Pre-combustion Chamber Tip Orifice Segmentation for Thermal Stress Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high temperatures in pre-combustion chambers of internal combustion engines, particularly in gaseous fuel engines, pose a challenge for the longevity of spark plugs and pre-combustion chamber tips, and existing designs face difficulties in maintaining performance and power output while ensuring stable fuel transition and reducing mechanical and thermal stress.

Innovation Solution

A pre-combustion chamber tip with a dome-like shaped wall structure featuring a plurality of orifices, where the outlets are distributed azimuthically and arranged in two groups at different angles, providing a tapered cross-section to enhance the effective cross-sectional area and reduce thermal stress, while maintaining efficient fuel flow and power output.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the pre-combustion chamber is downsized to meet future emission regulations, then emission performance is improved, but the effective cross-section of the orifices must be maintained to ensure stable fuel transition

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveemissionVSAvoideffective cross-section of orifices
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The orifice system is segmented into multiple smaller orifices arranged in a specific pattern on the outlet band. This segmentation allows the total effective cross-section to be maintained while fitting within a downsized pre-combustion chamber volume, thus resolving the contradiction between chamber size reduction and orifice area maintenance for stable fuel transition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Power

If the pre-combustion chamber operates at high temperatures to maintain power output, then power output is improved, but the lifespan of spark plug and pre-combustion chamber tip deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower outputVSAvoidlifespan of spark plug and pre-combustion chamber tip
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-combustion chamber tip is designed with a specific geometric configuration including a outlet band with distributed orifices that creates favorable flow patterns. This local structural quality optimization ensures stable fuel transition and reduces thermal stress concentration at critical locations, thereby extending component lifespan while maintaining the high temperatures necessary for power output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the velocity of burning fuel is increased to improve combustion efficiency, then combustion efficiency is improved, but mechanical and thermal stress on the pre-combustion chamber tip increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombustion efficiencyVSAvoidmechanical and thermal stress
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The orifices are arranged on a circumferential outlet band at a specific axial position, creating a three-dimensional flow distribution pattern. This spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions allows the burning fuel to expand and mix more effectively, maintaining high combustion efficiency while reducing velocity concentration and associated mechanical and thermal stress on the chamber tip.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

This design effectively reduces thermal and mechanical stress on the pre-combustion chamber tip, enhances the effective cross-sectional area for fuel flow, and maintains engine performance and power output by distributing the outlets at specific angles and positions, thus extending the lifespan of the components.

Implementation Method 1

Central regions of the outlets of the plurality of orifices are distributed azimuthically with respect to the center axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAzimuthal distribution:

Implementation Method 2

providing a tapered cross-section to enhance the effective cross-sectional area and reduce thermal stress

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal stress reduction:

Implementation Method 3

a dome-like shaped wall structure forming at least a portion of a pre-combustion chamber and having a center axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGeometric flow direction:

Data Source

PatentEP2700796B1Pre-combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and method of operating the same
Publication Date: 2016.08.10 CATERPILLAR MOTOREN GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2700796B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2700796B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2700796B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A pre-combustion chamber tip (76) of an internal combustion engine (10) exposed to high thermal and mechanical stress may be limited in space for arranging orifices (190, 290) fluidly communicating with a main combustion chamber (26) of the internal combustion engine. It is disclosed to efficiently use the limited space by providing a first group of orifices (190) extending at a first angle (α) with respect to a center axis (112) and a second group of orifices (290) extending at a second angle with respect to the center axis (112), wherein the outlets of the orifices are arranged at a first axial position (P1).