Fuel injector including extensions for split spray angles

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an engine block having at least one cylinder bore;
• a cylinder head having a flame deck surface disposed at one end of the cylinder bore;
• a piston connected to a crankshaft and configured to reciprocate within the cylinder bore, the piston having a piston top surface facing the flame deck surface such that a combustion chamber is defined within the cylinder bore bound at a first end by the flame deck surface and at a second end by the piston top surface;
• and
• a fuel injector including:
• a tip in fluid connection with the combustion chamber, the tip including a first orifice for injecting fuel as a first fuel jet;
• and
• a first protruding member in fluid communication with the first orifice and having a first opening end proximate to the first orifice and a first opposing end, the first protruding member extending from the tip at a first protruding angle, the first protruding angle defined between a first protruding axis of the first protruding member and a center axis of the tip, the first orifice injecting the first fuel jet into the first protruding member;
• and
• a first plurality of extension members in fluid connection with the first protruding member and extending from the first opposing end, the first plurality of extension members including, at least:
• a first extension member extending from the first opposing end at a first extension angle, the first extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a first extension axis;
• and
• a second extension member extending from the first opposing end at a second extension angle, the second extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a second extension axis;
• wherein the first fuel jet is distributed into, at least, a first distributed jet and a second distributed jet when the first fuel jet flows from the first protruding member to the first plurality of extension members, the first distributed jet flowing through the first extension member and the second distributed jet flowing through the second extension member.

A method for operating a combustion system, the combustion system including a fuel injector having a tip in fluid connection with a combustion chamber, the method comprising:

• injecting a first fuel jet from an orifice associated with the tip into a first protruding member of the fuel injector;
• directing the first fuel jet through the first protruding member, the first protruding member having a first opening end proximate to the first orifice and a first opposing end, the first protruding member extending from the tip at a first protruding angle, the first protruding angle defined between a first protruding axis of the first protruding member and a center axis of the tip;
• directing the first fuel jet from first opposing end to a plurality of extension members in fluid connection with the first protruding member and extending from the first opposing end, the first plurality of extension members including, at least, a first extension member extending from the first opposing end at a first extension angle, the first extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a first extension axis;
• and a second extension member extending from the first opposing end at a second extension angle, the second extension angle defined between the first protruding axis and a second extension axis;
• distributing the first fuel jet into, at least, a first distributed jet and a second distributed jet using the plurality of extension members;
• and
• directing, at least, the first distributed jet and the second distributed jet into the combustion chamber.