Pre-combustion Chamber Tip Cooling Ridge Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pre-combustion chamber assemblies may not provide sufficient cooling fluid flow to optimally cool pre-combustion chamber components, leading to high temperatures detrimental to sparkplug and tip longevity.

Innovation Solution

A pre-combustion chamber tip design featuring a second body portion with cooling fluid openings and passages, and a ridge that diverts cooling fluid flow from the cylinder head into these openings, facilitating enhanced cooling of the spark plug and surrounding components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If cooling fluid passages are added to the pre-combustion chamber assembly, then cooling effectiveness improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepre-combustion chamber component temperatureVSAvoidassembly structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-combustion chamber assembly is divided into multiple body portions (first body portion, second body portion, third body portion) with cooling fluid passages integrated into specific sections. This segmentation allows cooling to be targeted at critical components like the spark plug and tip without requiring cooling throughout the entire assembly, thus improving cooling effectiveness while limiting the increase in overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Cooling fluid passages are strategically positioned in the second body portion to provide localized cooling to the spark plug and pre-combustion chamber tip areas that experience the highest temperatures. The cooling resources are concentrated where most needed rather than distributed uniformly, improving thermal management efficiency while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If cooling fluid flow rate is increased, then cooling effectiveness improves, but energy loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespark plug temperatureVSAvoidcooling fluid energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system utilizes parameters such as cooling fluid velocity, passage cross-sectional area, and passage length to optimize heat transfer efficiency. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system achieves effective cooling of the spark plug and tip while minimizing the total energy required for cooling fluid circulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling fluid passages are designed to utilize fluid dynamics principles to enhance heat transfer. The passages are configured to create appropriate flow patterns and velocities that maximize convective heat transfer from the spark plug and surrounding components, achieving effective cooling with reasonable energy input.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 design effectively reduces the temperature of pre-combustion chamber components, extending the life of the sparkplug and other parts by improving cooling fluid flow and heat transfer, thereby reducing engine downtime.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling fluid passage in fluid communication with the cooling fluid opening, configured to receive cooling fluid flow from the cylinder head cooling fluid passage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Implementation Method 2

a ridge associated with the cooling fluid opening, the ridge extending from the exterior surface and configured to divert cooling fluid flow from the cylinder head cooling fluid passage into the cooling fluid opening and cooling fluid passage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid diversion:

Implementation Method 3

The temperature in the pre-combustion chamber is extremely hot, which is detrimental to the life of the sparkplug and the pre-combustion chamber tip. To reduce temperatures of some of the pre-combustion chamber components, it is known to utilize a cooled pre-combustion chamber assembly.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 4

cooling fluid flow to cool the spark plug and surrounding components

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2573355B1Pre-combustion chamber tip
Publication Date: 2014.09.03 CATERPILLAR MOTOREN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2573355B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2573355B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2573355B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A pre-combustion chamber tip (77) for an internal combustion engine (10) having a first body portion (76) with a pre-combustion chamber (122) located within, the first body portion (76) having a terminal end (108) with a plurality of orifices (124) configured to direct expanding gases out of the pre-combustion chamber (122) and a second body portion (74) attached to the first body portion (76), the second body portion (74) having an exterior surface (138), a cooling fluid opening (130) formed in the exterior surface (138), a cooling fluid passage (132) in fluid communication with the cooling fluid opening (130), and a ridge (150) associated with the cooling fluid opening (130), the ridge extending (150) from the exterior surface (138) and configured to divert cooling fluid flow into the cooling fluid opening (130) and cooling fluid passage (132).