Abstract: A combustion method for an internal combustion engine which prevents the occurrence of engine knock and improves fuel consumption and economy, by spray injecting part of the fuel used in one cycle into a combustion chamber, performing preliminary combustion of a diluted air-fuel mixture below combustible limits at a temperature lower than the self-igniting temperature of the fuel, then injecting the remaining fuel into the combustion chamber, and performing main combustion by flame propagation using spark plugs as ignition sources. Accordingly, the combustion method for an internal combustion engine of the present invention can attain stable combustion even at high air-fuel ratios and makes high compression ratios possible.

Abstract: A Diesel engine is started as a direct fuel injected engine with ignition accomplished by spraying fuel onto a hot wire electrode that is made hot as part of a spark plug activated by an enhanced ignition system. The fuel injector's normally atomized spray pattern is changed to a concentrated fuel sprayed on to the hot wire electrode resulting in ignition of the sprayed fuel. Upon the engine reaching proper temperature, the injector's restrictor is removed, the spark plug is deactivated, and the engine reverts to Diesel operation.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a direct cylinder injection and including a variable valve timing mechanism for at least changing the time of closing of the intake valve. The fuel injection timing and intake valve closing timing are controlled so that under low and mid-range engine speeds, but high loads, the intake valve is closed before the piston reaches bottom dead center position on its intake stroke so as to reduce the effective compression ratio. Fuel injection timing is begun before the piston has reached its bottom dead center position during the intake stroke under high-speed, high-load conditions and is not initiated until after the piston has reached its bottom dead center position and begun its compression stroke under other engine running conditions. The engine is provided with an injector location and piston with a bowl in its head that improves fuel stratification under at least some running conditions so as to permit lean burn operation.

Abstract: A Stratified Charge Engine where the main combustion chamber is made into one part of the cylinder head is described. The main combustion chamber in this engine is smaller than in Pre-Mixture Combustion Engines. Other main features of this engines are direct and simultaneous air/fuel injection, installation of a squish area and prevention of combustion in the end-gas zone. The thermal load and the weight of the piston in this engine are lower than in normal Stratified Charge Engines with fuel jet impingement. The fuel jet is kept inside the main combustion chamber, resulting in an higher anti-knocking quality of this engine as compared to Pre-Mixture Combustion Engines.

Abstract: A direct fuel-injected, multivalve, twin overhead cam shaft internal combustion engine. The fuel injector is mounted in the cylinder bore on either the intake or the exhaust side and sprays generally transversely across the diameter of the cylinder bore so as to provide stratification under at least low-speed and low-load conditions. The injector is disposed so that it is positioned below the top of the head of the piston at its top dead center position and a recess is formed in the piston head so as to clear the fuel spray and permit injection even when the piston approaches top dead center without obstruction from the piston. This recess also clears one of the valves.

Abstract: A direct-injection type spark-ignition internal combustion engine comprises a fuel-injection valve whose spray hole is inclined toward a piston crown, while an uppermost line of fuel spray injected through the spray hole is set at a lower level than electrodes of the spark plug and a lowermost line of the fuel spray is in spaced relationship with a cylinder inner wall close to the spray hole. The piston crown is formed with a recessed portion and a raised flat-surface portion to define a ridge line as an intersecting line between them. The ridge line is offset from a center axis of the cylinder by a predetermined distance toward the exhaust-valve port side. Preferably, a spray angle between the uppermost and lowermost lines is set within a predetermined angle range of 70.degree..+-.20.degree..

Abstract: A spark ignition system of an internal combustion engine has a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from each other operating at high voltages to produce a spark in a combustion zone of the engine. The construction of the system permits the formation of long length sparks with a train of electrical pulses having a shortened total burst duration having higher power while using lower energy.

Abstract: Proposed is an auxiliary starter, particularly for a diesel engine, having an auxiliary starting device (16) which is disposed in a combustion chamber or in an intake pipe and brings an injection stream of a fuel introduced into the combustion chamber or the intake pipe into an ignitable state. The auxiliary starting device (16) is an oxygen pump cell (18) which operates on the basis of an oxygen-ion-conducting solid electrolyte, and with which oxygen is pumped into at least the edge zone of the injection stream (15).

