Caterpillar Tractor Co.

Caterpillar Inc.

Ziedonis I Krauja

Scott F Shafer

Alexander Goloff

Paul J Staebler

Stanley J Kranc

Jeffrey J Krieger

Joseph P Little, Jr

Craig A Kroeger

Conventional direct-injection internal combustion engines having a fuel injector with multiple fuel spray orifices will not completely ignite and burn relatively lower-cetane-number alternative fuels such as 100 percent methanol or ethanol. That is because the fuel spray injection pattern, per se, usually cannot carry or propagate a flame to all the injected fuel which is typically made up of individual fuel streams which are separated by sectors of fuel-deficient intake air. The present fuel combustion system (10) includes a multiple-orifice fuel injector (22), a baffle (138) having a concave surface (146), and a fuel ignition-initiating device (22) such as glow plug positioned generally in spaced relation between the fuel injector (22) and the concave surface (146). The baffle (138) intercepts and temporarily maintains a stoichiometric preselected portion (34,38) of at least one, and preferably two, fuel streams (102,106) in ignitable proximity to the fuel ignition-initiating device (26) to positively start a localized flame (42) of burning fuel. The baffle (138) controlledly reflects and rapidly directs the resultant expanding flame (42) of burning fuel to all of the remaining fuel streams (110) so that they are interconnectedly bridged with the flame (42) and thereby positively ignited.

Flame incubating and propagating apparatus for a fuel combustion system

An improved internal combustion engine including a housing defining an operating chamber having a wall, an output shaft journalled in the housing and a piston operatively associated with the shaft and movable within the housing. The piston is provided with a seal receiving groove and the groove receives both a compression seal and an oil seal. In a preferred embodiment, the groove includes a step to define a relatively deep compression seal receiving portion and a relatively shallow oil seal receiving portion.

Engine seal assembly

There is disclosed a fuel injector assembly having a disc type delivery valve and a reverse check combined with the delivery valve to control secondary pressure to reduce fuel line erosion due to cavitation. The arrangement provides an unobstructed passageway for fuel delivery upon opening of the valve.

Fuel injection assembly

Growing community of inventors

East Peoria, IL, United States of America

Ziedonis I Krauja