Fuel Pipe Seal With Sleeve For Engine Enclosure Penetration
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in internal combustion engine production is to achieve a reliable and cost-effective seal for fuel injection equipment where the fuel pressure source is outside the engine enclosure and the injector is inside, while maintaining simplicity and reducing complexity in installation.
Innovation Solution
A fuel supply system using a fuel pipe with a seal comprising a first part for sealing around the pipe and a second part for sealing around a sleeve extending around the engine enclosure opening, along with flexible elements to secure the seal in place, allowing for the use of standard pipes with pre-installed fastening devices and simplifying the installation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional seal is used for a small gap between the fuel pipe and the opening edge, then the sealing is reliable for small openings, but it cannot be used when the opening diameter is much larger than the pipe diameter creating a significant radial void
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into two distinct parts: a first part that seals around the fuel pipe and a second part that seals around the sleeve extending around the opening. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific sealing function - the first part handles the pipe interface while the second part handles the larger opening interface, thereby achieving versatility across different opening sizes without requiring an overly complex single-piece seal design
Solution Approach 2:
The solution introduces a radial dimension to the sealing approach by using a sleeve that extends around the opening. The second part of the seal seals around this sleeve rather than directly against the opening edge, effectively adding a radial intermediate structure that bridges the gap between the pipe and the large opening, thus solving the sealing problem for significantly larger openings
2Ease of manufacture
If standard pipes with pre-installed fastening devices are used, then the component cost and design complexity are reduced, but a larger opening is required which necessitates a special sealing solution
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple components working together: the standard pipe with its pre-installed fastening devices, a sleeve extending around the opening, and a two-part seal. This segmentation allows the use of simple, standard pipes while the complexity is distributed to dedicated sealing components (sleeve and two-part seal), thereby maintaining ease of manufacture for the pipe while providing the necessary special sealing capability for the larger opening
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple intermediate hydraulic connections are used to connect the pressure source to the fuel injector, then the system is more flexible, but the cost increases and reliability and durability of the high-pressure line decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The solution merges the fuel supply path into a single continuous high-pressure line that directly connects the pressure source to the fuel injector without intermediate hydraulic connections. This consolidation eliminates potential leak points and failure modes associated with multiple connections, thereby improving reliability and durability of the high-pressure line while maintaining system flexibility through the properly sealed opening penetration
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement for supplying fuel from a fuel pressure source located on an outside of an engine enclosure to a fuel injector located on an inside of the engine enclosure includes a fuel pipe for transporting fuel from the fuel pressure source to the fuel injector via an opening in the engine enclosure, and a seal for sealing the fuel pipe at the opening. The seal includes a first part configured for a sealing contact around the fuel pipe and a second part configured for a sealing contact around a sleeve extending around the opening. An internal combustion engine provided with such an arrangement and a method for providing an internal combustion engine with such an arrangement are also provided.