Movable Nozzle Body Fuel Injector for Spray Pattern Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel injector designs, such as the swirl tip injector nozzle, suffer from unreliable control and repeatability of the spray pattern due to uncontrolled spinning and lack of axial movement, leading to fuel hitting the combustion chamber wall and poor air-fuel mixing.
Innovation Solution
A fuel injector with a movable nozzle body capable of rotating and axial movement, controlled by an injector needle, allowing for repeatable spray patterns such as circular or spiral patterns by changing the spray position based on the relative axial movement between the needle and nozzle body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a swirl tip injector nozzle is used to create rapid spreading and breakup of fuel spray, then fuel mixing is improved, but spray pattern control and repeatability deteriorate due to uncontrolled spinning
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle body is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to rotate and move axially in a controlled manner. This dynamic capability enables the nozzle to return to a predetermined position after creating the desired spray pattern, ensuring repeatability across multiple combustion events while still achieving the rapid spreading and breakup of fuel spray.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a predetermined return position for the nozzle body, creating a feedback mechanism where the nozzle returns to its initial position after each spray event. This ensures that the spray pattern is consistently reproduced from one combustion event to the next, resolving the repeatability issue while maintaining spray quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the nozzle body is made movable to change spray position, then spray pattern versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable nozzle body serves multiple functions: it creates varied spray patterns (circular, spiral, or linear) and returns to a predetermined position for repeatability. This multi-functionality achieves spray pattern versatility without requiring separate mechanisms for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle body is enabled to move in multiple dimensions - both rotation and axial movement - allowing it to generate various spray patterns (circular, spiral, or linear) from a single nozzle structure. This dimensional flexibility provides spray pattern versatility without adding complex separate systems for each pattern type.
3Length of moving object
If spray penetration is too long, then fuel delivery distance is improved, but fuel hits the combustion chamber wall
Solution Approach 1:
The movable nozzle body dynamically adjusts the spray trajectory by rotating and moving axially, allowing the spray to follow a controlled path that prevents direct impingement on the combustion chamber wall. The nozzle can orient the spray at optimal angles and positions throughout the combustion event, maintaining effective fuel delivery while avoiding wall contact.
Solution Approach 2:
By enabling the nozzle to move in multiple dimensions (rotation and axial movement), the spray trajectory is transformed from a fixed straight line to a controllable three-dimensional path. This allows the spray to achieve adequate penetration depth while following a trajectory that avoids the combustion chamber wall, preventing fuel impingement.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments may provide a fuel injector including a nozzle body having one or more nozzles, each capable of spraying a fuel from a respective spray position, and movable to change the spray position from a first position to a second position. An injector needle may be configured for axial movement relative to the nozzle body from an engaged position, to prevent flow through the one or more nozzles, to a disengaged position. The movement of the one or more nozzles from the first position to the second position and then back to the first position may substantially correspond with, and/or may be substantially be determined by, the relative axial movement between the injector needle and the nozzle body from the engaged position to the disengaged position and then back to the engaged position.