Method and apparatus for a spark-ignited direct injection engine
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsAndreas M. Lippert, Michael C. Drake, Yangbing Zeng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spark-ignition, direct injection internal combustion engine includes a fuel injector effective to produce a fuel spray pattern which is relatively compact at low loads and relatively large at high loads.
Claims11
Method for operating a spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine including a variable volume combustion chamber comprising a cylinder and reciprocating piston, a spark plug having a spark gap and a direct in-cylinder fuel injector for effecting a fuel spray pattern within the combustion chamber, comprising:
- providing a fuel injector tip having a plurality of through-holes arranged in a through-hole pattern to produce a fuel spray pattern having a relatively compact fuel cone angle at the low-load limit of the engine and a relatively wide fuel cone angle at the high-load limit of the engine;
- and,
- locating the fuel injector and spark gap such that a portion of the fuel spray pattern from the injector will intersect the spark gap at the low-load limit of the engine.
Method for operating a spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine including a variable volume combustion chamber comprising a cylinder and reciprocating piston, a spark plug having a spark gap and a direct in-cylinder fuel injector for effecting a fuel spray pattern within the combustion chamber, comprising:
- providing a fuel spray pattern from said fuel injector having a relatively compact fuel cone angle at the low-load limit of the engine, a relatively wide fuel cone angle at the high-load limit of the engine and a generally increasing fuel cone angle between the low load and the high load limits of the engine;
- and,
- locating the fuel injector and spark gap such that a portion of the fuel spray pattern from the injector will intersect the spark gap at the low-load limit of the engine.
Spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine apparatus, comprising:
- a variable volume combustion chamber including a cylinder, a cylinder head including an intake and an exhaust valve, and a reciprocating piston;
- a spark plug having a spark gap for producing an ignition spark within the combustion chamber;
- a fuel injector for injecting fuel within the combustion chamber;
- said fuel injector including a fuel injector tip having a plurality of through-holes arranged in a through-hole pattern to produce a fuel spray pattern with a fuel cone angle that generally increases with increasing fuel mass injection;
- and
- said fuel injector and spark plug being cooperatively located such that the fuel spray pattern intersects the spark gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.