Ducted fuel injection with ignition assist
AssigneeNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
InventorCharles J. Mueller
Life of this patent
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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. An ignition assist component can be located downstream of the duct to facilitate ignition of the fuel/charge-gas mixture.
Claims20
A fuel injection system, comprising:
- a fuel injector comprising a first plurality of openings, wherein a fuel is injected through the openings into a combustion chamber of an engine;
- a plurality of ducts located in the combustion chamber, each duct formed from a hollow tube, wherein each duct is aligned with a respective opening in the openings such that the fuel exiting the openings of the fuel injector is injected through the hollow tubes and into the combustion chamber, wherein passage of the fuel through the hollow tubes causes charge-gas present in the combustion chamber to be drawn into the hollow tubes, thereby mixing the injected fuel with the charge-gas;
- and
- an ignition assist component located at a discharge end of a duct in the ducts, wherein the ignition assist component is configured to ignite the fuel exiting the duct.
A method for igniting a mixture comprising fuel and charge-gas, the method comprising:
- injecting fuel through a plurality of openings in a fuel injector, the openings located in a combustion chamber;
- mixing the injected fuel with the charge-gas in a plurality of ducts located within the combustion chamber, wherein each of the ducts comprises a hollow tube and is aligned with a respective opening in the openings such that the injected fuel travels through the hollow tubes and into the combustion chamber, the passage of the fuel through the hollow tubes causing turbulent flow of the fuel within the hollow tube and thereby causing charge-gas present in the combustion chamber to be drawn into the hollow tubes and mixing the injected fuel with the charge-gas;
- and
- igniting the mixture of fuel and charge gas exiting a discharge end of a duct in the ducts with an ignition assist component.
A fuel injection system, comprising:
- a fuel injector comprising a first opening and a second opening, wherein a first jet of fuel is injected through the first opening into a combustion chamber, and a second jet of fuel is injected through the second opening into the combustion chamber;
- a first duct positioned in the combustion chamber and formed from a first hollow tube, wherein the first duct is aligned such that the first jet of fuel exiting the first opening is injected through the first hollow tube and into the combustion chamber such that the passage of the fuel through the first hollow tube causes charge-gas present in the combustion chamber to be drawn into the first hollow tube thereby mixing the injected fuel with the charge-gas;
- a second duct positioned in the combustion chamber and formed from a second hollow tube, wherein the second duct is aligned such that the second jet of fuel exiting the second opening is injected through the second hollow tube and into the combustion chamber such that the passage of the fuel through the second hollow tube causes charge-gas present in the combustion chamber to be drawn into the second hollow tube, thereby mixing the injected fuel with the charge-gas;
- a first ignition assist component located at a discharge end of the first duct, wherein the first ignition assist component is configured to ignite the fuel exiting the first duct;
- and
- a second ignition assist component located at a discharge end of the second duct, wherein the second ignition assist component is configured to ignite the fuel exiting the second duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.