Fuel Rail Heating Element for Cold Start Preheating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Internal combustion engines with high specific heat of vaporization fuels, such as alcohol, face challenges in cold start due to fuel condensation, leading to inefficient combustion, high emissions, and increased costs and risks associated with auxiliary fuel systems. Existing fuel-heating solutions are inefficient, costly, and fail to ensure proper preheating of the required fuel volume.

Innovation Solution

A fuel-heating assembly integrated into the fuel rail with heating elements that concentrate heat transfer to a specific volume of fuel, ensuring proper preheating before injection, reducing the need for additional fuel reservoirs and minimizing emissions by maintaining a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a second fuel compartment with lower volume is used for gasoline injection to aid cold start, then the cold start capability is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecold start capabilityVSAvoidauxiliary fuel system components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cold start function with the main fuel tank system by integrating a heating element directly into the fuel injection rail. This eliminates the need for a separate auxiliary fuel compartment and its associated components (auxiliary fuel pump, solenoid valves, additional piping), thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining cold start capability through controlled fuel heating before injection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If auxiliary piping is added for the second fuel compartment, then the cold start system functionality is improved, but the risk of fuel leaking accidents increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecold start system functionalityVSAvoidfuel leaking risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention eliminates additional auxiliary piping by integrating the heating element directly into the existing fuel injection rail that is already part of the main fuel system. This reduces the total amount of fuel-carrying piping in the system, thereby reducing the potential failure points and the risk of fuel leaking accidents while maintaining the cold start functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Temperature

If fuel is heated in the fuel rail with heating elements, then the fuel preheating effectiveness is improved, but the heating time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel preheating effectivenessVSAvoidheating time

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by positioning the heating element to heat only the specific portion of fuel that is immediately adjacent to the injection valve and will be injected next. This localized heating approach, rather than heating the entire fuel volume in the rail, significantly reduces the heating time and energy consumption while ensuring that the fuel actually being injected is properly preheated.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element is activated in advance of fuel injection to preheat the fuel in the rail before it reaches the injection valve. This preliminary heating action ensures that when fuel is injected during cold start conditions, it is already at the appropriate temperature for effective combustion, eliminating the need for prolonged heating periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Temperature

If a rich air/fuel ratio is maintained during heating phase to ensure adequate heating, then the engine heating is improved, but the hydrocarbon and pollutant emissions increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine heating efficiencyVSAvoidhydrocarbon and pollutant emissions

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of fuel temperature through controlled heating before injection, which fundamentally alters the combustion characteristics. By preheating the fuel, the combustion process becomes more efficient and complete, allowing the engine to operate with better combustion efficiency. This enables the system to achieve adequate engine heating while maintaining a more balanced air/fuel ratio that reduces hydrocarbon and pollutant emissions compared to the traditional rich mixture approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 enables efficient cold start, reduces hydrocarbon and pollutant emissions, and optimizes engine operation by ensuring the fuel is adequately preheated without the need for auxiliary systems, while maintaining a cost-effective and reliable design.

Implementation Method 1

there is formed a heat transfer region (19) inside said fuel rail (1), in which a heating element (9) transfers heat to the fuel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

the heated fuel rises, in such a way that the more heated fuel tends to rise towards said injection valve (5)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS7942136B2Fuel-heating assembly and method for the pre-heating of fuel of an internal combustion engine

Publication Date: 2011.05.17 LEPSCH FERNANDO

AI summary

A heating assembly that allows an adequate pre-heating of a fuel used in an internal combustion engine is disclosed.