Back to results
US 2026/0218671 A1Published application
Engine and operating strategy augmenting tumble flow to increase fuel-air mixing
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsBobby John, Chad Palmer Koci
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Operating an engine includes injecting a first injection containing a gaseous fuel such as gaseous molecular hydrogen into a cylinder, and such that at least some of the gaseous fuel is entrained in a tumbling flow of pressurized air. A second injection containing a fluid including gaseous fuel, air, or water, for example, is injected to augment the tumbling flow so as to increase fuel-air mixing in the cylinder. Related apparatus is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method of operating an engine comprising:
- feeding pressurized air into a cylinder in an engine in an intake stroke of a piston;
- injecting a first injection containing a gaseous fuel into the cylinder, such that at least some of the gaseous fuel is entrained in a tumbling flow of the pressurized air;
- injecting a second injection containing a fluid into the cylinder;
- and
- augmenting the tumbling flow of the pressurized air and entrained gaseous fuel by way of the second injection so as to increase fuel-air mixing in the cylinder.
2 more elements
An engine system comprising:
- an engine forming a cylinder, and including a piston movable between a top-dead-center (TDC) position and a bottom-dead-center (BDC) position in the cylinder;
- the engine further including a cylinder head forming an intake port, and an intake valve supported in the cylinder head and movable between an open position and a closed position to admit pressurized air through the intake port into the cylinder;
- the intake valve and the intake port being oriented to produce a tumbling flow of the pressurized air defining a circulation path in the cylinder;
- a first injector supported in the cylinder head and arranged to define a first injection path targeted through the circulation path at an engine timing preceding the BDC position of the piston;
- and
- a second injector supported in the cylinder head and arranged to define a second injection path targeted tangentially to the circulation path at a second engine timing succeeding the BDC position of the piston.
3 more elements
A method of operating an engine comprising:
- injecting a gaseous fuel via a first injector supported in a pent-roof cylinder head into a cylinder in an engine;
- closing an intake valve for the cylinder after starting the injection of the gaseous fuel;
- injecting a fluid via a second injector supported in the pent-roof cylinder head into the cylinder after the closing of the intake valve and after ending the injection of the gaseous fuel;
- targeting the injection of the fluid based on a flow pattern of the injected gaseous fuel and pressurized air in the cylinder so as to increase fuel-air mixing in the cylinder;
- and
- combusting the mixed gaseous fuel and air in the cylinder.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.