Fuel flow limiter assembly having integral fuel filter and fuel system using same
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsJoshua D. Carlson, Stephen Robert Lewis, Kenneth Carroll Adams, Daniel Richard Ibrahim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel flow limiter assembly includes a limiter body forming a central bore, and including a shutoff piston within the central bore having a closing hydraulic surface exposed to a fluid pressure of the fuel inlet, and being movable from an open position, to a closed position based on a fuel pressure drop from a fuel inlet to a fuel outlet in the limiter assembly. A fuel filter is resident in the limiter assembly and supported in a connector coupled to the limiter body. The fuel filter is elongate and projects from the connector into a fuel flow path from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet.
Claims20
A fuel flow limiter assembly comprising:
- a limiter body defining a longitudinal axis extending between a first axial body end and a second axial body end, and including an axially extending central bore, and a fuel inlet formed in the first axial body end and fluidly connected to the central bore;
- a connector coupled to the second axial body end, and including a fuel outlet fluidly connected to the central bore and a connector seat adjacent to the fuel outlet and extending circumferentially around the fuel outlet;
- a shutoff piston within the central bore and including a closing hydraulic surface exposed to a fluid pressure of the fuel inlet, and a sealing surface, and the shutoff piston being movable within the central bore in a direction of the second axial body end from an open position, to a closed position where the sealing surface is in contact with the connector to block fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
- a biasing spring trapped between the shutoff piston and the connector and biasing the shutoff piston toward the open position;
- and
- a fuel filter supported in the connector, and projecting from the connector in the direction of the first axial body end in a fuel flow path from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet.
A fuel system for an internal combustion engine comprising:
- a pressurized fuel reservoir;
- a plurality of fuel injectors fluidly connected to the pressurized fuel reservoir;
- a plurality of flow limiter assemblies each positioned fluidly between the pressurized fuel reservoir and at least one of the plurality of fuel injectors;
- each of the plurality of flow limiter assemblies defining a longitudinal axis and including a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, a central bore, a biasing spring, and a shutoff piston positioned in the central bore and movable in opposition to a bias of the biasing spring to a closed position based on a fuel pressure drop from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
- and
- each of the plurality of flow limiter assemblies further including a fuel filter having an outer filter inlet surface exposed to a flow of fuel in the central bore, and an inner filter outlet surface forming a filtered fuel passage extending to the fuel outlet, in the respective flow limiter assembly.
A fuel feed subsystem for a fuel injector comprising:
- a leakage containment housing structured to couple with a pressurized fuel reservoir;
- a fuel flow limiter assembly within the leakage containment housing, and including a limiter body defining a longitudinal axis, and a connector coupled to the limiter body;
- the limiter body having a fuel inlet formed therein and an axially extending central bore fluidly connected to the fuel inlet;
- the connector having a fuel outlet formed therein and fluidly connected to the central bore;
- the fuel flow limiter assembly further including a biasing spring, and a shutoff piston including a closing hydraulic surface exposed to a fluid pressure of the fuel inlet, and a sealing surface, and being movable within the central bore in opposition to a biasing force of the biasing spring from an open position to a closed position to block fuel flow from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet;
- and
- a fuel filter resident in the fuel flow limiter assembly and supported in the connector such that the fuel filter projects from the connector in an upstream direction relative to a fuel flow path from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet and is partially within the shutoff piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.