Multi-fuel injector with fuel mixing
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsDana R. Coldren, Eric L. Schroeder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel injector is capable of injecting a plurality of different fuels in a single fuel injection event, the fuel injector including: a nozzle at an end of the fuel injector, the nozzle having a tip, openings in the tip of the nozzle through which fuel is configured to be injected, and a check valve member with a tip located within the nozzle, the check valve member being movable between an injection position in which fuel is injected via the openings and a closed position in which the openings are closed. The fuel injector further includes a primary fuel path within the fuel injector, a pilot fuel path within the fuel injector, and a mixing volume connecting the primary fuel path and the pilot fuel path when the check valve member is in the closed position.
Claims20
A fuel injector capable of injecting a plurality of different fuels in a single fuel injection event, the fuel injector comprising:
- a nozzle at an end of the fuel injector, the nozzle having a tip;
- openings in the tip of the nozzle through which fuel is configured to be injected;
- a check valve member with a tip located within the nozzle, the check valve member being movable between an injection position in which fuel is injected via the openings and a closed position in which the openings are closed, the check valve member including a valve body at least partially surrounded by a spring biasing the check valve member to the closed position;
- a primary fuel path within the fuel injector configured to supply a primary fuel which is a first liquid fuel to the openings in the tip of the nozzle;
- a pilot fuel path within the fuel injector configured to supply a pilot fuel, which is a second liquid fuel different than the first liquid fuel, to the openings in the tip of the nozzle;
- and
- a mixing volume within the nozzle and connecting the primary fuel path and the pilot fuel path when the check valve member is in the closed position, the mixing volume surrounding at least a portion of the valve body, the mixing volume configured to mix the primary fuel and the pilot fuel when the check valve member is in the closed position.
A fuel injection method, comprising:
- supplying a pilot fuel to a nozzle of a fuel injector, wherein the pilot fuel is a liquid fuel;
- supplying a primary fuel to the nozzle, the pilot fuel being a different liquid fuel than the primary fuel, wherein neither the primary fuel nor the pilot fuel includes a same fuel as one another;
- at least partially mixing the pilot fuel and the primary fuel in the nozzle before either the primary fuel or the pilot fuel is injected with the nozzle, and while the fuel injector is in a closed configuration,
- wherein a spring surrounds at least a portion of the valve member to bias an end of the valve member towards the nozzle, thereby biasing the fuel injector to the closed configuration;
- and
- injecting the pilot fuel and the primary fuel through a single set of openings in the nozzle.
A fuel injection system, comprising:
- a first common rail configured to receive a pilot fuel;
- a second common rail configured to receive a primary fuel;
- and
- a fuel injector having:
- a nozzle;
- a check valve member extending within the nozzle, the check valve member including a valve body having a portion which is surrounded by a spring;
- a primary fuel path configured to supply a primary fuel to the nozzle, wherein the primary fuel comprises a first liquid fuel;
- and
- a pilot fuel path within the fuel injector configured to supply a pilot fuel to openings in the nozzle, wherein the pilot fuel comprises a second liquid fuel different than the first liquid fuel, the primary fuel path being fluidly connected to the pilot fuel path when the check valve member is in a closed position that prevents injection of the pilot fuel and injection of the primary fuel, the pilot fuel and the primary fuel configured to mix in the fuel injector prior to injection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.