# US 7,743,753 B2 · Ignition system utilizing igniter and gas injector

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,743,753 B2
- Document ID: US7743753B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/078,418
- Filed: 2008-03-31
- Published: 2009-10-01
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2008-03-31
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Scott B. Fiveland; Jonathan William Anders
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743753B2

## CPC

- F02M 25/00: Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture (adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00)
- F02B 7/06: the fuel in the charge being gaseous
- F02B 19/14: with compression ignition
- F02B 47/08: the substances including exhaust gas
- F02D 41/3041: {with means for triggering compression ignition, e.g. spark plug}
- F02M 26/20: Feeding recirculated exhaust gases directly into the combustion chambers or into the intake runners
- F02M 2023/008: {by injecting compressed air directly into the combustion chamber}
- F02P 19/02: electric, e.g. layout of circuits of apparatus having glowing plugs
- F02P 23/04: Other physical ignition means, e.g. using laser rays
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02P: IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES ({anti-pollution means for internal-combustion engines F02B17/00}; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; {ignition of gas turbine plants F02C7/26; ignition of jet propulsion plants F02K9/95; starting of combustion engines F02N9/00}; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; {ignition coils H01F38/12}; sparking plugs H01T13/00)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An ignition system for use with an engine is disclosed. The ignition system may have an igniter connected to selectively ignite a fuel mixture within the engine, an injector located to inject a non-combustible gas into the engine, and a controller in communication with the igniter and the injector. The controller may be configured to energize the igniter during a first mode of engine operation to ignite the fuel mixture, and cease energizing the igniter during a second mode of engine operation. The controller may also be configured to actuate the injector during the second mode of engine operation to promote auto-ignition of the fuel mixture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ignition system for an engine, comprising:
an igniter connected to selectively ignite a fuel mixture within the engine;
an injector located to inject a non-combustible gas directly into a combustion chamber of the engine; and
a controller in communication with the igniter and the injector, the controller being configured to:
energize the igniter during a first mode of engine operation to ignite the fuel mixture;
cease energizing the igniter during a second mode of engine operation following the first mode of engine operation; and
actuate the injector during the second mode of engine operation to raise a temperature and a pressure within the combustion chamber to initiate auto-ignition of the fuel mixture without the use of the igniter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ignition system of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation is associated with startup of the engine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ignition system of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation is associated with operation of the engine under cold conditions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ignition system of claim 1,where the igniter is one of a spark plug or a glow plug.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ignition system of claim 1, wherein the non-combustible gas is heated prior to injection.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The ignition system of claim 5, wherein the non-combustible gas is exhaust heated by the combustion process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The ignition system of claim 1, wherein the non-combustible gas is pressurized.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The ignition system of claim 7, wherein the injector pressurizes the non-combustible gas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The ignition system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to actuate the injector during the first mode of engine operation at about the same time the igniter is energized.

### Claim 10

A method of initiating combustion within an engine, comprising:
locally heating a fuel mixture within the engine to initiate combustion during a first mode of engine operation;
ceasing the local heating during a second mode of engine operation; and
injecting a non-combustible gas directly into a combustion chamber of the engine during the second mode of engine operation to initiate auto-ignition of the fuel mixture.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first mode of engine operation is associated with at least one of startup of the engine and operation of the engine under cold conditions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further including heating the non-combustible gas prior to injecting.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the non-combustible gas is exhaust heated during the combustion process.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further including pressurizing the non-combustible gas.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further including injecting the non-combustible gas during the first mode of engine operation at about the same time the fuel mixture is locally heated.

### Claim 16

An engine, comprising:
an engine block at least partially defining a cylinder;
a piston recipratingly disposed within the cylinder to form a combustion chamber;
a first injector configured to inject fuel into the combustion chamber;
a supply of air in selective communication with the combustion chamber;
an igniter located to locally heat a mixture of the fuel and air; and
a second injector configured to inject a non-combustible gas directly into the combustion chamber.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, further including a controller in communication with the igniter and the injector, the controller being configured to:
energize the igniter during a first mode of engine operation to ignite the mixture;
cease energizing the igniter during a second mode of engine Operation; and
actuate the second injector during the second mode of engine operation to raise a temperature and a pressure within the combustion chamber and initiate auto-ignition of the mixture, wherein the first mode of operation is associated with at least one of startup of the engine and operation of the engine under cold conditions.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, wherein the igniter is one of a spark plug or a glow plug.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, wherein the non-combustible gas is exhaust heated by the combustion process prior to injection and pressurized by the injector during injection.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The engine of claim 16, wherein the combustion chamber is a pre-combustion chamber and the engine further includes a main combustion chamber in communication with the pre-combustion chamber and the first injector.