Abstract: A diesel engine using impingement and diffusion is described. In this diesel engine, both low smoke production and reduction of thermal load of the piston, as well as lighter construction of the piston, are realized. The main combustion chamber is situated in a part of the inner wall of the cylinder head. An impinging surface is made at the inner wall of the main combustion chamber in a way that the fuel jet after impingement, is dispersed from the edge of the impinging surface into the area of the main combustion chamber close to the squish area.

Abstract: A fuel atomization device 10 is provided for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection system with fuel injectors 15. The fuel atomization device is sealingly secured on a nozzle lip of the fuel injector nozzle. The device includes a base 1 in which a plurality of heating elements and profiled vaporizer contact baffles 3 are arranged in a sandwich-like manner. Vaporizer chambers 8 are formed between the heating elements 2 and the vaporizer contact baffles 3 for providing a passage for the fuel through the base 1. The fuel undergoes a rise in temperature and pressure while in the device; and as it exits the device at fuel outlet 6, it is atomized fuel at a lower pressure.

Abstract: A Stratified Charge Engine where the main combustion chamber is made into one part of the cylinder head is described. The main combustion chamber in this engine is smaller than in Pre-Mixture Combustion Engines. Other main features of this engines are direct fuel injection, installation of a squish area and prevention of combustion in the end-gas zone. The thermal load and the weight of the piston in this engine are lower than in normal Stratified Charge Engines with fuel jet impingement. The fuel jet is kept inside the main combustion chamber, resulting in an higher anti-knocking quality of this engine as compared to Pre-Mixture Combustion Engines.

Abstract: An apparatus disposed in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion chamber reduces the cooling affect of intake air directly impinging upon a heating device in the combustion chamber and increases the life of the heating element.

Abstract: A valve for the introduction of fuel or a fuel/air mixture in a combustion space of an internal combustion space of an internal combustion engine which works with charge stratification in the combustion space, and with spark ignition of the introduced fuel or fuel/air mixture by a spark plug. To ensure the ignition of the fuel/air mixture contained in the combustion space, there is branched off from an umbrella-like injection jet formed by the fuel or fuel/air mixture an ignition jet which, deviating from the umbrella-like or cone like configuration of the injection jet, comes into the region of the spark plug, in order thus to provide a fuel-rich fuel/air mixture in the region of a flashing over of the ignition spark of the spark plug. This takes place by means of a guide face of the valve, in which the guide face is interrupted by a recess.

Abstract: A regenerative internal combustion engine (10) is provided that includes a regenerator (65) that is capable of preheating a charge of compressed air, while not causing premature combustion of fuel. The regenerator (65), in combination with a catalyst (75), also ignites residual amounts of combustible material in exhaust gases. The catalyst (75) itself is capable of oxidizing fuel in a combustion cylinder (50) once stable combustion is achieved.

Abstract: A system for introducing fuel into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine which includes at least one piston reciprocating in a cylinder with a cylinder head closing the top of the cylinder forming a combustion chamber between piston and head. At least one intake valve and one exhaust valve are provided in the cylinder head. One or more fuel injectors communicate through the sidewall of each of the engine cylinders for injecting fuel during the piston intake stroke while the top of the piston is below the injection site. The fuel injector may be any suitable injector, typically of a low pressure type. The fuel injector is oriented to direct a spray of fuel droplets in the direction of the cylinder head and/or the closed exhaust valve to speed droplet evaporation and cool the exhaust valve. Engines using this system also have increased tolerance of low octane fuel and improved emission characteristics.

Abstract: Embodiments of two-cycle crankcase compression direct injected internal combustion engines that permit good firing and effective stratification, particularly at low speed, low load conditions. The engine defines a combustion chamber having a recess with a projection extending into the center of the recess and against which fuel is injected by a fuel injector as the piston approaches top dead center at idle. The spark plug firing is initiated prior to completion of the fuel injection. A specific configuration and orientation for the fuel injector nozzle in relation to the projection size and cylinder bore size is established so as to insure that at least 50% of the fuel injected at low and idle speed conditions will impinge upon the projection.

Abstract: An engine comprising a first intake valve and a second intake valve that are arranged on each side of a plane including the axis of the cylinder of the engine. A first intake passage and a second intake passage are connected to the combustion chamber via the first intake valve and the second intake valve, respectively and extend along the plane in the same direction. A first fuel injector is arranged in the combustion chamber to inject fuel toward a region of the combustion chamber, which is located on the first intake valve side of the plane. A second fuel injector is arranged in the second intake passage to inject fuel into the second intake passage.

