Five-Jet Fuel Injector Geometry for Combustion Chamber Wetting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel injection methods for internal combustion engines often result in cylinder wall, valve, and piston wetting, leading to inefficiencies and increased emissions.

Innovation Solution

A method using an injector with a specific 5-hole arrangement, where each hole is defined by unique angles to create a spray geometry that avoids wetting these surfaces, utilizing high-pressure injection to optimize fuel-air mixture formation and reduce penetration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple fuel injection jets are used to improve fuel-air mixture formation, then combustion efficiency is improved, but the risk of wetting cylinder walls, valves, and pistons increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombustion efficiencyVSAvoidfuel wetting of engine components
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fuel injection system is segmented into exactly five separate injection jets instead of a single jet or conventional multi-jet arrangements. Each jet is precisely angled and positioned to cover specific zones in the combustion chamber, allowing selective fuel delivery to optimize mixing while avoiding wetting of cylinder walls, valves, and pistons.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each of the five injection jets is assigned a specific angular range and spatial target zone within the combustion chamber. The jets are directed to create fuel-air mixtures in localized regions where combustion is most effective, while deliberately avoiding areas where fuel wetting would cause harm. This local optimization of fuel distribution resolves the contradiction between improving combustion efficiency and preventing component wetting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If fuel injection pressure is increased to reduce jet penetration and avoid wetting, then component wetting is reduced, but fuel atomization and mixture formation may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel wetting of engine componentsVSAvoidfuel-air mixture formation quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system optimizes fuel injection by precisely controlling injection pressure parameters and jet angular distributions. By adjusting these parameters and directing five jets at specific angles into targeted zones, the system achieves adequate fuel atomization and mixture formation without excessive jet penetration that would cause component wetting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If injection ports are arranged to create overlapping jets for improved ignitability at low load, then low-load combustion is improved, but spark plug and valve wetting increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelow-load ignitabilityVSAvoidspark plug and valve wetting
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Each of the five injection jets is assigned a specific angular range and spatial target zone. At low load conditions, the jets are directed to create overlapping fuel clouds in the combustion chamber interior away from the spark plug and valves, improving ignitability without causing wetting. The localized control of each jet's trajectory allows the system to achieve overlapping jets for better mixing while deliberately positioning them to avoid sensitive components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach minimizes fuel wetting of critical engine components, reduces particle emissions, and enhances combustion efficiency by optimizing the fuel-air mixture, thereby reducing hydrocarbon emissions and deposits.

Implementation Method 1

The fuel is injected into the combustion chamber by means of an injector in the form of exactly five jets

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFuel injection: Injector

Implementation Method 2

utilizing high-pressure injection to optimize fuel-air mixture formation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHigh-pressure injection: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP2702256B1Internal combustion engine and method for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2022.06.08 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP2702256B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2702256B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2702256B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

When fuel is injected into a combustion chamber (2) of a cylinder (13) of an engine (30) of a vehicle (10), fuel is injected in the form of multiple jets (3) by means of an injector (1). In this context, a first plane is defined in which both the central axis (11) of the injector (1) and the central axis (12) of the cylinder (13) are located. Furthermore, a second plane is defined in which both the central axis (11) of the injector (1) and the surface normal of the first plane lie. The jets (3) are generated in such a way that, for each jet pair which is formed from two of the jets (3), an angle between the projections of the two central axes of the two jets of the jet pair into the second plane is less than 50°.