Igniter pump-injector for the injection and / or distribution of liquid and / or gaseous and / or supercritical fuels

Abstract

The present invention relates to an igniter-operated unit injector for the injection and / or distribution of liquid and / or gaseous and / or supercritical fuels. This device comprises a positive displacement piston pump with a return system. The piston delimits two chambers: a combustion chamber and a compression chamber for the fuel inlet and for the discharge of all or part of this fuel or a fuel-rich stream. The device as a whole can be used in particular for supplying engines and / or fuel cells for propulsion, auxiliary power units, or the power supply of aircraft, spacecraft, land vehicles, naval vessels, or submarines, and more generally for fuel transfers, such as at service stations. Figure for the abstract: [Fig 6]

Description

Title of the invention: Igniter pump-injector for the injection and / or distribution of liquid and / or gaseous and / or supercritical fuels

[0001] In the context of the use of gaseous and / or liquid fuels, such as hydrogen, LNG, LPG or others, to power engines or fuel cells, or more generally a heating system or chemical reactions, one of the difficulties is to prepare the fuel fluid by giving it the necessary and compatible pressure and temperature conditions for its injection and / or more generally its use.

[0002] Direct liquid or gaseous injection at very low temperatures is often not compatible with conventional carburetion or injection technologies and processes for engines, boilers or fuel cells.

[0003] The igniter-operated unit injector for injecting and / or distributing liquid and / or gaseous and / or supercritical fuel is therefore located on the fuel supply circuit of a receiver in order to provide it with a fuel flow or a fuel-rich stream under satisfactory pressure and temperature conditions for its proper operation. The term "receiver" hereinafter refers to: all heat engines, internal combustion engines, external combustion engines, fuel cells, as well as all fuel combustion heating systems or chemical reactors, and also fuel distribution systems in general, for example, in service stations for refueling machines or vehicles of all types. For clarity and simplification, in the following description, the word "receiver" is often replaced by the word "engine" by analogy.

[0004] In direct-injection internal combustion engines and turbomachinery, injection pressures in the combustion chambers often require high pressures. Flow rates must also be considered, either for reasons of overall quantity or because of short injection durations. The higher the fuel density and the lower its viscosity, the greater the flow rate through an injector can be.

[0005] Compressing hydrogen in gaseous form is particularly energy-intensive. Moreover, in the context of using hydrogen in engines, pumps or compressors, sealing problems are particularly acute and perilous.

[0006] Patent No. FR3136260 - 08 / 12 / 2023 (BOPI 2023-49) and patent application No. FR2401824 describe 2, 4 and 4 and a half stroke volumetric machines capable of simultaneously compressing a cryogenic fuel in gaseous and liquid phases, using the supercompression power of the evaporation of the latter and / or an internal heat input by combustion of a small part of the hydrogen, or an external heat input, to supply the various engines with a gaseous fuel at temperature and pressure conditions acceptable to the engine manufacturers.

[0007] However, the possible presence of water and nitrogen, even in minute quantities due to internal combustion and mixed with the final fuel, can pose problems for certain processes, for example, hydrogen fuel cells. Even if the separation of water and nitrogen is possible, it complicates the concept.

[0008] Three problems persist with the totally gaseous distribution of hydrogen:

[0009] - Even under pressure, the diameter of the pipes is important;

[0010] - Evaporation in the tank of all the hydrogen consumed For traditional cryogenic tanks, liquid heating translates into very high heating power during phases of high consumption, which is not very compatible with the concept of energy efficiency.

[0011] - In the case where evaporation is caused by an evaporator inside the cryogenic reservoir (patent FR3135253 - BOPI 2023-45), the evaporation of a large flow rate can lead to overcooling, even to the risk of solidification of hydrogen.

[0012] For liquid-phase injection, the pressure build-up through a pump is less energy-intensive, but maintaining a liquid cryogenic fluid around the hot parts of an internal combustion engine is particularly difficult. All or part of the fuel evaporates, and managing multiphase injections (liquid and gaseous in the same pipeline) is very complex to implement and virtually impossible, especially when flow rates, pressures, and temperatures vary significantly. For some fluids, such as hydrogen, there is a so-called supercritical state accessible above its critical temperature and above a critical pressure. In this state, the fluids exhibit intermediate behavior with a density close to that of a liquid and a low viscosity like that of a gas.These characteristics can be particularly advantageous for the operation of an injector, as high density and low viscosity promote mass flow, as explained above.

