Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080217421 | Cavitation erosion reduction strategy for valve member and fuel injector utilizing same - A mechanically actuated electronically controlled unit injector includes an electronically controlled spill valve to precisely control timing of fuel pressurization within a fuel pressurization chamber. Cavitation bubbles may be generated in the region of the valve seat when the spill valve member is closed to raise fuel pressure in the fuel injector. This cavitation can cause erosion on the spill valve member and the surrounding injector body. In order to preempt cavitation damage, the valve member may be modified to include a compound annulus that includes a small annulus that corresponds to an identified cavitation damage pattern. Although the generation of cavitation bubbles may continue after such a strategy, cavitation erosion, and the associated liberation of metallic particles into the fuel system can be reduced, and maybe eliminated, by the preemptive cavitation reduction strategy. | 09-11-2008 |
20090139491 | SOLENOID ASSEMBLY HAVING SLOTTED STATOR - A solenoid assembly is disclosed. The solenoid assembly has a housing having a cavity disposed therein. The solenoid assembly also has a unitary stator having a plurality of separated portions. The separated portions are held together by at least one lip located on an outer periphery of the stator. The stator is sized to fit within the cavity disposed in the housing. | 06-04-2009 |
20090250531 | NON-GUIDED TAPPET AND FUEL INJECTOR USING SAME - A fuel injector includes an injector body having an internal surface and an external surface. A tappet assembly includes a non-guided tappet and a plunger assembly, and is mounted on the injector body. The tappet assembly is movable with respect to the injector body a displacement distance between an advanced position and an extended position. A portion of the plunger assembly is slidably guided along the internal surface of the injector body, while the non-guided tappet is free of contact with both the internal surface and the external surface of the injector body in the advanced and extended positions. The tappet assembly may be prevented from moving beyond the extended position using a snap ring positioned within a retention opening of the fuel injector body. | 10-08-2009 |
20090283612 | Seal arrangement for a fuel injector needle valve - A seal arrangement for a needle valve in a fuel injector ( | 11-19-2009 |
20090314259 | Electronic pressure relief in a mechanically actuated fuel injector - A mechanically actuated electronically controlled fuel injector includes a first electrical actuator that controls the position of a spill value, and a second electrical actuator to control pressure on a closing hydraulic surface associated with a nozzle check valve. The fuel injector is actuated via rotation of a cam to move a plunger to displace fuel from a fuel pressurization chamber either to a spill passage or at high pressure out of a nozzle outlet of the fuel injector for an injection event. Pressure in the fuel injector is moderated when the plunger is moving and the nozzle check valve is in a closed position by briefly cracking open the spill valve to relieve some pressure during the dwell between injection events, such as between a large main injection event and a small close coupled post injection event. This strategy allows for longer dwell times between injection events as well as smaller injection quantities in the post-injection. | 12-24-2009 |
20100096473 | Variable flow rate valve for mechnically actuated fuel injector - A mechanically actuated electronically controlled fuel injector (MEUI) includes a first electrical actuator that controls the position of a spill valve, and a second electrical actuator to control pressure on a closing hydraulic surface associated with a directly operated needle valve. The fuel injector is actuated via rotation of a cam to move a plunger to displace fuel from a fuel pumping chamber either to a spill passage, or at high pressure out of a nozzle outlet of the fuel injector for an injection event. The minimum controllable fuel injection quantity, especially as it relates to small closely coupled post injections following a large main injection, is accomplished by the inclusion of a variable flow rate valve that restricts fluid flow from a needle control chamber toward a drain, but is relatively unrestricted to high pressure fluid flow toward the needle control chamber. The inclusion of the variable flow rate valve slows the rate at which pressure drops in the needle control chamber to commence an injection event, but permits a fast rate at which pressure may build in the needle control chamber to end an injection event. The result is a smaller post injection quantity and more controllability over the dwell time between injection events. | 04-22-2010 |
20100175670 | Reducing variations in close coupled post injections in a fuel injector and fuel system using same - An electrically controlled fuel injector includes an armature that is movable between a first armature position and a second armature position inside an armature cavity containing fuel. By reducing the size of the armature cavity to a squish film drag gap, the armature experiences a squish film drag phenomenon when the armature moves from the first armature position to the second armature position reducing the armature travel speed but also reducing the settling time of the armature after an injection event. By reducing the armature travel speed; the armature experiences a reduction in magnitude of armature bounce allowing the armature to settle down quicker and produce minimum controllable injection events with shorter dwell times than predecessor fuel injectors, especially for close coupled post injection events. | 07-15-2010 |
