Fuel Injector Boot with Aperture for Leak Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel injectors, especially those designed for methanol applications, face issues with fuel leaks at the inlet connection, which are costly to address and lack effective detection mechanisms, and existing solutions are not inexpensive or practical for widespread adoption.

Innovation Solution

A fuel injector system comprising a double-walled conduit and a boot with an annular body and aperture, where the boot is disposed about the fuel injector and conduit to contain fuel leaks, directing them into an annular air channel for detection, and featuring a design that accommodates the electrical connector and provides a mechanism for leak detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If custom made fuel injectors specifically designed for methanol applications are used, then fuel leak detection and safety are improved, but cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel leak detectionVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the fuel injection assembly into separate functional components: a standard fuel injector, a double-walled conduit with inner and outer walls, and a boot. The double-walled conduit creates a separate detection channel between the inner fuel supply line and outer conduit, allowing leak detection without requiring custom injector manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The double-walled conduit acts as an intermediary structure that introduces an annular air channel between the fuel supply line and the external environment. This intermediary channel allows leaked fuel to be detected through the air gap without direct contact between the fuel and external detection systems, enabling leak detection using standard injectors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a boot is placed over the fuel inlet to contain fuel leaks, then safety and leak containment are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel leak containmentVSAvoidstructure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The boot is constructed from flexible material that can be elastically deformed during installation and operation. This flexible shell covers the fuel inlet and contains leaked fuel within the double-walled conduit structure, preventing uncontrolled fuel leakage while maintaining a relatively simple overall design compared to rigid containment systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If a double walled conduit is used to direct fuel leaks into an annular air channel, then leak detection capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel leak detectionVSAvoidconduit fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The double-walled conduit structure nests the inner fuel supply line within the outer conduit, creating a concentric arrangement. The annular air channel is formed by the space between these nested walls, allowing leaked fuel to be directed into the channel for detection while using a straightforward nested geometry that simplifies manufacturing compared to complex multi-component assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11959444B2Method and apparatus for ventilating a fuel inlet connection for a fuel injector

Publication Date: 2024.04.16 CATERPILLAR INC

AI summary

A boot includes an annular body that defines a thru-bore with a thru-bore diameter, and a bore axis. The boot further defines an overall axial length, an exterior, a first axial end, a second axial end, and an aperture that radially extends from the thru-bore to the exterior.