Engine having common rail intensifier and method
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsDennis H. Gibson, Mark F. Sommars, Hoisan Kim
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine includes an engine housing, a common rail, and a pressurization device for the common rail which includes a plurality of intensifier pistons, and an hydraulically actuated control valve movable between a first position at which it fluidly connects a source of pressurized actuation fluid with one of said intensifier pistons but not a second one of the intensifier pistons, and a second position at which it fluidly connects the at least one fluid inlet with the second one of the intensifier pistons but not the first one of the intensifier pistons.
Claims20
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- an engine housing having a plurality of cylinders therein;
- a common rail;
- a plurality of fuel injectors fluidly connected with said common rail and each associated with one of said cylinders;
- a pressurization device for said common rail which includes a housing having a plurality of intensifier pistons disposed at least partially therein, at least one fluid inlet, and at least one fluid outlet connected with said common rail, said plurality of intensifier pistons being configured to reciprocate within said housing;
- a source of pressurized actuation fluid for said intensifier pistons fluidly connected with said at least one fluid inlet, said source of pressurized actuation fluid having an adjustable flow output and said plurality of intensifier pistons having a reciprocation speed within said housing which is based at least in part on the adjustable flow output;
- an hydraulically actuated valve movable between a first position at which it fluidly connects said at least one fluid inlet with a first one of said intensifier pistons but not a second one of said intensifier pistons, and a second position at which it fluidly connects said at least one fluid inlet with the second one of said intensifier pistons but not the first one of said intensifier pistons;
- and
- a control device coupled with said source of pressurized actuation fluid and configured to control a fluid pressure in said common rail at least in part by varying the reciprocation speed of said plurality of intensifier pistons via adjusting the flow output of said source of pressurized actuation fluid.
A method of pressurizing a common rail fuel system of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of:
- moving a first intensifier piston via a pressurized actuation fluid;
- moving a second intensifier piston via a pressurized actuation fluid;
- hydraulically moving a valve between a first position at which it connects the first intensifier piston with a source of pressurized actuation fluid but blocks the second intensifier piston from the source of pressurized actuation fluid and a second position at which it connects the second intensifier piston with the source of pressurized actuation fluid but blocks the first intensifier piston from the source of pressurized actuation fluid;
- supplying a fluid to a common rail which is pressurized at least in part via the steps of moving the first and second intensifier pistons;
- and
- controlling a fluid pressure in the common rail at least in part by varying a reciprocation speed of the plurality of intensifier pistons via a step of adjusting a flow output of the source of pressurized actuation fluid.
A pressurization device for a common rail fuel system having a common rail, of an internal combustion engines comprising:
- a housing having at least one actuation fluid inlet, and at least one outlet;
- a first intensifier including a first actuation chamber, and a first piston positioned at least partially within said housing;
- a second intensifier including a second actuation chamber, and a second piston positioned at least partially within said housing;
- and
- a valve configured to control fluid flow to the first and second intensifiers, said valve having a first position wherein said actuation fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the first actuation chamber but not the second actuation chamber, and a second position wherein said actuation fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the second actuation chamber but not the first actuation chamber, said valve further including at least one pressure control surface for moving said valve between said first and second positions;
- wherein the pressurization device is free of electrical actuators within said housing and is configured by way of controlling fluid flow to said intensifiers via said valve to vary a fluid flow from the pressurization device to the common rail in response to a fluid flow rate through said at least one actuation fluid inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.