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A gaseous fuel internal combustion engine includes an engine housing defining at least one cylinder, and an intake housing defining an intake passage fluidly connecting with the at least one cylinder. The engine includes a gaseous fuel delivery mechanism coupled with the engine housing and a distrib

A gaseous fuel internal combustion engine includes an engine housing defining at least one cylinder, and an intake housing defining an intake passage fluidly connecting with the at least one cylinder. The engine includes a gaseous fuel delivery mechanism coupled with the engine housing and a distributed ignition promoting mechanism having a bead presentation device extending into the intake passage and configured to present a liquid bead of distributed ignition promoting material therein such as engine lubricating oil. During operation, gases passing through the intake passage dislodge the liquid bead from the bead presentation device and carry the distributed ignition promoting material into the cylinder for distributively igniting therein a mixture containing a gaseous fuel, air and the distributed ignition promoting material.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of operating a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: forming a liquid bead of distributed ignition promoting material on a bead presentation device in an intake passage of the gaseous fuel internal combustion engine;dislodging the liquid bead from the bead pres

1. A method of operating a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: forming a liquid bead of distributed ignition promoting material on a bead presentation device in an intake passage of the gaseous fuel internal combustion engine;dislodging the liquid bead from the bead presentation device by way of gases passing through the intake passage and impinging upon the liquid bead so as to overcome a tendency of the liquid bead to remain on the bead presentation device;metering a gaseous fuel from a fuel supply conduit into a cylinder of the gaseous fuel internal combustion engine; anddistributively igniting a charge that includes the gaseous fuel, air and the distributed ignition promoting material, in the cylinder. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of forming the charge at least in part by dispersing the liquid bead by way of the gases passing through the intake passage. 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of forming a liquid bead further includes forming the liquid bead at a location in the intake passage which is downstream of an intake manifold plenum and upstream of the cylinder. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of distributively igniting further includes igniting the charge by way of a spark. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the liquid bead further includes forming the liquid bead prior to opening an intake valve for the cylinder during an engine cycle, the method further comprising a step of holding the liquid bead on the bead presentation device for a time prior to opening the intake valve. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of forming the liquid bead further includes forming a liquid bead of oil on the bead presentation device. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of forming the liquid bead further includes the steps of supplying engine lubricating oil at a first pressure to a fluid inlet of a pump, and pumping the engine lubricating oil via the pump to a fluid outlet of the bead presentation device at a second pressure, and wherein the step of pumping the engine lubricating oil includes decoupling the second pressure from the first pressure. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of pumping further includes moving a plunger of the pump in response to de-energizing an electrical actuator. 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of moving a piston four strokes per engine cycle of the internal combustion engine, and wherein the step of forming a liquid bead includes forming a total of one liquid bead for every four strokes of the piston. 10. A gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising: an engine housing defining at least one cylinder;an intake housing defining an intake passage fluidly connecting with the at least one cylinder;a gaseous fuel delivery mechanism coupled with the engine housing and configured to meter a gaseous fuel from a fuel supply conduit into the at least one cylinder; anda distributed ignition promoting mechanism including a bead presentation device extending into the intake passage and configured to present a liquid bead of distributed ignition promoting material for dislodging from the bead presentation device by way of gases passing through the intake passage;the distributed ignition promoting mechanism further including a pump component for supplying distributed ignition promoting material to the bead presentation device, the pump component defining a fluid inlet and a pumping chamber, and having a valve assembly with an inlet check fluidly positioned between the fluid inlet and the pumping chamber, and an outlet check fluidly positioned between the pumping chamber and the bead presentation device. 11. The internal combustion engine of claim 10 wherein: the engine housing defines a plurality of cylinders;the intake housing includes an intake manifold having a plenum and a plurality of intake runners which each define an intake passage fluidly connecting with one of the plurality of cylinders; andthe internal combustion engine further includes a plurality of spark plugs each positioned within one of the plurality of cylinders, and a plurality of distributed ignition promoting mechanisms each having a bead presentation device coupled with one of the intake runners and extending into the corresponding intake passage at a location which is downstream of the plenum and upstream of the corresponding one of the plurality of cylinders. 