Claims
- 1. An atomizing injector, comprising:
a fuel metering set including a plate of etchable material, the plate having a first side and a second side, the first side having a bowl-shaped fuel swirl chamber shaped by etching such that fuel to be sprayed from the injector can move therein in a vortex motion toward the center of the fuel swirl chamber; a spray orifice in fluid communication with the center of the fuel swirl chamber and extending substantially co-axial therewith to the second side such that fuel to be sprayed from the injector can move from the fuel swirl chamber to the spray orifice and then exit the spray orifice through the second side in a conically shaped spray; at least one fuel feed slot in fluid communication with the fuel swirl chamber and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying fuel to be sprayed through the injector; and an air swirler assembly including a plate of etchable material, the plate of the air swirler assembly in adjacent relation to the second side of the plate of the fuel metering set, a cylindrical air swirler passage shaped by etching through the plate of the air swirler assembly, the cylindrical air swirler passage located in co-axial relation to the spray orifice of the plate of the fuel metering set such that fuel directed through the spray orifice passes through the air swirler passage and swirling air can be imparted to the fuel to cause the fuel to have a swirling component of motion; and at least one air feed slot in fluid communication with the air swirler passage and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying air to be swirled in the air swirler passage.
- 2. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein the air swirler assembly includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface relation, each of said plates of the air swirler assembly having a portion of the cylindrical air swirler passage with the portions arranged in co-axial relation with one another, and each of the plates of the air swirler assembly including at least one air feed slot in fluid communication with the respective air swirler portion and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying multiple air streams to be swirled in the air swirler passage.
- 3. The atomizing injector as in claim 2, wherein an air supply passage feeds all the at least one feed slots of the multiple plates of the air swirler assembly.
- 4. The atomizing injector as in claim 3, wherein the air supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates of the air swirler assembly.
- 5. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein the air swirler assembly includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface adjacent relation, each of said plates of the air swirler assembly having a portion of the cylindrical air swirler passage with the portions arranged in co-axial relation with one another, and each of the plates of the air swirler assembly including a plurality of air feed slots spaced around the air swirler chamber in fluid communication with the respective air swirler portion and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying multiple air streams to be swirled in the air swirler passage.
- 6. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein an air supply passage feeds an air feed slot in each plate of all the multiple plates of the air swirler assembly.
- 7. The atomizing injector as in claim 6, wherein the air supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates of the air swirler assembly.
- 8. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein an air supply passage is in fluid communication with the at least one air feed slot, the air supply passage extending in axial relation thereto for supplying air to the at least one air feed slot.
- 9. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, further including at least one air supply passage extending through said plate of the fuel metering set and in fluid communication with the at least one air feed slot in the plate of the air swirler assembly.
- 10. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein the air swirler passage of the air swirler assembly has a larger diameter than the spray orifice in the fuel metering set.
- 11. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein the plate of the fuel metering set and the plate of the air swirler assembly are formed of metal.
- 12. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein the at least one air feed slot is shaped by etching a first side of the air swirler plate.
- 13. The atomizing injector as in claim 1, wherein the plate of the fuel metering set is disposed in surface-to-surface adjacent relation to the plate of the air swirler assembly.
- 14. An injector, comprising:
a metering set including a plate of etchable material, the plate having a first side and a second side, the first side having a bowl-shaped swirl chamber shaped by etching such that a first fluid to be dispensed from the injector can move therein in a vortex motion toward the center of the swirl chamber; an orifice in fluid communication with the center of the swirl chamber and extending substantially co-axial therewith to the second side such that first fluid to be dispensed from the injector can move from the swirl chamber to the orifice and then exit the orifice through the second side; at least one first feed slot in fluid communication with the swirl chamber and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying the first fluid to be dispensed through the injector; and a swirler assembly including a plate of etchable material, the plate of the swirler assembly arranged alongside the second side of the plate of the metering set, a swirler passage shaped by etching through the plate of the swirler assembly, the swirler passage located in relation to the orifice of the plate of the metering set such that the first fluid directed through the orifice passes through the swirler passage and a second, swirling fluid can be imparted to the first fluid to cause the first fluid to have a swirling component of motion; and at least one second feed slot in fluid communication with the swirler passage for supplying the second fluid to be swirled in the swirler passage.