20110315118 | System and Method for Cooling Fuel Injectors - Various fuel injection systems and fuel injectors are disclosed that provide varying cooling rates for fuel injectors connected in series to fuel supply and drain rail. The local cooling rate for each injector is manipulated to balance the heat flux or heat transfer across the injectors disposed along the rail. The cooling rates may be manipulated by varying sizes of openings or slots in the nozzle case, by varying annular spaces disposed between the nozzle case and the portion of the injector body that houses the actuator and solenoid assembly, and by varying the size of annular spaces disposed between the nozzle case and the cylinder head. Strategic placement of slots in the nozzle case that direct more flow at the portion of the injector body that houses the actuator and solenoid assembly may also be employed. As a result, the operating temperatures of fuel injectors connected in series to a fuel rail can be manipulated and moderated so the downstream injectors are not prone to overheating. | 12-29-2011 |
20120199101 | PRESSURE RECOVERY SYSTEM FOR LOW LEAKAGE CAM ASSISTED COMMON RAIL FUEL SYSTEM, FUEL INJECTOR AND OPERATING METHOD THEREFOR - A fuel system includes a plurality of fuel injectors each defining a nozzle supply passage, a nozzle outlet, a low pressure space, and a drain. The fuel system includes a plurality of mechanically actuated pressure intensifiers each including a tappet and being positioned partially within one of the fuel injectors, and a common rail fluidly connecting with each of the fuel injectors. Each of the fuel injectors further includes an injection pressure control mechanism having an injection pressure control valve. Each injection pressure control valve blocks the corresponding pressure intensifier from the common rail and fluidly connects the pressure intensifier with the low pressure space at a first position, and fluidly connects the pressure intensifier with the common rail and blocks the pressure intensifier from the low pressure space at a second position. Each of the fuel injectors further includes a pressure recovery mechanism having a pressure recovery valve. Each pressure recovery valve blocks the corresponding pressure intensifier from the common rail and fluidly connects the low pressure space and the drain at the first position, and fluidly connects the low pressure space with the common rail and blocks the low pressure space from the drain at the second position. Injecting fuel via operating the fuel system may include operating the fuel system in a low leakage mode where the pressure intensifier displaces fuel at a low pressure, between high pressure injections. | 08-09-2012 |
20130081593 | Single Actuator Fuel Injector for Dual Fuels - Fuel injectors are disclosed that are capable of simultaneously delivering liquid and gaseous fuels to the combustion chamber of a compression ignition engine. For example, fuel injectors are disclosed that can deliver liquid diesel fuel, as a pilot liquid, along with a gaseous fuel, such as natural gas or other available fuels that are gases at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. The fuels are delivered to the needle control valve cavity sequentially via separate passageways. The delivery of the pressurized liquid fuel is actuated by the single actuator that is provided for each fuel injector. The actuator may be of a solenoid type or of a piezoelectric type or other suitable actuator as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. A liquid fuel check valve, in combination with the actuator, controls the delivery of the pilot liquid fuel to the needle control valve cavity. | 04-04-2013 |
20130319373 | Dual Fuel Injector And Fuel System - A dual fuel injector in a dual common rail fuel system includes an injector body defining a liquid fuel supply passage to a liquid fuel nozzle outlet, and a gaseous fuel supply passage to a gaseous fuel nozzle outlet. A liquid fuel needle check is movable within the injector body and has an opening hydraulic surface exposed to a fuel pressure of a liquid fuel common rail. A gaseous fuel needle check is positioned side by side with the liquid fuel needle check and has an opening hydraulic surface exposed to the fuel pressure of the liquid fuel common rail. Sensitivity to differences in gaseous fuel rail pressure and liquid fuel rail pressure is reduced by the design. | 12-05-2013 |
20130333668 | Method and Apparatus for Generating Useful Work from the Vent Gas of a Dual Fuel Internal Combustion Engine - An engine system is disclosed that combusts both gaseous and diesel fuels. The system includes a diesel reservoir in communication with an internal combustion engine via a diesel rail. The system also includes a liquefied gaseous fuel reservoir in communication with the internal combustion engine via a gaseous fuel rail. The gaseous fuel and diesel rails both are in communication with a pressure control device. The pressure control device measures the pressure differential between the gaseous fuel and diesel rails. If the pressure differential exceeds a desired range, the pressure control device vents gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel rail to a spark ignited engine, where the vent gas is used as fuel. The spark ignited engine then converts the vented gaseous fuel to useful work. | 12-19-2013 |
