Gaseous Fuel Injector Flame Arrestor for Backfire Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel injectors for gaseous fuel injection in internal combustion engines face challenges due to high temperature combustion gases and flames that can reduce their life and robustness by propagating into the injector components.
Innovation Solution
A fuel injector with a flame arrestor and optional choke orifice is designed to prevent or reduce flame propagation by allowing downstream gaseous fuel flow while restricting upstream flame propagation, using a flame arrestor with multiple flow passages and a choke orifice to manage combustion temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flame arrestor with multiple flow passages is installed in the fuel passage, then flame propagation is restricted and internal components are protected from high temperatures, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flame arrestor divides the fuel passage into multiple segmented flow passages, creating numerous small channels that restrict flame propagation while maintaining fuel flow. This segmentation approach protects internal components from high temperatures without requiring a completely separate protection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The flame arrestor acts as an intermediary component positioned between the combustion chamber and internal injector components. It mediates the interaction between high-temperature combustion gases and sensitive internal parts, allowing fuel passage while blocking flame propagation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a choke orifice is added to the fuel passage to reduce flame propagation, then flame restriction is improved, but fuel flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single choke orifice that would create high resistance, the system segments the flow into multiple passages. This distributes the flow resistance across many smaller channels, maintaining lower overall pressure drop while still restricting flame propagation effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the flow passages - using multiple small passages instead of one large opening. This parameter change allows the system to achieve flame restriction without proportionally increasing fuel flow resistance, as the total cross-sectional area is distributed across multiple channels.
3Reliability
If the flame arrestor is positioned downstream of the valve assembly, then internal components are protected from flame, but pressure drop across the injector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flame arrestor segments the flow into multiple passages, which reduces the pressure drop compared to a single restrictive opening. The segmented structure allows fuel to flow through multiple parallel paths, maintaining lower overall pressure resistance while still achieving flame arrestion.
Solution Approach 2:
The flame arrestor provides partial flame restriction rather than complete blockage, allowing sufficient fuel flow while achieving adequate flame protection. The multiple flow passages provide just enough restriction to arrest flames without creating excessive pressure drop that would harm injector performance.
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
The solution effectively protects internal components from high temperatures, enhancing the fuel injector's robustness and extending its operating life by preventing flame propagation into the injector.
Implementation Method 1
a flame arrestor configured to be positioned in the fuel passage downstream of the internal components. The flame arrestor includes a plurality of flow passages configured to permit downstream gaseous fuel flow through the flame arrestor in a downstream direction while restricting flame propagation through the flame arrestor in an upstream direction
Implementation Method 2
a choke orifice forming a flow constriction in the fuel passage in a downstream direction from the flame arrestor
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel injector for gaseous fuel is provided. The fuel injector includes a flame arrestor and, in certain embodiments, a choke orifice configured to prevent or reduce flame propagation from the combustion chamber through the fuel injector to internal components housed within the fuel injector. The reduction or prevention of flame propagation from the combustion chamber reduces exposure of fuel injector components to temperature changes, improves fuel injector robustness, and increases operating life.