Ultrasonic liquid fuel injection apparatus and method

An ultrasonic fuel injector apparatus for injection of liquid fuel into an internal combustion engine, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a chamber contained within the housing comprising a first volume, the chamber adapted to receive a pressurized liquid fuel;
• an inlet within the housing connected to the chamber and adapted to supply the chamber with the pressurized liquid fuel;
• and
• a vestibular cavity having an entrance, the vestibular cavity contained within the housing and in direct communication via the entrance with the chamber, the vestibular cavity comprising a second volume, smaller than the first volume of the chamber, the entrance defining an area;
• an exit orifice interconnected to the vestibular cavity, the exit orifice adapted to receive the pressurized liquid fuel from the vestibular cavity and pass the liquid fuel out of the housing;
• and
• an ultrasonic horn located within the chamber having a nodal plane and a tip having a cross-sectional area, the horn being rigidly affixed to the housing such that the only portion of the horn to contact the housing is the nodal plane, the tip being disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to the entrance of the vestibular cavity, with and is less than or is substantially the same area as the area of the entrance to the vestibular cavity.