20140034020 | Co-Axial Quill Assembly Retainer And Dual Fuel Common Rail Engine Using Same - A dual fuel common rail engine supplies pressurized natural gas and liquid diesel fuel at different pressures through a co-axial quill assembly for direct injection from a single fuel injector into an engine cylinder. Each coaxial quill assembly includes a matched pair of inner and outer quills that are chosen to have dimensions that allow both quills to sealingly engage each fuel injector at a common conical seat responsive to a clamping force applied along an axis. Matched pairs of inner and outer quills are retained together during pre-installation handling with a retainer that is left between the inner and outer quills after installation in an engine. | 02-06-2014 |
20140034023 | Dual Check Fuel Injector And Fuel System Using Same - A fuel injector includes a first check valve member that seats on an injector body, and a second check valve member that seats on the first check valve member covers a first nozzle outlet set when in a closed position. When the first check valve member moves to an open position, gaseous fuel is injected through both a first nozzle outlet set and a second nozzle outlet set. When the second check valve member moves to an open position, liquid fuel moves through a through passage defined by the first check valve member to facilitate injection of the second nozzle outlet set. The first and second check valve members may be controlled by first and second control valves, respectively. | 02-06-2014 |
20140053800 | Dual Fuel System Diagnostics For Dual Fuel Engine And Machine Using Same - A machine includes a machine body and a dual fuel compression ignition engine attached to the machine body. A dual fuel system is operably coupled to supply the engine with liquid diesel fuel and natural gas fuel directly into respective cylinders of the engine. The fuel system includes an insulated tank for storing the natural gas fuel, a pressure sensor positioned to measure fluid pressure within the tank, and a pump for drawing the natural gas fuel from the tank. An electronic controller is in communication with the pressure sensor and has a cryogenic system diagnostics algorithm executable thereon that is configured to receive a pressure signal from the pressure sensor, detect a cryogenic system fault based on the signal, and generate a notification signal based on the fault. | 02-27-2014 |
20140061326 | Dual Check Fuel Injector With Single Actuator - A fuel injector includes first and second check valve members that open and close first and second nozzle outlet sets, respectively, to inject two fuels that differ in at least one of chemical identity, pressure and molecular state. The first check valve member defines a through passage, includes a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the first control chamber, and moves into and out of contact with a first seat on an injector body. The second check valve member includes a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a second control chamber, and moves into and out of contact with a second seat located on the first check valve member. A control valve member is movable between first and second positions that respectively block and allow fluid communication between the first and second control chambers and a drain outlet. | 03-06-2014 |
20140069386 | LIMP HOME CAPABLE DUAL FUEL ENGINE AND MACHINE USING SAME - A dual fuel engine powers a machine by burning natural gas and liquid diesel fuel. When operating in a low load mode, some of the engine cylinders are fueled with a high ratio of diesel/gas, and the remaining cylinders are unfueled. When operating in a high load mode, all of the engine cylinders are fueled with a low ratio of diesel/gas. When operating in a limp home mode, the fuel injectors are configured to inject only diesel fuel into all of the plurality of engine cylinders. | 03-13-2014 |
20140123916 | Utilizing Locomotive Electrical Locker to Warm Liquid Natural Gas - A system for the exchange of thermal energy generated by electrical components in an electrical locker to a flow of a liquefied gas is provided. The system includes a storage container for cryogenically storing the liquefied gas at low pressure, a heat exchanger configured into the electrical locker, and a cryogenic pump in fluid communication with the storage container. The cryogenic pump pressurizes the liquefied gas received from the storage container to a higher pressure and pumps the pressurized liquefied gas to a location where vaporization of the liquefied gas into a gaseous form is performed using the thermal energy drawn from the electrical locker by the heat exchanger. | 05-08-2014 |
20140123936 | Debris Robust Fuel Injector With Co-Axial Control Valve Members And Fuel System Using Same - A dual fuel injector utilizes first and second control valves to open and close first and second nozzle outlet sets to inject a first fuel and a second fuel, respectively. The first and second control valves have concentric lines of action, and include a self alignment feature with respect to a flat seat. The two fuels may differ in at least one of chemical identity, matter phase and pressure. | 05-08-2014 |
20140150422 | Clean Fill Port System and Method - A clean fill port system for a compressed gas tank having a fill port includes a sealable enclosure surrounding the fill port. The sealable enclosure includes a closeable lid that defines a sealed cavity within the sealable enclosure when the lid is in a closed position. A pressurized fluid supply port is directly fluidly connected with the sealed cavity. The sealable enclosure completely encloses the fill port and is configured to maintain a pressurized fluid within the sealed cavity such that ingress of water or debris into the sealed cavity is prevented. | 06-05-2014 |