[0013] Furthermore, in the phase diagram (Pressure and Temperature) of hydrogen, it is possible under certain conditions, by bypassing the critical point, to generate gaseous hydrogen from liquid hydrogen without a phase transition. This seamless transformation without enthalpy of phase change can be particularly interesting for the engine manufacturer, as it reduces overcooling during the injection and mixing of fuel with air.

[0014] The present invention of the igniter-operated unit injector for gaseous and / or liquid fuel consists of a device for injecting and / or distributing a gaseous and / or liquid fuel, comprising a positive displacement piston pump with a return system, the piston of which delimits two chambers, a combustion chamber and a compression chamber, characterized in that the increase in pressure related to ignition in the combustion chamber is transmitted via the piston to the compression chamber and compresses the fuel before and / or during its injection and / or transfer. The return system herein refers to any principle that allows the piston to return to its initial position at the end of the cycle.

[0015] This return can be achieved by the action of an elastic system, a spring, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a magnet, a cam, or a connecting rod-crank system, or more simply by the action of residual pressure in the compression chamber and / or by any other controlled or uncontrolled means. The combustion chamber includes an ignition system and transfer systems for supplying a small portion of the fuel in gaseous and / or liquid form, for supplying the oxidizer (air and / or oxygen), and for expelling the combustion products. The compression chamber also includes at least two transfer systems, at least one for the intake (intake) of the liquid and / or gaseous cryogenic fuel and at least one other for the discharge (exhaust) of all or part of this compressed fuel to the engine or to the machine or equipment to be supplied or refueled.

[0016] The term "transfer system" here refers to any system that regulates the movement of a fluid, such as a valve, gate, flap, stopper, ball, needle, needle valve, port, etc., controlled by a mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, magnetic, piezoelectric, or any other principle capable of actuating it. The gaseous or liquid fuel comes either directly from a tank, or via a pump in the case of a liquid, or via a compressor for the gaseous portion. The oxidizer comes either from a tank, for example in the case of pure oxygen, or, if it is air, directly from the environment (direct intake), or by extraction via a compressor or turbocharger, for example in the case of supercharging or turbomachinery.

[0017] The exhaust of the combustion products is either directly into the atmosphere, or reintroduced into the engine via the engine air intake duct, or into the combustion chamber, or onto a working turbine, for example at the turbine of a turbocharger. The reintroduction of the combustion products via the intake duct or in the combustion chamber of the engine is of interest in the context of internal combustion engines.

[0018] Indeed, it allows, on the one hand, the recovery of the enthalpy of the mixture and also the water produced by combustion, as well as unburned hydrogen if the mixture is too rich. Conversely, the direct evacuation of combustion products through a direct chimney via a direct exhaust to the outside can be advantageous when the receiving process does not tolerate the presence of water and / or a decrease in hydrogen purity, for example in the case of certain hydrogen fuel cells. A valve can also be added to this invention which, during operation, directs the exhaust gases to one or another pipe depending on the desired performance.

[0019] For the sake of simplicity, the oxidizer / fuel mixture for the unit injector with igniter may be prepared before its introduction into the combustion chamber by conventional injector, nozzle, venturi, or other systems. In this case, the combustion chamber portion of the unit injector with igniter will include only a single system for transferring the oxidizer and fuel mixture.

[0020] Similarly, in the case where the combustion products of the igniter-type unit injector are reintroduced into the main intake channel of the engine and the air intake also comes from this channel, the intake and exhaust transfer system can be the same, even if this latter configuration complicates the cycle settings.

[0021] Figure 1 shows an example of an igniter-operated unit injector for cryogenic fuel that can be mounted, for example, on the cylinder of a reciprocating internal combustion engine using hydrogen as fuel. It consists of a body (1) which is composed of a cylinder block (30) and a cylinder head (31), a piston (2) with a return system (11), the upper part of which contains a combustion chamber (3) comprising a gaseous hydrogen inlet valve (5), an air inlet valve (6) and an exhaust valve (7) for the combustion products, as well as a spark plug (8), and a compression chamber (4) on the lower part comprising a liquid hydrogen inlet valve (9) and a fuel outlet valve (10) for injection into the engine cylinder.

