KR20120058573A - Integrated fuel injectors and igniters and associated methods of use and manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated injector / igniter for providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuel. One example of such an injector / igniter includes a body having a base opposite the nozzle portion, and a fuel path extending from the base to the nozzle portion. The force generator and the first valve are supported at the base. The first valve is moved between the closed position and the open position in response to the force generator operation. The injector / igniter also includes a second valve in the nozzle portion, which can be deformed between the closed and open positions in response to the pressure in the fuel path.

Description

INTEGRATED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITERS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE

The following disclosure generally relates to integral fuel injectors and igniters and associated components for various fuel storage, injection and ignition.

Cross Reference of Related Application (s)

The present application discloses an application filed on August 27, 2009, entitled Provisional Application No. 61 / 237,425, entitled Oxygenated Fuel Production; US Provisional Application No. 61 / 237,466, entitled Multi-Fuel Multiple Injection, filed August 27, 2009; US Provisional Application No. 61 / 237,479, filed August 27, 2009, entitled Energy of All Areas; US Patent Application No. 12 / 581,825, filed Oct. 19, 2009, entitled Multi-Fuel Storage, Metering, and Ignition System; US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 653,085, entitled Integral Fuel Injector and Igniter, and Associated Use and Manufacturing Methods, filed January 1, 2009; International Patent Application No. PCT / US09 / 67044, entitled Integral Fuel Injectors and Igniters and Associated Use and Manufacturing Methods, filed January 1, 2009; US Provisional Application No. 61 / 304,403, filed on Oct. 3, 2010, entitled Energy and Resource Independence, in its entirety; And US Patent Application No. 61 / 312,100, entitled, for example, a system and method for providing high voltage RF shielding for the use of fuel injectors. Each of these applications is incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

Renewable resources are irregular for the production of various forms of alternative energy required, such as electricity, hydrogen, fuel alcohols, and methane. Solar energy is available only during the day, and daytime concentration depends on seasonal and weather conditions. In most regions, wind energy is intermittent and the intensity varies greatly. Fallwater resources fluctuate seasonally and are subject to long-term droughts. On most of the continents, biomass changes seasonally and suffers from drought. Significant energy that can be supplied through hydropower, wind farms, biomass conversion and collectors in the world is wasted because there is no practical way to save kinetic energy, fuel, and / or electricity until needed.

World population and energy demands have reached levels that demand more than oils that can be produced. Population growth and requests for energy-intensive goods and services will accelerate, but future production speeds will decrease. This will continue to accelerate fossil fuel depletion rates. Cities are suffering smog damage from fossil fuel use. The use of natural gas, including non-fuel natural gas liquors such as ethane, propane, and butane, is growing exponentially in the field of packaging, textiles, carpets, paints, and containers mostly made of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers.

Coal has a relatively low hydrogen-to-carbon ratio. Oil has a higher hydrogen to carbon ratio and natural gas has the highest hydrogen to carbon ratio in fossil hydrocarbons. Using oil as a representative means, the current global scale burning rate of fossil hydrocarbons exceeds 200 million barrels of oil per day.

Globally, oil production has increased in line with growing demand, but oil discovery rates are not keeping pace with production rates. Oil production has reached its peak and oil production rates are gradually decreasing in nearly all known oil fields. After production peaks, the world economy experiences inflation in all energy-intensive and petrochemical-based products. The impact on the remaining fossil fuel resources and the use of oil to utilize destructive machinery led to the first, second and all subsequent wars in the world. To replace fossil fuels worth 200 million barrels of oil every day, almost all practical approaches to renewable energy production, distribution, storage and utilization must be developed.

Air and water pollution from fossil fuel production and combustion makes all urban areas poor, along with fisheries, farms and forests. Mercury and other heavy metal contamination in fisheries and farm soils are increasingly looking for coal combustion. Global climate changes, including more intense typhoons and whirlwinds, heavy rains and increased fire losses from lightning strikes in forests and urban areas, are closely linked to the atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases emitted by fossil fuel combustion. With the rise of greenhouse gases that accumulate solar energy in the atmosphere, larger tasks are performed by the Earth's atmospheric engines, including extreme weather conditions that cause seawater evaporation, glacier and polar ice thawing, and the loss of artificial property and natural resources.

Previous attempts to take advantage of multiple fuel choices including hydrogen, generator gas, and higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratio fuels such as carbon, fuel alcohols, and various other alternative fuels with or in place of gasoline and diesel fuels They faced challenges and did not solve them, and these attempts were costly, resulted in poor results, and sometimes caused organ degradation or damage, including:

(1) Higher, more rigid and heavy pistons, connecting rods, crankshafts, bearings, flywheels, engine blocks, and support structures for acceptable power production, and therefore heavier suspension springs and shock absorbers to increase engine compression ratios; Tolerance weight increase due to corresponding requirements such as devices, starters, batteries, etc.

(2) Machine shop installation requirements for more expensive valves, hardened valve seats and valve wear and seat corrosion protection.

(3) Charging requirements to recover power loss and operational performance due to reduced fuel energy per volume and to overcome weakened volume and thermal efficiency.

(4) Almost low tolerances to fuel quality fluctuations, including steam pressure and octane and cetane numbers, with multi-stage fuel pressure control requiring extreme ultrafiltration.

(5) Engine coolant heat exchanger to prevent freezing of fuel pressure regulator.

(6) Expensive, bulky solenoid operated tank shutoff valve (TSOV) and pressure relief valve (PRD) systems.

(7) significantly larger flowmetering systems.

(8) Supply of fuel after dribble during time-consuming and back-talk generation times.

(9) Fuel thickening at hazardous times such as exhaust strokes that reduce fuel economy and cause engine or exhaust system damage.

(10) Engine degradation or failure due to shear-explosion and combustion knocking.

(11) Engine relief or damage caused by poor control of fuel viscosity, vapor pressure, octane number or cetane number, and combustion rate.

(12) Engine deterioration or failure due to fuel cleaning, vaporization and lubrication of the cylinder wall and ring or rotor seals.

(13) Difficulty in inhibiting nitrogen oxide formation during combustion.

(14) Difficult to suppress particulate formation due to incomplete combustion.

(15) Difficult to suppress contamination due to lubricant spray formation in the F cylinder upper region.

(16) Difficult to suppress piston, cylinder wall, and valve overheating, resulting in increased wear and deterioration.

(17) Difficulty in resolving damage backfire on intake manifold and air cleaner components.

(18) Difficult to overcome damaged combustion and / or explosions in the exhaust system.

(19) Difficulties in overheating exhaust system parts.

(20) Difficulties in resolving fuel vapor obstruction and consequent engine relief or failure.

In addition, special fuel storage tanks are needed for low energy density fuels. Storage tanks designed for gasoline, propane, natural gas and hydrogen are separated to meet the significantly different chemical and physical properties of each fuel. Separate fuel tanks are required for each fuel type available to the vehicle. This dedicated tank approach for each fuel selection occupies significant space, adds weight, requires additional spring and impact relief, changes in propulsion gravity and propulsion centers, and is very expensive.

Metering separate fuels, such as gasoline, methanol, ethanol, propane, ethane, butane hydrogen, or methane, in a conventional manner can be accomplished with one or more vaporizers, throttle body fuel injectors or timing port fuel injectors. Due to the large percentage of expanded gaseous fuel molecules in the intake air volume, the power loss sustained in each conventional manner is variable. Therefore, the intake air inflow is reduced, fuel combustion is reduced and low power is generated.

At standard temperature and pressure (STP), gaseous hydrogen accounts for 2800 times the volume of liquid gasoline that provides the same fuel energy. Vaporized methane occupies 900 times the volume of liquid gasoline providing the same fuel energy.

Pass the intake manifold vacuum through the intake valve (s) with sufficient air for complete combustion to release the heat required to achieve similar gasoline performance and regulate the flow of this large volume of hydrogenated hydrogen or methane into the cylinder vacuum in the intake cycle. This is a monumental challenge to what has not been achieved properly so far. Larger volume engines may allow for some power recovery. Another approach requires more poor parts for cost, weight gain, complexity and higher compression ratio and / or suction system charging. However, this approach shortens engine life and leads to higher initial and / or maintenance costs unless the basic engine design provides a structure of adequate stiffness and strength.

It is well known that engines designed for gasoline operation are inefficient. Much of this is due to gasoline being mixed with air to form a homogeneous mixture that is injected into the combustion chamber during the throttle conditions of the intake cycle. This homogeneous charge is compressed to near top dead center (TDC) conditions and spark ignited. Homogeneous mixture combustion immediately transfers heat from 4,500 ° F to 5,500 ° F (2,482 ° C to 3,037 ° C) flue gas from the cylinder head, cylinder wall and piston or rotary engine parts. The lubrication shield burns or evaporates, discharges to pollutants and lacks lubrication, causing the cylinder and piston rings to wear. In addition, heat is transferred to the cold combustion chamber surface, which is maintained at a relatively low temperature between 160 ° F and 240 ° F (71 ° C to 115 ° C) by the fluid and / or air-cooling system, resulting in energy loss from homogeneous mixture combustion. Forced.

Using hydrogen or methane as a homogeneous mixture fuel instead of gasoline requires sufficient fuel storage to withstand the considerable energy consumption typical of gasoline engines. It is more difficult to replace these fuels with clean combustion and potentially richer gaseous fuels instead of diesel fuel. Diesel fuel has a higher energy value per volume than gasoline. Additional challenges include hydrogen, flue gas, methane, propane, butane, and fuel alcohols. For example, evaporated fuels such as ethanol or methanol are not ignited in rapidly compressed air to be adequate for cetane number and efficient diesel-engine operation. Will be. The diesel fuel injector is designed to operate with the lubrication shield provided by the diesel oil. In addition, diesel fuel injectors periodically pass relatively few fuels (at STP) which are about 3000 times less than the volume of hydrogen required to supply the same calorific value.

Modern engines are designed to operate with a homogeneous mixture of air and fuel at significant excess oxygen equivalent ratios to minimize tolerance weights and limit peak combustion temperatures to reduce NOx formation. In order to minimize the tolerance weight, small cylinders and high speed pistons are used. High engine speeds are reduced to the required propulsion shaft speeds through higher-ratio transmissions and / or differentials.

Operation at excess oxygen equivalent ratios requires greater air ingress and sometimes the combustion head has two or three intake valves and two or three exhaust valves. As a result, there is little space available in the head area for direct fuel injectors or spark plugs. Manipulating the high speed valves by the overhead camshaft makes the space useful for direct fuel injectors or spark plugs more complicated and reduced. Almost all of the useful space for the valve or valve operator at the top of the piston has been used, leaving little room for the gasoline ignition spark plugs or diesel injectors required for compression-ignition engines.

Thus, the same energy from alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methane, propane, butane, ethanol or methanol with lower calorific value per volume than gasoline or diesel fuel is supplied to any conduit with a larger cross section than gasoline engine spark plugs or diesel engine fuel injectors. It's extremely difficult to do. The problem of the minimum area utilized in spark plugs or diesel fuel injectors is exacerbated by the large thermal load on the head due to the larger amount of heat gained by the three to six valves that transfer heat from the combustion chamber to the head and related parts. Larger heat generation by cam wear, high speed valve springs and valve lifters exacerbate the space and thermal load problems.

In many ways, the piston engine was a change promoter and provided substantial energy conversion throughout the industrial revolution. Compressed ignition internal combustion piston engines using cetane-related diesel fuels today have been developed for most farm, mine, rail and marine large haulage and stationary power generation systems, along with the development of small engines for high speed pistons to improve fuel efficiency for passenger and light truck vehicles. Provide power. Low compression internal combustion piston engines with spark ignition power less expensive to manufacture and power most of the growing 900 million passenger and light truck vehicles using octane-related fuels.

The use of octane and cetane-related hydrocarbon fuels in conventional internal combustion engines produces unacceptable levels of pollutants such as unburned hydrocarbons, particulates, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Conventional spark ignition consists of high voltage but low energy ionization of air and fuel mixtures. Flame energy of about 0.05 to 0.15 joules is typical in natural intake engines with spark plugs operating at a compression ratio of 12: 1 or less. The voltage suitable for this ionization should be increased to a higher ambient pressure in the spark gap. Factors requiring high voltage are the leaner air-fuel ratio and wider spark gaps required for ignition, increased efficient compression ratio, supercharging, and reduced resistance to combustion chamber air ingress. Conventional ignition systems are not suitable for non-throttle engines that are difficult to generate adequate voltage to provide dependent spark ignition in engines, such as diesel engines with compression ratios of 16: 1 to 22: 1 and sometimes supercharged for increased power generation and improved fuel economy. It does not provide adequate voltage.

Failure to provide adequate voltage in the spark gap is largely due to inadequate insulation strength of the ignition system, such as the spark plug body and spark plug cables.

The high voltage applied to conventional spark plugs in the combustion chamber wall essentially results in heat loss of the combustion air-fuel homogeneous mixture at and near all combustion chamber surfaces, including pistons, cylinder walls, cylinder heads, and valves. This heat loss reduces engine efficiency and degrades combustion chamber components that are susceptible to oxidation, corrosion, thermal fatigue, increased wear due to thermal expansion, deformation, warpage, and wear due to overheating or inability to oxidize lubricant film.

Although the flame at the combustion chamber surface causes continuous combustion of the homogeneous air-fuel mixture, the flame propagation rate is limited to complete combustion. The greater the amount of heat lost to the combustion chamber surface, the greater the degree of complete combustion failure. This unreasonable situation is associated with the problem of increasing unburned fuel concentrations such as hydrocarbon vapors, hydrocarbon particles, and carbon monoxide in the exhaust.

Control of air-fuel ratios for higher fuel efficiency and provision of leaner combustion conditions and efforts to lower the maximum combustion temperature and preferably reduce NOx production raise several additional problems. For example, the thinner air-fuel ratio burns later than the stoichiometric or fuel-rich mixtures. In addition, slower combustion requires more time to complete two- or four-stroke engine operation and thus reduces the engine's specific power. If natural gas is used to replace gasoline or diesel fuel, it will be recognized that natural gas burns much slower than gasoline, and that natural gas cannot be compressed to replace diesel fuel.

In addition, the state-of-the-art engines provide space for the combustion chamber with electrical insulation parts with sufficient insulation strength and durability to protect components that must withstand high voltages, corona discharges and shocks, vibrations and overlapping degradation due to rapid thermal cycles of high and low temperatures. This is so lacking. In addition, previous approaches to homogeneous and stratified mixtures do not overcome the limitations associated with octane and cetane numbers and do not provide adequate burn rates to control fuel dripping at hazardous times or to provide high thermal efficiency, and It cannot be suppressed.

Direct injection of gaseous, clean-combustible, and inexpensive fuel instead of gasoline and diesel (petroleum) fuels, without throttle air inlet into the combustion chamber to meet the need for multiple fuel utilization with low tolerance weight and high air intake. It is important to provide, and layered combustion mixtures. However, this need faces extremely difficult problems that must depend on these varying variations in fuel density, vapor pressure, and viscosity to ensure continuous accurate ignition timing and complete combustion. In order to achieve positive ignition it is necessary to provide a complex of air fuel which is complexable in a relatively small gap between the spark electrodes.

If fuel is supplied to each combustion chamber as a separate fuel injector to form a layered mixture, sophisticated equipment such as vortexing, ricocheting or rebounding the fuel into the spark gap at the surface of the combustion chamber must be arranged, but such The approach raises the risk of heat loss to the combustion chamber surface whenever the layered packing concept is met. If the fuel is regulated by a metered valve some distance from the combustion chamber, "future" of the fuel will occur at a time of wasting or detrimental time, including a time period that generates torque against the intended output torque. With no approach, it is inevitable that a significant amount of fuel will “clean” or adversely affect the cylinder wall, in order to supply some small amount of fuel into the air-fuel mixture that can ignite the spark gap at the desired ignition time. . This results in loss of heat efficiency due to heat loss, cylinder wall lubrication damage, abrasion-producing thermal deformation of the cylinders and pistons, and heat loss to the non-expansive parts of the engine in driving activity by the inflation gas.

Combustion chamber inlet vortex formation and placement of low density fuel in vortex air requires two detrimental characteristics. Vortex induction causes resistance to air flow into the combustion chamber and thus reduces the volume of air entering the combustion chamber, thereby reducing capacity efficiency. After ignition, the combustion product is rapidly transferred to the combustion chamber surface by the vortex momentum and the negative heat loss is accelerated.

Past attempts to provide internal combustion engines with multiple fuel capabilities, such as gasoline, natural gas, propane, fuel alcohol, generator gas and fuel selection such as hydrogen, have been extremely complex and very suspicious. Past approaches have been compromised by the assistance of all fuels and the abandonment of specific fuel characteristic optimization techniques. This attempt required parts and control that are vulnerable to malfunction and are very expensive. These challenges are exacerbated by the very different specific energy values of these fuels, their wide vapor pressures and viscosities, and the differences in physical properties between other gaseous and liquid fuels. In addition, although methane burns the slowest of the mentioned fuels, hydrogen burns about 7 to 10 times faster than any of the other preferred fuels, requiring a momentary restart of the ignition timing.

Additional problems arise between cryogenic liquids or slush and compressed-gas fuel stores of the same fuel material. As an example, liquid hydrogen is stored at -420 ° F (-252 ^° C) at atmospheric pressure so that unprotected supply lines, pressure regulators, and injectors condense, freeze, and freeze atmospheric water vapor, resulting in freezing damage. Cryogenic methane causes similar freezing and damage problems. Similarly such cryogenic fluids also cause normal metering orifices, especially minor orifice malfunctions and blockages.

A very difficult problem remains: how to quickly re-feed rich liquid fuels to vehicles at cryogenic (hydrogen or methane) or ambient temperatures (propane or butane), and how to use these fuel vapors at idle or low power levels. And the use of a liquid supply of such fuel to meet energy generation requirements at high power levels.

At atmospheric pressure, precise metering of very small volumes is required compared to the supply of very large volumes of hydrogen vapor or methane to inject cryogenic liquid hydrogen or methane. In addition, it is absolutely necessary to accurately generate, ignite and combust a layered mixture of fuel and air, regardless of the particular multi-fuel choice supplied to the combustion chamber.

To achieve the fundamental objectives, including best thermal efficiency, best mechanical efficiency, best volumetric efficiency and longest engine life for each fuel choice, precise fuel supply timing control, combustion chamber penetration and distribution patterns by incoming fuels Ignition timing and excess air retention are required to insulate the combustion process with a run-action expansion medium.

There is a need to improve the production, transport and storage of methane and hydrogen by almost all known means in order to meet energy demands consistent with global economies of scale. One gallon of cryogenic liquid methane at 256 ° C provides an energy density of 89,000 BTU / gallons, approximately 28% less than one gallon of gasoline. Liquid hydrogen at -252 ^° C provides about 29,700 BTU / gallons, 76% less than gasoline.

It has long been a desire to use methane, hydrogen or methane and hydrogen mixtures interchangeably as cryogenic liquids or compressed gases to replace gasoline in spark-ignition engines. However, this goal has not been satisfactorily achieved, and as a result, the majority of vehicles remain dedicated to petroleum, although methane and many forms of renewable hydrogen are cheaper than gasoline. Similarly, the use of methane, hydrogen, or methane and hydrogen mixtures interchangeably as cryogenic liquids and / or compressed gases to replace diesel fuel in compression-ignition engines has long been a goal, but this goal has been known to be more difficult, and many Diesel engines spark pollution and remain dedicated to more expensive diesel fuel.

1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an integrated injector / igniter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a side view of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3A-3D show several representative fuel layer ejection patterns that can be injected by an injector in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a component assembly operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an end view of the component assembly of FIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a component assembly operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an end view of the component assembly of FIG. 6 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
8A and 8B show a unit valve assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
9 is a schematic fuel control circuit arrangement, which is an embodiment of the invention.
10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a component assembly operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an end view of the component assembly of FIG. 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
Figure 12 illustrates an injector embodiment operated according to the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an enlarged end view of the flattened tubing shown in FIG. 10.
14 is a schematic diagram including a cross section of certain components of a system operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
15A-15D illustrate the operation of the present invention provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
16 is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17A is a side view of an insulator or dielectric constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17B is a side cross-sectional view cut along the substantially 17B-17B line of FIG. 17A.
18A and 18B are side cross-sectional views cut along the substantially 18-18 line of FIG. 16 showing an insulator or dielectric constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
19A and 19B are schematic diagrams of a system for forming an insulator or dielectric having compressive stress in desired areas in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
20 and 21 are side cross-sectional views of injectors constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 22A is a side view of a truss tube (truss tube) alignment assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for actuator alignment, and FIG. 22B is a front sectional view cut along the substantially 22B-22B line of FIG. 22A.
FIG. 22C is a side view of an alignment truss assembly constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention for actuator alignment, and FIG. 22D is a front sectional view cut along the substantially 22D-22D line of FIG. 22C.
22E is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.
23 is a side sectional view of a driver according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 24A-24F illustrate various representative injector ignition and flow adjustment mechanisms or covers in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
25A is a perspective view of a check valve according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 25B is a rear view, and FIG. 25C is a side cross-sectional view cut along the substantially 25C-25C line of FIG. 25B.
FIG. 26A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 26B is a front view of the FIG. 26A injector showing an ignition and flow adjustment mechanism.
FIG. 27A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 27B is a schematic graph showing various combustion characteristics of the FIG. 27A injector.
28-30A are side cross-sectional views of an injector constructed in accordance with yet other embodiments of the present invention.
30B and 30C are front views of the ignition and flow adjustment mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.
31 and 32 are side cross-sectional views of injectors constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.
33A is a side cross-sectional view of a check valve according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 33B is a rear view.
34A is a side cross-sectional view of a valve seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 34B is a rear view, and FIG. 34C is a front view.
35A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
35B is a front view of the FIG. 35A injector showing an ignition and flow rate adjustment mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
36A is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 36B is a front view of the FIG. 36A injector showing the ignition and flow adjustment mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
37 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a system constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
38A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 38B is an enlarged detail of the valve assembly of the FIG. 38A injector.
FIG. 38C is a cross-sectional side view cut along the substantially 38C-38C line of FIG. 38A; FIG. FIG. 38D is a side cross-sectional view cut along the substantially 38D-38D line of FIG. 38A; FIG. And FIG. 38E is a cross-sectional side view taken along substantially 38E-38E of FIG. 38A.
FIG. 38F is a side cross-sectional view of an example force generator taken along substantially the 38F-38F line of FIG. 38A.
39 is a sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
40A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
40B is a plan view of the deflection member of the FIG. 40A injector.
Figure 41 is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
42 is a side sectional view of an injector constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

This application is incorporated by reference in its entirety, see US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 006,774 (currently US Pat. No. 7,628,137), entitled Multi-Fuel Storage, Metering, and Ignition System, filed Nov. 2008. The present application has been filed on Feb. 7, 2010, filed concurrently: Fuel Injector Actuator Assembly and Related Use and Manufacturing Method (Agent No. 69545-8032US); Integral fuel injectors and igniters with conductive assemblies (Agent No. 69545-8033US); Formation of fuel charges (CHARGE) in the combustion chamber with multiple actuators and / or ionization controls (Agent No. 69545-8034US); Ceramic insulators and methods of using and manufacturing the same (Agent No. 69545-8036US); Thermochemical regeneration methods and systems for providing, for example, oxygenated fuels with fuel-cooled fuel injectors (Agent No. 69545-8037US); And U.S. patent applications, methods and systems for reducing nitrogen oxide formation in engine combustion (Ap. No. 69545-8038US).

A. Overview

The present invention describes a fuel injector, a system configured to use multiple fuels and comprising an integrated igniter, and a method of providing the same. The present invention also describes an integral fuel injection and ignition device and associated systems, assemblies, parts, and methods thereof applied to an internal combustion engine. For example, the various embodiments below relate generally to an adaptive fuel injector / igniter capable of maximizing the injection and combustion of various fuels according to combustion chamber conditions. For a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention, certain details are provided in the following description and in FIGS. 1-42. However, other specific details describing known structures and systems relating to aspects of internal combustion engines, injectors, igniters, and / or other combustion systems are in order to avoid obscuring the description of the various embodiments of the present invention. Do not. Accordingly, it should be understood that the following detailed description is provided in a manner sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed embodiments. However, it is not necessary to implement certain embodiments with respect to the following specific description and advantages.

Many of the details, dimensions, angles, shapes, and other features shown in the drawings are for illustration of specific embodiments of the present invention only. Accordingly, other embodiments may have other details, dimensions, angles, shapes, and other features without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that additional embodiments of the present invention may be implemented without various details below.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one other embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the appearance of the phrase 'one embodiment' or 'an embodiment' throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Also, in one or more embodiments certain features, structures, or properties may be combined in any suitable manner. In addition, the subheadings herein are set forth for convenience and are not to be interpreted as meaning or scope of the present invention.

Integrated Injector / Igniter

1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an integrated injector / igniter 110 ('injector 110') in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The injector 110 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to inject different fuels into the combustion chamber 104 and to adaptively adjust the fuel injection or ejection pattern and / or frequency according to combustion characteristics and conditions within the combustion chamber 104. do. As will be discussed in detail below, the injector 110 can optimize the injection fuel to be rapid ignited and complete combustion. In addition to fuel injection, injector 110 includes one or more integral ignition features configured to ignite the injection fuel. As such, the injector 110 can convert conventional internal combustion engines so that they can be operated with different multiple fuels. While the various features of the illustrated injector 110 are shown schematically for purposes of illustration, these various schematically depicted features are described in detail with reference to various features of the embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, the position, size, orientation, etc. of the schematic depicted parts of the injector do not limit the invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 110 includes a body 112 having an intermediate portion 116 extending between the base 114 and the nozzle portion 118. The nozzle portion 118 extends at least partially through the engine head 107 port so that the nozzle portion 118 end 119 is disposed at the interface with the combustion chamber 104. The injector 110 also includes a passage or channel 123 that extends from the base 114 to the nozzle portion 118 through the body 112. Channel 123 is configured to allow fuel to flow through body 112. Channel 123 is also configured to allow other components, such as actuator 122, and instrumentation components and / or energy source components of injector 110 to pass through body 112. In certain embodiments, the actuator 122 may be a cable or rod having a first end operatively connected to the flow control device or valve 120 supported by the nozzle portion 118 end 119. Accordingly, the flow valve 120 is located near the interface with the combustion chamber 104. Although not shown in FIG. 1, in certain embodiments, the injector 110 may include one or more flow valves, and one or more check valves, disposed near the combustion chamber 104, as well as in other locations of the body 112.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 122 also includes a second end operatively connected with the driver 124. The second end may be further connected with the controller or processor 126. As will be described in detail with reference to the various embodiments of the present invention, the controller 126 and / or the driver 124 operate the actuator 122 quickly and accurately to direct fuel through the flow valve 120 to the combustion chamber 104. Configured to spray). For example, in certain embodiments, the flow valve 120 moves outwardly (eg, toward the combustion chamber 104) and in other embodiments the flow valve 120 is (eg, the combustion chamber 104). Move inward) to meter and regulate fuel injection. Also, in certain embodiments, the driver 124 may maintain the flow valve 120 in a closed or mounted position by tensioning the actuator 122, and the driver 124 may relax the actuator 122 to release the flow valve. 120 may be operated to inject fuel and vice versa. The driver 124 may achieve the desired frequency and pattern of fuel injection injected in response to force inducing components (eg, acoustic, electromagnetic and / or piezoelectric components) as well as the controller. .

In certain embodiments, actuator 122 may include one or more integrated sensing and / or transmitting components to detect combustion chamber characteristics and conditions. For example, the actuator 122 may be formed of an optical fiber cable, an isolation transducer integrated with a rod or cable, or may include other sensors to detect and communicate combustion chamber data. Although not shown in FIG. 1, and in other embodiments, and as will be described in detail below, the injector 110 may include other sensors or surveillance instrumentation disposed at various locations of the injector 110. For example, body 112 may include an optical fiber integrated with body 112 material, or body 112 itself may be used to communicate combustion data to one or more controllers. In addition, the flow valve 120 may support sensing or sensors to transmit combustion data to one or more controllers associated with the injector 110. Such data may be transmitted via wireless, wired, optical or other transmission media. Through this feedback, fuel injection factors including, for example, fuel supply pressure, fuel injection start timing, fuel injection operating time for generating multi-layered or stratified charges, single, multiple or continuous plasma ignition or capacitive discharge timing, and the like. Extremely fast and adaptive adjustment is possible to optimize the field and characteristics.

This feedback and adaptive adjustment by the controller 126, actuator 124, and / or actuator 126 also maximizes power output, fuel economy, and minimizes or eliminates pollutant emissions, including nitrogen oxides. can do. US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0238068, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes suitable drivers for operating ultrasonic transducers in the injector 110 and other injectors described herein.

The injector 110 may also optionally include an ignition and flow adjustment mechanism or cover 121 (shown in broken lines in FIG. 1) supported by the end 119 near the engine head 107. The cover 121 at least partially contains or encloses the flow valve 120. The cover 121 may also be configured to protect certain parts of the injector 110 such as sensors or other monitoring components. The cover 121 may also function as a first electrode for catalyst, catalyst carrier and / or injection fuel ignition. In addition, the cover 121 may be configured to affect the shape, pattern and / or phase of the injected fuel. The flow valve 120 can also be configured to affect these properties of the injection fuel. For example, in certain embodiments cover 121 and / or flow valve 120 may be configured to rapidly vaporize fuel flowing past these components. More specifically, cover 121 and / or flow valve 120 include a surface having sharp edges, catalysts, or other features that produce gas or vapor from a rapidly entering liquid fuel or liquid and solid fuel mixture. can do. Flow valve 120 operational acceleration and / or frequency may also rapidly vaporize injected fuel. In operation, this rapid vaporization allows the vapor or gas released from the nozzle portion 118 to burn more quickly and completely. This rapid vaporization can also be applied in various combinations with the acoustic maneuverability of superheated liquid fuel and plasma or atomized fuel jets. In still other embodiments, the flow valve 120 operating frequency may induce plasma spraying to advantageously affect the shape and / or pattern of the injection fuel. US Patent Application Publication No. 672, 636, US Pat. No. 4,122,816, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes suitable drivers for operating plasma spraying by the injector 110 and other injectors described herein.

