The present technology relates generally to systems and methods for providing motion amplification and compensation by fluid displacement. Particular embodiments are directed to motion transfer systems for use in fuel injectors.
Fuel injection systems are typically used to inject a fuel spray into an inlet manifold or a combustion chamber of an engine. Fuel injection systems have become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors since the late 1980s. The fuel injectors used in these fuel injection systems are generally capable of two basic functions. First, they deliver a metered amount of fuel for each inlet stroke of the engine so that a suitable air-fuel ratio can be maintained for fuel combustion. Second, they disperse fuel to improve the efficiency of the combustion process. Conventional fuel injection systems are typically connected to a pressurized fuel supply, and the fuel can be metered into the combustion chamber by varying the time for which the injectors are open. The fuel can also be dispersed into the combustion chamber by forcing the fuel through a small orifice in the injectors.
The present technology relates generally to systems and methods for providing motion amplification and compensation by fluid displacement in fuel injector systems. For example, some embodiments of gaseous fuel injectors include a piezoelectric actuator and a motion transfer system coupled to the piezoelectric actuator. The motion transfer system includes a housing, a first piston having a first effective area disposed in the housing, and a second piston having a second effective area disposed in the housing. The second effective area is smaller than the first effective area, and the first and second pistons define a fluid chamber therebetween. The motion transfer system can amplify actuation of a fuel injector valve.
Specific details of several embodiments of the technology are described below with reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, the injector 101 includes a casing or body 113 having a middle portion 117 extending between a base portion 115 and a nozzle portion 119. The nozzle portion 119 extends at least partially through a port in an engine head 107 to position the nozzle portion 119 at the interface with the combustion chamber 105. The injector 101 further includes a fuel passage or channel 141 extending through the body 113 from the base portion 115 to the nozzle portion 119. The channel 141 is configured to allow fuel to flow through the body 113. The channel 141 is also configured to allow other components, such as a valve operator assembly 131, an actuator 123, instrumentation components, and/or energy source components of the injector 101 to pass through the body 113. According to additional features of the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle portion 119 can include one or more ignition features for generating an ignition event for igniting the fuel in the combustion chamber 105. For example, the injector 101 can include any of the ignition features disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/841,170 entitled “INTEGRATED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITERS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE,” filed Jul. 21, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In certain embodiments, the actuator 123 can be a cable, stiffened cable, or rod that has a first end portion that is operatively coupled to a flow control device or valve 121 carried by the nozzle portion 119. The actuator 123 can be integral with the flow valve 121 or a separate component from to the flow valve 121. As such, the flow valve 121 is positioned proximate to the interface with the combustion chamber 105. Although not shown in
The position of the flow valve 121 can be controlled by the valve operator assembly 131. For example, the valve operator assembly 131 can include a plunger, prime mover, or driver 125 that is operatively coupled to the actuator 123. The actuator 123 and/or driver 125 can further be coupled to a processor or controller 129. As explained in detail below with reference to various embodiments of the disclosure, the driver 125 and/or actuator 123 can be responsive to the controller 129. The controller 129 can be positioned on the injector 101 or remotely from the injector 101. The controller 129 and/or the driver 125 are configured to rapidly and precisely actuate the actuator 123 to inject fuel into the combustion chamber 105 by moving the flow valve 121 via the actuator 123. For example, in certain embodiments, the flow valve 121 can move outwardly (e.g., toward the combustion chamber 105) and, in other embodiments, inwardly (e.g., away from the combustion chamber 105) to meter and control injection of the fuel. Moreover, the driver 125 can add tension to the actuator 123 to keep the flow valve 121 in a closed or seated position, and the driver 125 can relax or relieve the tension in the actuator 123 to allow the flow valve 121 to inject fuel. In other embodiments, the flow valve 121 may be opened and closed depending on the pressure of the fuel in the body 113, without the use of an actuator cable or rod. Additionally, although only a single flow valve 121 is shown at the interface of the combustion chamber 105, in other embodiments the flow valve 121 can be positioned at other locations on the injector 101 and can be actuated in combination with one or more other flow valves or check valves.
The injector 101 can further include a sensor and/or transmitting component 127 for detecting and relaying combustion chamber properties, such as temperatures and pressure, and providing feedback to the controller 129. The sensor 127 can be integral to the valve 121, the actuator 123, and/or the nozzle portion 119 or a separate component that is carried by any of these portions of the injector 101. In one embodiment, the actuator 123 can be formed from fiber optic cables or insulated transducers integrated within a rod or cable, or can include other sensors to detect and communicate combustion chamber data. Although not shown in
The motion transfer system 150 can take on numerous forms according to different embodiments of the disclosure and can transfer or modify motion of the driver 125, the actuator 123, the flow valve 121, and/or to other components of the fuel injector 101. In some embodiments, the motion transfer system 150 transfers motion directly to the actuator 123 by any of the means described above. The actuator 123 in turn opens the flow valve 121 in a stroke responsive to the motion transfer, thereby altering the fuel distribution rate and/or pressure. In some embodiments, the motion transfer system 150 transfers motion to the flow valve 121 directly.