20140182552 | DUAL FUEL COMMON RAIL SYSTEM AND DIESEL ONLY METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - A dual fuel common rail system may be operated in a regular mode in which a relatively large charge of gaseous fuel is ignited by compression igniting a relatively small injection quantity of liquid diesel fuel. The dual fuel system may be operated in a single fuel limp home mode in which liquid diesel fuel is injected at higher pressures. Over pressurization of the gaseous fuel side of the fuel system due to leaked liquid fuel is avoided by regularly injecting leaked liquid fuel, but not gaseous fuel, from the gaseous nozzle outlet set during the limp home mode of operation. | 07-03-2014 |
20140182559 | Gaseous Fuel System, Direct Injection Gas Engine System, and Method - The disclosure describes an engine system having liquid and gaseous fuel systems, each of which injects fuel directly into an engine cylinder. A controller controls the pumping of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the gaseous fuel system using variable speeds for reciprocally moving a pumping piston of a pumping element with a drive assembly. The controller adjustably controls the drive assembly of the pump system to vary a time period for the pump cycle based upon a comparison of a pressure measured in the accumulator and a target pressure condition. When the accumulator pressure satisfies the target pressure condition, the controller is adapted to control the drive assembly such that the pumping element is in a creep mode in which the pumping piston continues to move, but produces no more than a nominal amount of compressed LNG. | 07-03-2014 |
20140196686 | GASEOUS COMMON RAIL FUEL SYSTEM AND HIGH COMPRESSION RATIO ENGINE USING SAME - A gaseous fuel engine combines the efficiencies associated with high compression ratio engines with the attractiveness of fueling with natural gas. Each engine cylinder has an associated fuel injector positioned for direct injection and supplied with gaseous fuel from a high pressure common rail. A separate ignition prechamber is also supplied with natural gas and includes an ignition device. Hot gas generated by igniting a mixture of gaseous fuel and air in the prechamber are used to ignite a much larger charge of gaseous fuel injected into the engine cylinder from the fuel injector. The engine has a compression ratio greater than 14: to 1. | 07-17-2014 |
20140196687 | In-Cylinder Dynamic Gas Blending Fuel Injector And Dual Fuel Engine - A dual fuel engine utilizes a compression ignited pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel to ignite a mixture of gaseous fuel and air in each engine cylinder. The gaseous fuel is injected at a relatively low pressure directly into the engine cylinder from a fuel injector. The liquid diesel fuel is injected directly into the engine cylinder from the same fuel injector. In-cylinder dynamic gas blending during the compression stroke can reduce potential hydrocarbon slip that could occur when unburned fuel resides in crevice volumes within the engine cylinder. | 07-17-2014 |
20140311444 | Dual Fuel Common Rail Transient Pressure Control And Engine Using Same - A compression ignition engine is fueled from common rail fuel injectors that predominately inject natural gas fuel that is compression ignited with a small pilot injection of liquid diesel fuel. Before and after a rapid load loss transient, the liquid and gaseous rail pressures are controlled toward respective pressures based upon engine speed and load. During the transient, the liquid rail pressure is controlled relative to the gas rail pressure in order to maintain the liquid rail pressure greater than the gas pressure during the transient to avoid migration gaseous fuel into the liquid fuel side of the system. | 10-23-2014 |
20140346254 | FUEL INJECTOR FOR GASEOUS INJECTION - A fuel injector comprises a liquid fuel cavity and a gas fuel cavity disposed within an injector cavity housing a liquid needle valve stem and a gas needle valve stem, respectively. The gas needle valve stem includes a guide stem portion distal to the injector tip and a check proximal to the injector tip. A drain passage terminates in a drain annulus groove disposed in a guide cavity wall of a gas valve guide cavity. The gas valve guide cavity houses the guide stem portion defining a clearance between the guide cavity wall below the drain annulus groove and the guide stem portion. The liquid fuel from the drain passage flows to the gas needle valve stem and an inner surface of the gas fuel cavity, through the clearance. The liquid fuel drained through the clearance collects in a plurality of grooves on the check. | 11-27-2014 |
20140352664 | FLOW LIMITING SYSTEM - The present disclosure is related to a flow limiting system for a dual fuel engine is disclosed. The flow limiting system includes a first valve configured to regulate a flow of a liquid fuel therethrough based on a pressure difference across the first valve. The flow limiting system further includes a second valve configured to regulate a flow of a gaseous fuel therethrough based on a pressure difference across the second valve. The second valve includes a valve body movably provided within a valve chamber. The valve body includes a control orifice extending therethrough. The valve body also includes grooves defined on an outer surface thereof. | 12-04-2014 |