Fuel Injector With Nested Check Valves for Dual Fuel Mixing

Solution Overview

Problem

Dual fuel engines with adjacent nozzles often result in poor combustion characteristics and higher emissions due to inadequate contact between diesel and gaseous fuels during injection.

Innovation Solution

A fuel injector system with a movable outer check and concentric inner check within the nozzle, allowing for selective injection of both fuels through strategically positioned orifices, controlled by a controller to ensure optimal fuel interaction and combustion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If two nozzles are placed adjacent to each other for dual fuel injection, then both fuels can be injected through separate nozzles, but some amount of gaseous fuel may not come in contact with the diesel fuel, leading to poor combustion characteristics and higher emission levels

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedual fuel injection capabilityVSAvoidemission levels

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a nested structure where an inner check valve is positioned inside an outer check valve, with the inner check controlling diesel fuel flow through its orifice and the outer check controlling gaseous fuel flow through its orifice. This nested arrangement ensures that both fuels are injected through concentric orifices, guaranteeing contact between the fuels at the injection point and improving combustion characteristics while reducing emissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a two-nozzle adjacent arrangement to a concentric multi-orifice structure. By organizing the injection orifices in a concentric, multi-dimensional arrangement rather than adjacent linear positioning, the design ensures that gaseous and diesel fuels are injected in a manner that guarantees contact between the different fuel types, thereby improving combustion efficiency and reducing harmful emissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If two nozzles are placed adjacent to each other for dual fuel injection, then both fuels can be injected through separate nozzles, but some amount of the gaseous fuel may not come in contact with the diesel fuel, leading to poor combustion characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedual fuel injection capabilityVSAvoidcombustion characteristics

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a nested structure where an inner check valve is positioned inside an outer check valve, with the inner check controlling diesel fuel flow through its orifice and the outer check controlling gaseous fuel flow through its orifice. This nested arrangement ensures that both fuels are injected through concentric orifices, guaranteeing contact between the fuels at the injection point and improving combustion characteristics while reducing emissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a two-nozzle adjacent arrangement to a concentric multi-orifice structure. By organizing the injection orifices in a concentric, multi-dimensional arrangement rather than adjacent linear positioning, the design ensures that gaseous and diesel fuels are injected in a manner that guarantees contact between the different fuel types, thereby improving combustion efficiency and reducing harmful emissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a single nozzle with multiple orifices is used for fuel injection, then fuel selection can be controlled by valve position, but the device complexity increases with multiple movable checks and orifices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveselective fuel injectionVSAvoidnozzle structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal nozzle structure where a single nozzle body contains multiple orifices (first orifices for diesel fuel, second orifices for gaseous fuel) that can selectively inject different fuel types based on the position of the inner and outer check valves. This multi-functional design allows one nozzle to perform the work of multiple separate nozzles, enabling selective fuel injection while consolidating the structural complexity into a single integrated component rather than requiring multiple separate nozzle assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10563609B2Fuel injector

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 CATERPILLAR INC

AI summary

A fuel injector includes a nozzle having at least one first orifice. The at least one first orifice selectively injects a first fuel. An outer check is located movably within the nozzle. The outer check includes at least one second orifice. The at least one second orifice selectively injects a second fuel. An inner check is located movably and concentrically within the outer check. The at least one first orifice is adapted to selectively inject at least one of the first fuel and the second fuel therethrough based on a position of each of the outer check and the inner check.