According to another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, as will be described in detail below, at least a portion of the body 112 may include one or more dielectrics suitable for high energy ignition for burning different fuels, including crude fuel or low energy density fuel. 117). These dielectrics 117 may provide sufficient electrical isolation against high voltages for ignition spark or plasma generation, isolation and / or supply. In certain embodiments, body 112 may be made of single dielectric 117. In other embodiments, however, body 112 may include two or more dielectrics. For example, at least one region of the middle portion 116 may be made of a first dielectric having a first dielectric strength, and at least one region of the nozzle portion 118 may be made of a dielectric having a second dielectric strength greater than the first dielectric strength. have. The second dielectric, having a relatively strong second dielectric strength, can protect the injector 110 from thermal and mechanical shock, contamination, voltage tracking, and the like. Examples of suitable dielectrics, and the location of these materials in the body 112, are described in detail below.

In addition to the dielectrics, the injector 110 may also be connected to a power source or high voltage source for ignition generation that burns the injected fuel. The first electrode may be connected to a power source (eg, a voltage generator such as an electrostatic discharge, induction, or piezoelectric system) through one or more conductors extending through the injector 110. The nozzle portion 118, flow valve 120, and / or cover 121 regions together with the corresponding second electrode of the engine head 107 can act as a first electrode to generate ignition (eg Flame, plasma, compression ignition operations, high energy electrostatic discharge, spark by extension induction, and / or direct current or high frequency plasma, associated with ultrasonic application for rapidly generating, progressing and completing combustion. As will be described in detail below, the first electrode can be configured to maintain durability and long life. In still other embodiments of the invention, the injector 110 is configured to divert energy from the combustion chamber and / or recover waste heat or energy that can drive one or more components of the injector 110 through thermochemical regeneration. Can be.

Spray / ignition system

2 is a side view showing a portion of an internal combustion system 200 having a fuel injector 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the schematically shown injector 210 is for showing one type of injector configured to inject and ignite different fuels within the combustion chamber 202 of the internal combustion engine 204. As shown in FIG. 2, the combustion chamber 202 is formed between the head portion having the injector 210 and the valves, the movable piston 201 and the inner surface of the cylinder 203. In other embodiments, however, the injector 210 may be applied with other types of rotary combustion engines in other environments of other types of combustion chambers and / or energy transfer devices, including various vane, axial, and radial piston expanders. have. As will be described in more detail below, the injector 210 not only injects and ignites different fuels in the combustion chamber 202, but also the injector 210 adaptively injects these different fuels according to different combustion conditions or requirements. And various features that can be ignited. For example, injector 210 includes one or more insulators configured to burn different types of fuel, including crude fuel or low energy density fuel, with high energy ignition. These insulators are also configured to withstand harsh conditions including, for example, high voltage, fatigue, shock, oxidation, and corrosion degradation for burning different types of fuel.

According to another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, the injector 210 senses various combustion characteristics within the combustion chamber 202 (eg, characteristics of the combustion process, combustion chamber 202, engine 204, etc.). Instrumentation may be further included. In response to these sensed conditions, the injector 210 adaptively optimizes fuel injection and ignition characteristics to increase fuel efficiency and power generation, reduce noise, engine knocking, heat loss and / or vibration to reduce engine and And / or extend vehicle life. Injector 210 also includes actuating components that inject fuel into combustion chamber 202 to achieve a particular flow or spray pattern 205, and phase, of the injected fuel. For example, the injector 210 may include one or more valves disposed adjacent to the combustion chamber 202 interface. The injector 210 operating components provide precise, high frequency valve actuation to regulate at least the following features: fuel injection start and completion timing; Frequency and operating time of repetitive fuel injection; And / or ignition timing and selection.

3A-3D show several fuel ejection patterns 305 (identified by first to fourth patterns 305a-305d, respectively) that can be injected into an injector in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the illustrated pattern 305 is representative of some embodiments of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the pattern 305 shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, and in other embodiments the injector may provide a different ejection pattern than the pattern 305 shown. Although the patterns 305 shown in FIGS. 3A-3D have different shapes and shapes, these patterns 305 share the feature of having sequential fuel layers 307. The individual layers 307 of the pattern 305 provide the advantage of a relatively large ratio of surface per injection fuel volume. This large volumetric surface ratio provides higher fuel fill burn rates and aids in fuel fill insulation and full combustion acceleration. This rapid complete combustion offers several advantages over fuel-filled slow combustion. For example, slow burning of fuel charges requires early ignition, results in significant heat loss to the combustion chamber surface, and leads to more backwork or output torque loss to overcome premature pressure rise due to premature ignition. In addition, this precombustion operation can result in pollutant emissions (eg, carbon-rich hydrocarbon particulates, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, suspended and unburned hydrocarbons, etc.) as well as pistons, rings, cylinder walls, valves, and others. There is a problem of harmful heating and wear to the combustion chamber components.

Thus, systems and injectors in accordance with the present invention replace conventional injectors, preheating plugs, or spark plugs (e.g. diesel fuel injectors, spark plugs for gasoline, etc.) and are widely available for soil, garbage, and crops and livestock. Fully renewable power can be produced with a variety of renewable fuels such as hydrogen, methane, and various inexpensive fuel alcohols produced from feces. Although the energy density of these renewable fuels is about 3000 times lower compared to refined fossil fuels, the systems and injectors of the present invention can inject and ignite these renewable fuels to produce energy efficiently.

Multi Fuel Injection System

4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example component assembly operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is an end view of the component assembly of FIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. According to aspects of the example embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the injector 3028 can interchangeably use the original fuel material or hydrogen-specific fuel species produced according to the described process. This includes gasoline, propane, ethane, butane, fuel alcohol, cryogenic slush, the same fuel or new fuel species resulting from the thermochemical regeneration reactions of the present invention in liquid, vapor or gaseous form.

As shown in FIG. 4, the warmed primary fuel in the primary fuel heat exchanger 3036 in the fuel cell, the vaporized primary fuel in the heat exchanger 3036, fuel species newly generated in the reactor 3036, Variables including fuel feed rate and penetration into the combustion chamber and fuel supply rate and fuel firing rate and selected ignition timing in the reactor 3036 in combination with the fuel in the heat exchanger, and other air-fuel mixtures, and others. Combination of many of these variables and valves that utilize fuel species and conditions, including selecting a supply pressure to injector 3028 by adjusting an adjustable pressure regulator to optimize the permutation, can be used in the various valves shown in FIG. By selecting the flow by the injector 3028 can select the optimal fuel to pass through the provided circuits. The fuel injector 3028 configuration can improve adaptive fuel injection performance, fuel penetration patterns, air utilization, ignition, and combustion control to achieve various alternative optimization goals of the present invention.

4 shows one exemplary embodiment 3028 of a fuel injection and positive ignition system operated with the solenoid shown in the system diagrams. According to example embodiments, injector 3028 is a slush hydrogen mixture of solid and liquid hydrogen at -254 ° C. (-425 ° F.), hot hydrogen at 150 ° C. (302) ° F. or higher from reforming methanol. And precise volume injection and ignition of fuels of differing temperatures, viscosities, and densities, including carbon monoxide, diesel and gasoline liquids at ambient temperature. The enormous capacity to provide partial or full operating power from these fuels with efficient engine operation is due to the adaptive repetition timing and static timing of the correct capacity at precise time zones with rapid iterations per engine cycle without injector traces before and after the intended optimal injection timing. Ignition is required. It is quite difficult to avoid such deposits and is important to avoid heat losses due to fuel loss and / or accidental and uncertain fuel supply during exhaust, intake, or early compression cycles during the exhaust cycle and / or backing operations.

In certain embodiments, the fuel trailing reduction is a solenoid valve manipulator consisting of flow control valve 3054 and an insulating winding 3046, a soft magnetic core 3045, an armature 3048, and a spring 3036 as shown. Is achieved by providing a separation distance between the valve actuators. In order to meet the extreme tight space limitations provided within the engine valve families and camshafts of modern engines and operation in 'hot-well' conditions, the lower part of the injector 3028 is provided with a voltage well. 3066 are provided in the lower portions 3076 and 3086 with the same thread, reach, and body diameter dimensions as normal spark plugs. Similarly, small injector components include substantial performance for providing fine spark ignition and layered filling of fuels with different characteristics, from low vapor pressure diesel fuels to hydrogen and / or hydrogen-specific fuels, provided to replace diesel fuel injectors.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a high voltage for spark ignition is applied to the positive conductor 3068 internal conductor 3068 according to the injector configuration and thus an ionization voltage is applied in the conductive nozzle 3070 and the threaded portion 3086, FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in, the charge accumulation features 3085 are created over the interface with the combustion chamber. In certain embodiments, the flow control valve 3074 is lifted by a high strength insulator cable or optically conductive fiber cable 3060 that is moved by the force of the actuator or armature 3048 of the solenoid manipulator assembly as shown. According to aspects of one embodiment, the cable 3060 has a high intensity light-pipe fiber bundles selected from fibers that are 0.04 mm (0.015 inch) in diameter and which effectively transmit radiation of IR, visible light, and / or UV wavelengths. Is formed.

According to one feature of the illustrated embodiment, such a bundle is embedded in a protective shrink tube or assembled with a thermoplastic or thermoset binder such that the flow control valve 3074 and the combustion chamber pressure, temperature, and combustion pattern conditions are IR, visible, and / or Or very large strength, flexibility, and extremely insulated actuators for data acquisition components that continue to report as UV light data. According to further embodiments, a protective lens or coating for the cable 3060 is provided at the combustion chamber interface 3083 and is provided by an optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer, or a micro Fabry-Perot co-based sensor, or a side-polished optical fiber. Provide combustion pressure data. In operation, pressure data from the end of the cable 3060 located at or substantially adjacent to the combustion chamber interface is transmitted, for example, by the illustrated light-pipe bundle, which can be protected from wear and thermal degradation. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, suitable lens protective materials include, but are not limited to, diamond, sapphire, quartz, magnesium oxide, silicon carbide, and / or other ceramic or heat resistant superalloys and / or Kanthol.

6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example component assembly operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is an end view of the FIG. 6 component assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. Thus, as shown by the injector of the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the injector 3029 includes a transparent dielectric insulator 3062. The insulator 3082 provides light-pipe transmission to the pressure sensor 3062D with a strain signal that varies the radiation frequency from the combustion chamber to the photoelectric sensor 3062P and the combustion chamber pressure conditions.

According to further embodiments, the embedded controller 3062 preferably receives signals from the sensors 3062D and 3062P to further improve the efficiency, power generation, smooth operation, failure facility, and analog parts for longer life of engine components. Or digital fuel-supply and spark-ignition. In certain embodiments, the controller 3062 can determine the time between each cylinder torque formation to record sensor measurements and drive desired and negative engine accelerations as a function of adaptive fuel-injection and spark-ignition timing and the desired engine. Record the flow data for the adjustment decisions needed to optimize the operating parameters. Thus, the controller 3062 includes the FIG. 14 system (described below) including various operation selections by injectors, such as the injectors 3028, 3029 or 3029 'shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 13. Function as a master computer to control it.

In certain embodiments, the optical fiber bundle or cable 3060 under flow control valve 3074 is protected by a substantially transparent check valve 3084 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. According to one embodiment, the check valve that is opened and closed extremely quickly includes a ferromagnetic material contained within the transparent body. Such functional combinations may be provided in a variety of geometric configurations, including ferromagnetic discs inside the transparent disc or ferromagnetic spheres inside the transparent sphere as shown. In operation, this geometry allows the check valve 3084 to be magnetically forced into a normally closed position very close to the flow control valve 3074 and one end of the cable 3060 as shown. When the flow control valve 3074 is raised to allow fuel to flow, the check valve 3084 is forced into a well bore internal open position that includes it inside the cross slots 3088 such that the fuel is checked valve 3084. Passing through the magnetic valve seat 3090 and through the slots 2088 present a very high surface per fuel penetration volume into the combustion chamber air as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 (described below). Accordingly, cable 3060 receives and transmits radiation frequencies passing through check valve 3084 to continuously monitor combustion chamber conditions. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a material suitable for the check valve 3084 transparent includes sapphire, quartz, high temperature polymer, and ceramic to pass the monitoring frequency of interest.

In general, it is desirable to produce maximum torque with minimal fuel consumption. In crowded urban street areas where NOx emissions are unpleasant, adaptive fuel injection and ignition timing provide the best torque while keeping the maximum combustion temperature from reaching 2,200 ° C (4,000 ° F). One example method of determining the highest combustion temperature consists of a flame temperature detector using a small diameter fiber optic cable 3060 or a larger transparent insulator 3062. Insulator 3062 includes a heat- and abrasion-resistant coating such as sapphire or diamond-coated on the surface of the high temperature polymer combustion chamber or light-pipe transmission of radiation by combustion to the controller 3062 sensor 3062D as shown. Inside the injector 3028 it is made of quartz, sapphire, or glass for combinatorial function. 4 and 5, the controllers 3062 and / or 3043 sense respective combustion chamber signals from the sensor 3062D to adaptively adjust fuel-injection and / or flame-ignition timing to form nitrogen monoxide. Suppress

Thus almost all distances from the interface to the combustion chamber to the tightly spaced valves and top of the valve manipulator of a modern engine are normally closed by an insulated cable 3060 with an integrated spark ignition at the optimum sparkplug or diesel fuel injector position. It is provided by the fuel control force transmitted to the flow control valve (3074). The fuel injector configuration with the integrated ignition of the present invention allows the injector to replace the spark plug or diesel fuel injector, thus providing high efficiency for a wide variety of fuel types including inexpensive fuel regardless of octane number, cetane number, viscosity, temperature, or fuel energy density rating. Provides precise fuel-injection timing and adaptive flame-ignition for stratified charge combustion. Engines that have been limited in operation with fuel having a particular octane or cetane rating can be operated more efficiently and long term with fuels that are cheaper and more environmentally beneficial by the present invention. It is also possible to operate the injector 3028, 3029, 3029 'only with a spark ignition system so that it is originally operated with a leading fuel supply and ignition system or with gasoline supplied by a vaporization or intake manifold fuel injection system. Similarly it is possible to configure the injectors 3028, 3029 3029 ′ to operate with diesel fuel or alternative flame-ignition fuel in accordance with various fuel metering and ignition combinations.

According to further aspects of the present invention, nitrogen oxide formation while adaptively controlling fuel-injection timing and flame-ignition timing for the purpose of fuel economy, optimizing non-power generation, ensuring lubrication of the combustion cylinder cylinder, and / or minimizing noise This is suppressed. In certain embodiments, the cable 3060 extends through the flow control valve 3074 to or near the combustion chamber surface of the fuel distribution nozzle to center the slots 2088 as shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 11. It is desirable to monitor combustion chamber conditions throughout. In alternative embodiments, the cable 3060 may form one or more free motion flexible extensions, such as loops, for example, on top of the armature-stop sphere 3035, thus preferably moving armature 3048. After generating the starting and momentum, the cable 3060 is raised, thereby rapidly increasing the flow control valve 3074 and fixedly radiating the radiation wavelength from the combustion chamber to the sensor 3040 as shown through the soft magnetic core 3045. Pass it. According to embodiments of the present invention, sensor 3040 may be integrated into controller 3043 as separate or shown. In one embodiment, the optoelectronic sensor system can fully monitor combustion chamber conditions, including combustion, expansion, exhaust, intake, fuel injection and ignition conditions, as a function of pressure and / or radiation detected in the engine combustion chamber as shown. Thus, referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the temperature and corresponding pressure signals from sensor 3040 and / or sensor 3062D and / or sensor 3062P indicate the temperature at which the fuel is combusted and the time of that temperature. , Piston position, and the chemical properties of the combustion products can be immediately correlated.

This correlation is described in US Pat. No. 6,015,065; 6,446,597; 6,503,584; 5,343,699; And 5,394,852; And combined data collection for piston position, combustion chamber pressure with the techniques disclosed in co-pending application 60 / 551,219; And combustion engine radiation data provided to the sensor 3040 by the optical fiber bundle / light-pipe assembly / cable 3060 as shown. The resulting radiation signal provided by the sensor 3040 and piston position data by the cable 3060 as a correlation function indicates the combustion chamber pressure, temperature, and pattern of combustion conditions to provide fuel economy, power generation, NOx avoidance, Various engine functions can be adaptively optimized, such as maximizing heat loss avoidance, and more. The data provided to the controller 3043 by the cable 3060 and the sensor 3040 can quickly and adaptively control engine functions with a very expensive and efficient injector.

Thus, according to one embodiment, a more complete adaptive injection system, as disclosed in previous reference patents and co-pending applications known in the art and / or incorporated herein by reference, includes a sensor 3040 and a cable. 3060 may be combined with one or more pressure sensors. In such cases, it is desirable to monitor engine rotational acceleration for adaptive improvements in fuel economy and power generation management. Engine acceleration can thus be monitored with a number of techniques, including crankshaft or camshaft timing, distributor timing, gear engagement timing, or piston speed detection. Engine acceleration as a function of control parameters, including fuel selection, fuel temperature, fuel injection timing, injection pressure, injection repetition rate, ignition timing, and combustion chamber temperature mapping, can be used to control engine efficiency, fuel economy, emissions control, And engine life.

In accordance with aspects of the present invention, flame plasma ignition at adaptive timing is positioned at or substantially adjacent to the remote valve manipulator 3048 and the combustion chamber interface to maximize significantly different viscosity, calorific value, and vapor pressure fuel combustion. A new combination of valves 3084 is provided. This configuration eliminates harmful before or after the gap between the flow control valve 3054 and the combustion chamber with little or no volume. Fuel flow resistance typically caused by the channels that bypass the fuel is avoided by placing the flow control valve 3074 at the combustion chamber interface. In certain embodiments, the flow control valve 3074 may be a mechanical spring or cable or rod 3060 suitable for application of a force by magnetic spring attraction to the spring 3036 or valve seat 3090 including a combination of these closing actions. Deflection to normal closing conditions by the compressive force for.

According to the aspects of the present invention, the pressure-tolerant efficiency is designed to rapidly raise or displace the sphere 3035 relative to the sphere 3035 fixed to the cable 3060 in one position following rapid acceleration of the armature driver 3048. Is achieved by providing an impact. In certain embodiments, the driver 3048 moves past the fixing cable 3060 toward the pole piece as shown. After significant momentum is obtained, the driver 3048 strikes the sphere 3035 inside the spring shown. In the illustrated embodiment, sphere 3035 is attached to cable 3060 in spring 3036 as shown. Thus, in operation, a relatively smaller inertia, normally closed flow control valve 3074 may be applied to the seat 3090 if a suddenly greater force is suddenly applied than is formed by a solenoid valve acting directly due to this impact. It rises rapidly in the upper valve seat of the path.

This embodiment may use any suitable seat for the flow control valve 3074; However, for application in small engine combustion chambers, it is desirable to include the permanent magnet as a seat 3090 or therein to deflect the flow control valve 3074 to a normally closed condition as shown. This rapid impact operation of the flow control valve 3074 by the armature 3048 can ensure precise flow of fuel regardless of fuel temperature, viscosity, slush crystal presence, or the applied pressure required to ensure the desired fuel feed rate. have. Permanent magnets, such as SmCo and NdFeB, can easily provide the desired magnetic force up to an operating temperature of 205 ° C (401 ° F) and the flow control valve 3074 is deflected to a normally closed position on the magnetic valve seat 3090. This makes it possible to ensure almost no clearance volume and thickening.

In an exemplary comparison, if the flow control valve 3074 is coupled to the armature 3048 and fed to the conductive nozzle 3070 inside the insulator 3064 aperture, the fuel deposit temporarily residing in the shown gap volume is desired in the engine cycle. The capacity can be as large as the intended fuel supply in time. This posterior flow may be in the final stages of expansion or in the exhaust stroke, and if not perfect, increases the frictional impact due to flame impingement losses on the cylinder wall protective lubricant, useless piston heating, and differential expansion, and heating the exhaust system components. It will be consumed almost all the time. The present invention is an extremely important disclosure in which ordinary or inexpensive fuels can be used interchangeably regardless of octane number, vapor pressure, or specific fuel energy per volume.

Further, the conventional valve actuation system will be limited to a pressure drop of about 7 atmospheres as compared to more than 700 atmospheres provided by a rapid impact on the cable 3060 of the actuator 3048 and thus on the flow control valve 3074. Cryogenic slush fuel with fairly difficult textures and viscosities, such as applesauce or cottage cheese, is easily delivered to the normally closed flow control valve 3074 in the large diameter orifice of the seat 3090 via a relatively large path. The rapid impact of the large inertia electromagnet armature 3048 after rapid acceleration transmits a very large lifting force through the dielectric cable 3060 to assure a rapid and guaranteed flow control valve 3074 falling from the large orifice of the seat 3090. Achieve normal opening of check valve 3084 and, if present, to disperse the fuel slush mixture into the combustion chamber. Equally guaranteed feeds are provided without trailing in a mixture of fuels of any phase or of phases containing hydrogen and other viscosity fuels which are very low at temperatures of 400 ° F. (204 ° C.) or higher which can be provided intermittently.

According to aspects of the present invention, the fuel density is on the order of liquid gasoline or cryogenic hydrogen at cold start of the engine and is less than a few hundred or several thousand times less dense when warming up the engine to provide heat to convert the liquid fuel into vaporized fuel. Regardless, precise metering and ignition of fuel entering the combustion chamber is provided without adverse consequences. The vehicle manipulator thus selects the most preferred and useful fuel to refill the fuel cell 3404 (shown in FIG. 14). The engine exhaust heat is then recovered by the heat exchanger (s) shown in FIG. 14 and the injector provides the most desirable fuel optimization that will utilize the engine waste heat to provide the benefits of selected hydrogen-specific layered charge combustion. In very cold weather and to minimize carbon dioxide emissions, it is desirable to transfer hydrogen or hydrogen-specific gas and store it in the condenser through the solenoid valve at a time when sufficient engine heat will be available to the reactor 3036. In operation, in engine cold start, the valve opens and hydrogen or hydrogen-specific fuel flows through the valve to the pressure regulator and injector (s) 3028 to provide extremely fast, very high efficiency, engine clean start. .

8A and 8B show a unit valve assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. It is essential to utilize renewable fuels and improve the efficiency and longevity of large engines in marine, farm, mine, construction, and large haul by rail and truck, but supply sufficient vaporized fuel energy with large engines designed for diesel fuel. It is extremely difficult to do. 8A and 8B are partial cross-sectional views of a unit valve 3100 for controlling and supplying a large amount of relatively low energy density pressurized fuel to each cylinder of the engine. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the unit valve 3100 has the advantage of allowing use of fuel with very low energy density, especially in large engines, with injectors as substantially stratified fill combustors at higher thermal efficiency than conventional fuels. The unit valve 3100 also partially improves the volumetric efficiency of the converted engine by using this fuel partially to increase the amount of air entering the combustion chamber during each intake cycle.

In operation, pressurized fuel is supplied through the inlet fitting 3102 to a valve chamber where the spring 3104 deflects a valve, such as a sphere 3106, to a closed position on the seat 3108. In high speed engine applications, or where springs 3104 are not suitable as solids in slush fuel may accumulate, it is desirable to provide seat 3108 to the poles of permanent magnets to aid rapid sphere 3106 closure. If fuel supply is required to the combustion chamber, push rod 3112 pushes the sphere 3106 out of the seat 3108 and allows fuel to flow around the sphere 3106 through the path shown in the combustion chamber supply fitting 3110. In certain embodiments, the push rod 3112 is sealed in a tight fit inside the hole 3122 shown or by an elastomeric seal, such as thread 3114. Push rod 3112 operation is possible in any suitable method or combination of methods.

According to one embodiment, the proper control of fuel flow is the current through the annular winding 3126 inside the steel cover 3128 where the solenoid plunger 3116 moves in axial connection with the push rod 3112 as shown. Possible by the solenoid action. In certain embodiments, plunger 3116 is preferably a soft magnetic body. The plunger 3116 is screwed, forcefully fitted, fixed in place with a suitable adhesive, brazed, or brazed to be permanently disposed on the ferromagnetic pole portion 3122 of the unit valve 3100 as shown. Guided by linear bearings 3124, which are preferably self-lubricating or low wear alloys, such as Nitronic alloys, or permanently lubricating powder metallurgical sintered bearings.

In other embodiments, the valve sphere 3106 also acts as an impact that causes the plunger 3116 to move freely with a significantly greater opening force after the plunger 3116 has gained significant momentum and urge the push rod 3112 to strike the sphere 3106. Can be open. In this embodiment, it is desirable to provide sufficient 'stop' spacing between the sphere 3106 and the end of the push rod 3112, where the sphere 3106 is created so that significant momentum is produced before the sphere 3106 is hit hard. The plunger 3116 at which the acceleration towards is started is in the neutral position.

An alternative method of intermittently operating the push rod 3112 and thus the sphere 3106 is a cam displacement of mechanical drive operating at the same frequency controlling the intake valve (s) and / or power stroke of the rotary solenoid or engine. ) This mechanical actuation can be utilized as the sole source for spherical 3106 displacement or in combination with a push-pull or rotary solenoid. In operation, the clevis 3118 is a spherical bearing assembly 3120 in which a roller or outer ring of the gamma bearing assembly rotates on a suitable cam to linearly move the plunger 3116 and the push rod 3112 toward the sphere 3106. Is fixed to. After striking the sphere 3106 for fuel flow as needed, the sphere 3106 and the plunger 3116 are returned to the magnetic sheet and / or springs 3104 and 3105 neutral position as shown.

Similarly, by cam displacement of the spherical bearing assembly 3120 with the 'hold-open' function by a piezo-actuated brake (not shown) or by camshaft 3120 as shown in FIGS. 8A and 9. Proper operation of the unit valve 3100 is possible by the action of an electromagnet 3126 applied to the plunger 3116 to continue the fuel flow cycle after passage. Thereby providing a fluid flow valve function, which is displaced by a plunger 3112 where a movable valve element, such as a sphere 3106, is forced by a suitable mechanism including a solenoid, a cam manipulator, and a solenoid and cam manipulator combination, The valve element 3106 may sometimes be in a position that enables fluid flow by solenoids, piezoelectric brakes, and / or solenoids and piezoelectric mechanisms.

The fuel flow from the unit valve 3100 is selected from the engine's intake valve port, a suitable direct cylinder fuel injector, and / or a combination of the embodiments shown in detail in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11. Can be supplied. In some applications, such as large-sized engines, it is desirable to supply fuel to three inlets. When supplied to the combustion chamber intake valve port while the intake port valve is opened by pressurized fuel timing injection, the air intake and volumetric efficiency is increased by providing fuel momentum to induce air-pumping to increase the air density in the combustion chamber.

In this case the fuel is supplied at a rate significantly above the air velocity and thus accelerates the air into the combustion chamber. This advantage can be deepened by controlling the amount of fuel entering the combustion chamber to be less than necessary for initiation or maintenance of combustion by spark ignition. However, such lean fuel-air mixtures can be easily ignited by fuel injection and ignition by the injector embodiments of FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, which are ensured by a guaranteed ignition and combustion fuel. Provides rapid penetration into the lean fuel-air mixture formed by timing port fuel injection.

Additional power is provided by direct cylinder injection through a separate direct fuel injector that adds fuel to the combustion initiated by the injector. Direct injection from one or more separate direct cylinder injectors into the combustion pattern initiated and controlled by the injector / igniter ensures rapid and complete combustion in excess air and vortex, repel and / or fuel from the separate direct injection and combustion chamber surfaces. Or heat losses typically associated with spark ignition components that recoil and then combust on or near the surface near the spark ignition source.

For larger engine applications for high speed engine operation, and when it is necessary to minimize current requirements and heat generation in the annular winding 3126, mechanical cam actuation motion and solenoid actuation of the plunger 3116 and sphere 3112 Particular preference is given to combining these. This allows the plunger 3116 main motion to be provided by a camshaft, such as the camshaft 3212 of FIG. 9. After the initial valve actuation of the sphere 3106 is set by cam actuation for fuel supply suitable for engine idling, fuel supply and power generation produce a relatively low current in the annular winding 3126 to stop the plunger 3116. By continuing to stop for 3122 it is increased to maintain the 'hold-on time'. Thus, guaranteed valve actuation and precise control for power increase is achieved by the holding of the plunger 3116 by solenoid actuation after the rapid opening of the sphere 3106 by cam actuation as shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9 and 12. This is possible by extending the on time.

According to aspects of the present invention, there is provided an engine having multiple combustion chambers supplied with fuel supply at precise timing by an exemplary unit valve 3200 arrangement as shown in the schematic fuel control circuit arrangement of FIG. In this illustrative example, six unit valves 3100 are disposed within the housing 3202 at equally spaced angular intervals. Housing 3202 provides pressurized fuel through each manifold 3204 to each unit valve inlet 3206. The cam shown on the camshaft 3212 intermittently activates each push rod assembly 3210 through an injector / igniter as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 10 from the inlet 3206 corresponding to 3110 of FIG. 8B. Precise fuel flow is provided to an outlet 3208 that supplies fuel to the desired intake valve port and / or combustion chamber. In certain embodiments, the housing 3202 is preferably adaptively adjusted according to each position relative to the camshaft 3212 to ignite and respond in response to an adaptive optimization algorithm provided by the controller 3220 as shown. Provide injection advance.

In certain embodiments, the controller 3220 and associated components are preferably fuel-supply and flame-ignition situations of each combustion chamber as yet another improvement in efficiency, power generation, smooth operation, failure facility, and engine parts life. Provide adaptive optimization for the The controller 3220 determines the time between each cylinder torque formation to record sensor measurements to drive positive and negative engine accelerations as an adaptive fuel injection function and to make adjustments necessary to optimize the desired engine operating power. Record flame-ignition data.

In general, it is desirable to produce maximum torque with minimal fuel consumption. In crowded urban street areas where NOx emissions are not adequate, adaptive fuel injection and ignition timing provide the best torque while keeping the maximum combustion temperature from reaching 2,200 ° C (4,000 ° F).