- 15. The injector as in claim 14, wherein the swirler assembly includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface adjacent relation, each of said plates having a portion of the swirler passage and each of the plates including at least one feed slot in fluid communication with the respective swirler portion for supplying multiple fluid streams to be swirled in the swirler passage.
- 16. The injector as in claim 15, wherein a fluid supply passage feeds all the at least one feed slots of the multiple plates.
- 17. The injector as in claim 16, wherein the fluid supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates.
- 18. The injector as in claim 14, wherein the swirler assembly includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface adjacent relation, each of said plates having a portion of the swirler passage and each of the plates including a plurality of fluid feed slots spaced around the swirler chamber in fluid communication with the respective swirler portion for supplying multiple fluid streams to be swirled in the swirler passage.
- 19. The injector as in claim 18, wherein a fluid supply passage feeds a fluid feed slot in each plate of all the multiple plates.
- 20. The injector as in claim 19, wherein the fluid supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates.
- 21. The injector as in claim 14, wherein a fluid supply passage is in fluid communication with the at least one feed slot, the fluid supply passage extending in axial relation thereto for supplying fluid to the at least one fluid feed slot.
- 22. The injector as in claim 14, further including at least one fluid supply passage extending through said plate of the metering set and in fluid communication with the at least one feed slot in the plate of the swirler assembly.
- 23. The injector as in claim 14, wherein the swirler passage of the swirler assembly has a larger dimension than the spray orifice in the metering set.
- 24. The injector as in claim 14, wherein the plate of the metering set and the plate of the swirler assembly are formed of metal.
- 25. The injector as in claim 14, wherein the at least one feed slot is shaped by etching a first side of the swirler plate.
- 26. The injector as in claim 14, wherein the plate of the metering set is disposed in surface-to-surface adjacent relation to the plate of the swirler assembly.
- 27. An injector assembly, comprising:
a plurality of flat plates of etchable material, and a plurality of injectors formed in said plates, each of said injectors including: a fuel metering set including a bowl-shaped fuel swirl chamber shaped by etching formed in a first side of one of said plates, such that fuel to be sprayed from the injector can move therein in a vortex motion toward the center of the fuel swirl chamber; a spray orifice in fluid communication with the center of the fuel swirl chamber and extending substantially co-axial therewith to a second side of said plate such that fuel to be sprayed from the injector can move from the fuel swirl chamber to the spray orifice and then exit the spray orifice through the second side in a spray; at least one fuel feed slot in fluid communication with the fuel swirl chamber and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying fuel to be sprayed through the injector; and an air swirler assembly including a cylindrical air swirler passage shaped by etching through another of the plates, the plate of the air swirler assembly in adjacent relation to the second side of the plate of the fuel metering set, the cylindrical air swirler passage located in co-axial relation to the spray orifice of the plate of the fuel metering set such that fuel directed through the spray orifice passes through the air swirl chamber and swirling air can be imparted to the fuel to cause the fuel to have a swirling component of motion; and at least one air feed slot in fluid communication with the air swirler passage and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying air to be swirled in the air passage.
- 28. The injector assembly as in claim 27, wherein the air swirler assembly includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface adjacent relation, each of said plates having a portion of the cylindrical air swirler passage with the portions arranged in co-axial relation with one another, and each of the plates of the air swirler assembly including a plurality of air feed slots spaced around the air swirler chamber in fluid communication with the respective air swirler portion and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying multiple air streams to be swirled in the air swirler passage.
- 29. The injector assembly as in claim 28, wherein an air supply passage feeds an air feed slot in each plate of all the multiple plates of the air swirler assembly.
