Inductive Heated Fuel Injector With Shared Three-Wire Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel injector designs that heat fuel for improved combustion performance face challenges such as fuel leakage and increased electrical connections, which complicate implementation and add cost.
Innovation Solution
A fuel injector assembly utilizing a DC coil for armature movement and an AC coil to heat the fuel through a magnetically active armature tube, sharing a common connection to reduce external terminals to three, minimizing electrical connections and preventing interference between signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a ceramic heater or resistively heated capillary tube is used to heat fuel, then fuel vaporization and combustion performance are improved, but the number of electrical connections and seals increases, creating fuel leakage paths and increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function with the existing armature tube that is already present in the fuel injector. The armature tube serves dual purposes: controlling fuel flow and heating fuel through induced eddy currents. This eliminates the need for separate heating elements and reduces electrical connections from four to three wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The armature tube utilizes its own electrical conductivity and magnetic properties to generate heat through eddy currents induced by an AC coil. The tube serves itself as the heating element, eliminating the need for external heating devices and their associated seals and connections.
2Temperature
If additional heating elements are added to the fuel injector, then fuel heating capability is improved, but the number of seals and potential fuel leakage paths increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is merged into the existing armature tube structure, eliminating the need for separate heating elements that would require additional seals. The armature tube is already in thermal contact with the fuel flow path, so no additional sealed connections are needed to transfer heat to the fuel.
Solution Approach 2:
The armature tube generates its own heat through electromagnetic induction, eliminating the need for external heating elements that would require sealed electrical connections within the fuel path. This self-heating mechanism avoids creating additional fuel leakage paths.
3Ease of operation
If separate DC and AC coils are used with separate connections, then armature control and fuel heating functions are achieved, but the number of external terminals increases, adding cost and assembly complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrical connections for the DC and AC coils by sharing a common wire. The DC coil for armature control and the AC coil for heating both connect to the same three external terminals, reducing the terminal count from four to three and simplifying the electrical architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The common electrical connection serves dual purposes: it provides power to both the DC coil for armature actuation and the AC coil for heating. This multi-functional connection reduces the number of external terminals needed while maintaining full functionality.
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
Achieves efficient fuel vaporization and improved combustion performance with reduced complexity and cost by heating fuel without creating additional fuel leak paths or insulating structures.
Implementation Method 1
an AC coil to heat the fuel through a magnetically active armature tube
Implementation Method 2
heating or vaporizing fuel before injection into the combustion chamber
Implementation Method 3
a first coil driven by a DC current driver... receives the first signal from the DC driver to generate a first magnetic field that moves an armature between the open and closed positions
Implementation Method 4
The heated fuel is raised to a temperature that substantially vaporizes the liquid fuel to achieve a high level of atomization
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel injector assembly includes a first coil driven by a direct current driver and a second coil driven by an alternating current driver where both the first coil and the second coil share a common connection to reduce the number of external terminal connections. The second coil generates a second magnetic field that is utilized to heat a component in thermal contact with the fuel flow that in turn heats fuel before exiting the fuel injector.