The present disclosure relates to a uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine which combusts a premixed gas generated by injecting a fuel gas into an active gas suctioned from a scavenge port.
This application is a continuation application based on a PCT Patent Application No. PCT/JP2014/062463, filed on May 9, 2014, whose priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-100528, filed on May 10, 2013. The contents of both the PCT Application and the Japanese Application are incorporated herein by reference.
In a uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine (a two-stroke engine) which is also used as an engine of a vessel, a scavenge port is provided on an end portion in a stroke direction of a piston of a cylinder, and an exhaust port is provided on the other end portion in the stroke direction of the piston of the cylinder. When an active gas is suctioned into a combustion chamber from the scavenge port in an intake (induction) stroke, the exhaust gases generated by the combustion operation are exhausted by being pushed out of the exhaust port by the suctioned active gas. At this time, a premixed gas is generated by injecting the fuel gas into the suctioned active gas, the combustion operation is achieved by compressing the generated premixed gas, and the piston reciprocates within the cylinder by the explosive pressure generated by the combustion operation.
In such a uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine, when the mixing between the fuel gas and the active gas is insufficient, the concentration of the fuel gas locally increases, and there are problems such as pre-ignition and emission of unburned gas. Therefore, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a communicating hole is provided on an inner wall of the scavenge port, and a nozzle tube protrudes into the scavenge port from the communicating hole. Moreover, a technique is disclosed for securing the mixing time of the fuel gas and the active gas in the cylinder, by injecting the fuel gas into the scavenge port from the nozzle tube, and by starting the mixing between the active gas and the fuel gas before the active gas is suctioned into the cylinder.
Japanese Patent No. 3908855
Meanwhile, a configuration is considered in which a plurality of injection ports of the nozzle tube protruding into a scavenge port from a communicating hole and spaced in the stroke direction of the piston are provided to uniformly diffuse the fuel gas into the active gas by suppressing the deviation of the fuel gas. Further, without being limited to such a configuration, a case where a plurality of injection ports for injecting the fuel gas are provided on the outside of the cylinder so as to leave space in the stroke direction of the piston is also assumed.
In this case, since the flow velocity of the active gas leading to the scavenge port differs depending on the position of the scavenge port, the concentration of the fuel gas becomes uneven depending on the positions of the plurality of injection ports. As a result, the concentration of the fuel gas in the combustion chamber are varied, unburned fuel gas may remain by flame-out in a portion of the cylinder where the concentration of the fuel gas is diluted, and abnormal combustion may be caused in a portion where the concentration of the fuel gas is too high.
The present disclosure has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine capable of suppressing flame-out or abnormal combustion by equalizing the concentration of the fuel gas that reaches the combustion chamber from the scavenge port.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine which includes a cylinder in which a combustion chamber is formed; a piston which slides within the cylinder; a scavenge port which is provided on one end side in a stroke direction of the piston in the cylinder to suck an active gas into the combustion chamber in accordance with the sliding movement of the piston; and an injection unit which injects a fuel gas into the active gas suctioned into the scavenge port and is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the scavenge port or on the outside of the cylinder rather than the inner circumferential surface, wherein the amount of the fuel gas injected by the injection unit on the other end side in the stroke direction is larger than the amount of fuel gas injected by the injection unit on one end side in the stroke direction.
According to the uniflow scavenging 2-stroke engine of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress the flame-out or abnormal combustion by equalizing the concentration of the fuel gas that reaches the combustion chamber from the scavenge port.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present disclosure, and unless specifically indicated otherwise, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, in the present specification and drawings, the elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals a and repeated description thereof will not be included. Further, the elements which are not directly related to the present disclosure will not be shown.
In the uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine 100, a piston 112 connected to a crosshead (not shown) slidably reciprocates inside the cylinder 110 through four consecutive strokes, such as air intake (induction), compression, combustion and exhaust. In such a crosshead type piston 112, it is possible to form a relatively long stroke in the cylinder 110, and the crosshead can be subjected to the lateral pressure acting on the piston 112. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance the output of the uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine 100. Further, since the cylinder 110 is separated from a crank chamber (not shown) to which the crosshead is fitted, it is possible to prevent staining and deterioration of the crank chamber even when using a low-quality fuel oil.
The pilot injection valve 114 is provided in the cylinder head 110a above the top dead center of the piston 112 to inject an appropriate amount of fuel oil at a desired point in the engine cycle. Such a fuel oil is spontaneously ignited by heat of the combustion chamber 140 surrounded by the cylinder head 110a, a cylinder liner of the cylinder block 110b and the piston 112, and is combusted over a short time to greatly raise the temperature of the combustion chamber 140. Therefore, it is possible to reliably combust the premixed gas containing the fuel gas at a desired timing.
The exhaust port 116 is an opening provided on the top of the cylinder head 110a above the top dead center of the piston 112, and is opened and closed to exhaust the exhaust gas which combustion generates in the cylinder 110. The exhaust valve driving device 118 causes the exhaust valve 120 to slide vertically at a predetermined timing to open and close the exhaust port 116. The exhaust gas is exhausted via the exhaust port 116 to the outside, for example, after being supplied to a turbine side of a turbocharger (not shown).