The highest combustion temperature determination consists of a flame temperature detector using a smaller diameter fiber optic cable or larger transparent insulator 3062 as shown in FIG. In certain embodiments, the insulator 3062 may be a controller 3043, and / or 3432 of radiation and heat-resistant coatings, such as sapphire, or diamond-coated coatings, or combustion by combustion, as shown. Made of quartz, sapphire, or glass for combinatorial function inside the injector, including light-pipe transmission to the sensor 3062D. Controller 3043, for example, senses each combustion chamber signal from sensor 3062D and adaptively adjusts fuel-injection and / or flame-ignition timing to inhibit nitrogen monoxide or other nitrogen oxide formation.

In certain embodiments, the controller 3062 near the lid 3068, the nozzle 3070, and the instrument 3062D and 3062P as shown through a hole provided through the light pipe 3062 for the high voltage lead 3068. It is desirable to provide a cast or injection molded polymeric insulator 3064 that protects, seals, and forms an insulating well 3066. In other embodiments the same to form another insulator well 3066 that is similar to the well 3050 in a position lying below and rotated therefrom to protect the electrical connection with the controller 3062. It is preferable to use an insulator.

In certain high speed engine embodiments and single rotor or single cylinder applications, it is desirable to optically monitor combustion chamber conditions using the solid state controller 3022 as shown in FIG. 10. It is also desirable to combine one or more pressure sensor (s) 3062P to face controller 3062 at a location similar or adjacent to sensor 3062D to produce a signal proportional to the combustion chamber pressure. In certain embodiments, pressure sensor 3062P monitors and compares intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust conditions in the combustion chamber to provide a comparison basis for adaptive control of fuel-injection and ignition timing as shown. .

According to one embodiment, one option for providing fuel metering and ignition management is to provide a 'time-on' operating time for engine idle operation by the camshaft 3212 shown in FIG. . In certain embodiments, for further adaptation, such as the need to satisfy retrofit applications with specific geometries of the new engine design, the cam position may be combined with the valve element 3106 via a push rod and / or rocker arm such as 3112. You can go far. Engine speed and power generation pass through a low power current through the annular winding 3126 to increase the fuel supply time period after the initial rotation of the camshaft 3212 and then the plunger 3116, push rod 3112, and sphere. It can be increased by maintaining the 'hold-on' time of 3106. Thus, a combination of mechanical and electromechanical systems can be provided to produce the full range of desirable engine speeds and power.

In accordance with the present invention, the ignition includes a proximity sensor capable of detecting simultaneous effects such as Hall effect, piezoelectric crystal deformation, photo-light, magnetoresistance, or other camshaft 3212 or other gear tooth factor. Generated by various igniters or when an optical, magnetic, capacitive, inductive, magnetic generator, or some other plunger 3116 is moved inside the bushing 3124 and the annular winding 3126. Can be triggered. After this plunger movement signal is generated, a separate engine computer, such as an electronic computer (3072 or 3220 or 3062), can be used to provide adaptive fuel injection and ignition timing, selected from increased power generation, increased fuel economy, and reduced nitrogen monoxide formation. It is desirable to optimize one or more desired results and to enable engine starting with minimal starting energy or to reverse the direction of engine rotation to eliminate the need for reverse gears in the transmission.

The present invention overcomes the problem of fuel consumption that occurs when the valve controlling the fuel metering is some distance from the combustion chamber. This problem allows fuel to flow when fuel continues to flow even after the control valve is closed and cannot be combusted at the optimum time interval that is most beneficial in the power stroke. This is particularly exhaustive and can lead to engine and exhaust system deterioration if such fuel continues to be exhausted in the exhaust stroke process. In order to solve this difficult problem of supplying a sufficient volume of vaporized fuel without rear and post-flow when the fuel cannot be optimally utilized, the internal combustion engine combustion chamber and / or the field engine or It is preferred to use injectors 3028 and 3029 as final feed points in order to transport fuel quickly and accurately in the field of transportation containing fuel supplied by the present invention.

The fuel to be burned is supplied to the injector through the inlet 3042 by a suitable pressure fitting as shown in FIG. 10. Solenoid manipulator assemblies 3043, 3044, 3046, 3048, 3054 are used when fuel needs to be supplied to the combustion chamber of a diverting diesel or flame-ignition engine. The ferromagnetic driver 3048 is moved in response to the electromagnetic force generated when the voltage applied to the lead 3052 inside the insulator well 3050 causes a current in the toroidal winding of the insulated conductor 3046 and the driver 3048 is shown. Moves toward the solenoid pole portion 3045.

The driver 3048 is moved past the temporarily stopped dielectric fiber cable 3060 towards the electromagnetic pole portion as shown. After significant momentum is obtained, the driver 3048 strikes the sphere 3035 inside the spring well shown. The sphere 3035 is attached to the dielectric fiber cable 3060 in the spring 3036 as shown. Due to this impact, if a significantly greater force is suddenly applied to the momentum transfer than is formed by the solenoid valve acting directly, the relatively closed inertia, normally closed flow control valve 3074 is at the top of the path in the seat 3090. It rises rapidly in the valve seat.

10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example component assembly operated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a 3094 end view of the FIG. 10 component assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 illustrates an injector embodiment operated according to the principles of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an enlarged end view of the plate-shaped tube shown in FIG. 10. According to another embodiment of the 'multi-fuel injector 3029', the selected fuel is supplied to the leaf spring tube 3094 for fuel injection at a desired time, which is usually flat and the incoming fuel as shown in FIGS. Is expanded to provide a circular tube for low flow resistance to the combustion chamber. After the fuel transfer to the combustion chamber is completed, the leaf spring tube 3094 substantially overlaps the 'zero clearance volume' closed position to serve as an effective check valve for pressurized gas flow from the combustion chamber. The fiber bundle 3060 extends under the magnetic seat 3090 through the flow control valve 3054 'and passes through the plate tube 3094 to the central converging portion of the slots 2088 or alternatively 3096 and as shown. Likewise, the combustion chamber conditions can be identified by extending through a central hole of a group of holes provided at a desired angle to distribute fuel for the desired layered combustion combustion generation (this alternative figure is not shown).

FIG. 10 shows a flattened cross-sectional view of flat leaf spring tube 3094 between fuel injection events to present an effective check valve for combustion chamber gas flow between fuel injection situations. FIG. 13 shows an enlarged end view of a plate-shaped and fuel-expanded circular tube that otherwise functions as a normally closed check valve and a free flow channel for fueling the combustion chamber. Suitable elastomers for selection as the leaf spring tube 3094 include PTFE, ETFE, PFA, PEEK, and which can be applied at a wide commercial temperature of -251 ° C to 215 ° C (-420 ° F to + 420 ° F), and Includes FEP. This plate / circular tube is configured to expand slightly to the restricted passage 3092 when fuel is transported and to contract and conform to a space useful for the planarizing material at fuel feed intervals. The planarization shape shown in FIG. 13 may be comprised of crescents, twists, curves and / or waveforms configured to match the passage 3092 dimensions and geometry. A synergistic advantage can be obtained by cooling the tube 3094 with fuel passage heat exchange as shown in FIG. 14 to ensure extended spring tube 3094 life.

In operation, when the leaf spring tube 3094 is retracted after fuel supply ejection, the combustion gas enters through the slots 2088 and 3089, as shown in the nozzle 3082 aperture 3092 and in the cross-sectional view of FIG. Fill the space between the same flattening tube. In adiabatic engine applications and very high efficiency engines, this configuration transfers heat to the plate-shaped tube and thus to the fuel passing cylindrically through the plate-shaped tube. It is particularly advantageous to warm the dense cooling or supercooled fuel supply for this purpose. This unique configuration also cools the upper regions of the injector assembly and then transfers heat to the fuel to increase vapor pressure and / or energizing phase changes just before injection and ignition in the combustion chamber. The spring tube 3094 may thus also function as a circulating heat exchanger to advantageously operate with various fuel choices and conditions as shown.

When it is necessary to cold start and operate with low vapor pressure liquids such as methanol, ethanol, diesel fuel or gasoline injectors 3028 or 3029 provide very fast repeatable open-and-closed cycles for the flow control valve 3074, in particular A new type of fuel supply with high surface-to-volume properties is possible. The flow control valve is operated with a duty cycle such as opening 0.0002 seconds and closing 0.0001 seconds, which is achieved by the impact opening operation of the armature 3048 against the very low inertia cable or rod 3060 and sphere 3094, FIG. 2, FIG. 3A. As shown in FIGS. 3B, 3C and 3D, fuel is injected from slots 3088 and 3089 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in a waveform of a series of refinement and densification patterns. This provides a good combustion rate of thinning, high surface-to-volume fuel membranes resulting from a guaranteed injection of spark ignition ear idling from about 0.001 seconds to about 0.012 seconds of engine acceleration. The flat membrane corrugated injection fuel having this pattern from the slots 2088 is uniformly charged air-fuel mixture or weakened laminar charge air by recoil or repulsion from the combustion chamber surface as required by a separate fuel injector and sparkplug combination. Approach to produce fuel mixtures allows for a much later injection and guaranteed ignition than is possible.

Adaptive timing flame ignition of each corrugated injection fuel provides further control of the maximum combustion temperature. In operation, this configuration ignites the fuel with initial fuel-rich combustion and then transitions to excess air surrounding the stratified fill combusted by the expansion flame surface and further into air-rich combustion leading to a maximum combustion temperature of 2,204 ° C. (4,000 It is possible to ensure complete combustion that does not exceed ° F) and thus avoids the formation of nitrogen oxides.

The combination of the disclosed embodiments provides an energy conversion method and reliable process, which includes storing one or more fuel materials in a container, electrically insulating the thermal, thermochemical, or electrochemical derivatives of such fuels and / or such fuels. These devices and / or valve actuators, such as 3048, are substantially separated from the flow control valve 3074 at the engine combustion chamber interface, which can be controlled at the engine combustion chamber interface to substantially eliminate fuel deposits to the engine combustion chamber at unintended times. Delivering a thermal, thermochemical, or electrochemical derivative of such fuel. This combination allows for the efficient use of virtually any gasification, vaporization, liquid, or slush fuel, regardless of fuel energy density, viscosity, or octane or cetane number. Sufficient voltage can be generated into or through the valve 3074 to provide combustion or plasma ignition for the incoming fuel at an adaptive precision time that can optimize engine operation.

According to aspects of the present disclosure, a multi-fuel injection and ignition system for energy conversion can be applied to moving and stationary engine operation. Hybrid vehicles and distributed energy are particularly valuable examples of this application. When maximum power is required from the engine 3430, it is produced by hydrogen, or Example 236, if available in the fuel cell 3404, and mixed with cooling feedback and / or cooling feedback from the fuel cell 3404 by Example 3426. In order to use hydrogen-specific fuels and cool the throttle-free air charge to reduce the backing work due to compression operations, it provides laminar filler injection during the engine 30 compression stroke followed by rapid hydrogen or hydrogen with adaptive flame ignition timing. It is desirable to maximize the braking mean effective pressure (BMEP) by burning the characteristic fuel.

If minimization of nitrogen oxides is required, it is desirable to use hydrogen or hydrogen-specific fuels and to adaptively adjust the injection timing and ignition timing to produce the best BMEP without exceeding the highest combustion chamber temperature of 2,204 ° C (4,000 ° F). When quiet operation is required, operating noise is monitored by one or more acoustic sensors, such as the 3417, near the exhaust manifold and near the exhaust pipe, and adaptive adjustment of fuel injection timing and ignition timing to provide minimal noise at human audible acoustic wavelengths. desirable. When maximum engine life is required, it is desirable to adaptively adjust fuel injection timing and ignition timing to produce the best BMEP with minimal heat transfer to the combustion chamber surface.

12 is electrically isolated from a fuel flow control valve disposed at an insulated top 3340 and positioned very close to a combustion chamber in which a layered fuel injection pattern 3326 is formed asymmetrically as shown, such that it is accommodated in the combustion chamber geometry. A partial view of the characteristic engine block and head parts of an injector 3328 operating as disclosed for embodiments 3028, 3029, 3029 'having a suitable fuel valve manipulator are shown. This asymmetric fuel penetration pattern is preferably formed by a properly extended fuel supply path, such as the wider spacing of the slots 2088 and 3089 shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 and the As shown by the larger penetrations, it induces a suitable fuel infiltration stem pattern 3326 to optimize air utilization for the soft fuel and the excess air insulator around the combustion is the piston parts of the head including intake or exhaust valves 3322, or Minimize heat loss to the engine block, including the coolant in the passages shown.

In the medical, industrial, chemical synthesis, and agricultural sectors, it is necessary to maximize the formation of nitrogen oxides in the combustion chamber, maximizing the laminar charge combustion temperature and operating the piston at high speed to quickly produce and stop the nitrogen oxides formed in the combustion chamber. desirable. This enables the combined production of the desired chemical species, while efficiently generating the driving force in the fields of power generation, propulsion, and / or other shaft power. A system that combines operations as disclosed for FIGS. 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12 is particularly effective at providing these new developments and advantages.

14 shows a schematic diagram including a cross-sectional view of certain components of a system 3402 according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 14 shows a system 3402 in which fuels that differ greatly in temperature, energy density, vapor pressure, combustion rate, and air utilization requirements are safely stored, interchangeably injected, and ignited in the combustion chamber. System 3402 is impervious enough to be packed with fiber reinforcement to withstand test pressures of 7,000 atmospheres or above and circulation pressures of 3,000 atmospheres or above due to the need to store gases and / or liquid vapors as dense as cooling steam, liquids or solids. And a fuel reservoir fuel tank 3404 having a chemically compatible fuel containment liner 3406.

As further shown in FIG. 14, regulator 3412 can pass fuel to fuel cell 3437 through control valve 3439. According to one embodiment, fuel cell 3437 may be any suitable type that is capable of reversibly generating hydrogen from a feedstock such as water and is characterized by the type of electrolyte, including types of low and high temperatures. According to this embodiment, the fuel stored in the fuel cell 3404 is more suited for high efficiency in the fuel cell 3437 than can be provided by a system providing such desirable fuel species by conventional reforming operations. Can be switched to. The combination of these parts and operations of the present invention provides extremely effective hybridization and convenience to achieve further improved operating efficiency and functionality.

According to one embodiment, the fuel cell 3404 is connected through various valves, for example, the filling port 3410, the first captive valve 3411, and the second captive valve 3414 as shown in FIG. 14. Filled quickly with flowing fuel. The refractive dielectric layer 3416 and the encapsulation layer 3418 thermally insulate and support the pressure assemblies 3406 and 3408, support and protect the storage systems 3406 and 3408, and for the storage at 3406 as shown. It is designed to minimize heat transfer. In accordance with this embodiment embodiments, dielectric layer 3416 and hermetic layer 3418 may be coated with a refractive metal. For example, the glass or polymer of such a transparent film is very thinly coated on one side of a refractive metal such as aluminum or silver to reflect radiant energy and reduce thermal conductivity. In alternative embodiments, the dielectrics themselves may provide a refractive function due to the difference in refractive index of the material selected as alternating layers.

In further aspects, the time needed to substantially utilize the coolant fuel stored in the assemblies 3406 and 3408 can be ensured. For example, an effective thermal conduction path length and a selected number of refractive insulation layers 3416 can provide a thermal barrier to the sealing surface of 3418 sufficient to minimize or inhibit moisture, condensation, and freezing. Thus, fuel cell 3404 can provide acceptable pressure storage development when cryogenic solids, liquids, and vapors become pressurized fluids having very large energy density capacities at ambient temperature. Similarly, fluids such as, for example, cold ethane and propane can be filled in assembly 3404 without concern for pressure development that may occur when the tank is warmed to ambient conditions.

In further embodiments, fuel cell 3404 provides safe storage for ultra-cooled hydrogen solids with slush in cryogenic liquid hydrogen and solids such as supercooled methane solids with slush in cryogenic liquid hydrogen or methane. This solid melting and liquid formation and vapor formation due to heating of this liquid are possible in assemblies 3406 and 3408 having safe containment performance while preventing freezing at surface 3418 and damage to the surface components can be avoided by the insulation system ( 3416 and the encapsulation layer 3418.

In further embodiments, the fluid fuel suitable for being transported and stored in the fuel cell 3404 includes cryogenic hydrogen and / or methane. In operation, it may be convenient to fill and store the fuel cell 3404 with ethane, propane, butane, methanol or ethanol. In addition, gasoline or clean diesel fuel may also be stored in the fuel cell 3404 after being properly cured with at least two tanks of ethanol or methanol before refilling with cryogenic fuel. Thus, it is possible to conveniently store the most desirable fuels that can meet pollution avoidance, range and fuel-cost goals. In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, hydrogen utilization in urban areas for air-cleaning is contemplated and interchangeable utilization of gas mixtures is possible with the regeneration of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, methanol, ethanol, ethane or propane. This can provide farmers and entrepreneurs the opportunity and competitiveness to meet the needs of drivers and self-generators who want to produce and distribute a variety of fuels and to store long-term performance and / or cheaper fuels.

As shown in FIG. 14, the valve 3414 is opened and closed to allow fuel from the tank bottom through the filter 3420 or from the tank top through the filter 3342 according to the desired flow path as shown in the fuel cell 3404. Is supplied. If the tank containment assemblies 3406 and 3408 are severely abused, the fuel selection containment vessel in the liner 3406 and integral reinforcement 3408 is maintained. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a super jacket assembly of dielectric layer 3416 and encapsulation layer 3418 minimizes radiation, conduction, and convective heat transfer, increases fire ratings by radiation reflection, and Insulation is provided for the amount of heat acquired, and heat is dissipated for a longer period of time than a conventional fuel cell.

According to further embodiments, when prolonged exposure to flame, assembly 3406 and 3408 temperature or storage pressure may eventually rise to discharge requirements. In that the temperature and / or pressure is raised to a suitable ratio for maximum permissible storage, the built-in pressure sensor 3431 and the temperature sensor 3433 send information to a wireless, optical fiber, or wired 'black box' controller 3432. Report and send capture valve 3414 to primary delivery of additional fuel to engine 3430 as shown. If the engine 3430 does not operate then the state is acquired by the controller 3432 to determine whether it is stable and desirable to operate with or without a load. In operation, engine 3430 is started and / or transitioned to a sufficient fuel consumption rate operation to prevent the tank assembly 3404 internal pressure excess and temperature excess.

As shown in FIG. 14, the system 3402 allows for very fast engine 3430 automatic start-up and produces uniform fill combustion and significant back work, unlike the preferred high efficiency operating mode that is preferred. And an injector mechanism 3428 that provides low fuel efficiency with injection and ignition timing. According to aspects of this embodiment, fuel can be consumed faster than higher efficiency layered fill operation with fuel injection and ignition timing adaptively adjusted to maximize thermal efficiency. According to the present invention, the injector mechanism 3428 also enables engine operation in the course of abnormal air restriction ('throttled air inlet') to the engine 3430 to produce an intake vacuum, thereby supplying fuel The system provides a suction to the fuel cell 3404 to cool the evaporative fuel when it is necessary to greatly reduce the pressure to enable boiling or to remove very large heat gains due to long-term flame collisions to the fuel cell 3404. Can be. Rather than leaving the fuel at atmospheric pressure for pressure release during exposure to flame, this useful mode of fuel from the fuel cell 3404 is highly desirable as the engine power can cool and extinguish the tank or provide flame escape propulsion. The safe mode of management of these resources to overcome risks can be applied to fixed power units and emergency response vehicles, especially forest and building fire installations.

If such an absolute safety facility does not sufficiently prevent excessive pressure or excessive temperature in the fuel cell 3404, additional fuel may be discharged into the air through the safety outlet 3434 as shown by the pressure relief facility in the valve 3414. Can be. The safety outlet 3434 is preferably connected to a safety zone 3465 which is designed for hot gas discharge, such as stacks or vehicle exhaust pipes, to prevent harm to people or property.

As shown with reference to FIG. 14, a regulator or a regulator to provide process fuel as a cover gas for rotating equipment such as generators and engines 3430 to remove heat generated by the rotating equipment or to reduce drift and frictional losses. It is desirable to use hydrogen from condenser 3413 provided with a similar regulator. This hydrogen purity is not critical and there can be a significant amount of methane, carbon monoxide, and the like, without damaging the rotating equipment, through which there is a very substantial efficiency and energy conversion. It has been found that performance is improved. As a result, almost all primary fuels reacting with hydrogen-containing compounds, such as water, to produce hydrogen or to produce hydrogen for reduced hydrogen cooling and reduced loss of drift and improved efficiency and better safety of the internal combustion engine. Can be switched by embodiments. The embodiments of FIG. 14 in conjunction with 3028, 3029, 3100, 3200, and 3029 'allow low energy density hydrogen to be used as a good heat transfer agent and preferred fuel cell 3437 and engine 3430 fuel.

A particularly important application is the use of this hydrogen to lower the operating temperature in the rotary generator windings to allow for more efficient operation and greater energy conversion performance. After warmed up by the passage through this rotary plant, the hydrogen proceeds to the piston engine crankcase and then to the injector and / or valve assembly 3200 of the engine for use as fuel in the fuel engine. This improves the efficiency of the waste heat generation field and increases the performance of the forming system. Filling the piston engine crankcase 3455 with a hydrogen atmosphere increases operating safety through ensuring that there is no flammable mixture of air and hydrogen for accidental ignition inside the crankcase. This low viscosity atmosphere synergistically reduces drift and friction losses due to the relative movement of engine parts. It also significantly reduces lubricant life by eliminating adverse oxidation reactions between oxygen and the oil film and oil deposits in the crankcase. By maintaining anhydrous hydrogen atmosphere in the crankcase above the water evaporation temperature, the benefits of removing moisture and preventing corrosion of bearings and ring seals, etc. due to electrolytic water can be further achieved.

This hydrogen impregnation, along with water removal due to the crankcase, is particularly advantageous for maintaining proton exchange membranes (PEM) in fuel cells such as 3437, especially in the hybridization field. This results in a range of several kilowatts of output by the fuel cell 3437 to megawatts of performance in combination with the engine-generator represented by this fuel cell operation to meet daily changes, fluctuations due to seasonal climate requests or generation requirements. It is possible to operate the system based on the extremely flexible and efficient FIG.

In normal cold start operation of an engine having a fuel cell 3404 with refrigerated fuel, the fuel vapor is injected into the injector mechanism 3428 by an insulated conduit 3425 in the fuel cell 3404 via a filter 3342, a multi-way valve 3414. ), All the combustion chambers of the engine 3430 in the power stroke, injected and ignited, undergo stratified charge combustion and excess air rapid heating. If power is needed beyond that provided by the fuel consumption rate that can be maintained as a steam supply on top of the fuel cell 3404, liquid fuel is taken from the bottom of the fuel cell 3404 via the filter 3420 and supplied to the injector mechanism 3428. do. In accordance with the aspects of the present invention, after engine warm-up, the arrangement may be used to pressurize and evaporate the liquid fuel in the heat exchanger 3336. In a further aspect, heat exchanger 3336 may include one or more suitable catalysts to generate new fuel species from liquid, vapor, or vaporized fuel components.

According to the present invention, depending on the chemistry of the fuel stored in the fuel fuel cell 3404, the heat exchanger 3336 can produce a variety of hydrogen-characteristic fuels that can improve engine 3430 operation. For example, wet methanol vaporizes and disperses due to heat to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide as shown in equation 1:

2CH3OH + H2O + Heat → 5H2 + CO + CO2 Equation 1

As shown in equation 2, inexpensive wet ethanol is endothermic modified by heat and / or by addition of an oxygen donor such as water:

C2H5OH + H2O + Heat → 4H2 + 2CO Equation 2

Thus, this embodiment may utilize biomass alcohols by a less expensive production method that allows significant water to remain mixed with alcohols when produced by cracked distillation, carbon monoxide and hydrogen synthesis and / or fermentation and distillation. In operation, this method is more favorable and energy-efficient because wet alcohol is produced with lower energy and capital equipment than anhydrous alcohol. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the processes and systems disclosed herein can also endothermally produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide fuel derivatives using engine waste heat and produce 25% or more of combustion energy than anhydrous alcohol feedstock. An additional advantage is the faster and cleaner combustion characteristics provided by hydrogen. Thus, by using an injector mechanism 3428 for metering these hydrogen-characteristic derivative fuels and igniting them with layered charges in throttle air, the overall fuel efficiency is improved by 40% compared to homogeneous charge combustion of anhydrous alcohol (s). Can be.

According to still other embodiments, the water for the endothermic reactions described in Equations 1 and 2 may be added to, or needed by, the auxiliary tank 3409 by supplying it with an auxiliary water tank 3407 and / or collecting water from the exhaust stream. If desired, water and dissolution stabilizers may be supplied by collecting water condensed at the surface of the heat exchanger 3426 around the mixing and / air flow channel 3423 with fuel stored in the fuel cell 3404. As shown in FIG. 14, the pump 3415 exchanges water through the check valve 3407 at a rate proportional to the fuel consumption rate through the valve 3411 and the check valve 3407 to satisfy the stoichiometric material reaction. It is provided to the reactor (3436).

Fuel alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, and the like can be dissolved in water and in stoichiometric proportions and produce significantly more hydrogen by the endothermic material generally described and summarized in Equations 1 and 2. This makes cheaper fuels advantageously available, for example, on farms and other small businesses. Cost savings are not limited to refinement energy savings to remove water and transfer from remote refineries.

Combustion of any hydrocarbon, hydrogen, or hydrogen-specific fuel in engine 3430 produces water in engine exhaust. According to the embodiments of the present invention, after cooling the exhaust gas below the dew point, for example, a significant amount of this exhaust stream moisture can be recovered in the fluid remover 3405. In one embodiment, countercurrent heat exchanger / reactor 3336 provides most, if not all, of the heat required for the endothermic reactions characterized by Equations 1 and 2 thereby cooling the exhaust gas dramatically. Depending on the provided backflow flow rate and area, the exhaust gases can be cooled down to near the fuel storage temperature. Accordingly, water can be easily condensed in a variety of additional new embodiments, and the present invention relates to this application, which is described in US Pat. No. 6,756,140; 6,155,212; 6,015,065; 6,446,597; 6,503,584, 5,343,699; And providing lower cycle power and / or water in combination with fuel storage and / or hybridization engines, electrolysers, reversible fuel cells, as disclosed in 5,394,852 and any formal patent application claiming priority under concurrent patent application 60 / 551,219. The array utilization process for the collection is combined.

If sufficient heat is not available or the temperature required for the endothermic reforming reaction in the reactor 3438 is not achieved, the pump 3403 can provide oxygen-rich exhaust gas to the reactor 3336 as shown in FIG. 14. have. The use of a pump according to this embodiment allows a combination of an endothermic reforming reaction which is augmented with additional heat release and exothermic reactions between oxygen and the existing fuel species to produce carbon monoxide and / or carbon dioxide with hydrogen. Conventional use of the reaction product in reactor 3336 would have provided an unpleasant byproduct, such as nitrogen, but the injector mechanism 3428 may have a top dead center or near or power stroke process and conditions that do not endanger the volume or thermal efficiency of the engine 3430. Large volumes of gas can be injected and quickly supplied to the combustion chamber.

Thus, the hydrogen containing fuel selected from the group consisting of cryogenic slush, cryogenic liquid, pressurized cold vapor, adsorbent material, ambient temperature supercritical fluid, and ambient temperature fluid is stored in the fuel cell 3404 and heat is removed from the engine exhaust. In addition, it is converted to elevated temperature material selected from the group comprising hot steam, new chemical species, and new chemical species and hot steam mixture, injected into the engine combustion chamber and ignited. Sufficient heat is removed from the engine 3430 exhaust, causing significant moisture condensation, which is used for endothermic reactions in the higher temperature regions of the reactor 3336 with hydrogen containing fuel to produce hydrogen as shown. It is recovered for the purpose. Equation 3 is shown to produce heat and moisture by burning hydrocarbon fuels such as methane:

CH4 + 3O2 → CO2 + 2H2O Equation 3

Equation 4 shows a comprehensive process for reforming hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, octane, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other heavy fuel molecules with water to form a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide:

CxHy + XH2O + Heat → (0.5Y + X) H2 + XCO Equation 4

Equations 3, 5, and 6 show that the amount of water produced by hydrocarbon combustion, such as methane, is two or three times the water needed to reform methane to a more desirable hydrogen-specific fuel:

CH4 + H2O + Heat → 3H2 + CO Equation 5

Equation 6 shows the advantages of hydrocarbon reforming, such as methane, and combustion of the fuel species of Equation 5, which can produce more expansion gas in the combustion chamber power stroke while generating more water for the reforming reaction in reactor 3336. .

3H2 + CO + 2O2 → 3H2O + CO2 Equation 6

Thus, reforming methane with water to generate and burn gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) in the generator produces greater combustion energy and about three times the water required for the endothermic reform of methane in the reactor 3336. Thus, along with the water condensed in the heat exchanger 3426, sufficient water can be collected in the vehicle or stationary applications of the present invention. Collecting water reduces tolerance weight because most of the weight water used in reactor 3336 is obtained from oxygen from air and combustion of hydrogen or hydrogen-specific fuel in engine 3430. Thus, each 1 gram of hydrogen combines with 8 grams of atmospheric oxygen to recover 9 grams of water from the engine 3430 exhaust.

According to still other embodiments, suitably purified water may be added to the engine 3430 or to support hybrid vehicle regenerative operation and / or load management operation with a reaction including a catalyst support reaction in the heat exchanger 3336. Heat exchange of cold fuel from fuel cell 3404 may be provided for one or more electrolysis process operations at high or low temperatures useful. The synergistic combination described herein improves the total energy utilization efficiency in this example, and this sufficient water supply also does not require reverse osmosis, distillation systems, or other expensive energy-consuming equipment that is large and vulnerable to maintenance. Not so noteworthy.

The hydrogen-characteristic fuel produced provides several other advantages, such as:

Hydrogen burns 7 to 10 times faster than methane and similar hydrocarbons, allowing ignition timing later than the original hydrocarbon species, avoiding significant retrograde operations and heat losses that may involve ignition in the premature compression process.

Hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced by endothermic reforming reactions release 25% more heat in the combustion process than the original hydrocarbons. This is due to the thermodynamic input of intake heat in the formation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the original hydrocarbons. This is an advantageous way to utilize waste heat from the engine's jacket or air-cooling system with high quality heat from the exhaust system as shown.

Hydrogen burns very cleanly and ensures complete combustion with excess air for any hydrocarbons that have passed through a rapid combustion propagation and reforming reaction which is an additional component of the hydrogen-characteristic fuel mixture.

Rapid combustion of hydrogen and / or fuel species in the water vapor supplied from the injector device 3428 may rapidly heat these vapors for insulating expansion and work production of the layered charge in the combustion chamber and the homogeneous filling method of water vapor expansion. In comparison, it provides a significantly higher operating efficiency.

The synergistic reaction with reactive water vapor and nitrogen oxides greatly reduces nitrogen oxides by lowering the maximum temperature of the combustion products due to the rapid heating of the water vapor together with the formation of water vapor by combustion and greatly reducing the net production and presence of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas.

More ignition in the combustion chamber for beneficial synergistic reactions that completely oxidize all fuel components and reduce nitrogen oxides in the exhaust stream due to the rapid ignition and heating resulting from the rapid combustion of hydrogen characteristic fuel oxidation, which is uniquely set by the injector mechanism 3428. Time is provided.

15A-15D are generally described with respect to piezoelectric or electromagnetic armatures that are electrically separate from but mechanically connected to a flow control valve 3584 located within the injector device 3428 and disposed at the combustion chamber interface as shown. The laminar filling combustion results by the same valve operated manipulator are shown in sequence. In this example, the flow control element 3584 functions as a movable flow control valve displaced toward the combustion chamber to enable fuel injection and ascended to a normally closed position to serve as a check valve for combustion gas pressure. The injected fuel ignition occurs when a plasma discharge occurs due to a potential load applied between the ground threaded portion of the engine head or block and the insulated flow control valve assembly of the element 3584 as shown.

Dielectric Features of Integral Injector / Ignizer

16 is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector 410 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Injector 410 shown in FIG. 16 illustrates features of various dielectrics that can be used in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The injector 410 shown includes several features that are at least generally similar in structure and function to the corresponding features of the injector described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3D. For example, the injector 410 includes a body 412 having a nozzle portion 418 extending from the middle portion 416. The nozzle portion 418 extends into the opening or inlet port 409 of the engine head 407. Many engines, such as diesel engines, have an inlet port 409 of very small diameter (eg, a diameter of about 7.09 mm or 0.279 inches). Such small spaces make it difficult to provide adequate insulation for spark or plasma ignition of the fuel species contemplated by the present invention (eg, fuels about 3,000 times lower in energy density than diesel fuel). However, as will be described in detail below, the injectors of the present invention are for generating the required high voltages (eg, 60,000 volts) for generating, blocking and / or supplying ignition events (eg, flames or plasma) in very confined spaces. Has a body 412 of dielectric or insulator that provides proper electrical insulation of the ignition wire. Such dielectrics or insulators are also configured to reliably protect against oxidation or deterioration due to periodic exposure to high temperature and high pressure gases produced by combustion. In addition, as will be described in detail below, these dielectrics are configured to integrate optical and electrical communication paths from the combustion chamber to sensors, such as transducers, instrumentation, filter amplifiers, controllers, and / or computers. Insulators may also be soldered or diffusely coupled in a hermetic position with the metal base 414 of the body 412.

Helix wound genetic features

According to one embodiment of the injector 410 body 412 shown in FIG. 16, dielectrics comprised of the intermediate portion 416 and / or nozzle portion 418 of the injector 410 are shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B. . More specifically, FIG. 17A is an insulator or dielectric 512 side view, and FIG. 17B is a side cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 17B-17B in FIG. 17A. The body 512 shown in FIG. 17A has a generally cylindrical shape, but in other embodiments the body 512 includes, for example, a nozzle portion extending from the body 512 towards the combustion chamber interface 531. It may have a shape. Referring together to FIGS. 17A and 17B, in the illustrated embodiment, dielectric 512 consists of a spiral or wound base layer 528. In certain embodiments, base layer 528 may be artificial or natural mica (eg, mica paper without pinholes). In other embodiments, however, base layer 528 may be composed of other suitable materials having a suitable dielectric strength from a relatively thin material. In the illustrated embodiment, one or both sides of base layer 528 is covered with a relatively thin dielectric coating layer 530. Coating layer 530 may be made of a high temperature, high purity polymer such as Teflon NXT, Dyneon TFM, Parylene HT, Polyethersulfone, and / or Polyetheretherketone. In other embodiments, however, the coating layer 530 may be made of other materials suitable for properly sealing the base layer 528.

Base layer 528 and coating layer 530 are tightly wound into a spiral to form a tube that provides continuous layers of base layer 528 and coating layer 530 bonding sheet. In certain embodiments, these layers may be combined in an array wound with a suitable adhesive (eg, ceramic cement). In other embodiments, these layers may be loaded with polymer, glass, dry silica, or other suitable material to package the body 512 in a densely packed tube shape. In addition, the body 512 sheet or layers may be separated by successive application of the release film. For example, the separation films between the body 512 layers may be parylene N on parylene C on parylene, HT film layers, and / or polyolefins such as thin boron nitride, polyethersulfone, or polyethylene, or other The layers are separated by applying another material selected from a suitable separation material. Such film separation may be achieved, for example, by temperature or pressure measurement fibers including single crystal sapphire fibers. Such fibers may be produced by laser condensing pedestal growth techniques or may be successively coated with perfluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) or other similar refractive index materials to prevent energy leakage from the fibers into potential absorbing films surrounding the fibers. .

If the coating layer 530 is applied to a relatively thin film (eg, 0.1 to 0.3 mm), the coating layer 530 may be at -30 ° C (eg, -22 ° F) to about 230 ° C (eg , 450-F) about 2.0 to 4.0 K volts / 0.001 'dielectric strength. The inventors have found that the thicker coating layer 530 does not provide enough insulation to provide the voltage necessary for ignition. More specifically, as shown in Table 1 below, the thicker coating layer significantly reduced the dielectric strength. This reduced dielectric strength is not suitable for the protection and leakage protection of the insulating body 512, which is sometimes desirable for the occurrence of ignition events (eg, sparks or plasma) in the combustion chamber. For example, in many engines, such as a typical diesel or turbocharged engine with high compression pressure, the voltage required to initiate an ignition event (eg, flame or plasma) is about 60,000 volts or more. Conventional dielectrics, including tubular insulators made from conventional insulators having an effective wall thickness of only 0.040 inch or more, provide only 500 volts / .001 ”and do not adequately provide this required voltage. Table 1 compares the dielectric strength of the selected compositions.

matter Insulation strength (KV / mil)
(<0.06mm or 0.002 ’film) Insulation strength (KV / mil)
(> 1.0 mm or 0.040 ’) Teflon NXT 2.2-4.0 KV / .001 ’ 0.4-0.5 KV / .001 ’ Polyimide (Kapton) 7.4 KV / .001 ’ - Parylene (N, C, D, HT) 4.2-7.0 KV / .001 ’ - Dyneon TFM 2.5-3.0 KV / .001 ’ 0.4-0.5 KV / .001 ’ CYTOP Perfluoropolymer 2.3-2.8 KV / 0.001 ’ - Sapphire (Single Crystal) 1.3-1.4 KV / 0.001 ’ 1.2 KV / 0.001 ’ mica 2.0-4.5 KV / 0.001 ’ 1.4-1.9 KV / 0.001 ’ Boron nitride 1.6 KV / 0.001 ’ 1.4 KV / 0.001 ’ PEEK 3.0-3.8 KV / 0.001 ’ 0.3-0.5 KV / 0.001 ’ Polyether sulfone 4.0-4.2 KV / 0.001 ’ 0.3-0.5 KV / 0.001 ’ Silica crystal 1.1 -1.4 KV / 0.001 ’ 1.1-1.4 KV / 0.001 ’

Exemplary insulator body 512 temperature range shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B ranges from -30 ° C (eg -22 ° F) to about 450 ° C (eg 840 ° F) about 3,000 volts / 0.001 Can provide insulation strength. In addition, coating layer 530 serves as a seal for base layer 528 to prevent combustion gas and / or other contaminants from entering body 512. The coating layer 530 also provides sufficiently different refractive indices to improve light transmission efficiency through the body 512 of the optical communicator extending through the body 512.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the body 512 includes multiple communicators 532 extending longitudinally the body 512 with base layer 528 sheets or layers. In certain embodiments, the communicator 532 may be a conductor such as a high voltage spark ignition wire or cable. These ignition wires are made of metallic wires insulated or coated with aluminum oxide to provide alumina to the wires. The communicator 532 extends longitudinally through the body 512 between the base layer 528 and thus does not participate in any charge extending radially outwardly through the communicator 532 body 512. Thus, the communicator 532 does not compromise or otherwise degrade the dielectric properties of the body 512. In addition to providing the ignition voltage, in certain embodiments the communicator 532 is also operatively connected with one or more actuators and / or controllers to drive the flow valve for fuel injection.

In other embodiments, the communicator 532 is configured to transmit combustion data from the combustion chamber to one or more transducers, amplifiers, controllers, filters, measurement computers, and the like. For example, the communicator 532 may be formed of optical layers or fibers such as optical fibers or crystals, aluminum fluoride, ZBLAN, glass, and / or polymers, and / or other materials suitable for transferring data through the injector. It may be a communicator. In other embodiments, the communicator 532 may be made of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, aluminum, and sodium fluoride (ZBLAN) as well as suitable transmission materials such as ceramic or glass tubes.

Particle Orientation of Dielectric Features

Referring to FIG. 16, according to another embodiment of the injector 410 shown in FIG. 16, the dielectrics of the body 412 (eg, the intermediate portion 416 and / or the nozzle portion 418) may be formed of certain particles. It is configured to have an orientation to achieve desirable dielectric properties that can withstand the high voltages associated with the present invention. For example, the particle structure includes crystalline particles layered circumferentially and around the tubular body 412 to form a compressive force on the outer surface that is balanced by inner tension. More specifically, FIGS. 18A and 18B are side cross-sectional views of dielectric 612 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention and cut substantially along lines 18-18 of FIG. 16. Referring first to FIG. 18A, the body 612 may be made of a ceramic material having high dielectric strength, such as quartz, sapphire, glass base material, and / or other suitable ceramics.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the body 612 includes crystalline particles 634 that are generally oriented in the same direction. For example, the particles 634 are oriented in individual particles 634 having a longitudinal axis extending generally circumferentially around the body 612. With layered particles 634 in this direction, body 612 provides good dielectric strength at almost any thickness of body 612. This is because the long, flat particles in the layer do not provide a good conductive path in the outward radial direction from the body 612.

18B shows the compressive force in certain areas of the body 612. More specifically, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 18B, the body 612 at least partially has particles 634 in one or more compression zones adjacent to the outer outer surface 637 and the inner outer surface 638 of the body 612. To 635 (ie, regions containing compressive force according to the orientation of the particles 634). Body 612 also includes a non-compressed region 636 of particles 634 between the compressed regions 635. The non-compression region 636 provides a balanced tension at the middle of the body 612. In certain embodiments, each of the compression zones 635 includes more particles 634 per volume to obtain a compression force. In other embodiments, each of the compressed regions 635 is processed to retain a local amorphous structure or modified by the formation of an amorphous structure or crystal lattice having a lower filling efficiency than the non-compressed region 636 particles 634. Particles 634 may be included. In still other embodiments, the outer surface 637 and inner surface 638 may have ion implantation, sputtering surface layers, and / or diffusion into the surface of one or more materials resulting in a surface that is less than the body 612 non-compression region 636. Compression can be caused to have a low filling efficiency. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18B, the compression regions 635 on the outer surface 637 and the inner surface 638 of the body 612 provide higher anisotropic dielectric strength.

One advantage of the embodiment shown in FIG. 18B is due to the difference in filling efficiency between the compression regions 635 and the non-compression region 636, where the compression surface is in a compressed state, which improves durability and can withstand cracking or deterioration. have. For example, such compressive forces can form conductive paths within the body 612 and thus reduce the body 612 dielectric strength (eg, water, together with dissolved materials, carbon-rich materials and water). Electrolyte flow) at least partially. This compressive force buildup also prevents the body 612 from deteriorating at least partially from thermal and / or mechanical impacts due to exposure to rapidly changing temperatures, pressures, chemical degradants, and impacts at each combustion event. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 18B is specifically configured to provide high strength against cracking due to high loads, including sustained voltage vessels, point loads, as well as low cycle fatigue of the body 612.

Another advantage of the oriented crystalline particles 634 in combination with the compression regions 635 is that this configuration of the particles 634 provides a maximum dielectric strength for the voltage set across the body 612. . For example, this configuration provides a surprising improvement in dielectric strength of up to 2.4 KV / .001 inches in areas greater than 1 mm or 0.040 inches thick. These values are very large when compared to the same ceramic composition having only about 1.0 to 1.3 KV / .001 inch dielectric strength without these new particle properties.

Various methods of making the insulator having compressive surface features are described in detail below. In one embodiment, for example, an insulator according to an embodiment of the present invention can be made from the material disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,689,293, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, the insulator can be made of a material containing components in the following weight ratios: 25-60% SiO ₂ , 15-35% R ₂ O ₃ , where R ₂ O ₃ is 3-15% B ₂ O ₃ And 5-25% Al ₂ O ₃ ), 4-25% MgO + 0-7% Li ₂ O (total MgO + Li ₂ O is about 6-25%), 2-20% R ₂ O (where R ₂ O is 0-15% Na ₂ O, 0-15% K ₂ O, 0-15% Rb ₂ O), 0-15% Rb ₂ O, 0-20% Cs ₂ O, and 4-20% F More specifically, in one embodiment, an exemplary composition consists of 43.9% SiO ₂ , 13.8% MgO, 15.7% Al ₂ O ₃ , 10.7% K ₂ O, 8.1% B ₂ O ₃ , and 7.9% F. do. In other embodiments, however, the insulator according to an embodiment of the present invention may be made with these components as well as some percentage of different materials.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the components that make up the insulator are ball-milled and melted in a suitable sealed crucible that is impermeable and unreactive with the composition of the insulator forming components. The components are maintained at about 1,400 ° C. (eg, 2,550 ° F.) until the melting composition is thoroughly mixed. The melt is then cooled and ball-milled again with additives selected from the group including binders, lubricants, and ignition aids. The components are then extruded into various desired shapes, including, for example, tubular, and heated briefly to about 800 ° C. (1,470 ° F.) above the transformation temperature. Heating above the transformation temperature stimulates fluoromica crystal nucleation. The extruded components are then heated again and pressurized or extruded at about 850-1100 ° C. (1,560-2,010 ° F). Due to this secondary heating, the forming crystals are in the form as described above where the dielectric strength is maximized in the desired direction of the product.

Crystallization of such materials, including, for example, mica-based glass, comprising the composition K ₂ Mg ₅ Si ₈ O ₂₀ F ₄ , exothermic heat is released as the volumetric filling efficiency of the particles increases and their density increases. Metamorphic activities such as nucleation, exothermic heat release rate, crystallization properties, and crystallization temperature are a function of the fluorine content or B ₂ O ₃ content of the insulator. Thus, machining insulators with these control parameters not only improves yield, tension, fatigue strength, and / or dielectric strength, but also increases insulator chemical resistance.

This results in extensions typical to the representational population shown in relation to the layered 104B which roughly surrounds the desired features, such as the internal diameter produced in accordance with the mandrel used to achieve hot forming or extrusion. Or an important new anisotropic maximum kinetic strength that can be designed and achieved by direct forming, including compressing the precursor tube into smaller diameter or thin walled tubes producing oriented crystal grains.

According to another embodiment, the method of at least partially orienting and / or compressing the particles 634 according to the illustrated embodiment is compressively stressed against balanced tensile stress in the molded and heat-treated product substrate. It can be achieved by adding B ₂ O ₃ and / or fluorine to the surface that needs to be made. Adding such B ₂ O ₃ , fluorine, or similarly acting aids can be accomplished in a manner similar to dopants that are added and diffused to the desired location in the conductor. Such aids may also be applied in concentrated compositions of the component compositions applied by sputtering, vapor deposition, application, and / or washing. In addition, these action aids can be produced by reagent provision and condensation reactions.

Increasing B ₂ O ₃ and / or fluorine content on and near surfaces that need to be compressively loaded results in rapid fluoromica crystal nucleation. This nucleation causes a larger number of small crystals to compete with the diffusion-added material as compared to the non-compressed substrate regions of the composition. This process provides greater filling efficiency in non-compressed substrate regions than in compression regions close to the surface where the B ₂ O ₃ , fluorine, and / or other auxiliaries that cause additional nucleation of the fluoromica crystals are concentrated. do. As a result, preferred surface compression preloading enhances the components for ignition and chemical preparations.

Another method for generating or reinforcing compressive forces balanced by tension in the substrate includes heating the target region to be compressed. The target area is sufficiently heated to redissolve the crystals into the amorphous structure. Sudden heating is stopped so that the substrate retains a significant amount of amorphous structure. Depending on the type of components involved, this heating can take place in the furnace. This heating step can also be by radiation from a resistance- or induction-heating source, and by an electron beam or laser. Other variations of this process are crystal nucleation and growth stimulants (eg, B ₂ O ₃ and / or fluorine) into heat-treated and / or partially dissolved regions in order to partially recrystallize quickly to form the desired compressive stress. ) To increase the number of smaller crystals or particles.

19A schematically illustrates a schematic system 700a for implementing a process including melting and extrusion to form an insulator having compressive stress in a desired area in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the system 700a includes a crucible 740a made of refractory metal, ceramic, or pyrolytic graphite material. Crucible 740a may comprise a suitable conversion coating, or an impermeable and unreactive liner such as a thin platinum or platinum group barrier coating. The composition described above comprehensively (e.g., the charge is about 25-60% SiO ₂ , 15-35% R ₂ O ₃ , where R ₂ O ₃ is 3-15% B ₂ O ₃ and 5-25% Al ₂ O ₃ ), 4-25% MgO + 0-7% Li ₂ O (wherein total MgO + Li ₂ O is about 6-25%), 2-20% R ₂ O (where R ₂ O is 0 -15% Na ₂ O, 0-15% K ₂ O, 0-15% Rb ₂ O), 0-15% Rb ₂ O and 0-20% Cs ₂ O, and 4-20% F), or For example, a filler 741a of a composition suitable for producing mica glass having a composition of about K ₂ Mg ₅ Si ₈ O ₂₀ F ₄ is added to the crucible 740a.

The crucible heats the filling 741a in a protective atmosphere. For example, crucible 740a may be filled with charge 741a by, for example, a suitable heating process including resistance, electron beam, laser, induction heating, and / or radiation from a heating source heated by such an energy conversion method. Can be heated. After suitable mixing and melting yields a substantially homogeneous filler 741a, the cover or lid 742a is pressurized into the crucible 740a internal charge 741a. Gas source 743a also adds inert gas and / or process gas into crucible 740a sealed with lid 742a. The pressure regulator 744a regulates the pressure inside the crucible 740a to flow the melt filler 741a into the die assembly 745a. Die assembly 745a is comprised of a tubular dielectric. The die assembly 745a includes a female sleeve 746a containing a male mandrel 747a. Die assembly 745a also includes one or more hardened spider fins 748a. The formed tube moves through the die assembly 745a to the first zone 749a where the formed tube is cooled to solidify with an amorphous material and fluoromica crystal nucleation is initiated. The die assembly 745a then advances the tube to the second zone 750a to reduce the tube wall thickness to further refine and further enable crystallization of the fluoromica crystals.

19B schematically illustrates a schematic system 700b for implementing a process including melting and extrusion to form an insulator having compressive stress in a desired area in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the system 700b includes a crucible 740b made of refractory metal, ceramic, or pyrolytic graphite material. Crucible 740b may comprise a suitable conversion coating, or an impermeable and unreactive liner such as a thin platinum or platinum group barrier coating. The composition described above comprehensively (e.g., the charge is about 25-60% SiO ₂ , 15-35% R ₂ O ₃ , where R ₂ O ₃ is 3-15% B ₂ O ₃ and 5-25% Al ₂ O ₃ ), 4-25% MgO + 0-7% Li ₂ O (wherein total MgO + Li ₂ O is about 6-25%), 2-20% R ₂ O (where R ₂ O is 0 -15% Na ₂ O, 0-15% K ₂ O, 0-15% Rb ₂ O), 0-15% Rb ₂ O and 0-20% Cs ₂ O, and 4-20% F), or For example, a charge 741b of a composition suitable for producing mica glass having a composition of about K ₂ Mg ₅ Si ₈ O ₂₀ F ₄ is added to the crucible 740b.

System 700b also includes a cover or cover 742b that includes a refracting assembly and a heating body 744b. System 700b heats and melts filler 741b in a protective atmosphere that is a vacuum or inert gas between crucible 740b and cover 742b. For example, system 700b may be a crucible heater 745b, cover heater 744b, and / or a suitable heating process including, for example, resistance, electron beam, laser, induction heating, and / or such energy conversion. The filling 741b can be heated by radiation from a heating source heated by the method. After a suitable homogeneous filling and melting yields a substantially homogeneous filler 741b, the cover 742b is pressurized into the crucible 740b internal charge 741a. Gas source 746b also adds an inert gas and / or process gas into crucible 740b where sealed interface 747b is sealed with cover 742b. The pressure regulator regulates the pressure inside the crucible 740b to flow the melt charge 741b into the die assembly 749b. Die assembly 749b is comprised of a tubular dielectric. Die assembly 749b includes a female sleeve 750b that houses male mandrel 751b. Die assembly 749b also includes one or more hardened spider pins 752b. The formed tube 701b moves through the die assembly 749b to the first zone 753b where the formed tube 701b is cooled to solidify into an amorphous material and initiate fluoromica crystal nucleation.

At least a portion of the die assembly 749b including the forming tube 701b having nucleated fluoromica glass is rotated or otherwise moved to a position 702b that is aligned with the second die assembly. The cylinder 755b pushes the formed tube 701b from the first zone 756b to the second zone 757b. In the second zone 757b, the second die assembly reheats the formed tube 701b to promote crystal growth to further purify thereby producing particles in the desired orientation continuously. The formed tube 701b then proceeds to third zone 758b to further refine and orient the particles. Sometimes the designated contact area of the third zone 758b is sprayed or coated with particle nucleation promoters including, for example, AlF ₃ , MgF ₂ and / or B ₂ O ₃ . In the third zone 758b, the formed tube 701b further promotes crystallization of the fluoromica crystals by reducing the formed tube 701b wall thickness to further refine and thus with balanced tension in the region according to the particle structure. Produces the desired compressive force. Thereafter, a forming tube 701b having a significantly high physical and dielectric strength, which is formed by a compressed and stressed impermeable surface, is placed on a conveyor 759b that transports it.

An alternative system and method for producing an insulating tube with these improved dielectric properties is to proceed with the desired shape, powder compaction, and sintering process utilizing the pressure gradients disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,863,326, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. . The systems and methods also include a single crystal conversion process disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,549,746, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and a molding process disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,608,050, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Conversion to a substantially monocrystalline material having strength. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the conversion of a polycrystalline material (eg, alumina) having only about 0.3 to 0.4 KV / .001 ”dielectric strength to a monocrystalline material results in at least about 1.2 to 1.4 KV /. Insulation strength of 001 ”can be obtained. This improved insulation strength allows the injectors according to the invention to be used in a variety of applications with high compression diesel engines with very small ports into the combustion chamber and high-boost supercharged and turbocharged engines.

According to another embodiment of the present invention for forming an insulator having high insulation strength, the insulator can be formed from any of the compositions listed in Table 2. More specifically, Table 2 shows exemplary compositions, expressed in terms of approximate weight percentages of oxides, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. Table 2 shows exemplary dielectric compositions.

Composition D
44% SiO2
16% Al2O3
15% MgO
9% K2O
8% B2O3
8% F Composition R
41% SiO2
21% MgO
16% Al2O3
9% B2O3
9% F
4% K2O

Optional material precursors that can provide a final oxidation composition, such as the materials shown in Table 2, are melted in a ball-milled and covered crucible for about 1,300-1,400 ° C. for about 4 hours to provide a homogeneous solution. The melt is then cast to form a tube and annealed at about 500-600 ° C. The tube is then heat treated again at about 750 ° C. for about 4 hours and a nucleation promoter such as B ₂ O ₃ is dispersed. The tube is then modified at about 1,100 to 1,250 ° C. to promote nucleation and obtain the desired crystal orientation. These tubes can also be further heat treated for about 4 hours to achieve at least about 2.0 to 2.7 KV / .001 ”dielectric strength.

In still other embodiments, a suitable binder and lubricant additive are added and extruded at ambient temperature so that the homogeneous solution is ball-milled and a good tube surface is obtained. The resulting tube is then coated with a film containing a nucleation promoter such as B ₂ O ₃ and heat treated to obtain an insulation strength and improved physical strength of at least about 1.9 to 2.5 KV / .001 ”. For example, depending on whether the tube can maintain suitable dimensions, including the 'circularity' of the extruded tube or the shape of the tube, it can be treated with higher heat for a shorter time to obtain similarly high dielectric and physical strength properties. .

Exemplary systems and methods of producing the dielectrics can improve the dielectric strength for various combinations of materials and thus solve the very difficult problem for high voltage containment vessels when burning low energy density fuels. For example, injectors with materials of dielectric strength can be made from a variety of fuels, from extremely rugged and cryogenic mixtures of solids, liquids, and steam to superheated diesel fuels and other types of fuels.

Fuel Injectors and Related Parts

Any injector described herein is configured to include any of the above dielectrics. For example, FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional side view of an injector 810 with a dielectric insulator having the above characteristics constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The injector 810 shown includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the corresponding features of the injector 110 described above with reference to FIG. 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the injector 810 includes a body 812 having an intermediate portion 816 extending between the base 814 and the nozzle portion 818. The nozzle portion 818 extends at least partially to the engine head 807 to place the nozzle portion 818 end at the interface with the combustion chamber 804. Body 812 also includes a channel 863 extending through a portion of the body to allow fuel to flow through injector 810. Other components may also pass through channel 863. For example, the injector 810 can include an actuator 822 that is operatively connected with a controller or processor 826. The actuator 822 may also be connected to the valve or clamp member 860. The actuator 822 may extend through the channel 863 from the driver 824 at the base 814 to the flow valve 820 at the nozzle 818. In certain embodiments, actuator 822 may be a cable or rod assembly that includes, for example, an optical fiber having wireless converter nodes, an electrical signal fiber, and / or an acoustic communication fiber. As will be described in detail below, the actuator 822 operates the flow valve 820 to rapidly introduce multiple fuel injections into the combustion chamber 804. The actuator 822 may also send combustion characteristics to the detection and / or controller 826.

According to one feature of the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 822 maintains the flow valve 820 in the closed position raised relative to the valve seat 872. More specifically, base 814 includes one or more force generators 861 (shown schematically). The force generator 861 may be an electromagnetic force generator, a piezoelectric power generator, or other suitable type of force generator. The force generator 861 generates a force to move the driver 824. The driver 824 contacts the clamp member 860 to move the clamp member 860 with the actuator 822. For example, the force generator 861 generates a force acting on the driver 824 to pull the clamp member 860 and tension the actuator 822. Tensioned actuator 822 holds flow valve 820 with valve seat 872 in the closed position. If the force generator 861 does not generate a force acting on the driver 824, the actuator 822 is relaxed and thus the flow valve 820 causes fuel to enter the combustion chamber 804.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle portion 818 includes several manpower components that enable operation and placement of the flow valve 820. For example, in one embodiment the flow valve 820 is made of a first ferromagnetic material or otherwise coupled to the first ferromagnetic material (eg, plating a portion of the flow valve 820). The nozzle portion 818 supports the second ferromagnetic material attracted to the first ferromagnetic material. For example, the valve seat 872 may comprise a second ferromagnetic material. In this way, these attractive components help to center the flow valve 820 on the valve seat 872 and enable rapid operation of the flow valve 820. In other embodiments, the actuator 822 may center the flow valve 820 at least partially through the one or more centerline bearings (not shown).

Providing energy to actuate these attractive components of the injector 810 (eg, the magnetic components associated with the flow valve 820) not only promptly closes the flow valve 820, but also provides a flow valve ( 820 can increase the closing force acting. Thus, this configuration allows an extremely fast opening / closing cycle of the flow valve 820. Another advantage of providing electrical conductivity to some of the flow valves 820 is that applying a voltage for initial flame or plasma formation can ionize fuel passing near the valve seat 872 surface. This also makes it possible to ionize fuel and air near combustion chamber 804 to handle complete ignition and combustion more quickly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base 814 also includes heat transfer features 865 such as heat transfer fins (eg, helical fins). Base 814 also includes a first fitting 862a for inlet of coolant that can flow around heat transfer features 865, and a second fitting 862b for exiting coolant from base 814. Such injector cooling may at least partially prevent condensation and / or freezing when cold fuel, such as fuel which is rapidly cooled upon expansion, is used. When hot fuel is used, however, such heat exchange can locally reduce or maintain the vapor pressure of the fuel in the combustion chamber path to prevent deposits at unwanted times.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the flow valve 820 may be configured to support the combustion chamber 804 situation monitoring instrument 876. For example, the flow valve 820 may be a spherical valve made of a generally transparent material such as quartz or sapphire. In certain embodiments, spherical valve 820 may include instrumentation 876 (eg, sensor, transducer, etc.) within spherical valve 820. In one embodiment, for example, a cavity may be formed in the bulb valve 820 by cutting the bulb valve 820 substantially parallel to the engine head 807 face. In this manner, the sphere valve 820 can be separated into a base 877 and a lens portion 878. A cavity, such as a conical cavity, may be formed in base 877 to receive instrumentation 876. Lens portion 878 is then re-attached (eg, bonded) to base 877 and maintained with a generally spherical spherical valve 820. In this manner, the sphere valve 820 can place the instrumentation 876 adjacent to the combustion chamber 804 interface. Thus, instrument 876 measures and communicates combustion data, including, for example, pressure, temperature, motion, and data. In other embodiments, the flow valve 820 may include one surface to protect the instrumentation 876. For example, one side of the flow valve 820 may be a diamond-like plating, sapphire, optically transparent hexagonal boron nitride, BN-AlN composite, aluminum oxynitride (AlON including Al ₂₃ O ₂₇ N ₅ spinel) And may be protected by depositing a relatively inert material such as magnesium aluminate spinel, and / or other suitable protective material.