Abstract: Each cylinder of an internal combustion engine has two intake valves, two exhaust valves, a fuel injector and a spark plug. The fuel injector is vertically provided in a cylinder head of the engine such that a nozzle of the fuel injector is located in a central position of a combustion chamber. The spark plug is disposed between intake ports of the intake valves, so that an electrode of the spark plug is located near the nozzle of the fuel injector.

Abstract: An electrically heated heating member (13) is arranged in a cavity formed in the top surface of the piston (2) and fuel is injected from the nozzle (9) of the fuel injector (8) toward the heating surface (15) of the heating member (13) in the form of a continuous fluid stream. This injected fuel strikes the heating surface (15) in the form of a continuous fluid stream and receives heat from the heating surface (15) to atomize and simultaneously disperses inside the cavity (7). Next, the atomized fuel is self-ignited.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the ignition of fuel injected into an internal combustion engine, wherein combustion is initiated by spraying fuel directly onto a spark plug with heated electrodes. The heating of the electrodes may be effected energizing them independently of the engine rotation.

Abstract: An engine comprising a first intake valve and a second intake valve that are arranged on each side of a plane including the axis of the cylinder of the engine. A first intake passage and a second intake passage are connected to the combustion chamber via the first intake valve and the second intake valve, respectively and extend along the plane in the same direction. A first fuel injector is arranged in the combustion chamber to inject fuel toward a region of the combustion chamber, which is located on the first intake valve side of the plane. A second fuel injector is arranged in the second intake passage to inject fuel into the second intake passage.

Abstract: A number of embodiments of combustion chambers for direct cylinder injected engines wherein the combustion chamber has a recess surrounded by a squish area. The fuel injector is disposed so that it will spray into the recess against the wall rather than toward the squish area. Alternate spark plug locations are disclosed.

Abstract: An impingement combustion chamber internal-combustion engine comprising mainly the piston, cylinder head and fuel injection. The exhaust side of a piston crown has a block-wall facing the spray direction of a fuel injection system. The top of the block-wall closely mates with the cylinder head. In the compression stroke, the piston moves from bottom dead center to top dead center and the nozzle fuel spray is injected to the block-wall. The fuel spray then absorbs high heat at the central portion of piston head to accelerate fuel vaporization. When the block-wall closely mates with the cylinder head, producing a high squish air motion, the fuel and air mix homogeneously, therefore, the air fuel mixture near the spark plug is easy to ignite and exhaust emissions are reduced.

Abstract: Several embodiments of combustion chamber and fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines wherein the combustion chamber is formed by a dome shape recess having a steeply inclined wall and a more shallowly inclined wall. The walls intersect along a line that is disposed closer to the more steeply inclined wall and fuel injector is positioned substantially at this line. In one embodiment, the fuel injector is inclined to spray toward the steeper wall. Various arrangements for forming the combustion chamber recess are disclosed.

Abstract: The service life of conventional glow plugs is extremely short when they are continuously energized at an elevated temperature during engine operation in order to assist ignition of non-autoignitable fuels. Such glow plugs typically fail due to thermal stresses and/or oxidation and corrosion.Herein is disclosed an improved heating element assembly adapted for incorporation in a glow plug. The heating element assembly includes a monolithic sheath having a relatively-thin and generally annular wall defining a blind bore. The heating element assembly further includes a heating device positioned in the blind bore and adapted to emit heat, and a heat transfer device adapted to transfer heat from the heating means to the sheath. The heating device includes a heating filament and a ceramic insulator. THe heating filament is protected against oxidation by being encapsulated in the insulator. The insulator is protected against corrosion by being encapsulated in the sheath.

Abstract: The service life of conventional glow plugs is extremely short when they are continuously energized at an elevated temperature during engine operation in order to assist ignition of non-autoignitable fuels. Such glow plugs typically fail due to thermal stresses and/or oxidation and corrosion. Herein is disclosed an improved heating element assembly adapted for incorporation in a glow plug. The heating element assembly includes a monolithic sheath having a relatively-thin and generally annular wall defining a blind bore. The heating element assembly further includes a heating device positioned in the blind bore and adapted to emit heat, and a heat transfer device adapted to transfer heat from the heating means to the sheath. The heating device is protected by the sheath formed of a preselected material which is chosen and configured so as to minimize failure of the heating element assembly caused by thermal stresses, oxidation and/or corrosion.