The scavenge port 122 is a hole which penetrates from an inner circumferential surface (an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder block 110b) on one end side in the stroke direction of the piston 112 in the cylinder 110 to the outer circumferential surface, and a plurality of scavenge ports 122 are provided over the entire periphery of the cylinder 110, each spaced apart from one another. The scavenge port 122 suctions the active gas into the cylinder 110 in accordance with the sliding movement of the piston 112. Such an active gas includes oxygen, an oxidizing agent such as ozone or a mixed gas (e.g., air) thereof. The scavenge chamber 124 is filled with an active gas (e.g., air) put under pressure by a compressor of the turbocharger (not shown), and the active gas is sucked from the scavenge port 122 under a differential pressure between the scavenge chamber 124 and the cylinder 110. Although the pressure of the scavenge chamber 124 can be substantially constant, when the pressure of the scavenge chamber 124 changes, a pressure gauge may be provided in the scavenge port 122 to control other parameters, such as the amount of fuel gas injected, depending on the measured values.
As shown in
As shown in
Further, as shown in
An annularly extending mixing chamber is formed inside each of the mixing tubes 126a and 126b. Each mixing chamber communicates with a fuel piping (not shown) through which the fuel gas obtained by gasifying a liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows, and an active piping (not shown) through which the active gas flows. Moreover, the fuel gas from the fuel piping is mixed with the active gas from the active piping in the mixing chamber to generate a premixed gas. Here the fuel gas is not limited to LNG, and it is possible to use, for example, a gas obtained by gasifying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gas oil or heavy oil.
As shown in
The circulation tubes 126d include circulation tubes communicating with the mixing tube 126a and circulation tubes communicating with the mixing tube 126b, and these circulation tubes are alternately disposed in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 110. That is, one of two adjacent circulation tubes 126d communicates with the mixing tube 126a, and the other thereof communicates with the mixing tube 126b. Moreover, the premixed gas containing the fuel gas flowing from the mixing tube 126a or the mixing tube 126b flows through the circulation tubes 126d.
As shown in
Moreover, when receiving a command from the fuel injection control unit 152 to be described below, a switching valve 126c which opens and closes the flow passages of the fuel gas and the active gas supplied to the injection port 126e is opened (see
As shown in
At this time, although the speed of the gas in the cylinder 110 slightly drops due to the influence of friction with the inner circumferential surface and the viscosity of the gas at a site close to the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 110, in general, the rising speed is faster on the outer diameter side of the cylinder 110 than on the inner diameter side. This is because the flow velocity of the outer diameter side of the cylinder 110 is accelerated by the influence of a swirl. In addition, as shown in
Accordingly, in
Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in
Further, in the first modified example of the present disclosure shown in
Further, in the second modified example of the present disclosure shown in
Even in the case of
Further, in the embodiment shown in
Further, in the first modified example shown in
In the second modified example shown in
Returning to
A governor 150 derives an amount of fuel injected, based on the engine output command value input from the preceding controller, and the engine rotational speed derived from the crank angle signal from the rotary encoder 130, and outputs the derived amount of fuel injected to the fuel injection control unit 152.
The fuel injection control unit 152 controls the switching valve 126c (see
The exhaust control unit 154 outputs an exhaust valve operating signal to the exhaust valve driving device 118, based on a signal relating to the amount of fuel injected from the fuel injection control unit 152, and the crank angle signal from the rotary encoder 130.
Hereinafter, the operation of each control unit in the engine cycle of the uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine 100 will be described.
When the piston 112 moves downward and approaches the bottom dead center with the explosive pressure generated by the combustion action of the combustion chamber 140, the exhaust control unit 154 opens the exhaust valve 120 through the exhaust valve driving device 118, and the scavenge port 122 is opened according to the sliding operation of the piston 112 (t1 shown in
Moreover, the fuel injection control unit 152 opens the switching valve 126c, based on the information showing the amount of fuel injected input from the governor 150, and the engine rotational speed derived from the crank angle signal from the rotary encoder 130, thereby injecting the premixed gas into the radially outer side of the cylinder 110 of the scavenge port 122 from the fuel injection unit 126. Thus, the premixed gas is contained in the active gas before being suctioned to the scavenge port 122.
At this time, the amount of the premixed gas (fuel gas) injected through the injection port 126e is larger on the other end side in the stroke direction than on one end side in the stroke direction. The premixed gas rises, while forming a swirl for promoting the mixing between the active gas and the fuel gas contained in the premixed gas, and pushes the exhaust gas in the combustion chamber 140 (within the cylinder 110) outward through the exhaust port 116.
In the compression stroke in which the piston 112 rises toward the top dead center from the bottom dead center, the fuel injection control unit 152 closes the switching valve 126c to stop the injection of the premixed gas into the scavenge port 122 from the fuel injection unit 126. Further, the scavenge port 122 is closed to stop the injection of the premixed gas.
