Asynchronous rotary fuel valve
AssigneeWoodward, Inc.
InventorsDomenico Chiera, John Karspeck, Michael Ryan Buehner, Samuel James McCreery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A housing defines a gaseous fuel inlet and a gaseous fuel outlet. A rotor defines an internal flow passage therethrough that rotates with the rotor to, alternately, allow gaseous fuel flow, or to block gaseous fuel flow, between the inlet and the outlet, based on a position of the rotor. A seal is biased to abut an exterior surface of the rotor. The seal is between the rotor and the outlet. An actuator is rotably coupled to the rotor. The driver is configured to rotate the rotor. A controller is in communication with the driver and is configured to control the driver to rotate at a rate based on an engine speed of the engine.
Claims24
A fuel admission valve for an engine, comprising:
- a housing defining a gaseous fuel inlet, and a gaseous fuel outlet fluidly connected to an air intake manifold of the engine or fluidly connected to a combustion cylinder of the engine, and configured to supply gaseous fuel via the gaseous fuel outlet to air from the air intake manifold;
- a rotor defining an internal flow passage therethrough that rotates with the rotor to, alternately, allow gaseous fuel flow or to block gaseous fuel flow between the inlet and the outlet based on a position of the rotor;
- a seal biased to abut an exterior surface of the rotor, the seal being between the rotor and the outlet;
- an actuator rotably coupled to the rotor, the actuator configured to rotate the rotor;
- and
- a controller in communication with the actuator and configured to control the actuator to rotate at a rate based on an engine speed of the engine to controllably admit gaseous fuel to the air, downstream of the gaseous fuel outlet, at one or more of a predetermined rate, duration, and time based on one or more engine operation parameters, prior to entering the combustion cylinder.
A method comprising:
- receiving, by an intake manifold, air from an air intake of an internal combustion engine;
- receiving a gaseous fuel from a pressurized gaseous fuel manifold by a gaseous fuel inlet of a fuel admission valve;
- regulating a flow of the gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel inlet to a gaseous flow outlet and into the air in the intake manifold at one or more of a predetermined rate, duration, and time responsive to a fuel control signal, by a rotating rotor comprising a flow passage therethrough, the flow passage rotating with the rotor;
- and
- supplying the gaseous fuel to the air, downstream of the gaseous fuel outlet, prior to entering a combustion cylinder of the internal combustion engine by the flow outlet.
An engine system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having an intake valve;
- an intake manifold configured to receive air from an air intake and configured to receive fuel from a fuel port;
- and
- a gaseous fuel admission valve outside of the intake manifold and configured to supply a gaseous fuel into the intake manifold by the fuel port, the fuel admission valve comprising:
- a housing defining a gaseous fuel inlet and a gaseous fuel outlet coupled to the fuel port;
- a rotor defining an internal flow passage therethrough that rotates with the rotor to allow gaseous fuel flow or to block gaseous fuel flow between the gaseous fuel inlet and the gaseous fuel outlet based on a position of the rotor;
- a seal defining a portion of an outlet flow passage, the seal biased to abut a movable surface of the rotor, the seal being between the rotor and the outlet;
- a driver rotably coupled to the rotor, the driver configured to rotate the rotor;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- control the driver to rotate at a rate that is a function of an engine speed;
- adjust the rotor independent of the intake valve based on one or more engine operation parameters;
- send an electrical signal to the driver to rotate the rotor continuously in a single direction;
- and
- controllably admit, by the intake valve, gaseous fuel to the air, downstream of the gaseous fuel outlet, at one or more of a predetermined rate, duration, and time, prior to entering the combustion cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.