Passive prechamber fueling device and method
An engine includes pistons, cylinders, combustion chambers, and intake lines. The engine also includes at least one port fuel injector, a flow guide plate, spark plugs, prechambers housing the spark plugs, and exhaust lines. The pistons are actuated by combustion reactions. The cylinders house the pistons. The combustion chambers form containment boundaries for the combustion reactions. The intake lines form an intake manifold and provide an air fuel mixture to the combustion chambers. The flow guide plate directs the air-fuel mixture to a specified location with the corresponding combustion chamber. The spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture to initiate the combustion reactions. Each prechamber houses a corresponding spark plug and concentrates the air-fuel mixture in close proximity to the corresponding spark plug. The exhaust lines form an exhaust manifold that provides a path for exhaust gas formed by the combustion reaction to exit the combustion chambers.
1 . An engine, comprising:
a plurality of pistons configured to be actuated by combustion reactions within the engine;
a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder being configured to house a corresponding piston of the plurality of pistons;
a plurality of combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being configured to form a containment boundary for a corresponding combustion reaction of the combustion reactions;
a plurality of intake lines collectively forming an intake manifold, each intake line being fluidly connected with a corresponding combustion chamber of the plurality of combustion chambers to provide an air-fuel mixture to the corresponding combustion chamber;
at least one port fuel injector configured to inject fuel into the plurality of intake lines to form the air-fuel mixture;
a flow guide plate configured to direct the air-fuel mixture to a specified location within the corresponding combustion chamber;
a plurality of spark plugs, each spark plug being configured to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the corresponding combustion chamber to initiate the combustion reactions;
a plurality of prechambers, each prechamber being configured to house a corresponding spark plug of the plurality of spark plugs to concentrate the air-fuel mixture in close proximity to the corresponding spark plug for ignition; and
a plurality of exhaust lines forming an exhaust manifold, each exhaust line being configured to be in fluid communication with the corresponding combustion chamber of the plurality of combustion chambers to provide a path for an exhaust gas formed by combustion of the air-fuel mixture to exit the corresponding combustion chamber.
2 . The engine of claim 1 , wherein the flow guide plate is positioned to divide each intake line of the plurality of intake lines into two regions.
3 . The engine of claim 2 , wherein the at least one port fuel injector is positioned above the flow guide plate such that the at least one port fuel injector is positioned to inject fuel into an upper side of each intake line.
4 . The engine of claim 2 , wherein the at least one port fuel injector is positioned below the flow guide plate such that the at least one port fuel injector is positioned to inject fuel into a lower side of each intake line.
5 . The engine of claim 1 , wherein the flow guide plate is positioned to divide each intake line of the plurality of intake lines into four regions.
6 . The engine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a crankshaft configured to form a rotating power output shaft of the engine;
a crankshaft position sensor configured to measure a rotation angle of the crankshaft;
a plurality of intake valves configured to control flow of the air-fuel mixture to the corresponding combustion chamber;
a plurality of exhaust valves configured to control flow of the exhaust gas exiting the combustion chambers;
an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) configured to:
receive a crankshaft position from the crankshaft position sensor;
control the plurality of intake valves positioned in the plurality of intake lines;
control injection of the fuel through the at least one port fuel injector;
control ignition of the plurality of spark plugs; and
control the plurality of exhaust valves positioned in the plurality of exhaust lines.
7 . The engine of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spark plugs is mounted on an upper end of the corresponding combustion chamber such that spark plug is positioned above the corresponding piston.
8 . The engine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one port fuel injector comprises a plurality of port fuel injectors and each port fuel injector of the plurality of port fuel injectors is mounted in each intake line of the plurality of intake lines such that a central axis through the at least one port fuel injector is aligned to intersect each prechamber of the plurality of prechambers.
9 . The engine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one port fuel injector comprises one port fuel injector located upstream of the plurality of intake lines to inject the fuel into each of the plurality of intake lines.
