IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,624,673
Granted Patent B2
US 12,624,673 · App. 18/965,679 · Granted May 12, 2026

Ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement and ammonia-rich combustion control method thereof

Inventors: Lei Zhou (Tianjin, CN); Zongkuan Liu (Tianjin, CN); Lijia Zhong (Tianjin, CN); Haiqiao Wei (Tianjin, CN); Gequn Shu (Tianjin, CN)
Assignee: Tianjin University
F02M21/0206F02M21/0248F02M21/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,624,673
App. No.
18/965,679
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement and reactive activity control, and an ammonia-rich combustion control method thereof are provided. The ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement includes a jet ignition device and an ammonia gas injector. An oxygen injector is provided on the jet ignition device. During the operation of the ammonia-fueled engine, the ammonia gas injector firstly injects ammonia fuel into a combustion chamber, and ammonia gas in the combustion chamber enters a prechamber inner cavity through a jet hole during a compression stroke, and the oxygen injector firstly injects oxygen gas into a prechamber to reduce an ammonia concentration in a gas mixture in the prechamber, dilute the gas mixture in the prechamber, improve the reaction activity of the gas mixture, and ensure the speed and intensity of an initial flame; and then a jet flame is formed to ignite over-concentrated ammonia-air mixture in the combustion chamber.

Claims (10)

1 . An ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement, comprising a jet ignition device ( 4 ), a piston ( 1 ), a cylinder head ( 7 ), a cylinder liner ( 8 ), and an ammonia gas injector ( 5 ), wherein a combustion chamber ( 2 ) is formed between the piston ( 1 ) and the cylinder head ( 7 ), and an end of the jet ignition device ( 4 ) and an end of the ammonia gas injector ( 5 ) extend into the combustion chamber ( 2 ); the jet ignition device ( 4 ) comprises a prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ), a spark plug ( 9 ), an oxygen injector ( 11 ), and a fuel injector ( 12 ); the spark plug ( 9 ) is located in the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ), injection ports of the oxygen injector ( 11 ) and the fuel injector ( 12 ) extend into the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ); and the oxygen injector ( 11 ) is configured to inject oxygen gas into the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ) to reduce a concentration of a gas mixture in the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ).

2 . The ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement according to claim 1 , wherein the jet ignition device ( 4 ) comprises a shell ( 10 ) and a prechamber front end ( 15 ); the shell ( 10 ) and the prechamber front end ( 15 ) are in detachable connection, and a cavity formed between a bottom of the shell ( 10 ) and an inner wall of the prechamber front end ( 15 ) is the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ), a jet hole ( 14 ) is provided on the bottom of the prechamber front end ( 15 ), for communicating the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ) with the combustion chamber ( 2 ), and threads are provided on partial outer wall of the prechamber front end ( 15 ) for threaded connection to the cylinder head ( 7 ) of an engine.

3 . An ammonia-rich combustion control method of the ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement according to claim 2 , comprising the following steps:

during operation of an ammonia-fueled engine, injecting, by an ammonia gas injector ( 5 ), ammonia fuel into a combustion chamber ( 2 ) to form a concentrated ammonia-air mixture with an equivalence ratio of 1.0-1.2 in the combustion chamber ( 2 );

during a compression stroke, due to the compression of a piston ( 1 ), enabling ammonia gas in the combustion chamber ( 2 ) to enter a prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ) through a jet hole ( 14 );

before a spark plug ( 9 ) ignites, injecting, by an oxygen injector ( 11 ), oxygen gas into the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ) to reduce an ammonia concentration in a gas mixture in the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ); and

at a position close to compression top dead center, igniting, by the spark plug ( 9 ), the gas mixture in the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ) to form a jet flame through the jet hole ( 14 ), and then igniting a concentrated ammonia-air mixture in the combustion chamber ( 2 ) to complete combustion work of an engine.

4 . The ammonia-rich combustion control method of the ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement according to claim 3 , wherein oxygen injection quantity of the oxygen injector ( 11 ) is determined according to an operating condition of the engine, so as to generate prechamber jet flames with different intensities.

5 . The ammonia-rich combustion control method of the ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement according to claim 3 , wherein ammonia injection quantity of the ammonia gas injector ( 5 ) is regulated and controlled by an ECU (electronic control unit) of the engine, and a thermodynamic environment with a fuel-air equivalence ratio greater than 1 is achieved in the combustion chamber ( 2 ).

6 . The ammonia-rich combustion control method of the ammonia-fueled engine based on oxygen enhancement according to claim 3 , wherein the volume and structure of the prechamber inner cavity ( 13 ) and a diameter and amount of the jet hole ( 14 ) are selected according to an engine type and the operating condition.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2024
From: ZHOU, LEI; LIU, ZONGKUAN; ZHONG, LIJIA; WEI, HAIQIAO; SHU, GEQUN
To: TIANJIN UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 069455/0025 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202410360234.0 · Mar 27, 2024 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250305471A1 · Oct 2, 2025
References Cited (4)
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US 12480453B2 · Zhou · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20110265463A1 · Kojima · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20150260131A1 · Riley · 2015 [cited by examiner]