[0022] The thermodynamic cycle of the igniter-pump injector is as follows: - The piston (2) is at TDC (top dead center), the compression chamber (4) is filled with liquid or gaseous hydrogen, the valve (9) lets hydrogen in and the discharge valve (10) is closed. - We open and then close the fuel intake valve (5) then we open and close the air intake valve (6). The combustion chamber (3) is filled with a mixture of air and hydrogen, which is ignited by the spark plug (8). This phase is called ignition, and it results in combustion, an increase in temperature and pressure in the combustion chamber (3), and the piston (2) is forced downwards, compressing the spring (11) and the fluid in the compression chamber (4). The valve (9) closes under the pressure in the compression chamber (4), as the piston passes the port, and simultaneously the exhaust valve (10) opens, allowing the compressed hydrogen to be injected into the engine. - The exhaust valve (7) opens, the pressure in the combustion chamber (3) decreases, the piston (2) rises under the effect of the spring (11), the exhaust valve (10) closes and the compression chamber (4) refills with fuel. - Once the piston (2) has returned to TDC, the exhaust valve (7) is closed and the cycle can begin again.

[0023] In certain cases, it is possible for the fuel to reach temperature and pressure conditions in the compression chamber (4) beyond the critical point. This results in a supercritical fluid characterized by a density close to that of a liquid and a low viscosity like that of a gas. These conditions are particularly advantageous for fuel injection in engines.

[0024] The seal between the combustion chambers (3) and compression chamber (4) is ensured by controlling the clearance between the piston (2) and the cylinder block (30) and / or by using piston rings. The system is safe because any migration of hydrogen from the compression chamber (4) to the combustion chamber (3) would be contained and would result only in a slight increase in the combustion mixture. In the event of migration from the combustion chamber (3) to the compression chamber (4), the leak would also be contained and would end up in the engine cylinder via the exhaust valve (10).

[0025] The spring (11) is under considerable stress. It is possible to avoid putting it under excessive stress (close-knit coils) by providing a positive stop between the piston (2) and the cylinder block (30), either by direct contact or via a specific material capable of absorbing and / or damping repetitive shocks.

[0026] In the solution shown in [Fig. 1], the exhaust valve (10) is mechanically linked directly to the piston (2). As a result, the exhaust valve (10) opens as soon as the combustion chamber (3) pressure rises and the piston (2) begins to descend. To delay this opening and allow a As the fuel pressure rises in the compression chamber (4), it is possible to delay this opening. Figure 2 shows a solution where the relief valve (10) is not directly linked to the piston (2), but has an offset created by means of an elastic system, for example, a Belleville washer (12). This solution can also be supplemented by a second elastic system (13) for closing the relief valve (10).

[0027] A different solution is to use an independent actuator to control the opening of the evacuation valve (10) or to replace this evacuation valve (10) with a traditional needle system as on conventional injectors of direct injection petrol or diesel engines.

[0028] Another solution for adapting the duration of the pressure rise in the combustion chamber (3) with the opening of the exhaust valve (10), which can also be complementary to the other solutions mentioned, consists of controlling the spark plug ignition period according to the engine speed. The higher the engine speed, the greater the ignition advance of the unit injector with igniter. Even though hydrogen is easily flammable (low energy and very wide range), for reasons of performance and / or reliability and / or system responsiveness, it is also possible to consider a system with several spark plugs in the combustion chamber (3).

[0029] Another evolution of the igniter-type unit injector consists of using all or part of the fuel required for the combustion chamber (3) by drawing, at the end of the thermodynamic cycle, all or part of the fuel derived from the compression chamber (4) via the channel (42) and the non-return valve (17) shown in [Fig. 3]. Conversely, although this solution is not shown, the channel (42) can also, by means of a different positioning of the transfer ports, transfer a portion of the burnt gases from the combustion chamber (3) to the compression chamber (4). Another variant consists of passing this channel through the piston (2).

[0030] The initial solution in [Fig. 1] uses a free piston (2) technology, meaning that its positioning depends only on the balance of pressure forces and the return spring (11). This solution therefore requires adjusting the combustion timing relative to the injection in the engine. This timing varies with the engine speed as described above. To facilitate the operation of the igniter-type unit injector, it is possible, as shown in [Fig. 4], to guide the piston (2) by means of a rod (14) driven, for example, by a mechanical system such as a cam and cam head (15), or a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, or a connecting rod-crank system, or any other system directly linked to the engine or completely independent, such as an electric motor. If this rod (14) passes through the body (1) via the cylinder head (31), it is possible to remove the system from recall (11) from inside the body (1) of the igniter-type unit injector and to place it outside. In this case, it is therefore not immersed in the fuel in the compression chamber or in the combustion chamber (3), which simplifies these constraints and therefore increases its reliability and durability.

