Patent Application
20150053795
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to fuel injectors, and more particularly to fuel injectors for use in internal combustion, for example.
2. Description of Related Art
Fuel injectors used in internal combustion engines are subjected to relatively high operating temperatures. When exposed to relatively high temperatures the fuel injectors can experience pre-ignition. Pre-ignition describes the event wherein the air/fuel mixture in the fuel injector ignites before it is intended to do so. Pre-ignition is initiated by an unintended ignition source, such as hot spots in the combustion chamber, a spark plug that runs too hot for the application, or carbonaceous deposits in the combustion chamber heated to incandescence by previous engine combustion events.
To prevent pre-ignition manufacturers are looking at thermal barrier coating in fuel injectors. The thermal barrier coating is made of ceramic and sprayed by a robotic spray process.
However, while the spraying of the thermal barrier coating into the fuel lines is one useful solution, when the fuel lines are smaller in diameter and/or the nozzle of the spray cannot reach the fuel line to apply the barrier coating, another solution is required.
There is still a need in the art for apparatus and methods that allow for an improved fuel injector having ceramic coated fuel lines. There also remains a need in the art for such methods and devices that are easy to make and use. The present disclosure provides a solution for these problems.
A fuel injector body having a fuel line defined by a passage therethrough and a ceramic cylinder disposed within the passage. It is contemplated that the feed arm can include a plurality of passages such that at least one passage includes the ceramic cylinder disposed therein.
The ceramic cylinder is a tube including a hollow passage for fuel flow therethrough. The ceramic cylinder can extend the length of the passage.
A lip can surround an opening downstream of the passage configured to act as a stop for the ceramic cylinder. The passage can be 0.113 inches in diameter for accommodating adequate wall thickness of the ceramic cylinder.
The ceramic cylinder can be adhered within the passage. In certain embodiments the ceramic cylinder is adhered using Araldite™ 2011. In an alternate embodiment, the ceramic cylinder is adhered using Duralco™ 4525.
A method of protecting the fuel line of a fuel injector includes inserting a ceramic cylinder into at least one passage for a fuel line of the fuel injector and adhering the ceramic cylinder within the passage. The step of adhering can further include adhering an outer surface of the ceramic cylinder to an inner surface of the passage.
These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary embodiment of a feed arm of a fuel injector in accordance with the disclosure is shown in
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The ceramic cylinder 120 is adhered within the passage 130 using an adhesive such as Araldite™ 2011, a structural epoxy that is a registered trademark of Huntsman Advanced Materials of Bergkamen, Germany, or Duralco™ 4525, a registered trademark of Cotronics Corporation of Brooklyn, N.Y. The adhesive may be disposed between an outside surface of the ceramic cylinder and an inner surface of the passage.
With reference to
Due to the tolerance band on the ceramic cylinder of +/−0.0762 mm (0.003 inches) and thin cylinder wall of 0.432 mm (0.017 inches), it is contemplated that the passage is expanded to 2.87 mm (0.113 inches) in diameter to account for cylinder variation and provide an adequate wall thickness of the ceramic cylinder.
A method of protecting the fuel lines of a fuel injector is also disclosed. A ceramic cylinder, e.g., cylinder 120, is inserted into at least one passage, e.g., passage 130, of a fuel injector and adhered within the passage. The step of adhering further can include adhering an outer surface of the ceramic cylinder to an inner surface of the passage.
The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for feed arm of a fuel injector with superior properties including a reduction or prevention of pre-ignition. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/868,241 filed Aug. 21, 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61868241 | Aug 2013 | US |