- 30. The injector assembly as in claim 29, wherein the air supply passage feeds air feed slots of adjacent air swirler passages in each plate.
- 31. The injector assembly as in claim 30, wherein the air supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates of the air swirler assembly.
- 32. A method of forming an injector assembly, comprising the steps of:
etching a fuel swirl chamber in a first thin plate of etchable material, said fuel swirl chamber having a shape such that fluid to be sprayed can move therein in a vortex motion toward the center of the fuel swirl chamber; and etching a spray orifice which extends through the thin section of material at the center of the fuel swirl chamber such that fluid to be sprayed can move from said fuel swirl chamber to said spray orifice and then exit the spray orifice in a conically-shaped spray; and providing at least one fuel feed slot in fluid communication with the fuel swirl chamber and which extends non-radially to said fuel swirl chamber for supplying fuel to the sprayed through the injector; and etching a cylindrical air swirler passage in a second thin plate of etchable material, and locating the second plate in adjacent relation to the second side of the plate of the fuel metering set such that the cylindrical air swirler passage is located in co-axial relation to the spray orifice of the fuel swirler passage such that fuel directed through the spray orifice passes through the air swirl passage and swirling air can be imparted to the fuel to cause the fuel to have a swirling component of motion; and providing at least one air feed slot in fluid communication with the air swirler passage and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying air to the air swirler passage.
- 33. An atomizing injector, comprising:
a metering set including a plate of etchable material, a first feed slot for supplying a first fluid to the plate and an orifice in the plate for dispensing the first fluid; and swirler structure integral with the metering set and including a plate of etchable material, a mixing passage shaped by etching through the plate of the swirler structure, the mixing passage located in relation to the orifice of the plate of the metering set such that the first fluid directed through the orifice passes through the mixing passage and a second fluid can be mixed with the first fluid; and at least one second feed slot in fluid communication with the mixing passage for supplying the second fluid to be mixed in the mixing passage.
- 34. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, wherein the swirler structure includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface relation, each of said plates of the swirler structure having a portion of the mixing passage, and each of the plates of the swirler structure including at least one fluid feed slot in fluid communication with the respective mixing portion and extending in non-radial relation thereto for supplying fluid streams to be mixed in the mixing passage.
- 35. The atomizing injector as in claim 34, wherein a supply passage feeds all the at least one second feed slots of the multiple plates of the swirler structure.
- 36. The atomizing injector as in claim 35, wherein the supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates of the swirler structure.
- 37. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, wherein the swirler structure includes multiple plates in surface-to-surface adjacent relation, each of said plates of the swirler structure having a portion of the mixing passage, and each of the plates of the swirler structure including a plurality of fluid feed slots spaced around the mixing chamber in fluid communication with the respective mixing passage portion and extending in nonradial relation thereto for supplying multiple fluid streams to be mixed in the mixing passage.
- 38. The atomizing injector as in claim 37, wherein a supply passage feeds a fluid feed slot in each late of all the multiple plates of the swirler structure.
- 39. The atomizing injector as in claim 38, wherein the supply passage extends axially through the multiple plates of the swirler structure.
- 40. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, wherein a supply passage is in fluid communication with the at least one second feed slot, the supply passage extending in axial relation thereto for supplying fluid to the at least one second feed slot.
- 41. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, further including at least one supply passage extending through said plate of the metering set and in fluid communication with the at least one second feed slot in the plate of the swirler structure.
- 42. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, wherein the mixing passage of the swirler structure has a larger diameter than the spray orifice in the metering set.
- 43. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, wherein the plate of the metering set and the plate of the swirler structure are formed of metal.
- 44. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, wherein the at least one second feed slot is shaped by etching a first side of the mixing plate.
- 45. The atomizing injector as in claim 44, wherein the plate of the metering set is disposed in adjacent relation to the plate of the swirler structure.
- 46. The atomizing injector as in claim 33, further including means etched in the plate of the metering set for dispensing the first fluid in a spray.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/185,254; filed Feb. 28, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60185254 |
Feb 2000 |
US |