Gaseous fuel engine system and method utilizing scalloped piston for hastened fuel-air mixing
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorBobby John
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gaseous fuel internal combustion engine includes a piston having a combustion face forming a piston rim surface and reciprocated in a cylinder in an engine housing. The engine also includes a gaseous fuel injector supported in a cylinder head of the engine housing. The combustion face includes an injection-impingement surface extending along the piston rim surface and spaced radially outward of a piston center axis, and a plurality of fuel-dispersal scallops. The scallops define a plurality of fuel paths advancing away from the injection-impingement surface and configured to disperse gaseous fuel in the cylinder so as to hasten mixing with air. The gaseous fuel may be a gaseous hydrogen fuel. Related methodology is also disclosed.
Claims20
A gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising:
- an engine housing including a cylinder block forming a cylinder, and a cylinder head attached to the cylinder block;
- a piston including a combustion face having a piston rim surface, and defining a piston center axis;
- a gaseous fuel injector supported in the cylinder head;
- and
- the combustion face including an injection-impingement surface extending along the piston rim surface and spaced radially outward of the piston center axis, and a plurality of fuel-dispersal scallops defining a plurality of fuel paths advancing in directions away from the injection-impingement surface toward the piston rim surface.
A piston for a gaseous fuel engine comprising:
- a piston crown defining a piston center axis, and including a first axial end forming a combustion face having a piston rim surface, and a second axial end;
- and
- the combustion face including an injection-impingement surface extending along the piston rim surface and sloped radially inward and axially downward relative to the piston center axis, and a plurality of fuel-dispersal scallops defining a plurality of fuel paths advancing in directions away from the injection-impingement surface toward the piston rim surface.
A method of operating a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising:
- injecting a gaseous fuel into a cylinder in an internal combustion engine;
- impinging the gaseous fuel upon an injection-impingement surface of a combustion face of a piston reciprocated in the cylinder;
- advancing the gaseous fuel across the piston by way of a plurality of fuel-dispersal scallops arranged in a combustion bowl of the combustion face;
- dispersing the gaseous fuel in the cylinder by way of the plurality of fuel-dispersal scallops so as to hasten mixing of the gaseous fuel with air in the cylinder;
- and
- combusting the gaseous fuel and air in the cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.