# US 7,743,754 B2 · Heated catalyzed fuel injector for injection ignition engines > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,743,754 B2 - Document ID: US7743754B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/692,111 - Filed: 2007-03-27 - Published: 2007-10-04 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-03-31 - Assignees: Transonic Combustion, Inc. - Inventors: Michael C. Cheiky - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743754B2 ## CPC - F02M 69/045: {for injecting into the combustion chamber (F02M69/046 takes precedence)} - F02M 51/04: Pumps peculiar thereto - F02M 53/02: with fuel-heating means, e.g. for vaporising - F02M 53/06: with fuel-heating means, e.g. for vaporising - F02M 57/00: Fuel-injectors combined or associated with other devices - F02M 57/027: {electric} - F02M 69/047: {injectors with air chambers, e.g. communicating with atmosphere for aerating the nozzles (F02M69/325 takes precedence)} - F02M 69/18: the means being metering valves throttling fuel passages to injectors or by-pass valves throttling overflow passages, the metering valves being actuated by a device responsive to the engine working parameters, e.g. engine load, speed, temperature or quantity of air (the means varying fuel pressure in a fuel by-pass passage, the pressure acting on a throttle valve against the action of metered or throttled fuel pressure for variably throttling fuel flow to injection nozzles F02M69/26) - F02M 25/10: adding acetylene, non-waterborne hydrogen, non-airborne oxygen, or ozone - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF ## Abstract The present invention provides an injector-ignition fuel injector for an internal combustion engine, comprising an input fuel metering system for dispensing a next fuel charge into a pressurizing chamber, a pressurization ram system including a pressurization ram for compressing the fuel charge within the pressurizing chamber, wherein the fuel charge is heated in the pressurization chamber in the presence of a catalyst, and an injector nozzle for injecting the heated catalyzed fuel charge into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An injector-ignition fuel injector for dispensing fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the fuel injector comprising: an input fuel metering system for dispensing a fuel charge into a pressurizing chamber; a pressurization ram system including a pressurization ram for compressing the fuel charge within the pressurizing chamber, wherein the fuel charge is heated in the pressurization chamber in the presence of a catalyst; and an injector nozzle for injecting the heated catalyzed fuel charge into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine wherein the fuel injector dispenses the fuel charge substantially exclusively during a power stroke of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel-molybdenum, alpha alumina, aluminum silicon dioxide, other air electrode oxygen reduction catalysts, and other catalysts used for hydrocarbon cracking. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the fuel charge is heated to a temperature between 600° F. and 750° F. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the input fuel metering system comprises an inline fuel filter, a metering solenoid and a liquid fuel needle valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fuel injector of claim 4, wherein the liquid fuel needle valve comprises an electromagnetically or piezoelectric activated needle valve that dispenses the fuel charge into the pressurizing chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the injector nozzle is disposed between the pressurization chamber and the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the fuel charge dispensed by the input fuel metering system is roasted in the pressurization chamber via a hot section of the fuel injector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the catalyst begins to crack the fuel and causes it to react with one or more internal sources of oxygen. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fuel injector of claim 8, wherein the one or more internal sources of oxygen are selected from the group consisting of MTBE, ethanol, other octane and cetane boosters, and other fuel oxygenator agents. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The fuel injector of claim 8, wherein the one or more internal sources of oxygen include hot exhaust gas that is pulled in during an exhaust cycle of the engine by opening the injector nozzle pin valve and retracting the pressurization ram. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The fuel injector of claim 8, wherein the one or more internal sources of oxygen include fresh air that is pulled in through an air inlet pinhole in communication with the pressurization chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the injector nozzle comprises an injector nozzle pin valve, a collimator for collimating the fuel charge, and a pin valve actuator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fuel injector of claim 12, wherein the injector nozzle pin valve opens at approximately 180° of cycle rotation to dispense the collimated fuel charge into the combustion chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The fuel injector of claim 12, wherein the pin valve actuator comprises a pin valve solenoid which operates a pin valve drive shaft for injecting the fuel charge through the injector nozzle pin valve into the combustion chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The fuel injector of claim 14, wherein the pin valve drive shaft is disposed within a bore of the pressurization ram such that the pin valve drive shaft may slide coaxially within the pressurization ram. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The fuel injector of claim 14, wherein the pin valve drive shaft is disposed at an angle with respect to the pressurization ram. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The fuel injector of claim 14, wherein the pin valve drive shaft operates independently of the pressurization ram. