# US 10,502,169 B2 · Fuel injector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,169 B2 - Document ID: US10502169B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/996,090 - Filed: 2018-06-01 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-21 - Assignees: Westport Power Inc. - Applicants: Westport Power Inc.; Delphi International Operations Luxembourg S.à.R.L. - Inventors: George A. Meek; Lukhbir Panesar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502169B2 ## CPC - F02M 43/04: Injectors peculiar thereto - F02D 19/0694: {operating with a plurality of fuels} - F02D 19/10: peculiar to compression-ignition engines in which the main fuel is gaseous - F02M 47/027: {Electrically actuated valves draining the chamber to release the closing pressure} - F02M 61/10: Other injectors with elongated valve bodies, i.e. of needle-valve type - F02M 61/14: Arrangements of injectors with respect to engines; Mounting of injectors - F02M 61/16: Details not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M61/02 - F02M61/14 - F02M 63/0015: {electrical, e.g. using solenoid} - F02M 63/0064: {Two or more actuators acting on two or more valve bodies} - F02M 45/086: {Having more than one injection-valve controlling discharge orifices} - F02M 55/025: {Common rails} - F02M 2200/40: Fuel-injection apparatus with fuel accumulators, e.g. a fuel injector having an integrated fuel accumulator - F02M 2200/857: characterised by mounting fuel or common rail to engine - Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector is installable in a cylinder head bore of a cylinder head of the engine and has a body region arranged to be received within the cylinder head bore, and a head region arranged to extend outside the cylinder head bore to protrude from the cylinder head when the injector is installed in the cylinder head bore. The injector includes a first valve needle arranged to control the injection of a gaseous fuel from a first outlet, a second valve needle arranged to control the injection of a liquid fuel from a second outlet, a gaseous fuel inlet for admitting the gaseous fuel to the injector, and a liquid fuel inlet port for admitting the liquid fuel to the injector. The gaseous fuel inlet is disposed in the body region of the injector, and the liquid fuel inlet port is disposed in the head region of the injector. The injector can also include an internal accumulator volume so that an external fuel rail is not necessary. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising: a body region arranged to be received within a bore of a cylinder head of an engine; a head region arranged to extend outside the bore of the cylinder head and protrude from the cylinder head when the fuel injector is installed in the bore of the cylinder head; a first valve needle arranged to control injection of a gaseous fuel from a first outlet; a second valve needle slidably received within the first valve needle and arranged to control injection of a liquid fuel from a second outlet, wherein the injection of the gaseous fuel is independent of injection of the liquid fuel; a gaseous fuel inlet disposed in the body region of the fuel injector for admitting the gaseous fuel to the fuel injector; and a liquid fuel inlet port disposed in the head region of the fuel injector for admitting the liquid fuel to the fuel injector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel injector according to claim 1, wherein the fuel injector comprises first and second control valves for controlling movement of the first and second valve needles respectively, and wherein the first and second control valves are housed within the body region of the fuel injector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fuel injector according to claim 2, wherein the first and second control valves comprise solenoid valves that share a common core member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The fuel injector according to claim 2, wherein the first and second control valves are hydraulically balanced valves. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel injector according to claim 1, further comprising a cap nut which extends, at least in part, along the body region of the fuel injector, and wherein the gaseous fuel inlet comprises one or more apertures passing through the cap nut. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel injector according to claim 1, further comprising: an accumulator volume for the liquid fuel; and a liquid fuel outlet port in fluid communication with the accumulator volume. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fuel injector according to claim 6, wherein the accumulator volume is disposed, at least in part, in the head region of the fuel injector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fuel injector according to claim 7, wherein the accumulator volume extends into the head region from a top end of the fuel injector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The fuel injector according to claim 6, wherein the accumulator volume is defined, in part, by a generally cylindrical wall, and wherein the fuel injector further comprises an inlet passage that connects with the accumulator volume at the wall and communicates with the liquid fuel inlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fuel injector according to claim 1, wherein injection of the liquid fuel is a pilot injection to initiate combustion of the gaseous fuel in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 11 An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder head having one or more cylinder head bores and a fuel injection system, the fuel injection system comprising: one or more fuel injectors, the or each fuel injector being mountable in a respective cylinder head bore and each fuel injector including: a body region arranged to be received within the cylinder head bore, and a head region arranged to extend outside the cylinder head bore and protrude from the cylinder head when the injector is installed in the cylinder head bore; a first valve needle arranged to control injection of a gaseous fuel from a first outlet; a second valve needle slidably received within the first valve needle and arranged to control injection of a liquid fuel from a second outlet, wherein the injection of the gaseous fuel is independent of injection of the liquid fuel; a gaseous fuel inlet disposed in the body region of the fuel injector for admitting the gaseous fuel to the fuel injector; and a liquid fuel inlet port disposed in the head region of the fuel injector for admitting the liquid fuel to the fuel injector; a liquid fuel accumulator volume disposed outside the cylinder head and connected to the liquid fuel inlet port of the or each fuel injector; and gaseous fuel supply means disposed within the cylinder head to supply gaseous fuel to the gaseous fuel inlet of the or each fuel injector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein the liquid fuel accumulator volume comprises a fuel rail arranged to receive liquid fuel from a high-pressure fuel pump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein the or each fuel injector comprises first and second control valves for controlling movement of the first and second valve needles respectively, and wherein the first and second control valves are housed within the body region of the fuel injector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the first and second control valves comprise solenoid valves that share a common core member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the first and second control valves are hydraulically balanced valves. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the injection of the liquid fuel from the second outlet is a pilot injection to initiate combustion of the gaseous fuel in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The fuel injector according to claim 2, wherein injection of the liquid fuel is a pilot injection to initiate combustion of the gaseous fuel in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The fuel injector according to claim 4, wherein injection of the liquid fuel is a pilot injection to initiate combustion of the gaseous fuel in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The fuel injector according to claim 2, wherein the liquid fuel inlet port is above the first and second control valves. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein the liquid fuel inlet port is above the first and second control valves.