Abstract: A method and device for introducing carburetted mixture under pressure into a first cylinder of an internal combustion engine comprising at least one other cylinder having a crankcase pump. The device for introducing carburetted mixture comprises a connecting duct between the crankcase and the first cylinder and an angular non zero shift exists between the cycle of each of the cylinders.

Abstract: A fuel injection valve includes a fuel swirl generation device, a main fuel injection hole having a comparatively large diameter, and a subsidiary fuel injection hole having a comparatively small diameter. The inclination of the main fuel injection hole with respect to an axis of the fuel injection valve is small so that a fuel swirl remains in the fuel injected therethrough. The inclination of the subsidiary fuel injection hole is great so that the swirl operates so as to push out the fuel through the subsidiary fuel injection hole. The fuel injected through the main fuel injection hole spreads due to the centrifugal force acting on the swirling fuel without depending on an intake gas swirl. The fuel injected through the subsidiary fuel injection hole has a strong penetrating force and can reach the vicinity of a spark plug. This improves ignition without depending on an intake gas swirl. Thus, good combustion is obtained over an entire operation range of a direct fuel injection type engine.

Abstract: A combustion chamber of an engine has a fuel injector provided for injecting fuel directly in the combustion chamber. An arc-shaped offset cavity is formed in a roof of the combustion chamber, and a fuel injector is located at a top of the cavity on the axis of the cylinder of the engine. A spark plug is located on the axis so as to ignite the fuel injected from the injector and passing the gap of the spark plug.

Abstract: A starting aid for a diesel engine comprises a housing (10) having a longitudinal passageway (12). Fuel is admitted to an upstream section (13) of the passageway via an inlet opening (14) and the fuel exits a downstream section (16) of the passageway via outlet openings (17). An electromagnetically-controlled plate valve (18) regulates a flow of fuel from the upstream, to the downstream section of the passageway, and a helical heater coil (32) heats the fuel as it passes along an annular part (31) of the downstream section (16) of the passageway (12).

Abstract: An arrangement for injecting fuel for an internal combustion engine has at least one inductive injection valve which is switch controlled via a controllable semiconductor switch. This injection valve is provided with an inductive or capacitive oscillator component for atomizing fuel. During the switching control operation, electrical energy from the inductive injection valve is fed into the oscillator component for exciting its oscillating movement each time the semiconductor switch is opened. On the one hand, with this arrangement no separate high frequency generator is required for the oscillator component while, on the other hand, a second transistor is not required for the switch-controlled output stage with a rapid discharge without loss being possible at least in principle.

Abstract: A direct fuel injection internal combustion engine comprises an auxiliary piston in an auxiliary cylinder for modulating sharp pressure rises in the combustion chamber. The main piston has a cavity into which injected fuel is directed. The fuel injection stream and the output from the auxiliary cylinder intersect.

Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle that produces a non-symmetrical conical stream in an eccentrically and obliquely installed fuel injection nozzle for a engine. The fuel injection nozzle body is formed with a conical end in which the center axis of the conical wall face forming the valve seat on the nozzle body is disposed at an angle (a) to the axis of the valve needle, and that a sealing face on the closing head of the valve needle that cooperates with the valve seat on the nozzle body is spherically curved.

Abstract: A combustion apparatus and a combustion system for an internal combustion engine wherein a funnel-shaped cone with an orifice at the apex thereof is provided in a combustion chamber and spaced from an ignition apparatus so that as a gaseous, combustible mixture is introduced into the chamber, it flows through the cone to the orifice where it is ignited by the ignition apparatus so that the flame caused thereby explodes outwardly through ejection openings and along the external surface of the cone into the chamber so as to envelope the uncombusted gases and cause maximum explosion and combustion of the mixture automatically. The structure is applicable to existing conventional spark ignition engines when the cone is provided at the front end portion of the spark plug. For compression ignition engines, the cone is provided in a pre-combustion chamber in the cylinder head or is attached to the cylinder head and extends into a chamber provided in the piston.