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The fuel injector of claim 14, wherein the pressurizing ram and the pin valve drive shaft are exercised repeatedly during engine starting operations to purge and clean the fuel injector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein injector nozzle is electrically heated using a nichrome heating element that lines the injector nozzle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The fuel injector of claim 12, wherein the pin valve actuator comprises a rapid response electromagnetic drive or a piezoelectric drive. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the pressurization ram system further comprises a pressurization ram driver for moving the pressurization ram between a fully retracted position and a full displacement position. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The fuel injector of claim 21, wherein the fuel charge enters the pressurization chamber when the pressurization ram is in the fully retracted position, and wherein the pressurization ram compresses the fuel charge as it transitions from a liquid to a gas, and then to its critical point and beyond, where it becomes a very dense vapor. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The fuel injector of claim 21, wherein the pressurization ram comprises a magnetically active portion, an insulating portion, and a hot section compatible portion that is disposed substantially within a hot section of the fuel injector when the pressurization ram is in the full displacement position. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The fuel injector of claim 21, wherein when the pressurization ram is in the fully retracted position, it forms a reduced pressure in the combustion chamber, allowing the input fuel metering system to inject the charge as a relatively cool liquid. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the pressurization ram driver includes a multiple winding solenoid coil system comprising a retraction solenoid and a pressurization solenoid. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the pressurization ram driver includes a linear stepping motor for driving the pressurization ram. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the fuel injector runs on high octane rated fuels, high cetane rated fuels, and mixtures of gas engine fuels and diesel engine fuels. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the fuel injector runs on gasoline, diesel fuel, and various mixtures of cetane, heptane, ethanol, plant oil, biodiesel, alcohols and plant extracts. ### Claim 29 A hot rail system for dispensing fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a high pressure engine driven pump for receiving low pressure fuel and pumping the fuel at high pressure into one or more fuel injectors by way of one or more equal length feed lines, wherein each fuel injector comprises: an input fuel metering system for dispensing a fuel charge into a pressurizing chamber; a pressurization ram system including a pressurization ram for compressing the fuel charge within the pressurizing chamber, wherein the fuel charge is heated in the pressurization chamber in the presence of a catalyst; and an injector nozzle for injecting the heated catalyzed fuel charge into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine wherein the fuel injector dispenses the fuel charge substantially exclusively during a power stroke of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, further comprising an electrically powered pre-heater for each fuel injector. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The hot rail system of claim 30, wherein each pre-heater is configured to pre-heat the fuel to about 400° F. prior to entering a fuel injector. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, wherein the system comprises four fuel injectors associated with four equal length feed lines and four pre-heaters. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, wherein the system comprises eight fuel injectors associated with eight equal length feed lines and eight pre-heaters. ### Claim 34 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, wherein the hot rail system is purged with an inert gas or an inert liquid which is introduced into the high pressure feed pump via a purge inlet. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The hot rail system of claim 34, wherein purging is performed during shut down while the system is cooling down to ambient temperature. ### Claim 36 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, wherein the injector nozzle comprises an injector nozzle pin valve, a collimator for collimating the fuel charge, and a pin valve actuator. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The hot rail system of claim 36, wherein the injector nozzle pin valve opens at approximately top dead center to dispense the collimated fuel charge into the combustion chamber. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The hot rail system of claim 36, wherein the pin valve actuator comprises a pin valve solenoid which operates a pin valve drive shaft for injecting the fuel charge through the injector nozzle pin valve into the combustion chamber. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The hot rail system of claim 38, wherein the pin valve drive shaft is disposed within a bore of the pressurization ram such that the pin valve drive shaft may slide coaxially within the pressurization ram. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The hot rail system of claim 38, wherein the pin valve drive shaft is disposed at an angle with respect to the pressurization ram. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The hot rail system of claim 38, wherein the pin valve drive shaft operates independently of the pressurization ram. ### Claim 42 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, wherein each fuel injector runs on high octane rated fuels, high cetane rated fuels, and mixtures of gas engine fuels and diesel engine fuels. ### Claim 43 (depends on 29) The hot rail system of claim 29, wherein each fuel injector runs on gasoline, diesel fuel, and various mixtures of cetane, heptane, ethanol, plant oil, biodiesel, alcohols and plant extracts.