Fuel injection system with cross-flow nozzle for enhanced compressed natural gas jet spray

An intake manifold system comprising:

• an intake manifold having an inlet and an outlet to permit air flow from the inlet to the outlet along a flow axis connecting the inlet and outlet;
• and
• a fuel injector having an inlet and an outlet and a passage extending along a longitudinal axis from the inlet to the outlet, the fuel injector including a nozzle proximate the outlet and disposed in the intake manifold between the inlet and outlet so that when the fuel injector is provided with pressurized gaseous fuel actuated, at least one column of gaseous fuel spray is dispersed orthogonally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fuel injector and directed at an acute angle with respect to the direction of air flow along the flow axis through the intake manifold,
• wherein the nozzle comprises a retainer portion and flow modifier portion, the retainer portion being secured to an outer surface of the outlet, the flow modifier including a first flow modifier surface and a second flow modifier surface, the first flow modifier surface being disposed about the longitudinal axis to define a flow passage in fluid communication with the seat orifice, the second flow modifier surface being disposed along and about a first axis at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis to define at least a flow channel.

A method of metering gaseous fuel in an intake manifold having a gaseous fuel supply coupled to a fuel injector, the method comprising:

• flowing air from an inlet to an outlet through a passage of an intake manifold;
• flowing gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel supply to an inlet end of the fuel injector;
• and
• forming a generally ellipsoidal gaseous fuel spray pattern proximate the outlet in the passage of the intake manifold,
• wherein the forming comprises dispersing the gaseous fuel from the inlet through a nozzle proximate the outlet into four columns of gaseous fuel spray, the nozzle having a flow passage in communication with two flow channels intersecting each other orthogonally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fuel injector.