[0031] A different arrangement consists of extending the rod (14) through the piston (2) to reach the exhaust valve (10). This solution has the advantage of mechanically and simultaneously actuating the piston and the exhaust valve. As shown in [Fig. 5], another form of this configuration consists of the rod (14) passing through the piston (2) on a sealed sliding system. In this representation, the seal between the rod (14) and the piston (2) is ensured by a ring (25) and between the piston (2) and the cylinder block (30) by piston rings (26). In this model, the combustion chamber (3) is filled at the beginning of the cycle, and the compression chamber (4) and then the combustion chamber (3) are emptied at the end of the cycle, over the two revolutions of a four-stroke engine, slightly offset to be in phase with the engine's injection timing. An electronic ignition allows the ignition timing of the spark plug to be adjusted (8).When the engine is idling, the ignition timing is low and the spark from the spark plug (8) is triggered just before the exhaust valve (10) opens. The ignition timing increases as the engine speed increases and the timing of the spark from the spark plug (8) approaches the end of the combustion chamber (3) filling phase. For performance and / or reliability reasons, the present invention can be implemented with a multi-circuit ignition system.

[0032] Figure 6 represents an evolution of Figure 5, characterized by the fact that the rod (14) is replaced by two elements: a lower rod (28) connected to the exhaust valve (10) and an upper rod (29) connected to the cam head (15). The two rods are connected by two elastic systems, one for opening (12) the exhaust valve (10), and the other for closing it (13). Furthermore, the upper rod (29) has a notch (32) which, at the beginning of the sequence, drives the piston (2) downwards to promote the intake of fuel and oxidizer by creating a vacuum in the combustion chamber (3), and also to promote the closing of the valves (9). Once the ignition phase has begun, the piston (2) is driven sharply downwards, independently of the movement of the upper rod (29), to compress the fuel in the compression chamber (4).The upper rod (29) pushes the lower rod (28) via the Belleville slides (12), eventually opening the evacuation valve (10). Fuel is evacuated / injected, and the pressure in the compression chamber (4) decreases. As the upper rod (29) rises under the mechanical action of the cam and spring (12), the lower rod (28) also rises under the action of the spring (13), and the spring (11) pushes the piston back upwards to its initial position.

[0033] In this representation [Fig. 6], we also distinguish two fuel supply systems via valves (9) in the compression chamber (4). These systems can be connected, for example, to a cryogenic hydrogen tank, one on the lower part of the tank for drawing liquid hydrogen and the other on the upper part of the tank for drawing gaseous hydrogen. A set of valves and possibly pumps and / or a compressor allows the initial quantities and pressures of gas and liquid in the compression chamber (4) to be regulated. This two-phase configuration is essential for the operation of the igniter-type pump-injector by transferring and / or injecting hydrogen in a supercritical state.

[0034] Another model whose purpose would be identical to the version of [Fig.6] consists of controlling the drive of the piston (2) at the beginning of the cycle, by another additional rod, different and independent.

[0035] In certain configurations described above, the compressed springs can impede the proper flow of fuel from the compression chamber (4) to the discharge valve (10) by restricting the cross-sectional area of ​​the fuel passage at the coils. Figure 7 shows a block (30) with bypass channels (33) that allow fuel to be injected and / or transferred when the discharge valve (10) is open, even if the internal springs have tightly packed coils.

[0036] In all versions of the igniter-operated unit injector, one of the challenges will be ensuring a seal between the rod (14) and the body (1) through the cylinder head (31) of the igniter-operated unit injector and / or between the rod (14) and the piston (2), particularly in the presence of hydrogen and with significant temperature and pressure variations. Of course, conventional valve stem sealing technologies can be used. However, in addition or as a complement, it may be advantageous to seal the interface between the rod (14) and all or part of the body (1) with a slightly pressurized gas, the complete sealing of which will be easier to achieve due to its molecular size and smaller operating temperature variation.

