Combustion pre-chamber and method for operating same
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorCharlie Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine includes a main combustion chamber; an intake duct configured to provide a lean fuel-oxidizer mixture to the main combustion chamber; a pre-chamber in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber, the pre-chamber including an ignition energy source operatively coupled to the pre-chamber, and a heating element in thermal communication with the pre-chamber; and a controller operatively coupled to the ignition energy source and the heating element. The controller is configured to initiate combustion of the lean fuel-oxidizer mixture in the main combustion chamber by activating the ignition energy source, and heat fuel and oxidizer in the pre-chamber via the heating element to a temperature sufficient to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the pre-chamber.
Claims20
An engine, comprising:
- a main combustion chamber;
- an intake duct configured to provide a lean fuel-oxidizer mixture to the main combustion chamber;
- a pre-chamber in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber, the pre-chamber including
- an ignition energy source operatively coupled to the pre-chamber, and
- a heating element in thermal communication with the pre-chamber;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the ignition energy source and the heating element, the controller being configured to
- initiate combustion of the lean fuel-oxidizer mixture in the main combustion chamber by activating the ignition energy source, and
- heat fuel and oxidizer in the pre-chamber via the heating element to a temperature sufficient to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the pre-chamber.
An engine, comprising:
- a main combustion chamber;
- an intake duct configured to provide a lean fuel-oxidizer mixture to the main combustion chamber;
- a pre-chamber in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber, the pre-chamber including
- an ignition energy source operatively coupled to the pre-chamber, and
- a heating element in thermal communication with the pre-chamber;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the ignition energy source and the heating element, the controller being configured to
- initiate a high temperature combustion of the lean fuel-oxidizer mixture in the main combustion chamber by activating the ignition energy source, and
- initiate a medium temperature combustion of fuel and oxidizer in the pre-chamber by adjusting a heat output from the heating element, the medium temperature combustion generating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the pre-chamber, and the H2O2 being configured to disassociate into hydroxyl radicals (OH.) that stabilize combustion in both the pre-chamber and the main combustion chamber.
A method for stabilizing combustion in a lean-burn engine, the lean-burn engine including a main combustion chamber and a pre-chamber in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber, the pre-chamber having an ignition energy source and a heating element in thermal communication with the pre-chamber,
- the method comprising:
- providing a mixture of a fuel and an oxidizer to the pre-chamber;
- producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from the fuel and the oxidizer in the pre-chamber by transferring heat from the heating element to the mixture of the fuel and the oxidizer in the pre-chamber;
- providing a lean fuel-oxidizer mixture to the main combustion chamber;
- delivering the H2O2 produced in the pre-chamber to the main combustion chamber;
- igniting the lean fuel-oxidizer mixture in the main combustion chamber by activating the ignition energy source;
- producing hydroxyl radicals (OH.) from the H2O2 in the main combustion chamber in response to the igniting the lean fuel-oxidizer mixture in the main combustion chamber;
- and
- stabilizing combustion in the main combustion chamber with the OH. radicals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.