Abstract: Nozzle arrangements for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of a piston engine with stratified charge being provided by a resilient diaphragm which deflects by amounts proportional to engine load. At high engine load, further deflection of the diaphragm effects a deep penetration charge for improved performance and economy. Between pulses, the diaphragm effectively closes off the nozzle so that sac volumes of the nozzle are minimized along with discharge of hydrocarbons into the combustion chamber on blowdown.

Abstract: In a direct fuel injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine, fuel is assisted in evaporation by a squish flow. The engine includes a squish portion for generating the squish flow, a spark plug located adjacent to a center of a cylinder, and a fuel injector. The squish portion is enlarged so as to closely oppose the spark plug at the opening end of the squish portion. The fuel injector is located at a closed end of the squish portion and injects at least one portion of the fuel onto either one of two squish portion defining surfaces defining the squish portion therebetween. Evaporation of the fuel injected onto and adhering to the squish portion defining surface is promoted by the squish flow before being ignited by the spark plug.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is designed to run on natural gas and utilize the diesel cycle. To promote combustion, a mixing chamber is dispersed within a combustion chamber formed between the piston and cylinder. The chamber includes a pair of concentric housings, the innermost of which receives fuel from the injector and provides a rich mixture in the volume between the housings.

Abstract: A fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines includes a glow element connected to the outlet side of the injection port, the glow element being integrated into the clamping nut which braces the nozzle body with the nozzle holder. Downstream of the nozzle body, the clamping nut has a support shoulder, on which a sleeve surrounding and carrying the glow element rests. The glow element is formed by a jacket heating conductor, shaped into a dimensionally stable coil which is electrically connected with the contact element and with the sleeve. The connection end of the jacket heating conductor may be formed as a so-called cold end, as a result of which the adjoining parts are thermally relieved.

Abstract: A device for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, having a glow coil (22, 92) disposed on the outlet side of the injection nozzle and increasing in size conically toward the combustion chamber; the coil is surrounded by a sleeve (30, 96) which firmly holds the end turn (88, 93) of the glow coil (22, 92) toward the combustion chamber and has a contact ring washer (46, 98), on which the other end turn (86, 94) of the glow coil (22, 92) is secured. The end turn (88, 93) toward the combustion chamber rests on an annular shoulder (90, 107), oriented according to the invention toward the combustion chamber, of the sleeve (30, 96), which surrounds an insertion opening (91, 106) the inside diameter of which is smaller than the outside diameter of the end turn (88, 93) toward the combustion chamber, but greater than the outside diameters of all the other turns of the glow element (22, 92).

Abstract: An ignition device (2) for an air-compressing internal combustion engine which is cooled only to a small extent by the fuel which impacts upon it. As shown in FIG. 3, a heat reservoir in the form of at least one incandescent helix (15, 16) is inserted between an incandescent rod (6) and a casing (10) which surrounds the helix and the rod.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a catalytic ignition internal combustion engine wherein the fuel is injected into a combustion chamber at a time near maximum compression such that at least part of the fuel impinges upon an oxidation catalyst surface comprising a portion of the wall of said combustion chamber, said catalytic surface being insulated from the surroundings external to the combustion chamber by a low thermal conductivity material, said catalytic surface preferably comprising platinum. Also disclosed are combustion chambers constructed specially for the use of this method and the methods of constructing them.

Abstract: A fuel injector, system and method comprising means for ejecting fuel directly into a cylinder (14) an engine through a non-conductive, heat storing element. The element including a nozzle (44) portion comprising a preferably ceramic body having a narrow, first passage (158) in communication with a conical second portion (164). The two portions cooperating to cause the fuel to flow turbulently therethrough. The nozzle further includes a heater (174) for elevating the temperature to the nozzle to a predetermined temperture. In this manner, as the fuel contacts the heated nozzle it is atomized. In one embodiment of the invention a solid ceramic body is employed. In another embodiment, the nozzle (178) is formed by a plurality of stacked ceramic disks which include a central opening (182) therethrough and a plurality of heating elements (184), one for each disk. The openings (182) are sized to approximate the continuous conical portion of the solid body nozzle.