[0037] It would also be particularly relevant to fill this sealed area with air from the air intake and to integrate the air valve (6) directly into it. In this case, a slight leak between the stem (14) and the body (1) will ultimately be reinjected into the combustion chamber (3). To a lesser extent, this solution can also be applied by using the combustion products, filling this sealed area with the exhaust valve (7) before expelling them either to the outside, into the engine's air intake duct, into the engine's combustion chamber, or into the turbine intake duct of a turbocharger. These sealing solutions can also be implemented by designing a fully sealed cover that would cover all or part of the body (1), particularly the interface between the rod (14) and the body (1) and in which will be found all the valves of the combustion chamber (3), somewhat like a rocker cover.

[0038] Figure 8 represents an evolution of the system with a centralized igniter-type unit injector (36), such as the variants described above, supplying a high-pressure intermediate reservoir called a buffer (16), which allows distribution into a cylinder block of the multi-cylinder engine (27) via an injection rail (34) and injectors (35) or traditional distribution systems. This architecture has the advantages of decoupling the operating frequencies of the igniter-type unit injector from those of the engine or receiver, as well as certainly a reduction in mass and overall cost, and undoubtedly improved reliability.

[0039] Indeed, by increasing the volume of the compression chamber (4) and thus slowing down the operating frequency of the centrally ignited unit injector, it is possible to resolve many of the sealing, reliability, and wear problems of the system, such as the tribology of the piston / cylinder block and piston / stem coupling of the exhaust valve, as well as the issue of adapting the unit injector to engine speeds, particularly during transients. Similarly, for reasons of system and control simplification, the centrally ignited unit injector (36) can be driven completely independently, for example, by an electric motor independent of the engine it powers.

[0040] It should be noted that the energy consumption from the engine (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, or other) of the igniter-type unit injector is very low and significantly lower than that of conventional fuel supply systems using pumps or compressors, particularly when these are on-board and draw their energy directly from the engine. Indeed, in the case of the igniter-type unit injector, the engine primarily provides the energy required to control the system; the majority of the power energy needed to compress and deliver the fuel is supplied directly by the small-scale combustion within the igniter-type unit injector itself via the piston during the ignition phase, without any direct power being drawn from the engine.

[0041] The device as a whole may be used in particular to power engines (reciprocating engines, rotary engines, turboshaft engines, turboprop engines, turbojet engines, ramjet engines, pulsejet engines, rocket engines or others) and / or fuel cells in the context of propulsion, auxiliary groups or internal or external power supply of aerial, space, land, naval or underwater vehicles.

[0042] The concept of an injector is often perceived as a small part capable of transferring a small quantity of fuel and drawing on the technical field of microtechnology. But the present invention can also be used in the In the context of large-quantity fuel transfer, such as service stations and / or land, sea, or aeronautical fuel distribution equipment, the size of the pulse injector-pump will be substantial and will constitute a machine in itself.

[0043] Figure 9 schematically represents a hydrogen refueling station capable of refueling vehicles and / or machines in one or more cycles. The system comprises a large-volume igniter-driven pump-injector (36) of one of the types described above, a liquid (18) or low-pressure gaseous hydrogen tank, a compressor (19) driven by an electric motor, various pipes and connection systems (37), transfer (38) and discharge (20) valves, and all the components necessary for the safe refueling of hydrogen vehicles and / or machines. The igniter-driven pump-injector is actuated by a hydraulic system (39). In addition to the exhaust (21) and discharge stacks (22), the system may include a burnout pool for quick and safe emptying. Refueling can be carried out in one stage or in several stages, depending on the required quantities and pressures.The station also includes a possible device to extract all or part of the hydrogen from the vehicle and return it to the installation's tank (18). This system would also allow, for example, purging a vehicle in case of prolonged disuse and making the fuel available to the network. A bidirectional and differentiated flow metering system (40) is also integrated.