As shown in FIG. 20, the body 812 includes a conductive plating 874 extending from the intermediate portion 816 to the nozzle portion 818. The conductive plating film 874 is connected with the electric conductor or the cable 864. Cable 864 is also connected to a power generator such as a piezoelectric, inductive, capacitive or high voltage circuit suitable for supplying energy to injector 810. The conductive plating film 874 is configured to supply energy to the nozzle portion 818. For example, the conductive plating film 874 on the valve seat 872 can act as a first electrode to generate an ignition event (eg, a flame or plasma) with the corresponding conductive portion of the engine head 807. .

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle portion 818 may include an outer sleeve 868 made of a material resistant to flame erosion. The sleeve 868 can also be a spark ignition resistant material that can be transferred to or from the conductive plating film 874 (eg, the nozzle portion 818 electrode). The nozzle portion 818 may also include a reinforcement heat dam or protection portion 866 configured to at least partially protect the injector 810 from heat and other thermal combustion chamber factors. Protection 866 may also include one or more transducers or sensors that monitor combustion factors such as temperature, thermal and mechanical shock, and / or pressure conditions of combustion chamber 804.

As also shown in FIG. 20, the intermediate portion 816 and the nozzle portion 818 include dielectric insulators constructed in accordance with the embodiments. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate portion 816 includes a first insulator 817a that at least partially surrounds the second insulator 817b. The second insulator 817b extends from the intermediate portion 816 to the nozzle portion 818. Thus, at least one zone of the second insulator 817b lies adjacent to the combustion chamber 804. In one embodiment, the second insulator 817b may have a higher dielectric strength than the first insulator 817a. In this way, the second insulator 817b is configured to withstand harsh combustion conditions near the combustion chamber 804. In other embodiments, however, the injector 810 may include an insulator made of a single material.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the second insulator 817b in the nozzle portion 818 may be spaced apart from the combustion chamber 804. Thus, a gap or air space 870 is formed between the engine head 807 (e.g., the second electrode) and the nozzle portion 818 conductive plated film 874 (e.g., the first electrode). Injector 810 forms an ionizing air plasma in space 870 before fuel injection. This ionizing air plasma jet accelerates fuel combustion entering the plasma. In addition, this plasma ejection can affect the shape of the fuel that burns rapidly according to certain combustion chamber characteristics. Similarly, injector 810 ionizes the fuel components to produce a high energy plasma, which can also affect or alter the shape of the distribution pattern of the combustion fuel.

The injector 810 can also tailor the combustion and distribution characteristics of the injection fuel with super-cavity or rapid vaporization of the injection fuel. More specifically, as will be described in detail with reference to further embodiments of the present invention, the flow valve 820 and / or valve seat 872 may be formed to produce rapid vaporization of fuel flowing through these components. Can be. For example, the flow valve 820 may have one or more sharp-edge stages in a portion of the flow valve in contact with the valve seat 872. In addition, rapid gasification of the injection fuel may be induced through the opening / closing frequency of the flow valve 820. This rapid vaporization produces gas or vapor from rapidly entering liquid fuels or mixtures of liquid and solid fuel components. For example, such rapid vaporization may cause vapor to be generated when liquid fuel bypasses the flow valve 820 surface and enters the combustion chamber. Fuel rapid gasification allows the injection fuel to burn more quickly and completely than non-vaporized fuel. In addition, the injection fuel rapid evaporation forms, for example, different fuel injection patterns or shapes, including injection spheroids, which differ greatly from the alternative conical patterns that are conventional injection fuel patterns. In yet other embodiments, the injection fuel rapid vaporization can be utilized with a variety of other fuel ignition and combustion improvement techniques. For example, rapid vaporization can be combined with acoustic actuation of liquid fuel overheating, plasma, and / or fuel injection being injected. This improved ejection fuel can be ignited with less catalyst and catalyst area compared to catalytic ignition of the liquid fuel component.

21 is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 910 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Injector 910 includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the injector described above. For example, injector 910 has one or more high voltage dielectric insulators 917 (each divided into first insulator 917a and second insulator 917b) having the above characteristics. The second insulator 917b at least partially surrounds the nozzle portion 918 near the combustion chamber 904. Thus, the second insulator 917b may have a greater dielectric strength than the first insulator 917b. The second insulator 917b can also withstand harsh operating conditions at the nozzle portion 918 with greater mechanical strength (eg, a consolidated and stressed outer surface).

The injector 910 also includes a body 912 having an intermediate portion 916 extending between the base 914 and the nozzle portion 918. The nozzle portion 918 extends at least partially into the engine head 907 to place the nozzle portion 918 end at the interface with the combustion chamber 904. Body 912 also includes a channel 963 extending through a portion of the body to allow fuel to flow through injector 910. Other components may also pass through channel 963. For example, the injector 910 may include an actuator 922 that is operatively connected with a controller or processor 926. The actuator 822 may also be operatively connected to the driver 924 at the base 914. Details of suitable drivers are described above with reference to FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the actuator 922 can extend through the channel 963 from the driver 924 to the flow valve 920 in the nozzle portion 918. In certain embodiments, the actuator 922 may be a cable or rod assembly that includes, for example, an optical fiber with wireless converter nodes, an electrical signal fiber, and / or an acoustic communication fiber. The actuator 922 operates the flow valve 920 to rapidly introduce multiple fuel injections into the combustion chamber 904. The actuator 922 may also send combustion characteristics to the detection and / or controller 926. When the flow valve 920 is in the closed position, the flow valve 920 rests on the valve seat 972.

Base 914 includes a fuel inlet port 902 that introduces fuel to injector 910. In certain embodiments, inlet port 902 includes leak detection features that monitor for leaks as fuel enters injector 910. For example, the inlet port 902, or other portion of the injector 910, may be a 'tattletale' disclosed in co-pending US patent applications Nos. 10 / 236,820 and 09 / 716,664, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Fuel monitoring equipment.

Base 914 also includes magnetic pole component 903 of magnetic winding 961 around concentric bobbin 932. The bobbin 932 includes an inner diameter surface 933, which acts as a linear motion bearing for the driver 924 unidirectional motion. The pole piece 903 is sealed against the bobbin 932 to prevent fuel leakage between them. For example, the stimulus component 903 includes one or more grooves and corresponding o-rings 930. In addition, the bobbin 932 is sealed against the insulator 917 to prevent fuel leakage between them. For example, insulator 917 includes one or more grooves and corresponding o-rings 938.

The injector 910 is also connected to a conductive plating film or sleeve 974 via a metal alloy case 924 and an insulator 917 to provide energy (eg, timely flame, plasma, alternating plasma, resistance heating, etc.). Energy port 964 to provide a high voltage). Conductive sleeve 974 conducts energy to nozzle portion 918 to cause ignition in combustion chamber 904. More specifically, the conductive sleeve 974 transfers energy to the first electrode or cover portion 921 supported by the nozzle portion 918. Cover portion 921 may be an ignition and fuel flow adjustment mechanism that at least partially covers flow valve 920. Some of the engine head 907 may function as a second electrode for ignition corresponding to the cover 921.

In other embodiments, energy for causing ignition may be provided by piezoelectric or magnetostrictive driver 934 operation located downstream of driver 924. Further, in applications with an extremely limited area entering the combustion chamber 904, the conductive plating film 974 and / or through the conductors in the insulator 917 (e.g., spiral wound layered insulators as described above). A rising voltage may be provided to the nozzle unit 918 and the cover unit 921. In this embodiment, the conductor may extend from the insulator 917 through the base 914 connected with the voltage source. More specifically, the conductor may exit the base 914 through the first port 906 and the second port 908 in the pole component 903. Suitable systems for providing power and / or conditioning power (eg, spark or plasma generation) for operating the solenoid assembly of the present invention are disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,122,816 and 7,349,193, each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. do.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the nozzle portion 918 of the injector 910 may include a heat dam or protection 966 to limit heat transfer from the combustion chamber 904. Base 914 can also include heat transfer features 965 (eg, heat transfer fins). Injector 910 can receive heat transfer fluid flowing around heat transfer features 965. The heat transfer fluid may be maintained at a relatively constant temperature, such as a suitable thermostat temperature of about 70-120 ° C. (160-250 ° F.). Accordingly, the heat transfer fluid flowing around the heat transfer features 965 to prevent frost or ice formation from ambient moisture when cold fuel (eg, cryogenic fuel) flows into the injector 910 causes the injector 910 operating temperature to flow. Keep it.

Injector 910 distributes fuel to combustion chamber 904 in response to suitable pneumatic, hydraulic, piezoelectric and / or electromechanical inputs. For example, considering electromechanical or electromagnetic operation, the current applied to the magnetic winding 961 creates a magnetic pole in the soft magnetic body opposite the driver 924. This magnetic force induces movement of the actuator 924 and thus pulls the actuator 922 to hold the flow valve 920 against the valve seat 972 in the closed position. When the current is reversed or no longer applied, the driver 924 does not pull the actuator 922 and thus fuel can flow past the flow valve 920.

In certain embodiments, the injector 910 is configured to eliminate undesirable movement and / or residual movement of the actuator 922 when the fuel is rapidly ejected. The injector 910 is configured to include an instrumentation, such as an optical fiber instrumentation, to ensure centerline alignment of the actuator 922. For example, the injector can include one or more components or assemblies disposed in the body 912 channel 963 for aligning the actuator 922. More specifically, FIG. 22A is a side view of an open truss tube assembly 1080 for actuator alignment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22B is a substantially sectional view of the truss assembly cut along the line 22B-22B of FIG. 22A. Referring together to FIGS. 22A and 22B, in the illustrated embodiment, the truss assembly 1080 includes multiple woven fibers 1082 that wrap the actuator 922. The fibers 1082 may include optical fibers, electrical signal fibers, instrumentation transducers, and / or reinforcing fibers. These fibers 1082 are woven or wound around the actuator 922 such that the truss assembly 1080 aligns the actuator 922 within the injector. Suitable materials for the outer fibers of 1082 include graphite, diamond-coated graphite, fiberglass, filament or fiber ceramics, polyetheretherketones, and various suitable fluoropolymers. These materials provide desirable cross-sectional coefficients and low frictional properties to allow the actuator 922 to move axially within the truss assembly 1080. For example, in certain embodiments, the tube truss assembly 1080 inner diameter surface may be coated with an ultrafinishing and / or a wear coating comprising, for example, molybdenum sulfide, diamond-like carbon, boron nitride, or various suitable polymers. Can be. These surface treatments can be variously combined to achieve friction reduction, corrosion protection, heat transfer, and other durability purposes. In addition to aligning the actuator 922, the truss assembly 1080 can prevent resonant ringing, whipping, or axial springing of the actuator during operation.

22C is a side view of a truss assembly 1081 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention for aligning the actuator 922 and preventing undesirable resonant ringing, whipping, or axial springing. FIG. 22D is a front sectional view taken substantially along the line 22D-22D in FIG. 22C. Referring together to FIGS. 22C and 22D, truss assembly 1081 includes a plurality of spiral springs or biasing members 1083 that are arranged in series around actuator 922. Thus, in operation, the individual spring 1083 frequency offsets the other frequency to stabilize the actuator 922.

22E is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector 1010 including a guide member 1090 for aligning an actuator 1022 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, the injector 1010 shown has features that are generally similar in structure and function to the other injectors described herein. For example, the injector 1010 shown in FIG. 22E includes an actuator 1022 extending through the body 1012 between the driver 1024 and the flow valve 1020. In the illustrated embodiment, however, the guide member 1090 at least partially surrounds the actuator 1022 downstream of the actuator 1024. Guide member 1090 supports actuator 1022 to prevent undesired resonance ringing, whipping, and / or axial springing of actuator 1022. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide member 1090 includes a first portion 1091 proximate the driver 1024 and a second portion 1092 proximate the flow valve 1020. The first portion 1091 has a first inner diameter surrounding the actuator 1022, and the second portion 1092 has a second inner diameter surrounding the actuator 1022. As shown in Fig. 22E, the second inner diameter is smaller than the first inner diameter and thus closely supports the actuator 1029 adjacent to the flow valve 1020 in the injector nozzle portion. Further, in certain embodiments, the guide member 1090 may incorporate piezoelectric, acoustical, and / or electromagnetic devices that may generate fuel ejection maneuverability. Guide member 1090 may also incorporate instrumentation, transducers, and / or sensors capable of sensing and communicating communication combustion chamber conditions.

23 is a side sectional view of a driver 1124 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Driver 1124 includes features that are generally similar in structure and function to the drivers. In the illustrated embodiment, the driver is coupled to the actuator to allow fuel to flow through. More specifically, the driver 1124 includes a body 1138 having a first end 1140 opposite the second end 1142. Body 1138 also includes a channel 1144 extending therethrough. Channel 1144 branches into smaller multiple channels or passageways at body 1138 second end 1142. For example, the second end 1142 may include fuel flow passages 1146 (each identified as a first fuel flow passage 1146a and a second fuel flow passage 1146b) through which the fuel 1124 may be driven. To get through). The second end 1142 also includes an actuator passage 1148 to receive the actuator.

In certain embodiments, the driver 1124 is configured to provide a force to inject fuel from the injector. For example, the driver 1124 may provide acoustic power to modify or ameliorate fuel injection jets. In one embodiment, the driver 1124 may be made of a composite ferromagnetic material. In other embodiments, the driver 1124 may be composed of a laminated magnetostrictive transducer material or piezoelectric material to generate acoustic maneuvering force. Suitable methods for providing this function in the driver 1124 include, for example, lamination of preferred materials as described in US Pat. No. 5,980,251, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition, suitable piezoelectric methods for generating this desirable acoustic maneuverability are provided in the following textbook provided by Valpey Fisher Corporation: Quartz Crystal Oscillator Training Seminar presented by Jim Socki of Crystal Engineering, November 2000.

Referring again to FIG. 21, the injector 910 includes an ignition and flow adjustment mechanism or cover 921 supported by a nozzle portion 918 that at least partially covers the flow valve 920. The cover 921 can include one or more conductive parts so that the cover 921 can be a first electrode that generates an ignition event with a corresponding second electrode of the engine head. Cover 921 is configured to protect injector 910 parts that monitor and / or detect combustion characteristics. Cover 921 may also affect the injection fuel shape, pattern, and / or phase. For example, the cover 921 can induce rapid vaporization of the injection fuel as described above.

Further details of cover 921 are described with reference to FIG. 24A. More specifically, FIG. 24A is a front view of a first cover 1221a in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the first cover 1221a includes a plurality of slots and holes for forming a desired fuel penetration and fuel flow rate through the first cover 1221a into the combustion chamber. The first cover 1221a also functions as an igniter for sparking, plasma, catalytic, or hot surface ignition to the combustion chamber. The holes and slots in the first cover 1221a are partially exposed to the combustion chamber for monitoring combustion characteristics. More specifically, the first cover 1221a includes a plurality of radially extending first slots 1223 and second slots 1227. As shown in FIG. 24A, the first slots 1223 are shorter and wider than the second slots 1227. The first cover 1221a also includes a plurality of first holes 1225 spaced circularly around the cover between the slots, and a second hole 1229 in the center of the cover. The slots and / or holes of the first cover 1221a as well as the other covers described herein may be set not to be orthogonal or orthogonal to the combustion chamber face to achieve the desired fuel flow rate and combustion rate.

Although the first cover 1221a of FIG. 24A shows one exemplary pattern or slots and holes, other embodiments may include a different pattern for desired spraying and ignition characteristics. For example, FIG. 24B is a front view of a second ignition and flow adjustment mechanism or cover 1221b including a plurality of sharp edges constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 24C is a side view. Referring to FIGS. 24B and 24C together, the second cover 1221b includes a plurality of slots 1223 extending outwardly radially from the center of the second cover 1221b. Slots 1223 are formed between electrode portions 1231 extending from base surface 1224. Electrode portions 1231 are configured to cause ignition with corresponding electrode portions of the engine head. In addition, the second cover 1221b includes a hole 1229 at the center of the second cover 1221b. Thus, combustion characteristics can be monitored through the gaps 1233 between the electrode portions 1231 and the base surface 1224 as well as the hole 1229.

In some cases it may be desirable to combine a flame, plasma, hot surface, and / or catalytic ignition. In the case of catalytic ignition, for example, electrode portions 1231 and / or ignition points 1232 may comprise a catalyst such as platinum metal or platinum black. In the case of hot surface ignition, electrode portions 1231 and / or ignition points 1232 may comprise a laminate including needle-like structures that are deposited as a result of flame or plasma erosion and movement. This stack is moved between electrode portions 1231 with intermittent voltage polarity reversal and / or alternating current so that a plasma is generated adjacent to ignition points 1232.

One advantage of the illustrated embodiment is that the second cover 1221b can protect the sensor or transducer used to monitor combustion characteristics. Another advantage is that the slots 1223 extending between the electrode portions 1231 form multiple ignition generating points 1232 or serve as hot surfaces for initiating ignition. Since the second cover 1221b has a plurality of ignition points 1232, the second cover 1221b is particularly suitable for long term use. For example, even if one of the ignition points 1232 is not contaminated or otherwise degraded or operated, the second cover 1221b still has a number of other ignition points 1232 to generate ignition.

24D is a perspective view of a third cover 1221c constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 24E is a front view, and FIG. 24F is a side cross-sectional view cut substantially along the lines 24F-24F of FIG. 24E. In the illustrated embodiment, the third cover 1221c includes a first surface 1226 spaced apart from the base 1224. The hole 1229 extends through the center of the first surface 1226, and the plurality of slots 1223 extends through the third cover 1221c between the first surface 1226 and the base 1224. Similar to the above embodiments, the instrumentation supported by the injector with holes 1229 and slots 1223 can monitor combustion characteristics. In the illustrated embodiment, the slots 1223 extend through the third cover 1221c at an angle of about 45 degrees from the first surface 1226. In other embodiments, however, the slots 1223 may be formed in the third cover 1221c at a slightly smaller angle. The third cover 1221c also includes a passage 1237 extending through the base 1224, through which fuel can flow through the third cover 1221c.

Referring again to FIG. 21, in some applications it may be desirable to include a mechanical check valve in the nozzle portion 918 to prevent the combustion pressure generated in the combustion chamber 904 from entering the injector 910. Thus, in certain embodiments, the nozzle portion 918 may include a mechanical check valve aligned with the bearing guide 943 supported by the nozzle portion 918. 25A-25C illustrate such a check valve 1345 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 25A is a perspective view of the check valve 1345, FIG. 25B is a rear view, and FIG. 25C is a side cross-sectional view cut substantially along the line 25C-25C in FIG. 25B. Referring together to FIGS. 25A-25C, in the illustrated embodiment, the check valve 1345 includes a spray 1135 extending from the base 1347. The spraying portion 1351 is configured to be at least partially received within the corresponding injector nozzle portion. Check valve 1345 includes a flow surface 1353 that extends from base 1347 to spray 1135. In the spray portion 1351, the flow surface 1353 includes impeller pins or slots 1349. The check valve 1345 also includes a combustion surface 1357 opposite the combustion chamber. An opening or slot 1355 extends into the check valve 1345 at the combustion surface 1357. The opening 1355 at least partially receives the bearing guide 943 of FIG. 21.

In operation, the check valve 1345 is deflected to the closed position with magnetic force, such as by electromagnets or permanent magnets coupled inside the combustion chamber pressure, mechanical springs and / or valve seats. A check valve 1345 is opened at a given constant flow of fuel through the valve seat, so that fuel flows and is injected into the combustion chamber accordingly. This flow produces a Coanda effect and the check valve 1345 is maintained in the open position when fuel flows into the combustion chamber. In certain embodiments, the flow rate and pressure relationship (eg, including the ratio between the fuel and combustion chamber pressure supplied) for the Coanda effect of positioning the check valve 1345 can be monitored. This information may be provided as liquids, superheated liquids, or vapors, including gasoline, diesel, ammonia, propane, fuel alcohols, and multiple permutations of these with or without additional permutations or including thermochemical regeneration products such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. It may be useful for fuels such as various other fuels.

According to one feature of the illustrated embodiment, the check valve 1345 can generate dense fuel flow in alternating regions to improve fuel combustion. For example, spiral impeller pins or slots 1349 may serve to impart an angular velocity to the check valve 1345 and also create a more dense fuel flow in the alternating regions. This design feature can be utilized to enable faster fuel combustion resulting in improved mixing rates. This design feature also allows injection fuel collision along the backflow path and shear mixing along the crossflow path when fuel enters the combustion chamber with angular momentum or is propelled into air or other oxidants entering the vortex depending on the combustion chamber geometry. Can be utilized. Thus, the check valve 1345 provides momentum to the injection fuel to clockwise or counterclockwise motion so that the heat release process is preferably accelerated while minimizing heat transfer to the combustion chamber surface.

Next, in FIG. 26A, FIG. 26A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 1410 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Injector 1410 includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to corresponding features of the injector. For example, injector 1410 is particularly suitable for fastening inside very small engine head 1407 ports in relatively small diesel engines. For example, the injector 1410 includes an intermediate portion 1416 extending between the base portion 1414 and the nozzle portion 1418. In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 1410 uses a ferromagnetic alloy case 1402 as part of an electromagnetic circuit with driver armature 1424. The driver 1424 is typically placed downstream of the driver 1424 at an intermediate portion 1416 opposite the first magnetic or mechanical biasing member or spring 1435. The driver may also be placed against the second biasing member 1413 upstream of the driver 1424 in the intermediate portion 1416 counterbore 1433. Applying a current to the solenoid winding causes the driver 1424 to move linearly along the longitudinal axis of the injector 1410. The case 1402 also houses and protects a high dielectric strength ceramic insulator 1417, which may include any of the insulators described above. The insulator 1417 insulates the conductive tube or the plating film 1408 for the purpose of transferring ignition energy to the nozzle portion 1418. For example, the cable 1438 supplies ignition energy to the plating film 1408, which conducts ignition energy to the ignition member or cover 1421 at the interface of the combustion chamber 1404.

26B is a front view of the injector 1410 showing the ignition member 1421. Referring together to FIGS. 26A and 26B, ignition member 1421 includes multiple radial ignition points 1412 that form an ignition event, such as a flame, plasma, hot surface, and / or catalytic stimulus. In addition to the ignition points 1412, the ignition member 1421 includes multiple openings for fuel entry into the combustion chamber 1404 as described above. Additional features for minimizing the space required for injector 1410 application are provided to fuel supply passage 1442 extending from base 1414 to nozzle portion 1418. For multicylinder engines, fuel supply passage 1442 may be connected with one or more flexible supply conduits to a suitable fuel distributor manifold.

In operation, the current applied to the electromagnetic windings moves the driver 1424 to the windings 1411 and the pole portion 1442 so that the pressurized fuel is drawn into the injector 1410. The driver 1424 strikes the stop clamp 1460, which may be part of a high physical and dielectric strength polymer shield, such as a polyetheretherketone that protects and connects the actuator 1422. The actuator 1422 is connected with a flow valve 1420 in the nozzle portion 1418. The flow valve 1420 is received in the valve seat 1425. In certain embodiments, actuator 1422 may comprise a rod or cable into which conduits or various groups of fiber strands are integrated. In addition, the flow valve 1420 and valve seat may be ferromagnetic. The nozzle portion 1418 also includes a check valve 1458 that is also ferromagnetic. The check valve 1458 extends through a hollow bearing tube 1426 and provides a pressure measurement in the combustion chamber 1404 and a comprehensive observation of temperature and motion conditions. Piston movement and intake, compression, injection, ignition, flame propagation, flame propagation, power and exhaust cycles for determining piston speed, combustion chamber pressure, and combustion chamber components temperature and combustion temperature, including piston, cylinder walls, valves and head surfaces Monitor combustion chamber conditions and conditions, including: Fiber optic filaments and other instrumentation communication components (including, for example, multi-layered insulators of electrically conductive instrumentation fibers) extend through the fuel supply path 1432 of the pole portion 1441.

As shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B, an injector 1410 including a case 1402 and an energy supply cable 1438 to minimize the diameter of the injector 1410 at the port of the engine head 1407 near the combustion chamber 1404. ) Overall diameter is minimized. In addition, the actuator 1422 passes through the injector 1410. Communication fibers from the actuator 1422 can exit the base 1414 to an outlet through the closure and be connected with an external controller, processor, or memory. Similarly, insulated cable 1440 provides power through base 1414 to drive one or more piezoelectric or magnetostrictive devices, including, for example, driver 1424.

In some applications, the check valve 1458 may have impeller pins or slots that are generally similar to the check valve 1345 described above with reference to FIGS. 25A-25C. These impeller pins or slots can impart angular velocity to the fuel to create a more dense fuel flow in the alternating regions, thereby improving the fuel ejection or pattern type emitted from the nozzle portion 1418. This design feature allows injection along the backflow path when fuel is pushed into the combustion chamber with angular momentum or into the air or other oxidant entering the vortex according to the combustion chamber geometry to enable faster fuel combustion with improved mixing rates. It can be used to generate shear mixture along fuel collisions and cross flow paths. Accordingly, the check valve 1458 provides the momentum to the fuel for clockwise or counterclockwise motion so that the heat release process is preferably accelerated while minimizing heat transfer to the combustion chamber surface.

Referring next to FIG. 27A, FIG. 27A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 1500 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The injector 1500 shown is particularly suitable for use in engines operating at high or low compression ratios to provide faster and more complete fuel combustion. These fuels include almost all combinations of fuel properties including, for example, octane and cetane numbers, including temperature, one or more mixing phases, viscosity, energy density, and much lower than the standards required for conventional operation. In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 1500 includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the corresponding features of the injector. For example, the injector 1500 includes an intermediate portion 1852 extending between the base portion 1580 and the nozzle portion 1584. The injector also includes an actuator 1518 extending from the driver 1515 to the fuel flow valve 1524.

In the illustrated embodiment, any fuel that is not combusted with spark ignition (such as diesel fuel made from energy crops, animal fat, and / or other organic waste) is supplied to injector 1500 through inlet port 1502. do. Fuel flows into the fuel flow path along the various parts of the injector 1500. For example, the fuel may be suitably reinforced instrumentation signal cable 1504, spring retainer cover 1506, compression spring 1508, optional magnet 1514, driver 1515, and optional compression spring 1516. ) Into the base 1580. The fuel path leads through the high dielectric strength insulator 1530 path 1531 to the middle portion, and to the hole in the conductive plating film or tube 1522 to supply fuel to the nozzle portion 1584. In the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle portion 1584 includes a seat at the combustion chamber 1550 interface and is closed by a normally closed flow valve 1524. In certain applications, an area 1517 inner plating film or tube 1522 proximal to the combustion chamber may be coated or plated with high dielectric strength material 1520 to ensure electrical conductivity to or from the flow valve 1524. have. In other applications, the tube coating 1520 may be highly conductive or flame resistant because of the need to function as a circuit element in the flame and plasma ignition process.

Thus, depending on the application, the plated or tube element 1522 may be a conductive plated film or conductive metal, ceramic, polymer, or composite on the dielectric insulator 1530 aperture and provides valve closure specific to the interface with the flow valve 1524. to provide. This plated or tube element 1522, together with the actuator 1518 and the actuator 1515, allows the injector 1500 to have a very small outer diameter. This configuration also allows the injector to be relatively long and reach through one or more overhead camshafts and areas with valve manipulators.

Exemplary deflection members or thrust generating members are springs that can be pushed and pulled if necessary (eg, spiral winding, conical winding, flat and curved leaf or laminated blades, ovals, torsion, and various disc, molded disc springs). Mechanical spring forms), magnets, and / or piezoelectric components. In many applications, combining these choices is effective to provide the desired operating speed, resonant tuning, and / or to reduce undesirable characteristics.

In the illustrated embodiment, the normally closed flow valve 1524 is connected to the valve seat 1521 of the plated film or tube 1522 by the actuator 1518 tension provided by the compression spring 1508 and the spring cover 1506. Pulled to seal against. These springs are attached to the actuator 1518 to mechanically limit the unidirectional movement of the actuator 1518 to apply a closing tension to the flow valve 1524. In addition, the flow valve 1524 may be provided with sharp annular features or have pointed ignition points spaced circumferentially from each other. The conductive case 1510 can function as part of a magnetic circuit for the solenoid winding 1519 and the driver 1515. Case 1510 can also function as a multifunctional element and extend to the combustion chamber interface. At the combustion chamber interface, the case 1510 may also include internal ignition features 1528, such as radially inward pointed points, or annular concentric features. Further, at base 1580, the injector may include one or more grooves and o-ring seals 1537, or an adhesive compound such as urethane or epoxy for sealing the fuel inside the base 1580.

In operation, injector 1500 is supplied with pressurized fuel through inlet port 1502. The fuel flows into the normally closed flow valve 1524 and continues to enter the combustion chamber by operating the flow valve 1524 by a suitable force generator that moves the driver 1515, such as a piezoelectric or solenoid mechanism. The driver 1515 causes a resistance to the spring 1508 tension and thus causes fuel to be ejected from the nozzle portion 1584 into the combustion chamber. Any arrangements may be provided for supplying high current electric pulses to the spacing between the ignition feature 1528 and the plating film or tube 1522, and / or to the spacing between the flow valve 1524 and the ignition feature 1528. For example, insulated cable 1532 can provide this current to movable conductor cable 1533 attached to a conductive plated film or fiber on top of actuator 1518 to supply current to flow valve 1524.

This operation is repeated at high frequencies, including the resonant frequency, to form a series of fuel ejections. This repetitive ejection can be driven by the acoustic maneuvering force for each fuel ejection resulting from piezoelectric or magnetostriction forces. This maneuvering force can be generated by the multifunctional implementation of the driver 1515. For example, ignition may be applied by one or more air ionizations in one or more annular gaps between the flow valve 1524 and the closest case 1522 annular portion 1511. This ionized air is continuously supplied from the annular region 1517 to ensure ignition of the fuel ejected into the combustion chamber 1550 when the fuel is injected from the outward opening of the flow valve 1524.

