Systems, apparatus, and methods for inducing enhanced radical ignition in internal combustion engines using a radical chemicals generator

An apparatus, comprising:

• a housing defining a radical chemicals generator volume (RCGv);
• a fuel delivery control device coupled to a passageway extending into the RCGv, the fuel delivery control device configured to control delivery of a portion of fuel into the RCGv via the passageway;
• a spark device configured to ignite a mixture of air and the portion of fuel in the RCGv to generate a flame that produces combustion intermediates and combustion products;
• and
• a quenching system (QS) including a plurality of orifices, the plurality of orifices having a predetermined length-to-diameter ratio of at least about five such that the plurality of orifices is configured to quench the flame to produce a jet of partial combustion products containing radical species (RS),
• the plurality of orifices further configured to inject the jet of partial combustion products into a main combustion chamber (MCC) of an engine containing a fuel-air charge to induce ignition of the fuel-air charge.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a housing defining a radical chemicals generator volume (RCGv);
• a fuel delivery control device coupled to a passageway extending into the RCGv, the fuel delivery control device configured to control delivery of a portion of fuel into the RCGv via the passageway;
• a spark device configured to ignite a mixture of air and the portion of fuel in the RCGv to generate a flame that produces combustion intermediates and combustion products;
• and
• a quenching system (QS) including a plurality of orifice sets, each orifice set from the plurality of orifice sets including:
• a plurality of sub-orifices configured to quench the flame to produce partial combustion products containing radial species (RS);
• and
• an exit orifice configured to inject a jet of the partial combustion products produced by each of the plurality of sub-orifices into a main combustion chamber (MCC) of an engine containing a fuel-air charge to induce ignition of the fuel-air charge,
• each of the plurality of sub-orifices having (1) a first end that opens into the RCGv and is spaced from that of the remaining sub-orifices of the plurality of sub-orifices and (2) a second end that merges together with that of the remaining sub-orifices of the plurality of sub-orifices to form the exit orifice.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an engine including:
• a head defining a plurality of openings that open into a main combustion chamber (MCC);
• a cylinder coupled to the head and defining a channel;
• and
• a piston disposable within the channel and configured to reciprocate along a length of the channel during a plurality of combustion cycles, the piston including a crown that forms a seal against an inner surface of the cylinder,
• the head, the cylinder, and the crown collectively defining the MCC;
• and
• a plurality of radical chemical generators (RCGs), each RCG from the plurality of RCGs configured to couple to a different opening of the plurality of openings, each RCG from the plurality of RCGs including:
• a housing defining a radical chemicals generator volume (RCGv);
• a fuel delivery control device configured to control delivery of fuel into the RCGv;
• a spark device configured to ignite a mixture of air and fuel in the RCGv to generate a flame that produces combustion intermediates and combustion products;
• and
• a quenching system (QS) configured to quench the flame to produce jets of partial combustion products that can be injected into the MCC of the engine.