Induction and fuel delivery system for piston engine
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F02B-031/00
F02G-005/00
F01N-003/02
출원번호
US-0600028
(2006-11-06)
등록번호
US-8627799
(2014-01-14)
우선권정보
AU-2006905892 (2006-10-24)
국제출원번호
PCT/AU2006/001653
(2006-11-06)
§371/§102 date
20091113
(20091113)
국제공개번호
WO2008/049147
(2008-05-02)
발명자
/ 주소
Johnson, David Littlewood
출원인 / 주소
Johnson, David Littlewood
대리인 / 주소
Guerra, David A.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
7
초록▼
Apparatus constituting part of an induction and fuel delivery system for a cylinder of a piston internal combustion engine comprising a small cyclone into which is tangentially discharged a flow of heated air to generate a sustained vortex of high rotational speed; a modulatable fuel injector delive
Apparatus constituting part of an induction and fuel delivery system for a cylinder of a piston internal combustion engine comprising a small cyclone into which is tangentially discharged a flow of heated air to generate a sustained vortex of high rotational speed; a modulatable fuel injector delivering a flow of atomized fuel into said small cyclone wherein it underdoes flash evaporation and energetic mixing; a delivery duct connecting said small cyclone to the inlet tract of said cylinder wherein said vortex fuel-air mixture is mixed with heated induction air; and means to prevent overheating of said modulatable fuel injector.
대표청구항▼
1. An apparatus constituting part of an induction and fuel delivery system for a cylinder of a piston internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising: a cyclone into which is tangentially discharged a flow of heated air to generate a sustained vortex of high rotational speeds;a modulatable fue
1. An apparatus constituting part of an induction and fuel delivery system for a cylinder of a piston internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising: a cyclone into which is tangentially discharged a flow of heated air to generate a sustained vortex of high rotational speeds;a modulatable fuel injector delivering a flow of atomized fuel into said cyclone wherein it underdoes flash evaporation and energetic mixing;a delivery duct connecting said cyclone to an inlet tract of said cylinder wherein a vortex fuel-air mixture is mixed with induction air; andmeans to prevent overheating of said modulatable fuel injector. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said cyclone comprises: a cylindrical part;a conical part joined to said cylindrical part;an upper wall closing said cylindrical part, said upper wall supporting means for mounting said modulatable fuel injector and having an aperture through which said flow of atomized fuel is discharged;a tangentially-arranged inlet to said cylindrical part through which said flow of heated air is delivered; andan outlet at the apex of said conical part joined to said delivery duct. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which a downstream end of said delivery duct is fixed to a boss formed on an inlet manifold runner casting associated with said cylinder and said vortex fuel-air mixtures debouches into said inlet tract via an outlet passing through said boss. 4. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said cyclone is supported in any attitude and said delivery duct is shaped accordingly. 5. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said cyclone is mounted directly to said boss of said inlet manifold runner casting. 6. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said boss is formed on a cylinder head and said outlet discharges into an inlet port of said cylinder head. 7. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which a ratio of a diameter of said cylindrical part of said cyclone to a diameter of a bore of its associated engine cylinder is typically in a range 1:10 to 1:2 with variations of +−0.20% occurring. 8. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which a ratio of a length of said conical section of said cyclone to a diameter of its said cylindrical section is typically in a range of less than 0.5:1 through to greater than 6:1. 9. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which an inner surface of said conical part of said cyclone is made with a sawtooth longitudinal cross-sectional shape to promote entrainment in said vortex fuel-air flow of fuel film passing over said inner surface. 10. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which the cylinders of an engine are supplied with said vortex fuel-air flow from one or more larger cyclones. 11. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which a bullet of streamlined shape is supported within said cyclone and coaxially with it to prevent migration of less dense components of said fuel-air mixture to a core of said vortex formed within said cyclone. 12. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said cyclone comprises: said cylindrical part, stub for attachment of tangential inlet, said conical part and a stub for attachment of said delivery duct, all made as a first assembly of one or more pieces;fuel injector mounting means, said upper wall of said cyclone, lower wall of a coolant jacket, cylindrical part of said coolant jacket and stubs for attachment of coolant supply and return ducts, all made as a second assembly of one or more pieces;upper wall of said coolant jacket;said first assembly and said second assembly being sealingly joined by one selected from the group consisting of furnace brazing, silver soldering, and other suitable welding process. 13. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means to prevent overheating of said modulatable fuel injector is a coolant jacket formed around means for mounting said modulatable fuel injector, said coolant jacket receiving a continuous supply of coolant from a cooling system of the engine. 14. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means to prevent overheating of said modulatable fuel injector is a layer of thermal insulation material between said modulatable fuel injector and its said mounting means. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14 in which said thermal insulation material is PSZ ceramic. 16. The apparatus according to claim 13 in which a rate of heat dissipation from said coolant jackets is increased by enlarging a surface area of said coolant jacket by way of finning. 17. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said fuel is a liquid fuel that is a liquid in a temperature range of 20° C. to 300° C. 18. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said air includes at least one gas in admixture with oxygen. 19. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said fuel is heated to an approximate temperature of 85° C. to 90° C. 20. The apparatus according to claim 19 in which said fuel is heated in thermostatically-controlled heat-exchange means using engine waste heat. 21. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulatable fuel injector has a discharge axis positioned collinear with a longitudinal axis of said cyclone. 22. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulatable fuel injector has a discharge axis positioned parallel to but laterally displaced from a longitudinal axis of said cyclone, including being mounted on and discharging a fuel spray into said delivery duct immediately adjacent an entry of said delivery duct to a cylindrical part of said cyclone. 23. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulatable fuel injector has a discharge nozzle positioned on or close to a longitudinal axis of said cyclone, and angularly displaced from said cyclone. 24. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulatable fuel injector has a discharge nozzle displaced laterally from a longitudinal axis of said cyclone, and has a discharge axis displaced in an angular sense from said longitudinal axis of said cyclone. 25. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said induction air is heated. 26. The apparatus according to claim 25 in which a flow of air is heated in heat-exchange means by engine waste heat to a temperature of up to 1,000° C. and a greater part of said flow is mixed with ambient air to provide a supply of heated induction air. 27. The apparatus according to claim 26 in which said heat-exchange means is a muff sealingly enclosing part of one of an exhaust manifold, and exhaust pipe of the engine, said muff receiving a flow of ambient air via air cleaning means. 28. The apparatus according to claim 26 in which said heat-exchange means is a separate heat exchanger receiving a flow of exhaust gas diverted from an engine exhaust system and a flow of ambient air via air cleaning means. 29. The apparatus according to claim 26 in which said air from said heat-exchange means is mixed with ambient air in a modulatable, electronically-controlled mixing valve to maintain the induction air temperature in the range of 20° C. to 100° C. 30. The apparatus according to claim 26 in which said air from said heat-exchange means is mixed with ambient air in a modulatable, electronically-controlled mixing valve to maintain the induction air temperature above the dew point of a fuel being used. 31. The apparatus according to claim 30 in which external surfaces of said heat exchange means, ducting conveying said heated air, said mixing valve and an inlet manifold are clad with suitable thermal insulation material. 32. The apparatus according to claims 29 or 30 in which signals from sensors sensing temperature of said air from said heat exchange means, temperature of ambient air and temperature of the mixed airstream and a position of valving elements of said mixing valve are processed in a microprocessor-based control unit which modulates an position of said valving elements. 33. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which a flow of air is heated in heat-exchange means by engine waste heat to a temperature of up to 1,000° C. and a minor part of said flow is directed to said cyclone. 34. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said flow of air to said cyclone is supplied from a turbo-charger. 35. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said cyclone is provided with a flow of diverted, hot exhaust gas. 36. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said flow of heated air is supplied to said cyclone via a distribution manifold, said distribution manifold, said cyclone and said delivery duct being insulated externally to minimize heat loss. 37. The apparatus according to claim 36 in which valve means provided in said distribution manifold are operated in synchronization with throttle movement to modulate the flow of heated air to said cyclones in accordance with throttle position. 38. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said vortex fuel-air mixture is discharged into said inlet tract via delivery means or augmentor means. 39. The apparatus according to claim 38 in which said delivery means is an extension of said outlet projecting at an angle into said inlet tract. 40. The apparatus according to claim 38 in which said delivery means of a longer is an extension of said outlet into said inlet tract, a downstream part of said extension being positioned coaxial with said inlet tract and enclosed in a streamlined fairing. 41. The apparatus according to claim 40 in which an unfaired part of said outlet exposed to induction airflow within said inlet tract has a streamlined cross-sectional shape. 42. The apparatus according to claim 38 in which said augmentor means is an annular space in said inlet tract into which said vortex fuel-air mixture is discharged, said annular space being defined by an outward bulging of said inlet manifold runner casting and a first cylindrical collar installed in the bore of said inlet tract, discharge of said vortex fuel-air mixture from said annular space occurring through an annular discharge port defined by complementary parts of said first cylindrical collar and a second cylindrical collar installed in the bore of said inlet tract downstream of said first cylindrical collar, said complementary parts being angled in the direction of induction airflow. 43. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which said vortex fuel-air flow enters said annular space tangentially. 44. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which said vortex fuel-air flow enters said annular space radially. 45. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which said angled complementary parts of said cylindrical collars are provided with a plurality of closely-spaced, circumferentially-arranged holes to promote mixing of said vortex fuel-air flow with said induction air. 46. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which free, downstream edges of said angled complementary parts are made as one selected from the group consisting of castellated, indigitated, sinusoidal, and sawtoothed to promote mixing of said vortex fuel-air flow with said induction air. 47. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which said angled complementary parts are made with one of spirally-arranged fluting, and finning to promote rotation of the airflow downstream of said augmentor means. 48. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which an effective diameter of said inlet tract is increased downstream of said augmentor means. 49. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which an effective width of said annular discharge port is adjusted by one of repositioning one of said first cylindrical collar and said second cylindrical collar, one to another, and by changing angles of said angled complementary parts respectively. 50. The apparatus according to claim 42 in which interior surfaces of said annular space are coated with a thermal insulation material. 51. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said cyclone is used to mix a gaseous fuel with heated air. 52. The apparatus according to claim 51 in which said fuel is selected from the group consisting of butane, propane, methane, and hydrogen. 53. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which a plurality of said cyclones discharge said vortex fuel-air flow tangentially into one or more larger cyclones in which said fuel-air flow is conditioned before flowing to the cylinders of an engine. 54. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which a microprocessor-based fuel control unit integrates data from sensors of engine operating parameters, including RPM, RPM trend, throttle position, manifold air pressure and cylinder head temperature, position of said valve means regulating the flow of heated air to said cyclones, the temperature of induction air and the temperature of the heated fuel, together with ignition advance mapping data, and regulates the volume of fuel discharged from said fuel injectors accordingly. 55. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said vortex fuel-air mixture is delivered to said inlet tract effectively as a dry, homogenous gas. 56. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulatable fuel injector delivers a flow of atomized fuel into said cyclone wherein it undergoes flash evaporation and energetic mixing, any unevaporated fuel component being centrifuged onto internal wall surfaces of said cyclone and thereby evaporating by a taking up of heat. 57. A method of providing fuel-air mixture to a cylinder of a piston internal combustion engine, said method comprising the steps of: tangentially discharging a flow of heated air into a cyclone to generate therein a sustained vortex of high rotational speed;delivering from a modulatable fuel injector a flow of heated, atomized fuel into said cyclone wherein it underdoes flash evaporation and energetic mixing; anddischarging said vortex fuel-air flow via a delivery duct into an inlet tract of said cylinder wherein said vortex fuel-air mixture is mixed with heated induction air. 58. The method according to claim 57 in which a flow of air is heated in heat-exchange means by engine waste heat to a temperature of up to 1,000° C., a greater part of said flow being mixed with ambient air to provide a supply of heated induction air. 59. The method according to claim 57 in which the cylinders of an engine are supplied with said vortex fuel-air flow from one or more larger cyclones. 60. The method according to claim 57 in which said fuel includes any liquid fuel capable of being treated in the manner claimed, including fuels which are liquid only in the temperature range of 20° C. to 300° C. 61. The method according to claim 57 in which said air includes at least one gas in admixture with oxygen. 62. The method according to claim 57 in which said fuel is heated in thermostatically-controlled heat-exchange means using engine waste heat to an approximate temperature of 85° C. to 90° C. 63. The method according to claim 58 in which said air from said heat-exchange means is mixed with ambient air in a modulatable, electronically-controlled mixing valve to maintain the induction air temperature in the range of 20° C. to 100° C. 64. The method according to claim 57 in which a flow of air is heated in heat-exchange means by engine waste heat to a temperature of up to 1,000° C., the minor part of said flow being directed to said cyclone. 65. The method according to claim 57 in which said flow of heated air to said cyclone is supplied from a turbo-charger. 66. The method according to claim 57 in which said cyclone is provided with a flow of diverted, hot exhaust gas. 67. The method according to claim 57 in which valve means in a distribution manifold connected to said cyclone are operated in synchronization with throttle movement to modulate the flow of heated air to said cyclone in accordance with throttle position. 68. The method according to claim 57 in which said cyclone is used to mix a gaseous fuel with heated air, said gaseous fuel is selected from the group consisting of butane, propane, methane, and hydrogen. 69. The method according to claim 57 in which a plurality of said cyclones discharge said vortex fuel-air flow tangentially into one or more larger cyclones in which said fuel-air flow is conditioned before flowing to the cylinders of an engine. 70. The method according to claim 57 in which a microprocessor-based fuel control unit integrates data from sensors of engine operating parameters, including RPM, RPM trend, throttle position, manifold air pressure and cylinder head temperature, the position of said valve means regulating the flow of heated air to said cyclones, the temperature of induction air and the temperature of the heated fuel, together with ignition advance mapping data, and regulates the volume of fuel discharged from said fuel injectors accordingly. 71. The method according to claim 57 in which said vortex fuel-air mixture is delivered to said inlet tract effectively as a dry, homogenous gas. 72. The method according to claim 57 in which said cyclone comprises a cylindrical part joined to a conical part. 73. The method according to claim 72 in which a ratio of a diameter of said cylindrical part of said cyclone to a diameter of a bore of an associated engine cylinder is in a range of 1:10 to 1:2 with variations of +−20% occurring. 74. The method according to claim 72 in which a ratio of a length of said conical part of said cyclone to a diameter of said cylindrical part is in a range of less than 0.5:1 through to greater than 6:1. 75. The method according to claim 57 in which said modulatable fuel injector delivers a flow of atomized fuel into said cyclone wherein it undergoes flash evaporation and energetic mixing, any unevaporated fuel component being centrifuged onto internal wall surfaces of said cyclone and thereby evaporating by taking up of heat.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (7)
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