At this time, the exhaust control unit 154 maintains the exhaust valve 120 in the open state, and subsequently, the exhaust gas in the combustion chamber 140 (within the cylinder 110) is discharged from the exhaust port 116 by the rise of the piston 112.
Thereafter, when the piston 112 rises, the exhaust control unit 154 closes the exhaust valve 120 to close the exhaust port 116 (t2 shown in
In this way, by combusting the premixed gas in the combustion chamber 140, as described above, the exhaust stroke, the air induction stroke, the compression stroke and the combustion stroke are repeated.
Subsequently, a fuel injection unit 426 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the second embodiment, since only the fuel injection unit 426 is different from the above-mentioned first embodiment, the description of configurations identical to the first embodiment will not be provided, and only the different configuration of the fuel injection unit 426 will be described.
As shown in
The circulation tube 426d communicates with the mixing tube 426a, and the premixed gas containing the fuel gas flowing from the mixing tube 426a is circulated through the circulation tube 426d. Also, the circulation tube 426e communicates with the mixing tube 426b, and the premixed gas containing the fuel gas flowing from the mixing tube 426b is circulated through the circulation tube 426e. In this way, independent flow passages are formed in each of the circulation tube 426d and the circulation tube 426e.
Further, as shown in
The first injection port 426f and the second injection port 426g are located on the radially outer side (on the outside of the cylinder 110) of the cylinder 110 between the adjacent scavenge ports 122, and are open in the circumferential direction of the cylinder 110 from the circulation tubes 426d and 426e. Also, the first injection ports 426f and the second injection ports 426g are different from each other in their position in the stroke direction of the piston 112.
Here, the first injection port 426f and the second injection port 426g are divided into two sets. The two sets include a set (a first injection port group 460) of two first injection ports 426f located on the other end side in the stroke direction (the upper side in
The flow passages of the premixed gas are independently formed in each of the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462, like the flow passage of the circulation tube 426d and the flow passage of the circulation tube 426e. Therefore, it is possible to easily vary the amount of the premixed gas injected through the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462.
Specifically, the pressure of the fuel gas and the active gas supplied to the mixing tube 426a via the switching valve 426c is higher than the pressure of the fuel gas and the active gas supplied to the mixing tube 426b via the switching valve 426c. That is, the pressure of the premixed gas supplied to the first injection port group 460 is higher than the pressure of the premixed gas supplied to the second injection port group 462.
In this way, by setting the pressure of the premixed gas supplied to be higher in the first injection port group 460 than in the second injection port group 462, even when the opening areas of the first injection port 426f and the second injection port 426g and the intervals in the stroke direction are made equal, it is possible to easily vary the amount of premixed gas injected. Therefore, the circulation tubes 426d and 426e can be formed by a common member, and a cost can be reduced. In addition, a difference in the amount of premixed gas injected between the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462 can also be easily changed depending on the driving conditions.
Further, instead of varying the pressure of the premixed gas supplied to the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462, the concentration of the fuel gas supplied to the first injection port group 460 may be set to be higher than the concentration of the fuel gas supplied to the second injection port group 462. Specifically, for example, the ratio of the flow rate to the active gas of the fuel gas allowed to flow into the mixing tube 426a is set to be greater than the ratio of the flow rate of the fuel gas allowed to flow into the mixing tube 426b to the active gas.
In this way, by varying the concentration of the fuel gas in the injected premixed gas between the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462, even when the opening areas of the first injection port 426f and the second injection port 426g and the intervals in the stroke direction are made equal, it is possible to easily vary the amount of fuel gas injected. Also, by mixing the fuel gas allowed to flow into the mixing tube 426b with the active gas in advance, or by mixing a highly stable gas (e.g., water vapor) in addition to the active gas and the fuel gas, the concentration of the fuel gas in the premixed gas injected from the second injection port group 462 may be lowered.
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are conceivable within the scope described in the claims, and those are understood as naturally belonging to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the description has been given as a case where the injection port 126e, the first injection port 426f and the second injection port 426g are openings provided on the outside of the cylinder 110 rather than the inner circumferential surface of the scavenge port 122, they may be openings provided on the inner circumferential surface of the scavenge port 122.
In the above-mentioned first embodiment, as shown in
In the above-mentioned second embodiment, as shown in
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first modified example, the description has been given as a case where the premixed gas of the fuel gas and the active gas is ejected from the injection ports 126e, 226e and 326e toward the active gas flowing toward the scavenge port 122 from the scavenge chamber 124. Further, in the above-mentioned second modified example, the description has been given of a case where the premixed gas of the fuel gas and the active gas is ejected from the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462 toward the active gas flowing toward the scavenge port 122 from the scavenge chamber 124. However, a configuration may be provided in which only the fuel gas is injected from the injection ports 126e, 226e and 326e or the first injection port group 460 and the second injection port group 462 and the fuel gas is mixed with the active gas in the cylinder 110 to generate the premixed gas.
The present disclosure can be utilized in the uniflow scavenging 2-cycle engine which combusts the premixed gas generated by injecting the fuel gas to the active gas that is suctioned from the scavenge port.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2013-100528 | May 2013 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2014/062463 | May 2014 | US |
Child | 14935233 | US |