Abstract: The invention provides a combustion chamber arrangement for an internal combustion engine which can attain stabilized firing performance and stabilized combustion performance during any load running of the engine. The combustion chamber arrangement includes a piston having a combustion chamber formed by recessing a top portion thereof along an axial direction, and a recessed portion formed by recessing a portion of a peripheral wall of the combustion chamber along the direction of the depth of the piston in a radially outward direction, whereby partially a rich mixture is produced within the recessed portion in order to improve the firing performance while mixture of a suitable concentration is dispersed and distributed within the combustion chamber so that the flame produced within the recessed portion may be propagated to the mixture within the combustion chamber.

Abstract: Conventional direct-injection internal combustion engines having a fuel injector with multiple fuel spray orifices will not completely ignite and burn relatively lower-cetane-number alternative fuels such as 100 percent methanol or ethanol. That is because the fuel spray injection pattern, per se, usually cannot carry or propagate a flame to all the injected fuel which is typically made up of individual fuel streams which are separated by sectors of fuel-deficient intake air. The present fuel combustion system (10) includes a multiple-orifice fuel injector (22), a baffle (138) having a concave surface (146), and a fuel ignition-initiating device (22) such as glow plug positioned generally in spaced relation between the fuel injector (22) and the concave surface (146).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a catalytic ignition internal combustion engine wherein the fuel is injected into a combustion chamber at a time near maximum compression such that at least a part of the fuel impinges upon an oxidation catalyst surface comprising a portion of the wall of said combustion chamber, said catalytic surface being insulated from the surroundings external to the combustion chamber by a low thermal conductivity material, said catalytic surface preferably comprising platinum. Also disclosed are combustion chambers constructed specially for the use of this method and the methods of constructing them.

Abstract: An apparatus for injecting fuel into combustion chambers, in particular of self-igniting internal combustion engines, is proposed, in which a fuel injection nozzle generates an aimed fuel spray and in which an air guide device and a heating device are provided. The fuel being injected is accompanied by an air flow which passes the heating device. The heating device has at least two heating elements of different effectiveness, of which at least one element serves for rapid heating and the other element is provided for continuous use.

Abstract: Device for fuel injection in combustion chambers of, in particular, selfigniting combustion engines with an injection nozzle (10) and a subsequently switched incandescent wire (20) which has a conduit (30) surrounded by a double heating layer (33) on the inside for passing through of the injection streams. The double heating layer (33) consists of an inner heating layer (35) which is separated from a second heating layer (37) by an electrical insulator. In the parallel as well as the series switching of the two heating layers (35,37), a two stage heating of the double heating layer (33) is possible. The inner heating layer (35) reaches the required end temperature required for ignition in a relative short time, while the second heating layer (37) assures a high energy density of the ceramic support mass (38).

Abstract: In a compressed air charged combustion engine, in order to improve the atomization and ignition of the injected fuel from an injection nozzle, a glow plug which extends out of its glow plug housing with a cylindrically formed heating rod is provided with an irregular outer surface in the region which is impinged by the stream of fuel. The heating rod exhibits a cylindrical form and is provided with ring grooves to form the irregular surface area. Moreover the fuel stream meets at a sharp angle onto the heating rod.

Abstract: A stratified charge combustion system is disclosed for use in a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine. The stratified charge combustion system comprises a combustion chamber, an ignition source in communication with the combustion chamber, and a gaseous fuel injection valve assembly in communication with the combustion chamber and in spaced relationship from the ignition source. An entry port for the gaseous fuel defined by the valve assembly is recessed outside the combustion chamber, and a transitional surface that curves away from the direction of fuel injection is located adjacent the entry port. When gaseous fuel is injected, it strikes the transitional surface at such an angle and speed that it clings to and follows the transitional surface under the Coanda Effect and then aerodynamically clings to and follows a wall of the combustion chamber as the gaseous fuel flows to the ignition source.

Abstract: A device for injecting fuel in combustion chambers, especially for self-igniting internal combustion engines, is proposed, in which a fuel injection nozzle, by aspirating air through an air guide device in the manner of a jet pump, generates a fuel spray that is surrounded by an air envelope. This air-enveloped fuel spray is directed through a heating element, the heat generation of which is distributed in such a manner over its length that a desired heating profile along the heating element is produced. The type of heating profile depends not only on the properties of the material making up the heating resistor but also on its structural makeup and its electrical bonding. A highly suitable material for the heating resistor is molybdenum silicide (MoSi.sub.2).