10 . An engine, comprising:
a plurality of pistons configured to be actuated by combustion reactions within the engine;
a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder being configured to house a corresponding piston of the plurality of pistons;
a plurality of combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being configured to form a containment boundary for a corresponding combustion reaction of the combustion reactions;
a plurality of intake lines collectively forming an intake manifold, each intake line being fluidly connected with a corresponding combustion chamber of the plurality of combustion chambers to provide an air-fuel mixture to the corresponding combustion chamber;
at least one port fuel injector configured to inject fuel into the plurality of intake lines to form the air-fuel mixture;
a plurality of first spark plugs, each first spark plug being housed within the corresponding combustion chamber and configured to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the corresponding combustion chamber to initiate the combustion reactions;
a plurality of second spark plugs, each second spark plug being housed within the corresponding combustion chamber and configured to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the corresponding combustion chamber to initiate the combustion reactions;
a plurality of prechambers, each prechamber being configured to house a corresponding second spark plug of the plurality of spark plugs to concentrate the air-fuel mixture in close proximity to the spark plug for ignition; and
a plurality of exhaust lines forming an exhaust manifold, each exhaust line being configured to be in fluid communication with the corresponding combustion chamber of the plurality of combustion chambers to provide a path for an exhaust gas formed by combustion of the air-fuel mixture to exit the corresponding combustion chamber.
11 . The engine of claim 10 , wherein each first spark plug is positioned above the piston such that each of the plurality of first spark plugs is mounted on an upper end of the corresponding combustion chamber.
12 . The engine of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of second spark plugs housed within each prechamber is mounted on a side of the corresponding combustion chamber.
13 . The engine of claim 10 , wherein the at least one port fuel injector comprises a plurality of port fuel injectors and each port fuel injector of the plurality of port fuel injectors is positioned to inject the fuel into an upper side of each intake line.
14 . The engine of claim 10 , further comprising:
a crankshaft configured to form a rotating power output shaft of the engine;
a crankshaft position sensor configured to measure a rotation angle of the crankshaft;
a plurality of intake valves configured to control flow of the air-fuel mixture to the corresponding combustion chamber;
a plurality of exhaust valves configured to control flow of the exhaust gas exiting the plurality of combustion chambers;
an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) configured to:
receive a crankshaft position from the crankshaft position sensor;
control the plurality of intake valves positioned in the plurality of intake lines;
control injection of the fuel through the at least one port fuel injector;
control ignition of the plurality of first spark plugs;
control ignition of the plurality of second spark plugs; and
control the plurality of exhaust valves positioned in the plurality of exhaust lines.
15 . The engine of claim 10 , wherein the at least one port fuel injector comprises one port fuel injector located upstream of the plurality of intake lines to inject the fuel into each of the plurality of intake lines.
16 . A method, comprising:
housing a plurality of pistons in a plurality of cylinders, where each cylinder houses a corresponding piston of the plurality of pistons;
housing a plurality of combustion chambers in the plurality of cylinders, where each combustion chamber forms a containment boundary for a corresponding combustion reaction;
supplying air to a plurality of intake lines collectively forming an intake manifold, each intake line being fluidly connected with a corresponding combustion chamber of the plurality of combustion chambers;
injecting fuel into the plurality of intake lines with at least one port fuel injector, where the fuel mixes with the air to form an air-fuel mixture;
directing the air-fuel mixture into a plurality of prechambers housing a plurality of first spark plugs;
combusting the air-fuel mixture with the plurality of first spark plugs housed within the corresponding combustion chamber;
combusting the air-fuel mixture in the plurality of prechambers with a plurality of second spark plugs housed within the corresponding combustion chamber, producing an exhaust gas; and
releasing the exhaust gas through a plurality of exhaust lines forming an exhaust manifold in fluid communication with the corresponding combustion chamber of the plurality of combustion chambers.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: mounting each of the plurality of first spark plugs on an upper end of the corresponding combustion chamber.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising mounting each of the plurality of second spark plugs housed within each prechamber on a side of the corresponding combustion chamber.
19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising: positioning the at least one port fuel injector to inject the fuel into an upper side of each intake line.
20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving a crankshaft position from a crankshaft position sensor with an Electronic Control Unit (ECU);
controlling the at least one port fuel injector with the ECU to include injecting fuel multiple times throughout an engine cycle; and
controlling the plurality of first spark plugs with the ECU.