Stable combustion in spark-ignited lean-burn engine
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorCharlie Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lean-burn engine may comprise a combustion chamber, an intake manifold configured to provide a lean fuel/air mixture to the combustion chamber, and a pre-chamber in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. The pre-chamber may include a spark igniter configured to initiate combustion of the lean fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber, and a heating element contained in the pre-chamber. The heating element may be configured to heat the pre-chamber to a temperature sufficient to allow the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from fuel and air in the pre-chamber.
Claims6
A method for stabilizing combustion in a lean-burn engine, comprising:
- providing the lean-burn engine, the lean-burn engine including a combustion chamber and a pre-chamber in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, the pre-chamber having a spark igniter and a heating element contained in the pre-chamber;
- providing a mixture of fuel and air to the pre-chamber;
- using the heating element to heat the pre-chamber to a temperature sufficient to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from the fuel and the air in the pre-chamber;
- providing a lean fuel/air mixture to the combustion chamber;
- delivering the H2O2 produced in the pre-chamber to the combustion chamber;
- igniting the lean fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber with the spark igniter to initiate combustion of the lean fuel/air mixture, the ignition producing hydroxyl radicals (OH·) from the H2O2;
- and
- stabilizing the combustion in the combustion chamber with the OH· radicals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.