Patent Grant
9133800
The present disclosure relates generally to engines and, more particularly, to fuel quill passageway assemblies for engines.
Engines such as, for example, two-stroke diesel engines are used in variety of applications. In some applications, it is desirable to equip the engines with common rail fuel injection systems, which may help reduce emissions. In such systems, a pump provides pressurized fuel to all fuel injectors of an engine using a common rail, which can be connected to each of the fuel injectors via respective fuel quills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,907 to Dietrich et al. (“the '907 patent”) discloses a cylinder head for an internal combustion engine. The cylinder head includes a cylindrical recess, which accommodates a pressure tube. The '907 patent discloses that the pressure tube carries fuel from an injection pipe, connected to an injection pump, to a nozzle holder with a fuel injection nozzle (i.e., a fuel injector).
Although the '907 patent discloses that a cylindrical recess of a cylinder head can be used to facilitate the carriage of fuel from a pump through the cylinder head to an injector, certain disadvantages may persist. For example, in some applications, including the cylindrical recess in a cylinder head may undesirably restrict coolant flow through a water jacket of the cylinder head. Additionally, in some applications (e.g., retrofit applications), it may not be possible to cost effectively produce a cylinder head with the cylindrical recess.
The assemblies and engines of the present disclosure may help address the foregoing problems.
One disclosed embodiment relates to a fuel quill passageway assembly for an engine including a head pot; a cylinder head having an outer wall situated adjacent to the head pot, an inner wall, and a water jacket situated between the outer wall and the inner wall; and a fuel injector situated adjacent to the inner wall. The assembly may include a first sleeve extending through an aperture in the head pot toward an aperture in the outer wall of the cylinder head. The assembly may also include a second sleeve extending from the aperture in the outer wall of the cylinder head, through the water jacket, to an aperture in the inner wall of the cylinder head. Additionally, the assembly may include a seal joining the second sleeve to the first sleeve.
Another embodiment relates to an engine. The engine may include a head pot. The engine may also include a cylinder head having an outer wall situated adjacent to the head pot, an inner wall, and a water jacket situated between the outer wall and the inner wall. Additionally, the engine may include a fuel injector situated adjacent to the inner wall. The engine may also include a first sleeve extending through an aperture in the head pot toward an aperture in the outer wall of the cylinder head. In addition, the engine may include a second sleeve extending from the aperture in the outer wall of the cylinder head, through the water jacket, to an aperture in the inner wall of the cylinder head. Additionally, the engine may include a seal joining the second sleeve to the first sleeve.
Each power assembly 310 may be mounted on a head pot 398 (a welded feature of crankcase 314), and may include a liner 325 within which fuel is combusted using air received from an airbox (not shown). Power assembly 310 may also include a cylinder head 326 situated above liner 325 to close liner 325. In addition, power assembly 310 may include a fuel injector 387 (referring to
As shown in
Fuel quill passageway assembly 350 may include removable sleeves 393a and 393b, which may be formed from steel and adapted to receive fuel quill 392. As shown in
Fuel quill passageway assembly 350 may also include various seals (e.g., seals 397a-c), which may be used to join sleeves 393a and 393b to each other and/or to other parts of power assembly 310. For example, seals 397b and/or 397c may join sleeve 393b to aperture 391c in head pot 398. Also, seal 397b may join sleeve 393b to sleeve 393a and/or join sleeve 393a to aperture 391b in outer wall 356 of cylinder head 326. In addition, seal 397a may join sleeve 393a to aperture 391a in inner wall 425 of cylinder head 326 and/or to fuel injector 387. It is contemplated that sleeves 393a and 393b in combination with seals 397a-c may isolate coolant in water jacket 372 and air and/or exhaust gas remnants in clearance 388 from each other and from other parts of engine 300.
The disclosed engines and assemblies may be used in stationary or non-stationary machines, and may be particularly beneficial when used in machines having limited engine space (e.g., locomotives). The engines and assemblies may facilitate the use of common rail fuel injection systems by, for example, enabling their use on existing machines without requiring cost prohibitive modifications (e.g., expansion of engine bays and/or recasting of engine parts).
For example, fuel quill passageway assembly 350 may allow fuel quill 392 to pass through head pot 398 and cylinder head 326, thereby allowing a common rail of the common rail fuel injection system to be positioned next to head pot 398. Such placement may allow the common rail to be positioned within (as opposed to above) crankcase 314 and under a top deck of engine 300, reducing the amount of additional space required for the common rail fuel injection system and keeping any potential leak path from reaching hot exhaust system components.
In addition, fuel quill passageway assembly 350 may allow for easy installation/removal of the common rail fuel injection system and/or other engine 300 components. For example, given the removable nature of sleeves 393a and 393b, it may be possible to separately install/remove cylinder head 326. Additionally, since sleeves 393a and 393b may, in combination with seals 397a-c, isolate coolant in water jacket 372 and air and/or exhaust gas remnants in clearance 388 from each other and from other parts of engine 300, it may be possible to easily adapt (e.g., by simple machining operations as opposed to recasting operations) an existing cylinder head 326 for use with the common rail fuel injection system. For example, apertures 391a-c could simply be machined into head pot 398 and cylinder head 326, and could be positioned such that sleeve 393a, which extends from aperture 391b to aperture 391a, does not undesirably restrict coolant flow through water jacket 372.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the disclosed assemblies and engines without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments of the disclosed assemblies and engines will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the assemblies and engines disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/529,179, filed Aug. 30, 2011; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/529,183, filed Aug. 30, 2011; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/529,185, filed Aug. 30, 2011, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4860700 | Smith | Aug 1989 | A |
| 5365907 | Dietrich et al. | Nov 1994 | A |
| 6237571 | Harrison | May 2001 | B1 |
| 7086357 | Mac Vicar et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 20110174272 | Male | Jul 2011 | A1 |
| 20120120834 | Sugar et al. | May 2012 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130047962 A1 | Feb 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61529179 | Aug 2011 | US | |
| 61529183 | Aug 2011 | US | |
| 61529185 | Aug 2011 | US |