In an illustrative embodiment of operation, the initial force 202 on the first piston 208 produces pressure in the fluid in the displacement zone 230 that is approximately equivalent to the magnitude of the initial force 202 divided by a cross-sectional area A1 (i.e., “effective area”) of the first piston 208. The first piston 208 is moved by an initial displacement 204 by the initial force 202. The initial displacement 204 is amplified by the pressurized fluid in the displacement zone 230 to produce a greater magnitude of resulting displacement 206 in the second piston 210. The second piston 210 transfers this resulting displacement 206 via an output force 240.
The resulting displacement 206 is greater than the initial displacement 204 according to the ratio of the cross-sectional area A1 of the first piston 208 divided by a cross-sectional area A2 of the second piston 210. More specifically, the initial force 202 makes the first piston 208 move, causing displacement of a volume V1 equaling the first piston's cross-sectional area A1 multiplied by the initial displacement 204 of the first piston 208, to produce the resulting linear displacement 206 of the second piston 210. The resulting displacement 206 multiplied by the cross-sectional area A2 of the second piston 210 is also equivalent to V1, so the subsequent displacement 206 is larger than the initial displacement 204 of the first piston 208 according to the ratio of piston areas A1/A2. The resulting displacement 206 is approximately equal to the initial force 202 multiplied by the ratio of the piston's cross-sectional areas A2/A1, or the pressure in the fluid in the displacement zone 230 multiplied by the cross-sectional area of the second piston 210.
Referring to
Leakage of fluid past the first piston 208 and/or the second piston 210 can be contained within one or more suitable reservoirs such as hermetically sealed upper bellows 228 and/or lower bellows 234. Each bellows 228, 234 can comprise a reservoir chamber. In some embodiments, the term “bellows” as used herein may include bellows that are spiral formed and that may perform spring actions where needed to improve desired operations. In some embodiments, an annular portion of the upper bellows 228 is welded, brazed, or otherwise sealingly attached to the first piston 208 at a first attachment point 218 and to the housing 212 at a second attachment point 220. Similarly, the lower bellows 234 can be sealingly attached to the housing 212 at a third attachment point 236 and to the second piston 210 at a fourth attachment point 238. Hermetically sealing the motion transfer system 250 can provide assurance that the fluid is provided continuously in the correct amount needed for motion transfer operations, and can greatly improve the internal protection of other components from contamination by the fluid that might otherwise eventually leak into potentially sensitive zones.
The upper and lower bellows 228, 234 may be connected via passageways 232, 233. Reloading the fluid from storage within the upper bellows 228 to the working fluid inventory in the displacement zone 230 can be done by pumping the first piston 208 to provide passage through a conduit 222 to the upper bellows 228 and past a check valve 224, which may be urged into a closed position by the action of the first piston 208 and/or by a suitable spring such as a magnet 214. Transferring the fluid that has accumulated within the lower bellows 234, by pumping the second piston 210, through passageways 232, 233 may be unidirectional as provided by check valves 225, 227. Thus, the fluid will be delivered from the lower bellows 234 to the upper bellows 228 for reloading the inventory of fluid in the displacement zone 230 as shown.
In certain embodiments, the upper and lower bellows 228, 234 are operated with preferred transfer rates that minimize the transfer of fluid past the first piston 208 compared to the allowed fluid transfer rate past the second piston 210. This provides for considerable heat transfer to and through the higher surface-to-volume passageways 232, 233 and through the housing 212. Heat can be generated in the motion transfer system 250 by friction and/or viscous losses as fluid inventory in the displacement zone 230 is rapidly moved and reshaped to translate the initial displacement 204 to the resulting displacement 206. The motion of the fluid within the passageways 232, 233 and the motion of the bellows 228, 234 provide assured heat transfers and remove excess heat. Ultimately such heat is removed from the fuel and/or other fluids that are circulated through the injector 101.
Fluid that leaks past the larger piston 304 and/or the smaller piston 306 can be contained within one or more suitable reservoirs such as hermetically sealed upper bellows 324 and/or lower bellows 314. In some embodiments, the bellows 314, 324 are spiral bellows. The bellows 314, 324 may be utilized to keep fuel constituents and/or particles and debris out of the clearances between the respective cylinder bores in the body 332. This can help ensure the smooth relative motion between components such as the larger piston 304 and the smaller piston 306.