Sparks that proceed at a relatively small gap initially present between the flow valve 1524 and the annular portion 1511 ignition feature 1528 trigger an electrostatic discharge, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,122,816, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. To generate a surge current that continuously surges above 500 amps, enters the combustion chamber at supersonic speed after valve 1524 outwards, collides with, and imparts maneuverability, a stratified filling jet for accelerated and extremely fast combustion. Induces a newborn plasma. This injected ignition and accelerated combustion process may be adaptively repeated with fuel injection jets or may be adaptive for rapid ignition injected for one or more consecutive fuel injection jets.

In some applications, timely plasma generation may be triggered or formed from ionizing fuel molecules entering a sharp or pointed surface or a gap between ignition features 1524 and 1528. As the flow valve 1524 continues to open outward, the plasma of the ionized fuel molecules enters the combustion chamber at supersonic speed to ensure extremely fast combustion for each fuel jet. This injected ignition process may be adjusted for each fuel injection jet and may be adapted or repeated for rapid ignition injected for one or more consecutive fuel injection jets. The inventors have found that it is surprising and valuable that larger torque generation per fuel calories at almost all piston speeds is the result of the adaptive application of these rapid ignition and combustion processes.

The advantages of plasma thrust are that fuel injection can be initiated at or after top dead center due to faster fuel injection, ignition, and combustion completion, reducing heat loss in the compression process. Thus, the engine operates more flexibly, and friction due to heat loss causing relative-motion parts dimensional change, and friction due to lubricating film degradation of the cylinder walls and ring, is reduced. As a result, cylinder and ring life is extended, heat loss is reduced, fuel efficiency is increased and maintenance costs are reduced.

FIG. 27B is a schematic graph of various combustion characteristics for the injector of FIG. 27A as well as other injectors in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 27B, compression ignition of diesel fuel (which requires a specific cetane number) requires early onset of high pressure fuel injection in the compression stroke. Shear the diesel liquid into small droplets and propagate it into compressed heated air to fully penetrate to obtain enough heat to evaporate the liquid fuel and continue to penetrate into additional hot air to break up the large evaporating molecules of the fuel into smaller molecules that can initiate combustion. High pressure is required to crack. If the air is not heated sufficiently, and / or if the droplets are not small enough, and / or if the piston speed is too low or high, the diesel fuel enters the quench zones, such as pistons, cylinder walls and head parts. Heat will be lost to the combustion chamber surface, and some will be released as unburned particles and hydrocarbons as visible dark smoke and some as smaller particles, particularly harmful to the lungs and cardiovascular system of humans and animals.

Diesel curve 1596 shows the pressure developing portion before TDC. This pressure rise portion (before TDC) is 'back work' and is greater during early injection start and combustion start. The faster the piston speed, the faster the initiation of injection and initiation of combustion should be to complete evaporation, decomposition and combustion. At each diesel fuel injection cycle per combustion cycle, a portion of the fuel, mostly insulated with hot excess air, rapidly continues above the 2,200 ° C (4,000 ° F) limit of evaporation, decomposition and nitrogen oxide formation.

The integral injector / igniter operation configured according to the invention shown in curve 1598 compares, by comparison, to initiate and complete combustion faster at all piston speeds and operating conditions and to provide a larger work area below the pressure curve. Improve fuel efficiency and horsepower as compared to diesel operation (most, but not all, in power stroke as torque x rpm). Fuel is injected rapidly through a wider path (more after compression-ignition or after TDC) to complete combustion earlier: heat loss due to nitrogen oxide formation, pressurization of key engine parts, or penetration of insulating oxidants. Under any situational inlet air temperature, barometric pressure, or fuel type (especially including combustion characteristics) conditions where the same anomalous results develop, the multistage-multi-fuel operation can adaptively provide sufficient plasma energy and / or gas-forming (super-cavity). High pressure injection through a small shear orifice and fuel penetrates a significant distance through the hot air, eliminating the corresponding need to evaporate and decompose the fuel for fuel combustion. In addition, the injector disclosed herein stops multiple injections of fuel at any instant when the maximum combustion temperature reaches 2,200 ° C (4,000 ° F) or the combustion zone reaches the stop zone beyond the excess air insulation envelope. can do. Thereafter, one or more additional fuel injections may be resumed to achieve the desired work productivity for each operating cycle. In addition, the injectors disclosed herein have a maximum combustion pressure set to prevent damage to the piston, connecting rod, bearing, or crankshaft and / or to avoid abnormal formation of radicals or compounds such as various nitrogen oxides that are pressure-induced. You can stop multiple injections at the moment you approach the maximum.

The injected rapid ignition and combustion process allows for flexible operation with an ever-increasing load adjustment ratio, including the operation of many multicylinder engine cylinders that need to meet load requirements immediately. For example, injection rapid ignition includes a faster and more effective response to manipulator requests (or cruise control requests) for increasing torque or engine speed. This, in turn, leads to the benefits of longer cylinder and ring life, along with reduced heat losses, resulting in dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency, pollutant emissions and reduced maintenance costs.

 Pollution emission problems arise from catalytic reactor conditions that are not easy to catalytically correct for 'stop and start' and 'cold start' engines and high-temperature engine steady state operation. However, another advantage of the injection rapid ignition and combustion process lies in cleaner exhaust at all engine temperatures, for example in cold engines or in 'stop and start' engines. Thus, in these problem conditions, the utilization can be initiated by reducing or eliminating the requirements for starter energy consumption for the starter motor or for a conventional engine. The implementation of the injection rapid ignition and combustion process for each cylinder in the power stroke enables starting without the conventional requirement of relatively high power consumption for a conventional engine start. Conventional operation requires the piston to reciprocate the intake strokes to create a vacuum in the intake system, in which the engine is cranked so that fuel for the creation of a homogeneous mixture, some of which must be spark ignited, enters the intake system. Crank rotation is required for camshaft rotation to provide inlet valve opening and exhaust valve closing operations when the desired somewhat homogeneous charge is transferred to the combustion chamber. Additional crank rotation to compress the somewhat homogeneous mixture and additional crank rotation against the pressure developed by the homogeneous mixture ignition lead the retrograde work process through top dead center conditions. Any energy in the combustion gases is used to provide positive work production in the power stroke to maintain engine starting.

Similarly, diesel compression-ignition engines converted by the present invention, including the injection rapid ignition and combustion processes in each cylinder in the power stroke, provide starting without the conventional relatively high power consumption requirements for starting the engine. Conventional diesel engine compression-ignition operations involve a piston cranking the engine to reciprocate the intake strokes to deliver air to the intake system, and also to operate the intake valve opening and exhaust valve closing when air is transferred from the intake system to the combustion chamber. Rotate into a crank to rotate the camshaft for provision, compress the air to a sufficient temperature, and as a result of further crank rotation, the diesel fuel injected at high pressure is evaporated, decomposed and mixed with hotter air, preferably in the evaporation and decomposition process. Additional crank rotation is required to achieve sufficient static working productivity in the power stroke to proceed the retrograde work process through the ignition progression and top dead center conditions of the fuel present.

Referring again to FIG. 27A, the instrumentation and signal cable 1504 may have additional reinforcement at an intermediate portion 1518 between the spring cover 1506 and the attachment or mechanical stroke stop of the fuel valve 1524. Such reinforcements may include facilities to apply actuation force by the driver 1515 to the mechanical stroke collar 1512 to provide adequate tension, fatigue, and dielectric strength to ensure long term stable operation. Instrumentation cable 1526 at the combustion chamber interface may have characteristics such as motion, temperature, and pressure at the combustion chamber interface of valve 1524. This instrument also provides wireless communication to the microprocessor 1539 located within the injector 1500 and / or to another microprocessor or computer 1540 remotely located or external to the case 1510.

Thermal data from the gas, plasma, and solid surfaces of the combustion chamber, including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet frequencies, are processed along with the pressure and acceleration data, and the wireless integrated nodes together with the permeable and / or conductive fibers inside the actuator 1518. Is sent by. For example, the actuator 1518 includes a suitable instrumentation that extends to the remote microprocessor or computer 1540 through a suitable seal by a converter and / or cable 1504 for communicating to the microprocessor 1539.

Suitable energy conversion devices or combinations of devices, such as photovoltaic, thermoelectric, electromagnetic, electrical, and piezoelectric generators, may be utilized to power sensor nodes operating at frequencies from kilohertz to gigahertz. This behavior is described in U.C. TinyOS, developed by Berkeley, is available as a free and open source element-based operating system and platform for wireless sensor networks. This operation triggers and enables alarms after relay operation, system output and / or specific situations. This is due to the pressure transmitted by the instrument in the nozzle portion 1584 or through the functional coupling or transparent insulator 1530 detected by the transducer and signal analyzer 1535 or by the fiber or path through the insulator 1530 and Situations involving optical data.

This combination allows assembly parts with adequate mechanical and dielectric strength to produce high energy plasmas with very small dimensions. This is particularly helpful in providing a multifunctional valve that induces plasma spraying and moves to suppress contamination by ash and residues from relatively inexpensive and less expensive fuels. These benefits are also provided by the synergistic combination of the flow valves and check valves described herein that can block combustion-induced pressures and control fuel at the combustion chamber interface to remove fuel drips or deposits at unwanted times. Can be.

Instrumentation treatment advantages may also be provided by adding to the fuel formulations that provide motion detection and combustion process conditions, and desirable thermal characteristics, for the purpose of controlling the combustion process and / or the highest combustion temperature. In operation, relatively small amounts of these additives are supplied as a mixed preparation or colloidal suspension that emits photons at a known frequency when heated, ionized or de-ionized. Fine or otherwise activated transition metals that store and bind carbon monoxide provided in endothermic reactions in accordance with fuel storage embodiments of the present invention form carbonyls that can be used as another group of additives that serve as radioactive indicators of ignition and combustion processes. can do. Alternatively, one or more selected transition metal carbonyls, such as manganese or iron, may be prepared and stored for continuous or intermittent addition to the fuel of choice. By way of example, one or more additives of such organic or inorganic materials providing manganese, iron, nickel, boron, sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, or silicon may provide distinctive release characteristics for these kinetic properties and temperature or process speed. Eggplants are typical preparations. Such additives may be provided continuously or intermittently from the storage tank to set up a transducer that senses temperature with various reactants and product ignition processes in the combustion process. These characteristics are utilized by the detection and analysis system to determine temperature (including temperature avoidance at which nitrogen oxides are formed), combustion process steps, and combustion process rate. These results can be used to create a comprehensive record of fuel efficiency improvements along with additional benefits such as reduced carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate emissions.

28 shows an injector 1600 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 28 is a side cross-sectional view of the injector 1600 that includes the injector 1500 described with reference to FIG. 27A and various features that are generally similar in structure and function to the corresponding features of the other injectors described herein. . Thus, these similar features of the injector 1600 are not described with reference to FIG. 28. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 28, however, the injector provides at least some or most of the energy conversion processes for the following items: 1) gas, vapor, and, for example, with piston or rotor position, speed and acceleration; Monitoring combustion chamber conditions and conditions, including temperature, combustion process, pressure, and movement of fluids such as liquids; 2) an electronic converter, processor, computer corresponding to monitoring conditions for fuel injection initiation, fuel injection completion, adaptive optimization of delay adjustment between any successive initiations of fuel injection, and selection and timing of significantly optimized ignition processes. And controller (eg, processors 1535 and 1539 described above with reference to FIG. 27A); 3) actuating and actuating valve manipulators and actuators to force corresponding flow and / or check valves; And 4) operation and operation of adaptively optimized ignition system functions.

Thermoelectric power generation for this purpose, together with signal transmission or wireless communication to and from the electronic controller, utilizes some of the energy transferred to the temperature difference between the combustion process and lower temperature, such as ambient air temperature or lower incoming fuel. Is provided. For example, one or more instruments, including semiconductor thermoelectric generator 1620, are supported on injector 1600 to capture the radiation of the combustion process and generate the required high temperatures. The lower corresponding temperature is set by the fuel flowing through the conductive tube 1622. Suitable thermoelectric films and circuits may be available from sources such as Perpetua Power Source Technologies, Inc., 4314 SW Research Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97333 (see for example http://www.perpetuapower.com/products.htm). have. In addition, wireless sensor nodes for this purpose may be available from sources such as Microchip, Atmel, and Texas Instruments.

 The power or electricity generator according to another embodiment may include a photovoltaic generator 1625 disposed or integral with the thermoelectric generator 1620. Accordingly, photovoltaic generator 1625 converts radiation emitted from the combustion chamber into electricity. Photovoltaic generator 1625 can also function as an instrument transducer for measuring combustion chamber temperature or other combustion characteristics and situations. The photovoltaic generator 1625 may be cooled by transferring heat to fuel near the fuel path through the injector 1600 nozzle portion. In order to ensure heat transfer with fuel passing through the nozzle portion, the photovoltaic generator 1625 and thermoelectric generator 1620 cooling side has high conductivity such as silver, copper, aluminum, beryllium oxide, or diamond, which provides heat to the conductive tube 1622. Mounted on or coupled to the material.

Other power generation subsystems that may be coupled to the injector 1600 include vibration-driven electrets and electromagnetic generators. Greater energy can be generated from one or more piezoelectric mechanisms 1631 as part of the injector 1600 insulator 1630. The piezoelectric mechanism 1631 generates a flame or plasma to ignite the fuel injected into the combustion chamber. The spark generated by these piezoelectric processes triggers a high current plasma emission, as disclosed broadly in US Pat. No. 4,122,816, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As an integral part of the injector 1600, the piezoelectric mechanism 1631 is mounted to receive a force applied in accordance with combustion chamber conditions held in the relatively low modulus of insulator 1630 such that the piezoelectric mechanism 1631 is mechanically pressed. do.

Thus, the piezoelectric mechanism 1631 can function as a pressure transducer and a generator. For example, this may act as an electrical opening system that switches the deformation created when compressed to compression and / or combustion pressure in the combustion chamber to initially be connected with the spark gap between the flow valve 1624 and the ignition feature 1628. Can be. Flashover occurs at the spark gap when the breakdown voltage occurs at the spark gap. In some modes of operation, this breakdown, which causes flashover, is stimulated with a fuel additive that reduces the breakdown voltage so that this ignition timing is appropriate for the fuel passage through the gap. Fuel additives for this purpose may be selected from additives described for the desired radiation emission generation at sufficient heating, ionization, and / or de-ionization.

In some applications, additional energy from the piezoelectric mechanism 1631, resulting from the force added by combustion, may be applied via a high voltage cable 1632 to a separate injector acting as another cylinder. This additional energy may also be supplied for other purposes such as piezoelectric or solenoid valve manipulators, actuators, and / or actuator drives. In such applications, suitable circuits for regulating, storing, and converting energy include transformers, capacitors, diodes, and switches, as described in the following references: power, together with power generation, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; For application guides related to piezoelectric sensors for pressure measurement, see the information published in 'Piezoelectric Ceramics, Properties and Applications' (JW Waanders, NV Phillips, April 4, 1991).

Thus, the injector 1600 shown in FIG. 28 is prepared for each cylinder of the engine to adaptively optimize the fuel supply timing of one or more consecutive fuel injection situations during each operating cycle. The injector 1600 also enables optimal timing and adaptive use of ignition systems related to piezoelectric, inductive, electrostatic discharge, and plasma spraying with peak combustion temperature control. The injector 1600 shown may function as an adaptively optimized single fuel injection and ignition system where only proper connection with the fuel source is required. In other embodiments, the injector 1600 can be operated in conjunction with other similar injectors by applying interactive artificial intelligence to improve efficiency. The illustrated injector 1600 may also distribute electrical energy to one or more other injectors to operate fuel control valves or instrumentation to detect, ignite, and / or operate a microprocessor or computer. .

In operation, the combination of many embodiments disclosed herein can effectively utilize almost any fuel. By way of example, fuels of large molecular weight components that are typically unable to start cold engines, such as low cetane vegetable or animal fats, distillates, paraffins, or petroleum jelly, are used in the present embodiments and disclosed herein. It is possible to easily start a cold engine by initially ensuring clean exhaust generation in accordance with the injection rapid ignition and combustion process disclosed in connection with the injector, in particular the electrostatic discharge processes by the injector 1500 described with reference to FIG. 27A. have. After the engine generates sufficiently warmed coolant and / or exhaust fluid for the thermochemical regeneration process for hydrogen production summarized in Equation 7 below, the energy required to ensure clean combustion is greatly reduced and the piezoelectrics included in the injector 1600 of FIG. Ignition by generator 1631 or thermoelectric generator 1620 is utilized to significantly reduce energy consumption for ignition.

HxCy + yH ₂ O + Heat → yCO + {y + 0.5 (x)} H ₂ Formula 7

Similarly, partial oxidation of such hydrocarbons, summarized in Equation 8, produces sufficient hydrogen in the reaction product to ensure ignition by the relatively low energy flame plasma generated by the piezoelectric generator 1631 or the thermoelectric generator 1620.

HxCy + 0.5yO ₂ → Heat + yCO + 0.5 (x) H ₂ Formula 8

Heat by the process summarized in Equation 8 can be used for endothermic reactions as described in Equation 7.

29 is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 1700 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated embodiment includes several features of structure and function that are generally similar to the injector corresponding features. For example, the injector 1700 includes an intermediate portion 1703 extending between the base 1701 and the nozzle portion 1705. The injector 1700 also includes a tube fitting 1704 that functions as a solenoid strong stimulus and includes an insulated winding in the base 1701 annular region 1710. The injector 1700 also includes a magnetic circuit path 1708 that urges the driver 1714 against the stationary collar 1716. The stop collar 1716 is connected to the actuator 1718, which in turn is connected to a flow valve 1738 supported by the nozzle portion 1705. When the driver 1714 pulls the actuator 1718, the actuator 1718 holds the flow valve 1738 in the closed position. Similar to the injector of the other embodiments described herein, the injector 1700 shown may control fuel as a result of one or more applications of suitable pneumatic, hydraulic, piezoelectric, and / or electromechanical processes applied to the injector 1700 operating components, Perform metering, and dispensing functions. Accordingly, the injector 1710 can be applied interchangeably to a wide range of engine types. Injector 1700 is also used in engines having a wide load adjustment ratio and requiring a relatively flat torque curve.

In operation, passing a current through the winding 1710 closes the flow valve 1738. More specifically, applying a current to the winding 1710 causes the driver 1714 to be pushed to the pole portion 1704, thereby pulling the actuator 1718. The actuator 1718 relaxes the flow valve 1738 adaptively opens. If the driver 1714 does not pull the actuator 1718, the biasing member 1722 separates the driver 1714 from the pole portion 1704. Exemplary suitable biasing members 1722 include mechanical springs with suitable ring-type permanent or electromagnet springs. The biasing member 1722 may be placed in the middle portion 1703 of the injector 1700 downstream of the driver 1714. When the driver 1714 is biased towards the pole portion 1704 than when it is at the furthest position from the pole portion 1704, very little solenoid force is needed to move the driver 1714.

When the driver 1714 is deflected to the pole portion 1704, a voltage is applied to the coil winding 1710 to generate a pulsed current in accordance with the selected 'hold' frequency. Each time a current is given to the coil 1710 in a pulse, a counter electromotive force (CEMF) is generated. The charging circuit 1705 (shown schematically) is charged with a capacitor 1712 which can be placed in the position shown with CEMF application. Various circuits may be suitable for this purpose. The circuit 1705 may be placed inside the injector 1700, the surface of the injector 1700, or other suitable location, each of which suitably applies the principles described in US Pat. Nos. 4,122,816 and 7,349,193, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. It may include the above integrated circuits. The output may be connected to a conductive fiber or conductive coating (not shown for clarity) on the actuator 1718 and / or by an electrical cable 1707.

When fuel injection to the combustion chamber oxidant 1740 is adaptively optimized by the micro-controller 1706, the voltage applied to the coil 1710 is cut off and the CEMF is applied to the condenser 1712, which applies fuel ignition requirements. It is switched to supply a current suitable for adaptive optimization. As such, these fuel injection requirements may be met by a transducer 1709 at the combustion chamber interface 1736 and / or a sensor 1709 that may transmit such data by optically transmissive or electrically conductive fibers that may be incorporated into wireless nodes or actuators 1718. And / or combustion chamber data analysis including optical and pressure information developed by the controller 1706.

In cold fuel, cold engine, acceleration, warm engine cruise, or stop and start applications, adaptively optimized currents, including sufficiently high high currents and voltages that are adaptively determined, are delivered through one or more suitable conductors as described above. Ionization occurs between the conductive region at the pointed edge of the flow valve 1738 and / or the conductive region at the pointed edge of the tube 1738 of the region 1725. In one or more fuel injections, an acoustic signal is applied as described for additional maneuverability. Thus, the fuel entering the region between these sharp conductor regions, along with the non-ionized fuel component that is ionized and propagated, is rapidly accelerated at a speed above the speed of sound as it is ejected into the oxidant 1740, thereby accelerating the combustion process. Complete quickly.

Due to this new technology, very cold or slow burning fuels, which are typically 7 to 12 times slower than hydrogen, can approach or exceed conventional hydrogen burning rates. When this new technique is applied to hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbons, combustion is completed more quickly. This advantage applies to very small engines, which can lead to unexpected high power outputs by increasing cycle frequency limits (N) and improving operating efficiency due to reduced heat losses and retrograde work losses for improved braking mean effective pressure (P). have. Therefore, as described in Equation 9 below, in heat engine operation, power generation (HP) is increased with increasing braking average effective pressure (P) and cycle frequency (N).

HP = PLAN Equation 9

From here:

HP delivers power

L is the stroke length

A is BMEP approved area

N is the cycle completion frequency (such as RPM)

The new high strength dielectric embodiments described herein also incorporate various combination applications of engine-generator-heat exchangers for emergency and disaster relief purposes, including freezing storage and ice generation, along with pure and / or safe water and sterilization facilities for medical assistance. This enables new processes with various hydrocarbons that can be stored for long periods of time to provide heat and power. Low vapor pressure and / or tacky fuel material is heated to sufficient vapor pressure and low viscosity to allow rapid flow and high surface ratio fuel injection jets per volume to quickly complete a stratified or stratified charge combustion process. Illustratively, large chunks of paraffin, compressed cellulose, stabilized animal or vegetable fats, tars, various polymers including polyethylene, distillation residues, isodiesel diesel and other long hydrocarbon alkanes, aromatics, and cycloalkanes are suitable locations for disaster response. Can be stored at These exemplary fuels that provide long term storage advantages cannot be used with conventional fuel vaporization or injection systems. However, the present embodiments, however, include those facilities where these fuels may utilize hot coolant or exhaust streams from heat engines in heat exchangers 3434, 3426 (FIG. 14) at suitable temperatures, such as about 150-425 ^o C (300). It can be heated to -800 ^o F) to enable the injector direct injection described herein to complete combustion very quickly through injection and plasma spray ignition.

In operation, this preheated heating liquid fuel is heat exchanged and cooled by ambient air or by cooling water passing through a heat exchanger to contain such fuel by locally reducing the vapor pressure and thus the force required by the injector embodiments disclosed herein. Prevents deposits at undesirable times. It is also possible to provide one or more valves, such as the check valves disclosed herein, to ensure the containment vessel required for a particular fuel.

However, very small engines and emerging high speed diesel engine designs present challenges because integral injectors / ignitions have little useful space to enter the combustion chamber. Optimization process operation may be particularly possible for engines having very small access ports that limit the injector nozzle portion 1705 diameter extending to the combustion chamber interface. The heat dam or protective portion 1728 provides high mechanical, fatigue, and dielectric strength that needs to be extended at the nozzle portion 1705 without reinforcement by a metal jacket. Electrical conduction by the metal alloy of the engine proximate to the nozzle portion 1705 surrounding the insulator 1730 can lead through the conductive region 1734, which consists of a suitable metallic plating film, metal alloy tip and nozzle portion 1730. ) Is brazed to the end, or shaped into a metal form and thus attached to tubular insulator 1730 as shown. Each of these methods can be applied to meet various engine space requirements, including new engine designs under development.

Injector embodiments utilizing high speed operating performance and space saving features shown in FIG. 29 and referring to other embodiments of the present invention include an axial clamp or a fork-shaped leaf spring (not shown) for assembly to the protrusion 1725. Can be fixed in place in a variety of suitable arrangements that are fixed by engagement and pressed into the combustion chamber against the lip of the engine port. Thus, the protrusion 1727 provides a convenience feature that functions as a heat dam or holds the assembly in place. Various suitable seals for combustion chambers are applied, including compressible or elastic seals or conical warp compression seals.

If at least one injector according to the invention is used for fuel injection and / or ignition in a combustion chamber of a very large engine, and it is desirable to place such an injector in a planned position requiring relatively small inlet ports, the fuel flow valve of the injector is shown in FIG. It may be configured as shown in 30A. More specifically, FIG. 30A is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector showing a flow control valve 1850 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the flow valve 1850 shown may be used with the injector 1700 described with reference to FIG. 29, and / or the injectors of other embodiments described herein. As shown in FIG. 30A, the larger diameter portion of fuel control valve 1850 is secured by cable assembly or actuator 1818 in close proximity to valve seat 1852. Actuator 1818 may be attached (eg, coupled, crimped, etc.) to valve 1850. A suitable driver (eg, piezoelectric or electromagnetic driver, such as driver 1714 shown in FIG. 29) can move valve 1850 by pulling or relaxing actuator 1818. In addition, valve 1850 may be guided or restricted in a unidirectional path within the cage diameter. For example, electrode material may guide valve 1850. In other embodiments, the valve 1850 can also be moved along the guide pin 1856 to align the valve 1850.

The fuel control valve 1850 is suitable for monitoring fluoride glass compositions, quartz, sapphire, or polymer compositions such as various composites such as infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation, and combustion chamber pressure and motion conditions. Such materials may be made of suitable materials, including, for example, optical window materials. Fuel control valve 1850 may also be plated or treated with various materials to limit the desired radiation that can be received by lens and guide pin 1850. For example, valve 1850 may be coated with a suitably protected sapphire, lithium fluoride, calcium fluoride, or ZBLAN fluoride glass material, including, for example, a composite of such material that provides and / or filters the desired radiation frequency of interest. Can be.

In operation, a fuel injection in which the cable or actuator 1818 tension is reduced or relaxed to a desired value to flow fuel past valve 1850 to accommodate full steady-state, one or more injection fuel jets, or maneuverability by suitable acoustic signals. Create One or more fuel injections per combustion chamber cycle is provided when valve 1850 is moved outward in accordance with fuel pressure and / or other applied forces. The illustrated embodiment also includes a valve seat 1852 having a permanent magnet and / or an electromagnet. The valve 1850 includes a contact 1854 facing the seat 1852. The valve 1850 contacts 1854 can be made of permanent magnets that are ferromagnetic or act as repulsive force depending on the stimulus selection produced by valve seat 1852 permanent magnet stimulation or valve seat 1852 electromagnet actuation, such that the desired ejection frequency variation And fuel injection ejection characteristics.

In certain embodiments, combustion chamber characteristics and conditions are detected and communicated by a sensor supported on flow valve 1850 and / or guide pin 1856. The optical, electrical, and / or magnetic signals at the guide pins 1856 may be transferred to a flexible sub-cable 1855, or a permeable medium filled with space required for communication with a suitable transducer and / or wireless nodes, such as gas, liquid. And, via a gel, or elastic material, the fiber in the corresponding communicator or actuator 1818. Accordingly, a fly-eye lens or other type of suitable lens 1853 supported on the guide pin 1856 is capable of specifying the desired monitoring and combustion chamber conditions. As such, information is transmitted through the optical pin assembly 156, including transmission via window material or communication cable 1855. This information is also received in the communicator 1855 in the valve 1850 through the slots 1858 or opening 1858 of the first ignition and flow adjustment mechanism or cover 1880 supported by the nozzle portion. 30B is a front view of first cover 1880a showing corresponding slots 1858 and openings 1857 that are configured to allow fuel to flow out and expose combustion chamber conditions and characteristics. Suitable transducers, wireless communication nodes, and / or suitable optical or electrically conductive sub-cables in actuator 1818 communicate this information to a controller disposed in the injector to implement adaptive fuel injection and ignition timing operation.

30C is a front view of a second ignition and fuel flow adjustment mechanism constructed by an embodiment of the present invention. The second cover 1880b can include an opening 1857 to access the guide pin 1856. The second cover 1880b also includes slots 1859. Referring together to the covers 1880a and 1880b of FIGS. 30B and 30C, these covers are also used for ignition events. For example, the ignition may include an annular region 1862 between the slots 1858, 1859 and the engine head access port lip 1860 and the sharp edge 1857 (FIG. 30B) or sharp edge 1864 (FIG. 30C) of the cover. May be selected from ionizing air or an ionizing fuel-air mixture, or a hot surface propelling the ionizing fuel, catalytic stimulus, flame, plasma, or high peak energy electrostatic discharge plasma arrangement.

31 is a side sectional view of an injector 1960 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Injector 1960 includes several space saving features. For example, the injector 1960 includes a cable or actuator 1968 that is connected to a flow valve 1950 that is supported by the injector 1960 nozzle portion. The injector 1960 also includes an actuation assembly 1959 that moves the cable 1968 to actuate the flow valve 1950. More specifically, actuation assembly 1959 also includes actuators 1962 (identified as first-third actuators 1962a-1962c, respectively) which displace cable 1968. Although three actuators 1962 are shown in FIG. 31, in other embodiments, the injector 1960 may include a single actuator 1962, two actuators 1962, or three or more actuators 1962. Can be. The actuators 1962 may be piezoelectric, electromechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or other suitable force generating parts.