[0044] The system operates as follows. The customer connects their vehicle to the connection system (37). The system's computer (41) analyzes and sets the maximum transferable quantity of fuel. The customer enters the desired quantity of fuel (less than or equal to the maximum transferable quantity). The hydraulic system piston (39) moves upward, pulling the rod (14) upwards. The compression chamber (4) fills with the requested quantity of fuel. The combustion chamber (3) is pre-filled and ignited by the ignition system (8). The piston (2) compresses the fuel in the compression chamber (4). When the pressure is sufficient, the vent valve (10) opens. The fuel is transferred to the vehicle's tank via the connection system (37). The computer controls and monitors the operation, notably with pressure, temperature, and flow sensors.If the quantity of fuel has not reached the desired amount, the cycle can be restarted. In this configuration, it is advantageous at the end of the cycle, when the service station is stopped and not dispensing fuel, to leave the piston (2) at bottom dead center (BDC) by actuating the hydraulic cylinder (39), so that the compression chamber (4) contains a minimum of fuel.

[0045] In the context of a service station or, more generally, fuel transfer, the device can also be adapted for purely gaseous storage. It can, in fact, serve as a booster for a low- or medium-pressure gaseous storage solution and for delivering fuel at a higher pressure. Similarly, in the case of high-pressure storage, fuel withdrawal tends to decrease the pressure in the tank. At a certain point, the pressure in the storage tank is no longer sufficient to properly supply the user's tank, or previously, the filling time increases significantly. The present invention then makes it possible to increase the pressure at the inlet of the customer's tank, thus reducing the filling time and utilizing almost all of the storage tank's contents. This point is very important within the hydrogen distribution supply chain.

[0046] As with all conventional fuel injection and / or distribution methods, the present invention can be complemented and enhanced by various fuel or exhaust gas recirculation circuits (air loop). Similarly, the igniter-operated unit injector for the injection and / or distribution of liquid and / or gaseous cryogenic fuels and / or fuels in supercritical phase can be associated and / or integrated into heating and / or cooling circuits for fuel circuits and / or various heat transfer fluids connected to the engine, its accessories, or more generally to the machines and equipment in which it is integrated, such as air conditioning, heating, or climate control systems.

[0047] When the engine and / or the machine is stopped, for safety reasons, the unit injector with igniter may be purged or even inerted. In the latter case, it has a supply system for the inerting agent.

[0048] If the device uses cryogenic fuel, it may incorporate conventional thermal insulation technologies, such as double-walled vacuum insulation and / or insulation with various insulators, at least to keep the fuel cold upon its arrival in the compression chamber (4) in order to limit its volume. Similarly, for the sake of simplicity, all the figures represent elastic systems in the form of springs or Belleville washers, often located inside and in direct contact with the fuel. Although there are materials that can maintain elastic behavior under these conditions, it may be advisable to enclose the return systems in one or more more or less airtight cages to protect them from these conditions.

[0049] The piston (2) will be a component subjected to significant thermal stress, whether due to the steep temperature gradient between one face and the other or to the combustion cycle in the combustion chamber (3). It may be a single, solid piece or, conversely, made of several parts with different materials to withstand the different stresses between its two faces. Even though an intermediate thermal equilibrium can be expected at these extreme temperatures, one or more Cooling systems utilizing the conductivity and thermal capacity of its material(s), the addition in the piston (2) of a cavity containing a material facilitating heat transfer and capacity (sodium, lithium, potassium, or other), or even an internal cooling system using fuel and / or air, similar to turbine blade cooling systems. In this last case, the flow could end with a leak through the segment (26) confined to the combustion chamber (3) and contribute to the seal between the combustion chamber (3) and the compression chamber (4).

[0050] It may be necessary to configure a machine with several igniter-operated unit injectors, for example in parallel to increase the flow rate or in series to increase the discharge pressure. In this configuration, a cylinder block with several cylinders and therefore pistons in the same block can be used.

[0051] The cylinder head (31) and the cylinder block (30) may be assembled with one or more sealing gaskets by screwing via screws or directly one on the other or directly by welding or by crimping or any other means of assembly depending on the materials used and the level of stress on the parts.

[0052] Said device or each of the different elements which compose it can be managed and controlled by independent or non-independent management and control systems, including or not the motor(s) and / or the fuel cell(s) and / or the heating systems and / or the hydrogen storage and distribution device(s) and / or more generally in the management and control systems of the machines and / or equipment in which it is integrated.

[0053] Finally, in summary, the invention can be defined as follows.

