Siemens Automotive Corporation

Other

Wei-Min Ren

David P Wieczorek

John F Nally, Jr

John S Bright

Frank Zimmermann

Jingming Jim Shen

Jerry Edward Nines

Michael J Frick

Christoph Kendlbacher

Gyula A Huszar

A fuel injector is provided. The fuel injector also includes a multi-layer orifice plate assembly located at the housing outlet. The orifice plate assembly includes a first orifice plate having a plurality of first openings extending therethrough and a second orifice plate disposed proximate to the first orifice plate. The second orifice plate includes a first face having a perimeter, and a plurality of channels extending radially therethrough to the longitudinal axis. The second orifice plate also includes a second face disposed opposite the first face and a plurality of second openings extending between the first face and the second face. The fuel injector also includes an air assist sleeve disposed about the housing proximate to the outlet. The air assist sleeve includes at least one air channel in communication with the plurality of channels. A method of providing a fuel/air mixture is also provided.

Air assist fuel injector with multiple orifice plates

A method of heating fuel includes providing a fuel injector having an internal heater and a reciprocable needle valve; providing fuel to the fuel injector; passing the fuel through at least one flow-disturbing element; and heating the fuel.

Method of enhancing heat transfer in a heated tip fuel injector

A metering assembly for a fuel injector having multiple orifice plates is disclosed. The metering assembly includes a valve body, a seat, a needle and a multi-layer orifice plate assembly. The valve body has an inlet, an outlet and a longitudinal axis extending therethrough. The seat is disposed proximate the outlet and includes a passage having a sealing surface and an orifice. The needle is reciprocally located within the housing along the longitudinal axis between a first position wherein the needle is displaced from the seat, allowing fuel flow past the needle, and a second position wherein the needle is biased against the seat, precluding fuel flow past the needle. The multi-layer orifice plate assembly is located at the housing outlet and includes a first orifice plate having a plurality of first openings extending therethrough. The orifice plate assembly further includes a second orifice plate having a plurality of second openings extending therethrough. The plurality of first openings and the plurality of second openings are fluidly connected by at least one channel. A method of accelerating fuel through the injector is also disclosed.

Fuel injection valve with multiple nozzle plates

A fuel injector with a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and an axially extending fuel passageway from the inlet to the outlet. An armature located proximate the inlet of the valve body. A needle valve operatively connected to the armature. A valve seat proximate the outlet of the valve body. A swirl generator disk located proximate the valve seat. The swirl generator disk having at least one slot extending tangentially from a central aperture. A flat guide disk having a first surface, a second surface adjacent the flat swirl generator disk, a guide aperture, and at least one fuel passage having a wall extending between the first surface and the second surface. The wall includes an inlet, an outlet, and a transition region between the inlet and the outlet that defines a cross-sectional area of the at least one passage. The transition region is provided by a surface of the wall. The surface of the wall is configured to gradually change the direction of fuel flowing from the fuel passageway of a valve body to the flat swirl generator disk so that sharp corners in the fuel flow path are minimized.

Pressure swirl generator for a fuel injector

A heated tip fuel injector includes a housing having a bore formed therein for receiving fuel under pressure; a valve seat mounted at one end of the housing, the valve seat including an orifice; a needle valve having one end mounted to an armature and another end which contacts the valve seat to close off fuel outflow from the bore and which is lifted from the valve seat to inject fuel; a heater disposed in the housing upstream of the valve seat and extending around the needle valve; and at least one flow disturbing element disposed upstream of the heater. The flow-disturbing element enhances heat transfer from the heater to the fuel.

Heated tip fuel injector with enhanced heat transfer

A method of preheating fuel in a fuel injector with an internal heater energized to reduce emissions. The heater being a ceramic hollow cylinder disposed within a valve body just upstream of a valve seat where fuel is injected through an orifice into the engine. Conductors for energizing the heater extend into the valve body and are sealed against the escape of pressurized fuel. In one version, the conductors are extended through an O-ring to be sealed. In another version the conductors include pins extending through the valve body sidewall with glass seals fused to the valve body and the pins. The conductors may comprise flat foil strips clamped between the O-ring and an elastomeric washer. The conductors also may be molded into the magnetic coil bobbin and sealed where the conductors emerge into the fuel cavity. The heater has metallized surfaces to create current flow through its wall thickness, and the conductors are electrically connected respectively to the inner end and outer surfaces of the hollow cylinder by metallization patterns enabling both mechanical contacts to be made on the outside of the heater.

Method of preheating fuel with an internal heater

A fuel injector has an internal heater energized during cold starting to reduce emissions, the heater being a ceramic hollow cylinder disposed within a valve body just upstream of a valve seat where fuel is injected through an orifice into the engine. Conductors for energizing the heater extend into the valve body and are sealed against the escape of pressurized fuel. In one version, the conductors extend through an O-ring to be sealed. In another version the conductors include pins extending through the valve body sidewall with glass seals fused to the valve body and the pins. The conductors may comprise flat foil strips clamped between the O-ring and an elastomeric washer. The conductors also may be molded into the magnetic coil bobbin and sealed where the conductors emerge into the fuel cavity. The heater has metallized surfaces to create current flow through its wall thickness, and the conductors are electrically connected respectively to the inner end and outer surfaces of the hollow cylinder by metallization patterns enabling both mechanical contacts on the outside of the heater.

Fuel injector with internal heater

A high pressure fuel injector has a swirl generator with a metering disk upstream of the valve seat. The disks function to redirect the axially flowing fuel through the injector into a tangential fuel flow. As the fuel moves past the needle valve and the valve seat, the narrow cross section imparts a higher velocity to the fuel to atomize the fuel. As the fuel leaves the swirl generator and is ejected from the injector, the fuel forms a hollow conical sheet containing atomized fuel.

Swirl generator in a fuel injector

The injector nozzle includes a cylindrical needle which is axially reciprocated by an armature assembly. The needle has a needle tip terminating in a flat end surface with a spherical transition surface between the flat end surface and the side walls of the needle. Depending upon the diameter of the needle and the included angle of the valve seat, the diameter of the flat end surface may be less than the diameter of the orifice through the valve seat. The circular edge defined between the flat end surface and the spherical transition surface defines a location where the liquid fuel and air consistently separate from the needle in the valve-open condition whereby variations in the spray cone angle and the flow rate are minimized during steady-state and transient operating conditions.

Flat needle for pressurized swirl fuel injector

A fuel injector has a swirl plate about a valve assembly, including a valve seat with an orifice and a valve pin. When the valve is opened, the fuel is swirled by the swirl plate for passage through the orifice. The orifice has a portion which is angled relative to the axis of the injector to provide a conical swirling spray pattern having a conical spray axis angularly related to the axis of the injector. In another form, the orifice is on-axis with the injector and receives a bent tube having an upstream on-axis portion and a downstream angled portion to direct the swirling conical spray at an included obtuse angle relative to the axis of the injector.

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Yorktown, VA, United States of America

Wei-Min Ren