12. The internal combustion engine of claim 11 further comprising an oil system having an oil sump, an oil transfer pump and an oil supply conduit, each of the plurality of distributed ignition promoting mechanisms including a body having a stem component which includes the corresponding bead presentation device and defines a fluid outlet within the corresponding intake runner, and a pump component coupled with the stem component which defines a fluid inlet connecting with the oil supply conduit. 13. The internal combustion engine of claim 12 wherein each of the stem components includes a tube having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a tip having a bead holding surface which is circumferential of the fluid outlet and extends radially between the inner surface and the outer surface. 14. The internal combustion engine of claim 12 wherein: each of the pump components defines a pumping chamber and includes a plunger, an electrical actuator coupled with the plunger and a valve assembly; andeach valve assembly includes a first valve configuration at which the pumping chamber is blocked from both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, a second valve configuration at which the pumping chamber is fluidly connected with the fluid outlet and blocked from the fluid inlet, and a third valve configuration at which the pumping chamber is fluidly connected with the fluid inlet and blocked from the fluid outlet. 15. The internal combustion engine of claim 14 wherein: the pump component further includes a seat component defining a first valve seat positioned fluidly between the pumping chamber and the fluid outlet;the plunger defines a second valve seat positioned fluidly between the pumping chamber and the fluid inlet;the valve assembly further includes an outlet check movable between a first outlet check position at which the outlet check contacts the first valve seat and a second outlet check position at which the outlet check does not contact the first valve seat; andthe valve assembly further includes an inlet check movable between a first inlet check position at which the inlet check contacts the second valve seat and a second inlet check position at which the inlet check does not contact the second valve seat. 16. The internal combustion engine of claim 15 further comprising a first biasing spring coupled with the outlet check and biasing the outlet check toward the first outlet check position, and a second biasing spring coupled with the inlet check and biasing the inlet check toward the first inlet check position, the first biasing spring having a relatively greater spring stiffness and the second biasing spring having a relatively lesser spring stiffness. 17. The internal combustion engine of claim 15 wherein the plunger is movable between a retracted position and an advanced position, the pump further comprising a plunger biasing spring biasing the plunger toward the retracted position, wherein the plunger is movable by way of the plunger biasing spring toward the advanced position in response to de-energizing the electrical actuator. 18. A combustion charge formation system for a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine comprising: a gaseous fuel delivery mechanism including a fuel supply conduit and a metering device configured to meter gaseous fuel from the fuel supply conduit to a cylinder of a gaseous fuel internal combustion engine;a combustion air delivery mechanism including an intake housing defining an intake passage; anda distributed ignition promoting mechanism including a bead presentation device extending into the intake passage and configured to present a liquid bead of distributed ignition promoting material for dislodging from the bead presentation device by way of gases passing through the intake passage;the distributed ignition promoting mechanism further including a pump component defining a fluid inlet and a pumping chamber, and having a plunger movable from a retracted position to an advanced position to displace distributed ignition promoting material from the pumping chamber to the bead presentation device for forming the liquid bead, and an inlet check contacting the plunger and movable between a first position blocking fluid communication between the pumping chamber and the fluid inlet, and a second, open position for replenishing the pumping chamber. 19. The combustion charge formation system of claim 18 wherein: the distributed ignition promoting mechanism further includes a body having the pump component therein, a stem component defining the fluid outlet within the intake passage, and an oil supply conduit fluidly connecting with the fluid inlet;the pump component further including a valve assembly that includes the inlet check and having a first valve configuration at which the pumping chamber is blocked from both the oil supply conduit and the intake passage, a second valve configuration at which the pumping chamber is fluidly connected with the intake passage and blocked from the oil supply conduit, and a third valve configuration at which the pumping chamber is fluidly connected with the oil supply conduit and blocked from the intake passage. 20. The combustion charge formation system of claim 19 wherein the intake housing includes an upstream end configured to connect with a charge air supply device, a downstream end, and defines a narrowing taper of the intake passage from the upstream end toward the downstream end, and wherein the intake housing further defines a port receiving the bead presentation device at a location which is between the upstream end and the downstream end.