Claims
- 1. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a first nozzle outlet set and including a valve seat; a one piece first needle valve member at least partially positioned in said injector body, and including an external valve surface and an internal valve seat, and defining a second nozzle outlet set, and defining a sac volume between said internal valve seat and said second nozzle outlet set; a second needle valve member at least partially positioned in said first needle valve member; said first needle valve member including an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a first nozzle chamber; said second needle valve member including an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a second nozzle chamber; and said second nozzle chamber being fluidly connected to said first nozzle chamber via a connection passage defined by said first needle valve member.
- 2. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein said first nozzle outlet set includes a plurality of conventional nozzle outlets; and
said second nozzle outlet set includes a plurality of homogeneous charge nozzle outlets.
- 3. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein said injector body has a tip with a guide bore disposed therein; and
said first needle valve member includes an end portion, which is located between said external valve surface and said second nozzle outlet set, guided in said guide bore.
- 4. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a first nozzle outlet set and including a valve seat; a one piece first needle valve member at least partially positioned in said injector body, and including an external valve surface and an internal valve seat, and defining a second nozzle outlet set; a second needle valve member at least partially positioned in said first needle valve member; said first needle valve member including an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a first nozzle chamber; said second needle valve member including an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a second nozzle chamber; said second nozzle chamber being fluidly connected to said first nozzle chamber via a connection passage defined by said first needle valve member; said first needle valve member defines a sac volume between said internal valve seat and said second nozzle outlet set; and said second needle valve member includes a sac reduction extension positioned in said sac volume.
- 5. The fuel injector of claim 4 wherein said injector body has a centerline; and
said sac reduction extension is located between said first nozzle outlet set and said second nozzle outlet set along said centerline.
- 6. The fuel injector of claim 1 including a first spring and a second spring operably positioned to bias said first needle valve member toward contact with said valve seat of said injector body; and
said second spring being operably positioned to bias said second needle valve member toward contact with said internal valve seat.
- 7. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein said first nozzle outlet set includes at least one conventional nozzle outlet;
said second nozzle outlet set includes at least one homogeneous charge nozzle outlet; said injector body has a tip with a guide bore disposed therein; and said first needle valve member includes an end portion guided in said guide bore; said first needle valve member defines a sac volume between said internal valve seat and said second nozzle outlet set; said second needle valve member includes a sac reduction extension positioned in said sac volume; a first spring and a second spring operably positioned to bias said first needle valve member toward contact with said valve seat of said injector body; and said second spring being operably positioned to bias said second needle valve member toward contact with said internal valve seat.
- 8. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a first nozzle outlet set and having a tip with a guide bore defined by a guide surface; and a one piece first needle valve member at least partially positioned in said injector body, and including an external valve surface and an internal valve seat, and defining a second nozzle outlet set; a second needle valve member at least partially positioned in said first needle valve member; and said first needle valve member includes an end portion, which is located between said second outlet set and said external valve surface, in guiding contact with said guide surface.
- 9. The fuel injector of claim 8 wherein said first nozzle outlet set includes at least one conventional nozzle outlet; and
said second nozzle outlet set includes at least one homogeneous charge nozzle outlet.
- 10. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a first nozzle outlet set and having a tip with a guide bore defined by a guide surface; and a one piece first needle valve member at least partially positioned in said injector body, and including an external valve surface and an internal valve seat, and defining a second nozzle outlet set; a second needle valve member at least partially positioned in said first needle valve member; said first needle valve member includes an end portion in guiding contact with said guide surface; said first needle valve member defines a sac volume between said internal valve seat and said second nozzle outlet set; and said second needle valve member includes a sac reduction extension positioned in said sac volume.
- 11. The fuel injector of claim 10 wherein said injector body has a centerline; and
said sac reduction extension is located between said first nozzle outlet set and said second nozzle outlet set along said centerline.
- 12. The fuel injector of claim 8 including a first spring and a second spring operably positioned to bias said first needle valve member toward contact with said valve seat of said injector body; and
said second spring being operably positioned to bias said second needle valve member toward contact with said internal valve seat.
- 13. A fuel injector comprising:
an injector body defining a first nozzle outlet set and having a tip with a guide bore defined by a guide surface; and a one piece first needle valve member at least partially positioned in said injector body, and including an external valve surface and an internal valve seat, and defining a second nozzle outlet set; a second needle valve member at least partially positioned in said first needle valve member; said first needle valve member includes an end portion in guiding contact with said guide surface; said first needle valve member includes a first closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a second needle control chamber; and said second needle valve member includes a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a first needle control chamber that is fluidly isolated from said second needle control chamber.
- 14. The fuel injector of claim 13 wherein said first needle valve member includes an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a first nozzle chamber;
said second needle valve member includes an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in a second nozzle chamber; and said second nozzle chamber being fluidly connected to said first nozzle chamber via a connection passage defined by said first needle valve member.
- 15.-20. (Cancelled)
- 21. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein said first needle valve member is in guiding contact with said injector body on opposite sides of said external valve surface.
- 22. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein said second needle valve member is free of surfaces exposed outside of said injector body.
- 23. The fuel injector of claim 1 wherein said second nozzle outlet set is sized and arranged to produce a shower head spray pattern.
- 24. The fuel injector of claim 1 including a needle control valve operable to selectively move one, but not both, of the first and second needle valve members to an open position.
- 25. The fuel injector of claim 8 including a needle control valve operable to selectively move one, but not both, of the first and second needle valve members to an open position.
- 26. The fuel injector of claim 8 wherein said second nozzle outlet set is sized and arranged to produce a shower head spray pattern.
GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0001] This invention was made with U.S. Government support under at least one of DE-FC05-970R22605 and DE-FC05-000R22806 awarded by the Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in this invention.