuel injection. The direct fuel injection engine is configured to strengthen the penetration of the fuel streams, to improve the directionality of the fuel streams and to stably form an agglomerate fuel-air mixture close to the spark plug. The cavity preferably has a bottom surface, a curved surface, and a flat surface. In a plan view taken along the center axis of the engine cylinder, cavity C is shaped like an ellipse whose foci are located at the tip of fuel injection valve and the spark discharge gap of spark plug, respectively. The fuel injection valve has a plurality of injection vents that spray solid-core fuel streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hiraya, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20030226538
    Abstract: An engine is provided which includes various precise configuration parameters, including dimensions, shape and/or relative positioning of the combustion chamber features, resulting in a combustion process minimizing NOx emissions and particulates. The combustion chamber includes a spray angle relative to an inner bowl floor angle that maximizes the amount of fuel in contact with the inner bowl, in combination with one or more of the following: a vertical distance from the tip of the piston bowl to the injection orifices; a number of injection orifices; a swirl ratio; a vertical distance from the injection orifices to an inner face of the cylinder head; a distance from the piston top surface to the cylinder head; a radius of curvature of an outer bowl section; a radius of curvature at an edge of the piston bowl; a ratio of the piston bowl diameter to the cylinder diameter; and the cylinder diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Eckerle, Donald W. Stanton, Francois Ntone
  • Patent number: 6659069
    Abstract: A starting method of an engine wherein a fuel is directly injected into a combustion chamber, the engine having a starter for starting up the engine, the starting method including the steps of actuating the starter and injecting a fuel in a compression stroke when the starter is actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Shiraishi, Toshiharu Nogi, Noboru Tokuyasu, Yoichi Iihoshi, Minoru Ohsuga