The actuating assembly 1959 is also operatively connected with the corresponding actuators 1962 and the cable 1968 to connectors 1958 (first and first, respectively) for pushing, pulling and / or pushing and pulling the cable 1968. 2 connectors (1958a, 1958b). The cable 1968 can slide freely between the connectors 1958 in the axial direction along the injector 1960. According to another feature of the operating assembly 1959, the first end of the cable 1968 passes through the first guide bearing 1976 in the injector 1960 base 1901. The first end of the cable 1968 is also operatively connected with the controller 1978 to transfer combustion data to the controller 1978 to adaptively control the controller and optimize the fuel injection and ignition process. The second end of the cable 1968 extends through the guide bearing 1970 in the nozzle portion 1902 of the injector 1960 to align the flow valve 1950 with the cable 1968.

In operation, actuators 1962 displace cable 1968 to tension or relax cable 268B to achieve the desired degree of flow valve 1950 movement. More specifically, the actuators 1962 allow the connectors to displace the cable 1968 in a direction generally perpendicular to the injector 1960 longitudinal axis.

If a relatively large plasma current jet supply is desired at the combustion chamber interface by ionizing the fuel, air, or fuel-air mixture, the injector 1960 may further include a condenser 1974 in the nozzle portion 1902. Capacitor 1974 may be cylindrical and comprise a plurality of conductive or graphene layers of suitable metal separated by a suitable insulator selected from Table 1, and any composition selected from Table 2. Capacitor 1974 may be charged with a relatively small current through first insulated cable 1980 coupled with a suitable power source. Condenser 1974 can also be discharged more quickly with a relatively high current through larger second cable 1982 that extends continuously from condenser 1974 to conductive tube or plated film 1984. The plated film 1984 may include sharp edges that are desirable for the ignition characteristics and propagation described above.

32 is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 2060 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention for quickly and accurately controlling flow valve 2050 operation. The injector 2060 shown includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the corresponding features of the other injectors disclosed herein. As shown in FIG. 32, the injector 2060 includes an actuator or cable 2068 connected with a flow valve 2050. The injector 2060 also includes a different actuating assembly 2070 (identified as first actuating assembly 2070a and second actuating assembly 2070b, respectively) axially along the injector 2060 (e.g., 1 Move cable 2068) in the direction of arrow 2067.

The first actuating assembly 2070a (shown schematically) includes a force generating member 2071 in contact with the cable 2068. The force generating member 2071 may be piezoelectric, electromechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or other suitable force generating components. When power is applied or otherwise actuated to the force generating member 2071, the force generating member 2071 is in a direction generally perpendicular to the injector 2060 longitudinal axis (eg, in the direction of the second arrow 2065). Move. Thus, the force generating member 2071 displaces at least a portion of the cable 2068 to tension the cable 2068. When power is no longer applied or actuated to the force generating member 2071, the cable 2068 is no longer tensioned. Thus, the first actuating assembly 2070a provides a quick and accurate fuel injection blowout 2003 from the flow valve 2050.

The second actuating assembly 2070b (shown schematically) includes a rack and pinion type configuration for moving the cable 2068 axially within the injector 2060. More specifically, the second actuating assembly 2070b includes a rack or sleeve 2072 that is connected with the cable 2068. The pinion or gear 2074 is engaged with the sleeve 2072. In operation, the second actuating assembly 2070b converts the rotational movement of the gear 2074 into a sleeve 2072 followed by a cable linear movement. Accordingly, the second actuating assembly 2070b also provides a fuel injection jet 2003 quickly and accurately from the flow valve 2050.

33A is a side cross-sectional view of outwardly open flow valve 2150 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 33B is a left side view. 34A is a side cross-sectional view of a valve seat 2270 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 34B is a left side view, and FIG. 34C is a right side view. Referring together to FIGS. 33A-34C, flow valve 2150 controls fuel flow at the combustion chamber interface, and valve seat 2270 aligns valve 2150 within the injector. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve 2150 includes an elongated first end 2153 opposite the flanged second end 2152. First end 2153 includes a cavity 2156 that can be coupled with an electrically cabled or actuator. The second end 2152 includes a first contact surface 2154.

The valve seat 2270 includes a first end 2273 opposite the second end 2251. First end 2273 includes multiple channels or passages 2276 through which fuel and / or instrumentation can pass through valve seat 2270. The channels converge into a single passage or bore 2272 at the valve seat 2270 second end 2251. The second end 2251 also includes a second contact surface 2274. Valve seat 2270 receives first end 2153 at least partially. More specifically, the central channel or passageway 2276 can receive the valve 2150 first end 2153. When the valve 2150 is in the closed position in the valve seat 2270, the valve 2150 first contact surface 2154 engages with the valve seat 2270 second contact surface 2274 to block fuel flow therebetween. In certain embodiments, the valve 2150 and / or valve seat 2270 surfaces are configured to affect fuel flow through these surfaces. For example, these parts may include sharp edges that lead to the rapid fuel evaporation described above. In addition, these parts may have grooved or patterned surfaces that affect fuel flow, such as, for example, spiral grooves for inducing injection fuel vortex movement. While the embodiments shown in FIGS. 34A-34C show one configuration of the flow valve and corresponding valve seat 2270, those skilled in the art will understand that other valves and valve seats have other configurations and features.

35A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 2300 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Injector 2300 includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the injector corresponding features. For example, the injector 2300 includes an intermediate portion 2304 extending between the base portion 2302 and the nozzle portion 2306. The nozzle portion 2306 extends to the combustion chamber 2301 through the engine head 2303. Injector 2300 also includes a dielectric insulator 2340.

According to one feature of the illustrated embodiment, dielectric insulator 2340 includes two or more portions having different dielectric strength. For example, the insulator 2340 may include a first dielectric portion 2242 located approximately at the middle portion 2304 of the injector 2300, and a second dielectric portion 2344 positioned at the nozzle portion 2306 of the injector 2300. It includes. In certain embodiments, the second dielectric portion 2344 has a higher dielectric strength than the first dielectric portion 2342 and has severe combustion conditions (eg, pressure, thermal) in the nozzle portion 2306 near the combustion chamber 2301. And mechanical shock, contamination, etc.) and prevent insulator 2340 degradation. In some embodiments, these dielectric portions may be made of different materials. In other embodiments, however, the second dielectric portion 2344 may be made of the same material as the first dielectric portion 2342, but the second dielectric portion 2344 increases the dielectric strength of the second dielectric portion 2344. In order to be sealed or otherwise treated (e.g., compressive load on the outer surface as described above). First and second dielectric portions 2342 and 2344 can be fabricated with any of the dielectrics and / or processes described above, including, for example, the materials listed in Table 1.

According to another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, the second dielectric portion 2344 does not extend all along the nozzle portion 2306 to the combustion chamber 2301 interface. Thus, the nozzle portion 2306 includes an air gap 2370 between the engine block 2303 and the injector 2300 conduction portion 2338 that supplies the ignition voltage to the nozzle portion 2306. The spacing 2370 in the nozzle portion 2306 provides a capacitive discharge space for plasma generation from the nozzle portion 2306. This discharge also prevents at least partially cleaning contaminants (eg, oil) or depositing in the second dielectric portion 2344, thereby avoiding insulator 2340 tracking or other types of degradation.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the injector 2300 also includes a second check valve 2330 and a check valve seat 2332 at the base 2302 of the injector 2300. In certain embodiments, the check valve 2330 and the check valve seat 2332 may include magnetic portions (eg, permanent magnets) that attract each other. In operation, a force applied to the check valve 2330 (eg, an electromagnetic or other suitable force that overcomes the attraction of the check valve seat 2332) moves the check valve 2330 from the check valve seat 2332 to fuel. To flow through the injector 2300. Since the check valve 2330 remains in the closed position unless force is applied to the check valve 2330, the check valve 2330 prevents fuel from flowing into or leaking into the injector 2330 in case of power loss. .

35B is a front view of an exemplary flow valve 2350 of the nozzle portion 2306 of the injector 2300 shown in FIG. 35A. As shown in FIG. 35B, the valve 2350 includes multiple slots 2358 and / or openings 2357 to thereby enable and / or influence the flow of fuel. These slots 2358 and openings 2357 also allow the injector 2300 to sense combustion chamber characteristics and conditions through the valve 2350. Further, valve 2350 may be made of at least partially transparent material such as quartz or sapphire to monitor combustion chamber characteristics and conditions.

36A is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector 2400 nozzle portion 2402 constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 2400 includes a connector 2442 that connects the cable or actuator 2440 to the first flow valve 2450. The first valve 2450 is an inwardly open flow valve and is disposed opposite the valve seat 2452 when the first valve is in the closed position. The nozzle portion 2402 also includes a second check valve 2460, where the second check valve 2460 is disposed opposite the valve seat 2452 when the second valve 2460 is in the closed position. Accordingly, the nozzle portion includes an intermediate volume 2456 between the closed first and second valves 2450 and 2460. The nozzle portion 2402 also includes an ignition and flow adjustment mechanism or cover 2470. In certain embodiments, nozzle portion 2402 also includes one or more deflection components that control the valve state for fuel injection. These deflection parts include magnets, including for example mechanical springs and / or permanent magnets. More specifically, the first valve includes a first magnetic portion 2451 and the second valve 2460 includes a second magnetic portion 2463, each of which corresponds to a corresponding third party of the valve seat 2452. Pulled or biased into voice 2454. The cover 2470 also includes a fourth magnetic portion 2472, but the fourth magnetic portion 2472 is opposed to or otherwise excluded from the valve seat 2460. For example, the valve seat 2460 includes a fifth magnetic portion 2242 that is rejected with a fourth magnetic portion 2472 of cover 2470. Thus, these deflections help to keep the valves in the closed position. These deflections also provide at least partially restoring force to return these valves more quickly to the closed position to improve valve operation. Shown nozzle part components (eg, actuator 2440, first valve 2450, valve seat 2452, second valve 2460, and / or cover 2470) may be located in combustion chamber states and / or Or various sensors and / or instrumentation for monitoring and communicating characteristics.

In operation, moving the actuator 2440 in the direction of the arrow 2439 causes the first valve 2450 to fall off the valve seat 2452 and the first valve 2450 to open. When the first valve 2450 is open, fuel enters the intermediate volume 2456 along the first fuel path 2444a. As fuel enters the intermediate volume 2456, the second check valve 2460 opens at fuel pressure and the fuel exits the intermediate volume 2456 along the second fuel path 2444b. The fuel then flows over cover 2470 and is injected into the combustion chamber. When the actuator 2440 returns to its original position, the first valve 2450 is closed relative to the valve seat 2452 to stop fuel flow. As the pressure drops in the intermediate volume 2456, the second valve 2460 closes against the valve seat 2452 and thus prevents any fuel deposits from the nozzle portion 2402. Thus, the actuator 2440 is quickly operated to enable accurate fuel ejection from the nozzle portion 2402.

36B is a front view of the FIG. 36A injector showing an ignition and flow adjustment mechanism or cover 2470 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated cover 2470 includes slots 2474 for fuel flow and combustion chamber monitoring as detailed above. The cover 2474 also includes multiple ignition portions 2476 spaced circumferentially to enable engine head ignition.

37 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a system 2500 configured in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 2500 includes an integral fuel injector / igniter 2502 (eg, an injector in accordance with any embodiments of the present invention), combustion chamber 2506, one or more throttle-free air flow rates. Valves 2510 (identified as first valve 2510a and second valve 2510b, respectively), and an energy transfer mechanism or piston 2504. As detailed above, the injector 2502 distributes the layered or stratified fill fuel 2520 to the combustion chamber 2506. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 2500 injects and ignites the fuel 2520 in an abundance or excess of oxidant 2530 such as, for example, air. More specifically, system 2500 is configured such that valves 2510 maintain combustion chamber 2506 at ambient or even static pressure before combustion. For example, the system 2500 can be operated without delaying the flow of air to the throttle or otherwise combustion chamber prior to ignition of the fuel 2520 without creating a vacuum in the combustion chamber 2506. By maintaining ambient or static pressure in the combustion chamber 2506, excess oxidant forms an insulating barrier 2530 around the combustion chamber surface (eg, cylinder walls, pistons, engine head, etc.).

In operation, injector 2502 injects layered or stratified fuel 2520 into combustion chamber 2506 in which excess oxidant is present. In certain embodiments, injection occurs when the piston 2504 is at or past the top dead center position. In other embodiments, however, the injector 2502 can inject fuel 2520 before the piston 2504 reaches top dead center. The injector 2502 adaptively injects the layered filler 2520 as described above (e.g., by rapid multi-layer ejection between ignitions with rapid vaporization of fuel, plasma injection fuel, subcooling, etc.), Fuel 2520 burns rapidly and burns completely in the presence of an insulating barrier 2530 of oxidant. Accordingly, insulating barrier 2530 shields combustion chamber 2506 walls from heat generated from fuel 2520 upon ignition of fuel 2520 and thereby prevents heat loss to combustion chamber 2506 walls. As a result, the heat released by the rapid combustion of fuel 2520 is converted to work without transferring to the combustion chamber surface and drives the piston 2504. Further, in embodiments where the injector 2502 injects and / or ignites fuel after the piston 2504 passes top dead center, all energy released by the fuel 2520 rapid combustion as the piston is already at or past top dead center. Is converted to work for driving the piston 2504 without any loss due to backing operation. In other embodiments, however, the injector 2520 can inject fuel before the piston 2504 reaches top dead center.

38A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 3800 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The injector 3800 includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the corresponding features of the injector described above with reference to FIGS. 1-37. For example, the injector 3800 includes a first or base 3802 opposite the second or nozzle portion 3804. The injector 3800 also includes a sleeve or body 3808 extending between the base 3802 and the nozzle portion 3804. Body 3808 surrounds a dielectric portion or dielectric insulator 3810 that runs longitudinally through injector 3800. Further details regarding body insulator 3810 materials and / or formation are described below. Body insulator 3810 includes a conductor opening 3812 that penetrates the center in the longitudinal direction. Conductor openings 3812 may allow electrodes or electrical conductors 3814 to extend through injector 3800 from nozzle portion 3804 to base 3802. For example, conductor 3814 is connected to an energy source, such as a voltage source, to supply ignition energy to one or more electrodes or ignition features 3816 at the nozzle tip 3804. Conductor 3814 also includes one or more optical surveillance fibers or features 3818 extending therethrough in the longitudinal direction. Optical monitoring features 3818 detect or otherwise sense combustion chamber characteristics and transmit these characteristic related data to a controller or processor.

The base 3802 also includes a dielectric base insulator 3808 for high voltage containment that is supplied to the base 3802 via a conductor 3814. For example, the base insulator 3808 dielectrically insulates the base 3802 recipient 3809 that houses the conductor 3814. Base insulator 3808 may also be applied to the ferromagnetic force generator housing or case 3820 by swaging, brazing, brazing, or applying an adhesive such as epoxy, or any other suitable sealing or compound method. Can be sealed). If a base insulator 3808 brazing or soldering generation line to the force generator case 3820 is desired at the contact region 3813, the contact region 3613 shields copper oxide and / or silver oxide or otherwise metals with local hydrogen reduction. Can be converted. Alternatively, contact region 3813 may be plated with other suitable technique, including, for example, sputtering or vapor deposition.

In accordance with other features of the illustrated embodiment, the base 3802 may include a force generator 3806 (eg, suitable pneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic solenoids, piezoelectric components, etc.) disposed within the force generator case 3820. Include. The case 3820 includes fuel inlets 3822 that are in communication with the fuel coupling 3826 to supply fuel from the fuel source into the case 3820. The case 3820 also includes a fuel outlet 3824 to allow fuel to flow out of the case 3820 through the valve assembly 3828 shown in detail in FIG. 38B.

More specifically, FIG. 38B is an enlarged detail view of the injector 3800 valve assembly 3828. Referring together to FIGS. 38A and 38B, force generator fuel outlet 3824 passes fuel from force generator case 3820 to valve cavity 3830. The valve cavity 3830 includes a flow valve 3832, such as a ferromagnetic valve, that is actuated in response to a force derived from the force generator 3806. Valve 3832 also includes one or more valve fuel passages 3834 extending through valve 3832. The valve fuel passage 3834 causes fuel to exit the valve cavity 3830 via the valve 3832 past the fuel outlet path 3836. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve fuel passage 3834 passes through the valve 3832 at an angle of inclination with respect to the injector 3800 longitudinal axis, the angle of inclination of the fuel outlet path with respect to the injector 3800 longitudinal axis. At least almost the same. In other embodiments, however, the valve fuel passage 3834 and fuel outlet path 3836 can extend at different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis. The fuel outlet path 3836 is also connected with one or more insulator fuel flow channels 3840 extending longitudinally along the insulator 3810 between the body 3808 and the insulator 3810. Other features of the insulator fuel channels 3840 are described in detail below.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the valve assembly 3828 also includes a attraction element 3838 (eg, magnets, permanent magnets, etc.) that pulls or otherwise deflects the valve 3832 to a first or closed position. ). The valve assembly 3832 may also include a biasing member 3939 (eg, a spring, coil compression spring, etc. schematically illustrated in FIG. 38B) that biases the valve 3832 to the closed position.

During operation of the valve assembly 3828, the force generator 3806 generates a force that quickly and repeatedly moves the valve 3832 between the closed position and the second or open position. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, valve 3832 is shown in a closed position such that valve 3832 prevents fuel from exiting fuel cavity 3830 through fuel exit path 3836. When the valve 3832 is moved towards the base 3802 and opened, fuel in the fuel cavity 3830 bypasses the valve 3832 or passes through the valve 3832 via the valve fuel passage 3834. After passing through the valve fuel passage 3834, the fuel exits the fuel cavity 3830 and is delivered to the nozzle portion 3804 along the insulator fuel channels 3840 via the fuel outlet path 3836.

When solenoid force generator 3806 assembly is used to actuate base 3802 valve 3832 (eg, rather than piezoelectric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical connections), applying 24 to 240 VDC to the insulated winding Solenoid force generator 3806 induces extremely fast ferromagnetic valve 3832 operation. This results in very high current and valve actuation forces developed for a short period of time in the range of about 3% to 21% duty cycle depending on the mode of operation, resulting in heat transfer to the fuel flowing through the force generator 3806. Cooling is possible.

Referring again to FIG. 38A, insulator fuel channels 3840 extend longitudinally through injector 3800 along the outer surface of insulator 3810. Thus, the insulator fuel channels enable fuel flow through the injector 3800 between the insulator 3810 and the body 3808. The injector 3800 also includes a deformed or elastic sleeve valve 3842 in the nozzle portion 3804. More specifically, the sleeve valve 3842 is coaxially arranged on the insulator 3810 to be disposed between the insulator 3810 and the body 3808. In the nozzle portion 3804, the body 3808 is configured to extend to a seal 3444 (eg, an o-ring or similar seal) at the combustion chamber port. Sleeve valve 3842, however, extends beyond seal 3844 toward the combustion chamber. As will be described in detail below, the elastic sleeve valve 3842 functions as a strain relief valve to allow fuel to exit the nozzle portion 3804 in response to sufficient hydraulic or pressure gradients within the injector 3800. For example, as insulator fuel channels 3840 approach nozzle portion 3804, insulator fuel channels 3840 slope or otherwise become smaller along insulator 3810. The insulator fuel channels 3840 thus provide fuel to the nozzle portion 3804, but at least partially deform the sleeve valve 3842 to form an annular opening around the insulator 3810 and to inject the fuel. Sleeve valve 3842 is sealed against insulator 3810 to prevent fuel injection until) forms a sufficient pressure gradient upstream of sleeve valve 3842. Accordingly, the injector 3800 and various other injectors described herein provide the advantage of having one or more fuel flow control. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the valve assembly 3828 provides a first or primary fuel flow control corresponding to the actuation force, and the sleeve valve 3942 provides a fuel pressure (eg, internal pressure) within the injector 3800. Hydraulic flow control).

In certain embodiments, the sleeve valve 3842 is made of a thermosetting composite with a suitable high strength polymer, such as polyamide-Torlon or Kapton, glass fiber, and / or graphite reinforcement. In other embodiments, the sleeve valve 3842 can be metallic and can be made of aluminum, titanium, steel alloy, or other suitable metal material. In addition, the port seal 3844 is made of an elastic material, such as FKM, Viton, and / or silicon fluoride elastomer, so that the nozzle portion 3804 body 3808 may be applied to the combustion chamber product gas and / or the engine lubricant. Seal it.

38C-38E are a series of cross-sectional side views of the injector 3800 at various locations along the insulator 3810. More specifically, FIG. 38C is a cross-sectional side view of the injector 3800 cut substantially along the 38C-38C line of FIG. 38A. As shown in FIG. 38C, insulator fuel channels 3840 are relatively large relative to insulator 3810 in this position along insulator 3810 proximate to base 3802. For example, insulator fuel channels 3840 form a generally concave or curved depression in the outer surface of insulator 3810 adjacent to the inner surface of body 3808. In other embodiments, however, insulator fuel channels 3840 may have other cross-sectional profiles or shapes, including, for example, curved, linear, and / or other shapes. While the illustrated embodiment shows six insulator fuel channels 3840, in other embodiments insulator 3810 may include six or more insulator fuel channels 3840. According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the conductor 3814 may extend through the conductor opening 3812 in the insulator 3810. In addition, the optical monitoring fiber or features 3818 may extend through the conductor 3814 in the longitudinal direction.

Referring next to FIG. 38D, FIG. 38D is a side cross-sectional view cut substantially along the lines 38D-38D in FIG. 38A. Insulator fuel channels 3840 in a generally intermediate position along insulator 3810 are reduced or inclined to form relatively smaller depressions or channels in insulator 3810 and adjacent to inner surface of body 3808. For example, in contrast to the individual insulator fuel channels 3840 shown in FIG. 38C, the individual insulator channels 3840 in FIG. 38D are smaller and spaced apart from each other.

Referring next to FIG. 38E, FIG. 38E is a side cross-sectional view cut substantially along line 3E-3E of FIG. 38A at the injector 3800 nozzle portion 3804. In this position along the insulator 3810, the insulator fuel channels are significantly reduced or inclined compared to other locations along the insulator 3810 that no longer exist or are close to the base 3802. Also in this position along the insulator 3810, an elastic sleeve 3942 is coaxially disposed about the insulator (eg, between the insulator 3810 and the body 3808) and sealed. Thus, referring again to FIG. 38A, the insulator channels 3840 slope or shrink as they extend toward the nozzle portion 3804 along the insulator 3810. In the nozzle portion 3804 proximate the combustion chamber, the elastic sleeve valve 3842 is normally closed and seals around the insulator 3810.

In operation, fuel is transferred from the base 3802 valve assembly 3828 to the insulator fuel channels 3840. Fuel pressurization in the insulator fuel channels 3840 causes the nozzle portion 3804 sleeve valve 3942 to expand or deform to form an annular opening around the insulator 3810 to inject fuel to be injected into the combustion chamber. After fuel injection, the pressure inside the insulator channels 3840 drops so that the sleeve valve 3842 returns to its normally closed or closed position again with respect to the insulator cylindrical portion.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the dielectric insulator has a dielectric containment of at least 80,000 volts from direct current to megahertz frequency in portions having a thickness within 1.8 mm (0.071 ') between the electrical conductor 3814 and the outer surface of the insulator 3810. Provide the container. When a high frequency voltage is applied to establish ion current or ion vibration between the ignition feature 3816 and the engine head bore electrodes, a copper or silver conductive layer may be applied to the outer surface of the electrode 3814. In addition, the conductive layer may be increased with an additional plating film to provide greater high frequency conductivity. In alternative embodiments, however, the Litz wire braid may be disposed over the supervisory features 3818 (eg, optical fiber) in the conductor 3814 core to reduce resistive losses.

Body insulator 3810 and / or base insulator 3808 may be made from a glass material having the following composition in weight percentages in composition 1. Such dielectric insulators are ball-milled, melted, extruded, pressed, or cast into blocks and shapes in a suitable crucible selected from platinum, silica, magnesia, or alumina materials, which can be precisely shaped into reheats and parts. Composition 1 may be, for example: SiO ₂ 24-48%; MgO 12-28%; Al ₂ O ₃ 9-20%; Cr ₂ O ₃ 0.5-6.5%; F 1-9%; BaO 0-14%; CuO 0-5%; SrO 0-11%; Ag 2 O 0-3.5%; NiO 0-1.5%; And 0-9% of B2O3. In another embodiment, an alternative suitable composition, composition 2, expressed in percent by weight, may be applied by melting at least between about 1350 ° C. and 1550 ° C. in a covered platinum, alumina, magnesia, or silica crucible. Composition 2 may be, for example: SiO ₂ 31%; MgO 22%; Al ₂ O ₃ 17%; Cr ₂ O ₃ 2.2%; F 4.5%; BaO 13%; CuO 0.4%; SrO 9.5%; Ag ₂ O 0.3%; And 0.1% NiO.

The tubular profiles of these insulators may be extruded from the melt or hot formed coolant at about 1050 ° C. to 1200 ° C. The cast ingot is annealed to provide the necessary volume for hot extrusion into a tube or other profile, or forging into precision shaped parts. These ingots are heated to a temperature suitable for hot forming from about 1050 ° C. to 1250 ° C., extruded to the desired profile shape and dimensions, and are produced through suitable dies of refractory materials such as platinum, molybdenum or graphite. The extruded profile scatters one or more suitable crystal nuclei, such as BN, B ₂ O ₃ , AlF ₃ , B, AlB ₂ , AlB ₁₂ or AlN, increasing the number of small crystals in the surface regions formed rather than the central regions and thus volume filling The efficiency is reduced to provide compressive stress in the surface regions and tensile stress in the central regions. This compressive stress development is also possible by stretching of the outer layer crystals by deformation and drag induced by the die when the extrudate is forced to form smaller cross sections if necessary. In other embodiments, more complex shapes and shapes may be compression molded, for example, in super alloy or graphite mold assemblies in which suitable crystal nuclei, such as B ₂ O ₃ or BN, are scattered to obtain similar compressive stresses in nearly surface areas. Or molded.

Conventional applications for producing workable insulators required chemical composition and heat treatment combinations. The invention is, however, implemented in reverse. For example, embodiments of the present invention are ultimately processed because surface areas are characterized by compressive stress that is too hard to be machined and is balanced by tensile stress between adjacent compressive stress areas or between areas having compressive stress. Create impossible items. These embodiments thus overcome the inherent conventional material problems for material creation intentionally cracking near stressed areas of the cutting tool, which allows for progressive chip formation to provide machinability. Although such characteristic crack formation imparts workability, it also essentially causes negative penetration of these cracks into the insulator of organic compounds such as engine lubricants, surfactants, hand oils, sweat, and the like. These organic materials ultimately give carbon by dehydrogenation or other means, which in turn become electrical conduction paths, and the various electrolytes introduced into these cracks threaten the dielectric strength of the processable ceramic product, which in turn leads to failure of the voltage containment vessel. Can lead.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, other suitable compositions, expressed in percent by weight in composition 3, may be used to form body insulator 3810 and / or base insulator 3808. For example, composition 3 can have an approximate weight percentage as follows: SiO ₂ 30%; MgO 22%; Al ₂ O ₃ 18%; Cr ₂ O ₃ 3.2%; F 4.3%; BaO 12%; SrO 3.6%; CuO 4.9%; Ag ₂ O 1.3%; And NiO 0.1%. In certain embodiments, the insulator tube is extruded and cooled to about 650 ° C. by hydrogen passage through a bore that reduces copper oxide and / or silver oxide to form metallic surfaces of copper and / or silver and copper alloys. After conducting the conductive metal to a suitable thickness, the tube outer surface can be heated with a suitable source such as an induction heating tube or radiation of an oxidizing flame, for example an excess oxygen-hydrogen flame, and suitable crystal and / or fineness preparation It can be applied to the surface to form a compressive stress that is balanced by the tension in the area inside the insulator tube.

In embodiments including a force generator 3806 having a solenoid winding, copper wire insulation suitable for this application includes a polyimide varnish and an aluminum plated copper wire. The aluminum plated film is oxidized or partially oxidized to produce alumina. Such aluminum plating film and oxidation may be utilized in combination with polyimide or polyamide-imide and / or parylene insulation film. The base 3802 ferromagnetic components thus guide the magnetic flux generated by the force generator 3806 winding through the ferromagnetic valve 3832 to enable very fast valve 3832 operation.

FIG. 38F is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary force generator 3806 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention and taken substantially along the 38F-38F line of FIG. 38A. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 38F, the force generator 3806 is multiple individual force generators or valve manipulators 3850 (shown schematically and individually identified as first to fourth valve manipulators 3850a-3850d). It includes. Each valve manipulator 3850 is optionally configured to actuate a corresponding valve, such as a valve 3832 in the valve assembly 3828. Thus, in an embodiment that includes the force generator 3806 of FIG. 38F with four valve manipulators 3850, the valve assembly will include four corresponding flow valves. In the illustrated embodiment, the force generator 3806 also includes a fuel flow region or zone 3852 that surrounds each of the valve manipulators 3850. The fuel flow zone 3852 causes the fuel to cool the valve manipulators 3850 at least partially past the respective valve manipulators 3850. This configuration provides the advantage of a relatively large cooling surface to volume ratio for the force generator 3806.

In certain embodiments, valve manipulators 3850 are configured to open simultaneously or at different or different time periods. For example, a single valve manipulator 3850 is used to allow fuel to flow in a first engine operating condition, eg idling or low power operation, and two valve manipulators 3850 are used for a second engine operating condition, eg cruising. Or used simultaneously in normal power operation, and three, four, or more valve manipulators 3850 may be used simultaneously in a third engine operation, eg, acceleration or full power operation.

The various features of the injector 3800 and its components described above with reference to FIGS. 38A-38F provide several advantages over conventional fuel injectors. For example, modern diesel engine combustion chambers are generally designed to have very small diameter ports for a “pencil” type direct fuel injector that must be coupled within a complex and compact inlet and exhaust valve actuation mechanism. The port diameter of a typical diesel fuel injector entering the combustion chamber is limited to about 8.4 mm (0.331 '). In addition to these severe space limitations, high temperature lubricants are constantly sprayed into the engine head environment inside the valve cover to heat fuel injector assemblies above 240 ° F (115 ° C), which require a nearly million-mile life, and thus conventional air-cooling. Solenoid valve design is not applicable.