The upper and lower bellows 324, 314 may be connected via passageways 316, 320, 322. Reloading the fluid from storage within the upper bellows 324 to the working fluid inventory in the displacement zone 302 in the manner described above can restart the operating cycle. Transferring the fluid that has accumulated within the lower bellows 314, by pumping the smaller piston 306, through passageway 316 may be unidirectional as provided by check valves 318.
Deformable substances in the displacement zone 302 can include water and ethylene or propylene glycol solutions, thixotropic fluids that produce low viscosity molecular movements upon application of deforming force, and rubber-like compositions that are readily reshaped to conform to space geometry changes. Thixotropic fluids can provide higher viscosity resistance to leakage along with greatly reduced viscosity when the shape of the occupied space is rapidly varied.
One exemplary embodiment of a thixotropic fluid is a solution of mostly water and a relatively small amount of an antifreeze agent that enables various live tissue cells to survive temperatures that ordinarily cause freeze rupture as water freezes. In some embodiments, agents such as a beta-mannopyranosyl-(1→4), a beta-xylopyranose backbone, and a fatty acid component may be utilized as an internal lubricant to provide desirable thixotropic viscosity and body. The lipid inventory may include types and portions that are covalently linked to the saccharide. Similarly, protein-like polymeric components may be utilized to further customize the internal lubrication and/or thixotropic performance.
Fluid leaking past the first piston 408 and/or the second piston 410 can be contained within one or more suitable reservoirs such as hermetically sealed upper bellows 428 and/or lower bellows 434. The upper bellows 428 can be hermetically sealed to the first piston 408 by a suitable annular braze, weld, or adhesive 418 and sealed to the body 412 by an annular seal 420. The lower bellows 434 can be sealed to the case 412 at a first annular seam 436 and sealed to the second piston 410 along a second annular seam 438.
The upper and lower bellows 428, 434 may be connected via passageways 432, 433. Reloading the fluid from storage within the upper bellows 428 to the working fluid inventory in the displacement zone 430 can be done by pumping the first piston 408 to provide passage through a conduit 422 to the upper bellows 428. This provides assured retention of the total requirement of fluid within the hermetically sealed system and transfer of fluid for maintenance of the inventory in the displacement zone 430 to assure adequate and sustained output force 440 in response to the initial displacement 404. Transferring the fluid that has accumulated within the lower bellows 434 by pumping the second piston 410 through passageway 433 may be unidirectional as provided by check valves 425, 427.
In certain embodiments, the upper and lower bellows 428, 434 are operated with preferred transfer rates that minimize the transfer of fluid past the first piston 408 compared to the allowed fluid transfer rate past the second piston 410. This provides for considerable heat transfer to and through the higher surface-to-volume passageways 432, 433 and through the housing 412. Heat can be generated in the motion transfer system 450 by friction and/or viscous losses as fluid inventory in the displacement zone 430 is rapidly moved and reshaped to translate the initial displacement 404 to the resulting displacement 406. The motion of the fluid within the passageways 432, 433 and the motion of the bellows 428, 434 provide assured heat transfers and removal of excess heat. Ultimately, such heat is removed from the fuel and/or other fluids that are circulated through the system 450.
Depending upon the spring rates of the upper bellows 428 compared to the lower bellows 434, the system 450 may provide considerable closing force of valves such as the flow valve 121 shown in
Spiral bellows 528, 534 can minimize the inventory of fluid that is displaced to enable faster operation and provide a greater surface-to-volume ratio for dissipation of heat generated by viscous and flexure losses. The spiral bellows 528 can be adhered and sealed to the first piston 508 by a first seal ring 518 and adhered and sealed to the body 512 by a second seal ring 520. Similarly, the spiral bellows 534 can be adhered and sealed to the second piston 510 at a third seal ring 538 and adhered and sealed to the body 512 by a fourth seal ring 536. These spiral bellows 528, 534 can provide reduced internal volumes compared to other bellows designs and enable greater cooling of fluid that is pumped by bellows actions through passageways 532, 533, check valves 525, 527, and passageway 522 to restore the inventory of working fluid to the displacement zone 530.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/843,197, entitled “MECHANICAL MOTION AMPLIFICATION FOR NEW THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES,” filed on Mar. 15, 2013, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/839,178, entitled “HYDRAULIC DISPLACEMENT AMPLIFIERS FOR FUEL INJECTORS,” filed on Mar. 15, 2013, are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the technology. Further, certain aspects of the new technology described in the context of particular embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Moreover, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the technology. Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein. Thus, the disclosure is not limited except as by the appended claims.
The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/725,446, filed Nov. 12, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140131467 A1 | May 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61725446 | Nov 2012 | US |