[0054] This is a device for injecting and / or distributing a gaseous and / or liquid fuel, comprising a volumetric piston pump (2) with a return system (11), the piston of which delimits two chambers, a combustion chamber (3) comprising at least one ignition system (8) and at least one transfer system for supplying fuel (5) and oxidizer (6) as well as for evacuating the combustion products (7), and a compression chamber (4) comprising at least two transfer systems for the arrival of fuel (9) and for the evacuation (10) of all or part of this fuel or a flow rich in this fuel, characterized in that the increase in relative pressure at ignition in the combustion chamber (3) is transmitted via the piston (2) to the compression chamber (4) and compresses the fuel before and / or during its injection and / or transfer.

[0055] This device can be improved by drawing, through a channel (42) connecting the compression chamber (4) to the combustion chamber (3), all or part of the fuel necessary for combustion, or by attaching the piston (2) to a transfer system (10) for evacuating all or part of this compressed fuel to the engine or to the machine or equipment to be refueled, or by the fact that the piston (2) and the transfer system (10) for evacuating the fuel are linked by one or more elastic links (11 and / or 12 and / or 13) which allow the movement of one to be offset from the other, or by the fact that a rod (14 or 28 or 29) controlled by an external mechanical system passes through the body (1) and allows the piston to be mechanically guided, or by the fact that a rod controlled (14 or 28 or 29) by an external system passes through the body (1) and the piston (2) by means of a sealed sliding system and allows the evacuation transfer system (10) to be mechanically guided, or by the fact that at least one of the pilots for the opening and / or closing of the transfer systems (5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 17, 20, 21, 22, 37, 38) and / or ignition (8) is controlled independently.

[0056] The device can be completed by the fact that the fuel evacuation transfer system (10) feeds an intermediate high-pressure tank (16), which allows distribution into several receivers via injectors (35) or traditional distribution systems.

[0057] The device can also be improved by the fact that all or part of the body, in particular the interface or interfaces between the rod(s) (14 or 28 or 29) and the body (1), is capped by a sealed area with a slightly pressurized gas.

[0058] The use of the device can be configured in the form of a machine with several igniter-operated injector-pumps.

[0059] Finally, the device can power either the engines and / or fuel cells in the context of aerial, space, land, naval or underwater vehicles, or in the context of heating and / or refrigeration installations, or in the context of the distribution or transport of gaseous, liquid or cryogenic fuels.

Claims

Demands

1. A device for injecting and / or distributing a gaseous and / or liquid fuel, comprising a positive displacement piston pump (2) with a return system (11), the piston of which delimits two chambers, a combustion chamber (3) comprising at least one ignition system (8) and at least one transfer system for supplying fuel (5) and oxidizer (6) as well as for evacuating combustion products (7), and a compression chamber (4) comprising at least two transfer systems for the arrival of fuel (9) and for the evacuation (10) of all or part of this fuel or a stream rich in this fuel, characterized in that the increase in relative ignition pressure in the combustion chamber (3) is transmitted via the piston (2) to the compression chamber (4) and compresses the fuel before and / or during its injection and / or transfer.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it draws, through a channel (42) connecting the compression chamber (4) to the combustion chamber (3), all or part of the fuel necessary for combustion.

3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the piston (2) is attached to a transfer system (10) for the evacuation of all or part of this compressed fuel to the engine or to the machine or equipment to be refueled.

4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the piston (2) and the transfer system (10) for the evacuation of fuel are linked by one or more elastic links (11 and / or 12 and / or 13) which allow the movement of one to be offset relative to the other.

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a rod (14 or 28 or 29) controlled by an external mechanical system passes through the body (1) and allows the piston to be mechanically guided.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a rod controlled (14 or 28 or 29) by an external system passes through the body via a sealed sliding system (1) and the piston (2) and allows to mechanically guide the transfer evacuation system (10).

7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the controls for opening and / or closing the transfer systems (5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 17, 20, 21, 22, 37, 38) and / or ignition (8) is controlled independently.

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fuel evacuation transfer system (10) feeds an intermediate high-pressure tank (16), which allows distribution into several receivers via injectors (35) or traditional distribution systems.

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all or part of the body, in particular the interface or interfaces between the rod(s) (14 or 28 or 29) and the body (1), is capped by a sealed area with a slightly pressurized gas.

10. The use of a device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by configuring a machine with several igniter-type pump injectors.

11. Use of a device according to any one of the preceding claims, to power either engines and / or fuel cells in the context of aerial, space, land, naval or underwater vehicles, or in the context of heating and / or refrigeration installations, or in the context of the distribution or transport of gaseous, liquid or cryogenic fuels.

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