Stratified charge fuel injection system for rotary engine

• US 4,091,789 A
• Filed: 02/11/1977
• Issued: 05/30/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rotary Power International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Croyle, Carlton R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koczo, Jr., Michael
• Application Number:
  US05/767,820
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 123/8.09, 123/8.11, 123/8.13, 123/30 R, 123/30 A, 123/32 A, 123/32 AA, 123/32 J, 123/32 AH, 239/135, 239/139
• US Class Current: 123/205
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 17/005 having direct injection in the combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2053/005 Wankel engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 53/10 Fuel supply; Introducing fuel to combustion space
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 61/14 Arrangements of injectors with respect to engines; Mounting of injectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The improved stratified charge fuel injection system for a rotary engine has a fuel nozzle for injecting fuel into each engine working chamber coacting with an igniter at a common recess opening into the engine working chambers to ignite the fuel discharging from the nozzle. The improvement comprises heat retention means for the common recess so that the walls thereof become relatively hot and thereby promotes evaporation of the fuel discharging from the fuel nozzle.

Claims

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine having a housing forming a cavity in which a rotor is eccentrically supported for planetary rotation so as to form a plurality of working chambers defined between the rotor and housing which successively expand and contract in volumetric size as the rotor planetates relative to the housing, the housing being provided with an intake port means for introducing air into the working chambers and exhaust port means for discharging products of combustion from the working chambers, and improved stratified charge fuel injection system comprising:

(a) a first opening and a second opening in said housing intercommunicating with each other and having a common recess opening into the housing cavity;

(b) a fuel injection nozzle disposed in said first opening for discharging fuel into each working chamber through the common recess and after the air charge in the working chamber has been substantially compressed;

(c) an igniter disposed in said second opening for igniting fuel discharging from the fuel nozzle;

(d) a sleeve in said common recess along at least a part of the path of fuel discharge from said fuel injection nozzle; and

(e) said sleeve being dimensioned to define between its outer surface and said common recess an annular space and also having an annular groove in the outer surface thereof inwardly of the end of the sleeve and communicating with the space so that the sleeve retains heat and promotes vaporization of at least some of the fuel passing through said sleeve.

2. In a rotary internal combustion engine having a housing forming a multi-lobe, trochoidal-shaped cavity in which a rotor is supported for planetative, rotative movement and which rotor defines with the housing a plurality of working chambers that expand and contract in volumetric size in response to planetary rotation of the rotor, the housing being provided with an air intake port for introducing air into the working chambers and an exhaust port for discharging products of combustion from the working chambers, an improved stratified charge fuel injection system comprising:

(a) first fuel injection nozzle;

(b) a first opening in the housing communicating with the housing cavity;

(c) a sleeve lining at least that portion of said first opening adjacent the housing cavity so that one end of the sleeve is substantially at the housing cavity;

(d) the sleeve having an internal bore of a configuration to define a discharge recess open to the housing cavity and to receive at least a portion of said first fuel injection nozzle so that fuel emitted by the latter passes through the discharge recess into said working chamber after the air charge therein has been substantially compressed;

(e) said sleeve also being dimensioned to define between its outer surface and said portion of the first opening adjacent the housing cavity an annular space and having an annular groove in the outer peripheral surface thereof communicating with said space inwardly of the said one end of the sleeve so that the sleeve retains heat for promoting vaporization;

(f) a second opening in the housing extending through said sleeve to communicate with said discharge recess;

(g) an igniter disposed in said second opening so as to ignite fuel discharging from the first fuel injection nozzle through the discharge recess; and

(h) a second fuel injection nozzle mounted on said housing for discharging additional fuel into each working chamber while the air charge therein is substantially compressed and located so that at least a portion of its fuel discharge is in the same working chamber region as the fuel discharged from the first fuel injection nozzle to thereby effect ignition of the fuel discharging from the second fuel injection nozzle.