Along with stringent requirements for the removal of particulates and water, it is desirable to overcome the requirements that diesel engine operation is limited to compression ignition and the use of diesel fuel of narrow cetane number and viscosity. There is the possibility of a richer fuel choice at a lower cost of replacement. Accordingly, one object of embodiments of the present invention is to utilize inexpensive fuels in which the cetane number and / or octane number change significantly with impurities such as water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and various particulates. For example, conventional ethanol plants that currently produce pure ethanol by separating the non-fuel components such as water and carbon dioxide produced by fermentation can produce more than twice as much useful fuel as ethanol, water, and a mixture of methanol or butanol. have.

The injector 3800 and other injectors described herein include at least: 1) landfill gas, anaerobic digested methane, and various mixtures of hydrogen and other fuel species having significant amounts of non-fuel materials such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Up to 3000x fuel flow performance over low fuel utilization diesel fuel injectors; 2) plasma ignition when such fuel is injected into the combustion chamber; And 3) the above problems can be solved by replacing the diesel fuel injector at engine adjustment time.

39 is a cross sectional view of an injector 3900 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Injector 3900 includes various features that are generally similar in structure and function to the injector 3800 described above with reference to FIGS. 38A-38F, and corresponding features of other injectors described herein. For example, the injector shown in FIG. 39 includes a base 3802 opposite the nozzle portion 3804. The base 3802 includes a force generator 3806 and a corresponding valve assembly 3828, and the nozzle portion includes an elastic sleeve valve 3842 coaxially arranged over a portion of the dielectric insulator 3810. In addition, a conductor opening 3812 in the body insulator 3810 causes an electrode or electrical conductor 3814 to penetrate the injector 3900 and extend from the nozzle portion 3804 to the base portion 3802.

Conductor 3814 also includes one or more optical surveillance fibers or features 3918 extending therethrough in the longitudinal direction. The optical fiber 3918 monitors or otherwise detects combustion chamber characteristics at the nozzle portion. In the illustrated embodiment, however, the optical monitoring features 3918 exit from the base 3802 and transmit or otherwise transmit combustion chamber data to the controller or processor 3901. In certain embodiments, processor 3901 may be supported on injector 3900. In other embodiments, however, processor 3901 may be deployed remotely at injector 3900. The optical fiber 3818 may also transmit combustion chamber data to the processor via a wired or wireless connection.

According to another feature of the illustrated embodiment, the base 3802 also includes a dielectric base insulator 3907 that isolates the high voltage provided to the base 3802 through the conductor 3814. More specifically, conductor 3814 includes an extension 3913 that is separated from optical fiber 3818 at base 3802. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the base 3802 includes an inlet fuel coupling 3926 extending at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the injector 3900 longitudinal axis.

40A is a side cross-sectional view of an injector 4000 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The injector 4000 includes several features that are generally similar in structure and function to the injector corresponding features described above with reference to FIGS. 1-39. For example, the injector 4000 includes a first or base portion 4002 opposite the second or nozzle portion 4004. The injector 4000 also includes a sleeve or body 4008 extending between the base 4002 and the nozzle portion 4004. Body 4008 includes a first dielectric portion or dielectric insulator 4009 extending longitudinally through injector 4000 and coaxially disposed within second dielectric portion or dielectric insulator 4010. The second body insulator 4010 is radially from the first body insulator 4009 by an interval that forms a fuel flow channel 4011 extending longitudinally along the injector 4000 from the base portion 4002 to the nozzle portion 4004. Spaced outwards.

The first body insulator 4009 includes a conductor opening 4012 extending therethrough centrally in the longitudinal direction. Conductor opening 4012 is configured such that an electrode or electrical conductor 4014 extends through injector 4000 from nozzle portion 4004 to base portion 4002. For example, conductor 4014 is connected to an energy source, such as a voltage source, to supply ignition energy to one or more electrodes or ignition features 4016 in nozzle portion 4004. Conductor 4014 also includes one or more optical monitoring fibers or features 4018 extending therethrough in the longitudinal direction. Optical monitoring features 4018 detect or otherwise sense combustion chamber characteristics and transmit these characteristic related data to a controller or processor.

In accordance with other features of the illustrated embodiment, the base 4002 may include a force generator 4006 (eg, suitable pneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic solenoids, piezoelectric components, etc.) disposed within the force generator case 4020. Include. The case 4020 includes fuel inlets 4022 in communication with the fuel coupling 4026 to supply fuel from the fuel source into the case 4020. Case 4020 also includes a fuel outlet 4024 to allow fuel to flow out of case 4020 through valve assembly 4028. More specifically, the valve assembly 4028 includes a valve 4042 (eg, ferromagnetic valve) disposed in the valve cavity 4021. The valve cavity 4021 is coupled to circulate with the force generator case 4020 through the fuel outlet 4024. As shown in FIG. 40A, the valve 4032 seals or closes the fuel outlet 4024 when the valve 4032 is in the normal closed position.

The valve assembly 4028 also includes a stationary phase strong pole portion or pole element 4033 disposed in the valve cavity 4021. When the valve 4032 is in the closed position, the valve 4032 is spaced apart from the pole portion 4033 by the cavity 4030. In addition, deflection members 4830, such as non-ferromagnetic springs, disc springs, and the like, are optionally disposed within the cavity 4030 between the pole portion 4033 and the valve 4032 to move the valve 4032 at the pole portion 4033. Deflect to the closed position. The valve assembly 4028 also includes a gravitational element 4038 (eg, magnets, permanent magnets, etc.) that pulls or otherwise deflects the valve 4032 to the closed position. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the valve 4032 has a generally cylindrical body having a generally inclined, conical, or truncated end 4037 adjacent to the attractive element 4038. Accordingly, the conical end 4037 has a smaller cross sectional dimension for the cylindrical portion of the valve 4032.

In operation, the current supplied to the force generator 4006 magnetizes the pole portion 4033 to move the valve 4032 to the pole portion 4033 and away from the open position (eg, away from the nozzle portion 4004). Set to). When the valve 4032 moves from the closed position to the open position near the pole portion 4033 in the valve cavity 4021, the conical end 4037 of the valve 4032 is disposed adjacent to the force generator fuel outlet 4024 Valve 4032 no longer seals or blocks fuel outlet 4024. Accordingly, fuel flows from the force generator 4006 into the fuel slot or orifice 4013 in the valve cavity 4021 and feeds into the fuel flow channel 4011 between the first body insulator 4009 and the second body insulator 4010. do. Accordingly, when the valve 4032 is moved toward the open position, the valve 4042 flows fuel from the fuel outlet 4024 through the fuel slot 4013 in the valve cavity 4021 to the fuel flow channel. When the valve 4032 returns to its normal closed position (eg, toward the nozzle portion 4004), the valve 4042 closes the fuel outlet 4024 as it slides to stop fuel flow.

Thus, the valve 4032 at the base 4002 moves through the injector 4000 in the longitudinal direction. According to other features of the illustrated embodiment, however, the injector 4000 may also include a second valve 4042 in the nozzle portion 4004. More specifically, the second valve 4042 is a modified or elastic sleeve valve 4042 that is coaxially disposed over the first and second body insulators 4009, 4010 at the nozzle portion. The bottom of the sleeve valve 4042 may be attached to the second body insulator 4010 using a suitable adhesive, thermopolymer, thermoset compound, or other suitable adhesive. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve valve 4042 includes an end 4043 that holds the sleeve valve 4042 with the second elastomeric retaining feature 4041 relative to the second insulator body 4010. Accordingly, retaining feature 4041 may compress against second insulator body 4010 to secure the valve sleeve.

Further, the valve sleeve 4042 extends above the plurality of outlet or injection ports 4041 at the nozzle portion. More specifically, the second insulator body 4010 includes multiple injection ports 4041 that are coupled in fluid communication with the fuel flow channel 4011 between the first body insulator 4009 and the second body insulator 4010. do. Thus, when the first valve 4032 is opened and pressurized fuel is introduced into the fuel flow channel 4011 extending longitudinally to the nozzle portion 4004, the sleeve valve 4042 extends over the injection ports 4041. The fuel exits the nozzle portion 4004.

40B is a top view of the biasing member 4039 of FIG. 40A constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the deflection member 4039 has a deflection center portion 4051 separated from the deflection member periphery by one or more channels 4053 extending through the deflection member 4039. In certain embodiments, the biasing member 4039 may be made from a non-magnetic stainless steel sheet stock of 0.1 mm (0.004 ') thick. In addition, the deflection member 4039 may be stamped or photo-etched to obtain the illustrated geometry. The deflection member 4039 can also be heat treated to form a desired spring function at the center portion 4041 that raises the center portion 4051. The non-magnetic nature of the biasing member 4039 provides for about 0.1 mm (0.004 ') spacing to prevent the hard magnetic domain, which may be formed with continued attraction, from delaying the valve 4032 opening time of FIG. 40A. Valve 4032 quickly returns to the normal closed position. In other embodiments, however, the biasing member may be another type of biasing member including, for example, conical springs, spring washers, coil compression springs, and the like. Also, in other embodiments, the biasing member 4039 may be omitted from the valve assembly 4028 of FIG. 40A.

41 is a partial side cross-sectional view of an injector 4100 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 4100 includes a base 4102 having a valve assembly 4128 having a structure and function generally similar to the valve assembly 4028 described above with reference to FIG. 40A. For example, the valve assembly 4128 of FIG. 41 includes a valve 4132 disposed in the valve cavity 4121. The valve cavity 4121 is fluidly connected with the force generator fuel outlet 4124. In the illustrated embodiment, however, a portion of the valve cavity 4121 surrounding the fuel outlet 4124 has an inclined shape that generally corresponds to the conical or cone end of the valve 4132. More specifically, the end of the valve 4132 includes a first inclined, conical, or conical surface 4138 extending from the second inclined, conical, or conical surface 4139. The valve cavity 4121 surface in contact with the valve 4132 has an inclined, conical, or truncated cone shape that is the same as or substantially similar to the second inclined surface 4139 of the valve 4132. It is an advantage of this embodiment that the inclined or conical configuration allows for a relaxed tolerance between the valve 4132 and the surface of the valve cavity 4121 in contact with the valve 4132.

42 is a side sectional view of an injector 4200 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The injector 4200 includes the injector, and in particular several features that are substantially similar in structure and function to the injector 1600 described above with reference to FIG. 28. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 42, for example, the injector 4200 includes a base 4202 opposite the nozzle portion 4204. The actuator rod or cable 4214 extends from the base portion 4202 to the nozzle portion 4204 in the longitudinal fuel path 4211. The cable 4214 is connected with an outwardly open flow valve 4224 in the nozzle portion 4204. Cable 4214 includes one or more monitoring elements, such as fiber optic cables, to transmit combustion chamber data to a controller or processor. The fuel inlet 4209 at the base is connected with the fuel path 4211 to be in fluid communication.

Base 4202 also includes a force generator 4206 (eg, suitable pneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic solenoid, piezoelectric components, etc.) that provides actuation force for cable locks or brakes 4266. Cable brake 4268 provides retraction or radial retraction for cable 4214 to keep cable 4214 in tension to keep valve 4244 in the closed position. Base 4202 also includes a attraction element 4270 that is connected with cable 4214 downstream of cable brake 4268, such as a magnet or permanent magnet. The attraction element 4270 is attracted to the stationary ferromagnetic disc 4268, which is connected to the base 4202 and is disposed between the attraction element 4270 and the cable brake 4266. Thus, attraction element 4270 pulls cable 4214 at least partially to maintain valve 4224 in the closed position.

According to further aspects of the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 4202 also connects to the cable 4214 and has a first stop member 4264 that contacts the cable brake 4268 to limit the degree of axial movement of the cable 4214. Include. It also includes a second stop member 4260 that is connected to the cable 4214 upstream of the base 4202 first stop member 4264. The first stop member 4260 contacts the deflection member 4426 (eg, springs, coil compression springs, etc.) to further pull the cable 4214 to at least partially maintain the valve 4224 in the closed position. .

In operation, fuel is introduced into fuel path 4211 through fuel inlet 4209. Cable brake 4268 provides retractive force against cable 4214 to lock cable 4214 and prevent valve 4224 from opening. If fuel injection is needed, the force generator 4206 acts on the cable brake 4268 to be moved to the relaxed position. When the cable brake 4266 is in the relaxed position, the valve 4244 opens with the pressure of the fuel in the fuel path 4211. More specifically, the pressure gradient in the fuel path 4211 increases the tension of the cable 4214 provided by the attraction element 4270 and the ferromagnetic disk 4268 as well as the second stop member 4260 and the biasing member 4426. It must be overcome. Also, when the first stop 4264 is in contact with the cable brake 4268, the overall movement of the cable 4214 is limited by the first stop 4264.

The injector 4200 embodiment shown in FIG. 42 thus provides for variable pressure control and increased injection control. For example, cable brake 4268 provides a variable limiting force on cable 4214 to adjust the pressure required to open valve 4224. In addition, the second stop member 4260 and the deflecting member 4426 may, alone or in combination with the attractive force element 4270 and the ferromagnetic disc 4268, further selectively control the pressure required to open the valve. Similar to the other embodiments above, the fuel injector 4200 can also be adaptively controlled in response to one or more of the combustion chamber characteristics being inspected.

According to further embodiments of the present invention and as described above in detail, an injector according to an embodiment of the present invention may have one or more ignition features or electrodes supported on the corresponding injector nozzle portion. This injector also has a cover for adjusting or controlling the fuel injection pattern in the nozzle portion. In certain embodiments, for example, such nozzle portions and corresponding flow valves, electrodes, and stoppers may have at least the following configurations: an outwardly open fuel control valve having stationary electrodes outside the valve; An outwardly open fuel flow control valve having a stationary phase electrode inside the valve; An inwardly open fuel flow control valve having a stationary phase electrode outside the valve; An inwardly open fuel flow control valve having a stationary phase electrode inside the valve; Electrodes moving outwardly with the outwardly movable valve; Electrodes moving inward with the inwardly actuated valve, etc.

Also, in certain embodiments, an injector having these nozzle portions (eg, a valve, electrode, and / or lid combination) can inject a plasma away from the nozzle portion in the corresponding axial direction. For example, a plug or electrode such as the plug described above with reference to FIG. 24A can induce plasma generation that extends at least partially away from the nozzle portion in a radial or axial direction. More specifically, the plug having structural elements in the axial movement path of the fuel can thus induce a plasma away from the nozzle portion in the axial direction. The directed plasma in this direction, and in particular in the axial direction from the nozzle portion, can offset or otherwise determine the vortex motion of the fuel. This plasma generation also enables better injector fuel pattern formation and control.

Add Examples

A fuel injector for injecting fuel by the fuel valve means, and a fuel igniter integrated with the fuel injector, the fuel valve means being provided with an opening means selected from the group consisting of insulated rod means, insulated cable means, and insulated optical fiber opening means. By the force generating means and the fuel valve means and the fuel injection means and the fuel ignition means are integrated at an interface with the fuel combustion means.

In the system described herein the opening means detects or communicates the detected information from the combustion means to the control means.

In the system described herein, the control means are integrated in the fuel injector means.

The force generating means in the system described herein is electromechanical.

The force generating means in the systems described herein impacts the selection from the group consisting of cable, rod, or fiber optic means.

In the systems described herein the fuel ignition means is selected from the group consisting of sparks, multiple flames, and plasma means.

In the system described herein the control means is cooled by fuel.

In the system described herein the fuel cools at least the force generating means or the valve means.

In the systems described herein, fuel is injected into at least one heat engine or fuel cell.

In the systems described herein the fuel is stored by fuel storage means, the fuel storage means comprising cryogenic liquids, cryogenic solids and liquids, cryogenic solids, liquids, vapors and gases; For storage of fuels consisting of non-cryogenic liquids, non-cryogenic solids and liquids, and non-cryogenic solids, liquids, vapors, and gases.

In the systems described herein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of cryogenic liquid fuels, cryogenic solid fuels and cryogenic gas fuels.

In the systems described herein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of solid fuels, liquid fuels, fuel vapors, and gaseous fuels.

In the systems described herein the fuel is a mixture of cryogenic and non-cryogenic fuels.

In the system described herein the fuel is supplied and combusted by one of the layered charge combustion mode, the homogeneous charge combustion mode and the layered charge combustion mode in the homogeneous charge.

In the systems described herein the valve means are protected by a material means selected from the group consisting of sapphire, quartz, glass, and high temperature polymer.

In the system described herein the fuel passes through the heat exchange means before being fed to the injector.

Ignition means in the systems described herein include means selected from the group consisting of electrostatic discharge, piezoelectric voltage generation, and inductive voltage generation.

Storing at least one fuel material in the containment means, substantially separating the valve manipulator means from the flow control valve means disposed at the combustion chamber means interface of the engine means and controlling the fuel or fuel derivative by means of an electrically insulated cable or rod means Delivering a fuel and / or a fuel derivative to an apparatus capable of removing fuel deposits from the engine means to the combustion chamber means at uncertain times.

In the process described herein the control valve means is intermittently charged to provide a plasma discharge means.

In the process described herein the electrically insulated cable or rod means also detects information from the combustion chamber means for this process and communicates the detected information to the control means.

Fuel derivatives in the processes described herein are produced by means selected from the group consisting of heat exchangers, reversible fuel cells, and catalytic heat exchangers.

The fuel or fuel derivative in the process described herein comprises hydrogen utilized as a means of reducing the heat transfer means and / or the relative kinetic element means operating loss of the energy conversion process.

In the processes described herein the relative motion element means is a generator.

In the processes described herein the relative kinetic element means is a heat engine.

In the process described herein, the container means insulate the cryogenic material.

Container means in the processes described herein comprise pressurized inventories of fuel and / or fuel derivatives.

Integrated system of fuel injection and ignition means, in which the intermittent flow for fuel injection is controlled by an actuating means for the valve means and the valve means which are electrically separated by the insulating means and the actuating means exerts a force on the valve means by the electric insulation means. .

In the system described herein the actuation means exerts a force on the valve means by means of electrically insulating means consisting of an electrically insulating cable or a rod means.

In the system described herein the cable or rod means also detects information from the combustion chamber means and communicates the detected information to the control means for operation of the system.

In the system described herein, the control valve means intermittently charges and intermittently ignites the injection fuel passed by the control valve means.

The movable valve element means is displaced by plunger means forced by means selected from the group consisting of solenoid mechanism means, cam mechanism means, and a combination of solenoid and cam mechanism means, and the valve element means being solenoid mechanism means, piezoelectric mechanism means and A system for providing a fluid flow valve function intermittently stopped in a fluid flow allowable position by means selected from the group consisting of a combination of solenoid and piezoelectric mechanism means.

At least some fluid flow in the systems described herein is supplied to the engine means to accelerate air inflow and increase the volumetric efficiency of the engine means.

In the system described herein at least some of the fluid flow is controlled by the valve means by which the intermittent flow for fuel injection is electrically separated by the insulating means and by the operating means for the valve means and the actuating means are connected to the valve means by the electrical insulating means. It is provided to the combustion chamber of the engine means by means of a fuel injection and ignition means integration system that applies force.

This operation in the systems described herein provides a braking mean effective pressure that is adaptively optimized for cycle combustion of various fuels selected regardless of fuel octane, cetane, viscosity, energy density, or temperature.

In the systems described herein, the hydrogen containing fuels and / or compounds are converted into mixtures of hydrogen and / or hydrogen and other fluid components by heat exchangers that transfer engine heat to the hydrogen containing fuels and / or compounds to support endothermic reactions.

In the systems described herein, hydrogen is utilized for adsorption and removal media, and for use in the group selected from the group consisting of rotary machine cooling and rotary machine drift loss reduction as fuel for two or more hybridization energy conversion applications.

Fluids in the systems described herein include hydrogen utilized for adsorption and removal media and for use selected from the group consisting of rotary machine cooling, rotary machine drift loss reduction as fuel for two or more hybridization energy conversion applications.

A fuel injector for injecting fuel injected by the microprocessor and the valve element opening; A fuel ignition means integrated with the injector; The valve element is opened with one of the cables or rods connected to the actuator; The cable or rod is electrically insulated and includes a fiber optic element for communicating combustion data to the microprocessor.

In the system described herein the fuel ignition means is arranged near the valve element.

In the systems described herein the actuator is an electromechanical actuator.

In the systems described herein the actuator exerts an impact on the cable or rod.

In the systems described herein the fuel ignition means is selected from one of sparks, multiple sparks or plasma discharges.

In the system described herein the microprocessor is disposed within the fuel injector body.

In the system described herein a microprocessor is placed next to a conduit that supplies fuel to the injector, and the fuel passing through the conduit cools the microprocessor.

In the systems described herein, fuel is used to cool at least one of the valve element or the actuator.

In the systems described herein, fuel is injected into at least one of a heat engine or a fuel cell.

In the systems described herein the fuel is stored in fuel tanks suitable for cryogenic fuel storage.

The fuel in the systems described herein is selected from the group consisting of cryogenic liquid fuels, cryogenic solid fuels and cryogenic gas fuels.

In the systems described herein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of solid fuels, liquid fuels and gaseous fuels.

In the systems described herein the fuel is a mixture of cryogenic and non-cryogenic fuels.

In the systems described herein the fuel is supplied and combusted by one of the layered charge combustion mode, the homogeneous charge combustion mode and the layered charge combustion mode in the homogeneous charge.

In the system described herein, the valve element is made one from the group of sapphire, quartz, glass and high temperature polymers.

In the system described herein, fuel passes through a heat exchanger before being fed to the injector.

With oxidant tolerance, fuel injection, ignition, combustion, and cyclical means of working production, the oxidant is allowed in excess of the amount required for complete combustion of the fuel supplied by the fuel injection and fuel injection is carried out in multiple fuel transfers in each operating cycle. By this possible means, ignition and combustion are monitored to determine information selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, combustion rate, and combustion location, temperature below the selected set point, temperature exceeding the selected set point after one or more fuel transfers, Fuel injection start and stop to prevent conditions selected from the group consisting of selected set point overpressure, selected set point underburn rate, selected set point over burn rate, and combustion at locations above the area defined by the selected set point. The energy utilized by the controller means Switching system.

In the energy conversion system described herein, fuel injection is provided by valve means disposed substantially adjacent to the combustion chamber interface for achieving energy conversion.

In the energy conversion system described herein, ignition is provided at or substantially close to the combustion chamber interface for achieving energy conversion.

In the energy conversion system described herein, fuel injection, one or more stops of fuel injections Any event is resumed by the energy conversion system until the desired degree of work is achieved.

In the energy conversion system described herein, the oxidant in excess of the amount necessary to completely burn the fuel supplied by the fuel injection is maintained as an envelope to insulate the respective combustion situations.

It is apparent that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the dielectric strength may be changed or varied to include alternative materials and processing means. The actuator and driver may vary depending on fuel or injector usage. The shroud is used to ensure fuel distribution form and integration and the shroud may vary in size, design or location to allow for different efficiencies and protection. Alternatively, the injector may be modified, for example, the electrode, optics, actuator, nozzle or body may comprise alternative constructions made from other materials or different from those shown and described, but still within the spirit of the present invention. .

Unless expressly stated otherwise in the context, throughout the specification and claims, the words “comprise,” “comprise,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exclusive meaning; That means 'including but not limited to'. Singular or plural words also include plural or singular, respectively. When using the word 'or' in listing two or more items in a claim, the word includes all interpretations of the following words: any item in the listed, any item in the listed, and any combination in the listed Items in

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications, and non-patent documents referred to in this specification and / or application datasheets are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Aspects of the present invention may be modified to apply various configurations and concepts of various patents, applications, and publications to fuel injectors and ignition mechanisms, if desired, to provide further embodiments of the present invention.

These and other variations can be applied to the present invention in light of the above description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed as limiting the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and in the claims, and include all systems and methods operable in accordance with the claims. Should be interpreted as. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited by the present disclosure, but rather the scope should be broadly determined by the following claims.

Claims (36)

A body having a base opposite the nozzle portion; A fuel path extending through the body from the base to the nozzle portion; A force generator at the base; A movable first valve that moves from the closed position to the open position in response to the force generator operation to introduce fuel into the fuel path; And a second valve in the nozzle portion that is deformed from the closed position to the open position in response to the fuel path pressure to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the first valve is made of ferromagnetic material and the second valve is made of elastomer. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the first valve includes a valve fuel passage extending therethrough and the fuel flows through the valve fuel passage to the valve when the valve is moved from the closed position to the open position. The fuel injector of claim 1, wherein the valve comprises an end that is generally conical or truncated toward the nozzle portion. The fuel injector of claim 1, further comprising a case at least partially receiving a force generator, the case including a fuel inlet for introducing fuel therein and a fuel outlet for outflowing the fuel. 6. The fuel injector of claim 5, wherein in the closed position the first valve shuts off the fuel outlet and in the open position the first valve opens the fuel outlet to allow fuel to flow from the fuel outlet to the fuel path. The fuel injector of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric insulator extending through the body portion coaxially with the fuel path. 8. The fuel injector of claim 7, wherein the fuel path comprises a fuel flow channel formed in the insulator and extending longitudinally along the insulator. The fuel injector of claim 8, wherein the fuel flow channel decreases in size as the fuel flow channel approaches the nozzle portion. 8. The fuel injector of claim 7, wherein the fuel path comprises a plurality of fuel flow channels formed on the insulator outer surface and spaced circumferentially from each other on the insulator. The fuel injector of claim 7, wherein the dielectric insulator is a first dielectric insulator, and the injector further comprises a second dielectric insulator extending coaxially through a portion of the body and spaced apart from the first insulator. The fuel injector of claim 11, wherein the fuel path is between the first insulator and the second insulator. 13. The fuel injection system of claim 12, wherein the fuel path is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, and the injector further comprises a plurality of injection ports in the nozzle portion connected in fluid communication with the fuel path, wherein the individual injection ports are in the longitudinal direction of the body. Fuel injector, generally not parallel to the axis. The fuel injector of claim 1, further comprising a pole portion supported at the base, the pole portion being spaced from the valve when the valve is in the closed position. The fuel injector of claim 14, wherein the force generator magnetizes the pole portion to move the first valve from the closed position to the open position. 15. The fuel injector of claim 14, further comprising a biasing member disposed between the pole portion and the valve, wherein the biasing member made of non-magnetic material biases the valve away from the pole portion. The fuel injector of claim 1, further comprising an electrical conductor extending longitudinally through the body central portion, the conductor being connected to an ignition energy source. 18. The fuel injector of claim 17, further comprising an ignition feature supported by the nozzle portion and operatively connected to the conductor. The fuel injector of claim 17, further comprising one or more optical fibers coaxially disposed within the conductor, wherein the one or more optical fibers detect one or more combustion chamber characteristics. A body having a base opposite the nozzle part, the base part receiving fuel therein and the nozzle part being disposed adjacent the combustion chamber; A case at least partially containing a force generator, the fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, the fuel inlet receiving the fuel from a fuel source and the fuel outlet being at the base for outflowing the fuel; A fuel path connected in fluid communication with the case fuel outlet and extending longitudinally from the base to the nozzle portion through the body; A movable first valve adjacent the force generator, the movable first valve being moved between the closed position and the open position in response to the force generator operation to pass fuel from the fuel outlet to the fuel path; And a second valve in the nozzle portion moved between the closed position and the open position corresponding to the predetermined fuel pressure in the fuel path to inject the fuel into the combustion chamber, the fuel being injected into the combustion chamber and igniting the fuel in the combustion chamber. Fuel injector. The fuel injector of claim 20, wherein the first valve is a ferromagnetic valve and the second valve is a modified polymer valve. 21. The body of claim 20 wherein the body has a longitudinal axis, the first valve moves substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis between the closed and open positions, and the second valve is generally from the longitudinal axis between the closed and open positions. Radially outwardly moved fuel injector. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising: a conductor extending longitudinally from the base to the nozzle portion through the body and connected to an ignition energy source; And more ignition features operatively connected to the conductor and generating an ignition event that ignites the fuel in the combustion chamber. The fuel injector of claim 23, further comprising one or more monitoring elements disposed coaxially with the conductor and extending from the base to the nozzle portion. A body having a base opposite the nozzle portion; A valve supported by the nozzle portion and movable between the open position and the closed position; An actuator operatively connected to the valve and extending from the valve to the base and moving the valve to the closed position when at least partially tensioned; And in contact with the actuator, the actuator actuated between the first and second positions, providing retractive force to the actuator in the first position to float the actuator in at least partially tensioned state to maintain the valve in the closed position, and A fuel injector for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, comprising an actuator brake that relaxes the actuator in position. 27. The fuel injector of claim 25, further comprising a force generator for directing actuator brake movement between the first and second positions. The fuel injector of claim 25, further comprising a stop in communication with the actuator, the stop restricting the distance the valve moves from the closed position to the open position in contact with the actuator brake. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising: a stopper connected to the actuator; And a biasing member adjacent the stop, the biasing member biasing the stop away from the nozzle portion to pull the actuator and at least partially maintain the valve in the closed position. 27. The system of claim 25, further comprising: a gravity component connected to the actuator; And a stationary ferromagnetic disc coupled to the base, wherein the attraction element is biased towards the disc in a direction away from the nozzle portion to pull the actuator and at least partially maintain the valve in the closed position. Injecting fuel into the fuel injector base; Operating the first valve in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuel injector such that fuel flows from the base to the fuel path extending from the base of the fuel injector to the nozzle portion; And operating the second valve in a direction generally non-parallel to the longitudinal axis such that fuel is supplied from the fuel path to the combustion chamber. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the actuation of the first valve comprises moving the first valve from the closed position to the open position with a solenoid winding. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein actuating the second valve comprises modifying the second valve at least partially in response to a predetermined pressure in the fuel path. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the second valve comprises a sleeve valve coaxially disposed in the nozzle portion, and the second valve actuating step includes radially inflating at least a portion of the sleeve valve. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first valve actuation step includes actuating electromagnetically the first valve and the second valve actuation step comprises hydraulically actuating the second valve. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein actuating the second valve comprises automatically actuating the second valve in response to a predetermined pressure in the fuel path. 31. The method of claim 30, further comprising igniting fuel in the combustion chamber with an ignition feature supported by the nozzle portion.

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