Internal combustion engine having dedicated EGR cylinder(s) and air-assisted spark ignition
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsGraham T Conway, Barrett Mangold, Yanyu Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of assisting ignition of a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation (D-EGR) cylinder in a spark-ignited internal combustion engine. The spark igniter has an internal air passage that receives pressurized air and carries the pressurized air down to an exit port in the vicinity of the spark gap of the igniter.
Claims16
A method of assisting ignition of a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation (D-EGR) cylinder in a spark-ignited internal combustion engine, the D-EGR cylinder having a combustion chamber, comprising:
- providing the D-EGR cylinder with a spark plug having a body portion to which a ground electrode is attached and having an air passage within at least a portion of the body portion for receiving pressurized air and carrying the pressurized air within the spark plug;
- wherein the spark plug has a spark gap within the combustion chamber;
- wherein the air passage has an exit port in the vicinity of the spark gap of the spark plug;
- and
- providing the pressurized air into the spark gap via the air passage prior to ignition events.
An improved spark igniter, the spark igniter having at least a body, a terminal at a first end of the body, a center electrode running through the body to a second end of the body, and a ground electrode also at the second end of the body, comprising:
- an air passage running through at least a portion of the body and continuing through at least a portion of the ground electrode, the air passage having an inlet port for receiving pressurized air and having an exit port for expelling the pressurized air into a spark gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode.
An improved internal combustion engine, comprising:
- at least one D-EGR (dedicated exhaust gas recirculation) cylinder, with the remainder of a plurality of cylinders of the internal combustion engine being non-EGR cylinders receiving intake air from an intake manifold and exhausting emissions through a main exhaust line;
- a separate intake line for the D-EGR cylinder(s), providing intake air to the D-EGR cylinder independent of the intake manifold;
- an EGR loop for delivering EGR from the D-EGR cylinder(s) to the main cylinders via the intake manifold;
- an EGR exhaust line connecting the EGR loop to the main exhaust line;
- wherein the D-EGR cylinder(s) is equipped with an air-assisted spark igniter, the air-assisted spark igniter having at least a body, a terminal at a first end of the body, a center electrode running through the body to a second end of the body, and a ground electrode also at the second end of the body, and further having an air passage running through at least a portion of the body and continuing through at least a portion of the ground electrode, the air passage having an inlet port for receiving pressurized air and having an exit port for expelling the pressurized air into a spark gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.