Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Harry Richard Mieney

Michael Raymond Salemi

Daniel L Varble

Karl Jacob Haltiner, Jr

Min Xu

Youssef Kazour

Robert B Perry

Michael Raymond Raney

David Wesley Rogers

Richard Lloyd Cooper

Kevin J Allen

Dwight A Palmer

Raual A Bircann

A fuel injector that includes a flying armature movable relative to a pintle stop, and an electromagnetic circuit configured to move the flying armature away from the pintle stop prior to accelerating the armature toward the pintle stop as part of moving the pintle to open the fuel injector. The flying armature increases the total force applied to the pintle to open the fuel injector by supplementing the static force imparted to the armature by a magnetic field with an impact force imparted by the armature being in motion toward and impacting with the pintle stop. The arrangement of magnetic circuit devices and materials used to make the magnetic circuit devices cooperate to provide a reversing force that urges the armature away from before urging the armature toward the pintle stop, and increases the rate at which the force that urges the armature toward the pintle stop increases.

Fuel injector

A fuel swirler plate for improving atomization of fuel in a fuel injector. A plurality of identical fuel supply passages is formed in the plate, each passage including an outer fuel reservoir region; a region having converging walls wherein fuel is accelerated and turned partially tangential to the axis of the plate and fuel injector; a metering region wherein flow is regulated; and an exit region wherein the fuel is combined with similar fuel flows from the other passages to form a high velocity swirl annulus between the swirler plate and a pintle ball of the fuel injector. An advantage of the novel swirl plate over prior art plates is that, when the injector valve is closed, only a very small volume of fuel resides in the swirl annulus between the pintle ball and the exit region of the plate, and such residual fuel is urged rotationally and becomes the leading edge of a new vortex the next time the valve is opened, thus minimizing SAC spray formation. The present invention is useful in fuel cells, burners, and in both direct injection and port injection fuel injectors of internal combustion engines.

Fuel swirler plate for a fuel injector

A method and apparatus for supplying and containing a flow of reducing gas within a fuel cell is disclosed for a fuel cell having a gas control valve system comprising a fuel cell unit, an inlet and an outlet coupled to the fuel cell unit, an actuator disposed in the gas control valve, and a reducing gas supply for actuating said actuator and for regulating fuel to the fuel cell unit.

Gas containment/control valve for a solid oxide fuel cell

A method for monitoring process gas of a solid oxide fuel cell system is disclosed. The method comprises directing a portion of process gas from a chamber of the solid oxide fuel cell system to a main plenum chamber. A portion of process gas is cooled to a measurable temperature and directed to a sensor for analyzing. A solid oxide fuel cell system is also disclosed.

Solid oxide fuel cell process gas sampling for analysis

A fuel injector assembly incorporating a heat exchanger and a fuel injector and being disposable in a bore in a mounting substrate such as an internal combustion engine or a hydrocarbon fuel reformer. The exchanger includes an outer wall in direct contact with the bore and also surrounds and supports the dispensing portion of the fuel injector, forming an annular plenum space therebetween. The heat exchanger has an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with the plenum space. The exchanger outlet port is connected to an inlet port of the fuel injector, such that fuel entering the fuel injector is preheated by passing first through the heat exchanger. In some applications, it may be desirable to maintain the fuel at a high pressure to prevent premature vaporization of the fuel in the exchanger and resulting vapor lock of the fuel system.

Fuel injector assembly having a heat exchanger for fuel preheating

A three-way gas control valve assembly for selectively controlling gas flow from one inlet port into two outlet ports or vice-versa, such as may be required for flow control of hydrogen-containing reformate in fuel cell applications. The valve assembly comprises three subassemblies: a metering subassembly disposable within the high-temperature environment in the fuel cell for mechanically regulating reformate flow; an actuating subassembly disposable outside the fuel cell and connected to the metering subassembly for actuating a pintle shaft and valve head in the metering subassembly; and a coupling tube subassembly extendable through an insulative shroud to mechanically couple and thermally isolate the metering and actuating subassemblies.

Reformate control valve assembly for a fuel cell

A direct injection fuel injector and method of operation wherein high fuel pressure exerting an opening force on an injection valve is slightly overbalanced by a return spring tending to close the valve. A first solenoid acts to open the valve against the excess return spring force and a second solenoid acts to close the valve when the first solenoid is de-energized. Rapid valve closing is provided by energizing the second solenoid before de-energizing the first solenoid, the force of the second solenoid when the valve is open being insufficient to overcome the force of the first solenoid holding the valve open. Thus, the second solenoid magnetic force is fully developed and quickly closes the injection valve when the first solenoid is de-energized. Various additional features are disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Byron, NY, United States of America

Harry Richard Mieney