Vaporized fuel injection system

• US 5,394,838 A
• Filed: 07/24/1992
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: All American Fuel Systems
• Original Assignee: All American Fuel Systems
• Inventors: Chandler, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cross, E. Rollins
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US07/917,938
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 123/25 C, 123/41.49, 123/198 D, 123/198 DC, 123/546, 123/25 K, 123/625, 123/630
• US Class Current: 123/25.00C
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/14 Direct injection into combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0227 Control aspects; Arrangement of sensors; Diagnostics; Actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/03 into the cylinder or the pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/18 to vaporise fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 53/06 with fuel-heating means, e.g. for vaporising
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 11/02 Preventing damage to engines or engine-driven gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 3/0435 with semiconductor devices F02P3/0453, F02P3/051, F02P3/0552 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 7/021 Mechanical distributors
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 9/002 Control of spark intensity, intensifying, lengthening, suppression by means of current control in the storage devices F02P3/05, F02P3/09, during starting F02P15/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A vaporized fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a housing adapted to be mounted on the engine and having a vaporizer heat shell therein connected to the engine for receiving hot exhaust gases. Air is compressed by means of compressor blades mounted at the tips of the conventional fan blades for the engine. The compressor blades travel in a shroud whereby the air is compressed and supplied to the housing where it passes over the vaporizer heat shell. A fuel vaporization chamber is formed directly on the heat shell and liquid fuel is injected directly onto the heated shell for vaporizing the fuel. When the engine is cold, the liquid fuel may be injected directly onto glow plugs disposed in communication with the chamber. The heated compressed air is delivered to an outlet passage having a throttle valve therein and the vaporized fuel is delivered through the outlet passage downstream of the throttle valve to provide an air/fuel vapor mixture which is delivered to each combustion chamber of the engine. A liquid coolant is injected directly into each combustion chamber to control the combustion temperature.

Claims

1. A vaporized fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, said injector system comprising housing means;

first passage means extending through said housing means and having inlet and outlet means for connection to an exhaust manifold system of an internal combustion engine for circulation of exhaust gases through said first passage means;

second passage means extending through said housing means in contact with said first passage means, said second passage means having inlet means and outlet means;

air compressor means connected to said inlet means for said second passage means for supplying pressurized air through said second passage means for heating said pressurized air;

throttle means mounted in said outlet means of said second passage means for controlling pressurized air flow through said outlet means of said second passage means;

partition means defining a fuel vaporization chamber having a plate in common with said first passage means;

fuel injection means for injecting liquid fuel directly onto said plate which is heated by passage of exhaust gases through said first passage means to generate vaporized fuel; and

distribution means connected to said chamber and said outlet means of said second passage means for distributing vaporized fuel and heated pressurized air to said at least one combustion chamber.

2. A vaporized fuel injection system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

third passage means disposed in communication with said fuel vaporization chamber;

glow plug means mounted in said third passage means; and

additional fuel injection means for injecting liquid fuel directly onto said glow plug means to generate vaporized fuel when said engine is cold.

3. A vaporized fuel injection system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said distribution means includes fourth passage means connected between said vaporization chamber, said third passage means and said outlet means of said second passage means downstream of said throttle means for supplying vaporized fuel for mixing with said heated pressurized air prior to combustion within said combustion chamber.

4. A vaporized fuel injection system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said outlet means for said second passage means is comprised of an annular body having a central through passage in which said throttle means is pivotally mounted;

an annular ring passage located in said annular body in communication with said fourth passage means; and

a plurality of ports disposed circumferentially about said annular body communicating said annular passage with said through passage for the passage of fuel vapors into the pressurized air downstream of said throttle means.

5. A vaporized fuel injection system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising radiator means connected to said internal combustion engine and wherein said air compressor means is comprised of fan means operatively driven by said internal combustion engine disposed between said radiator means and said internal combustion engine, said fan means having a plurality of radially extending blades with compressor vanes mounted at a radially outermost end of each blade, and compressor housing means substantially surrounding said compressor vane means and providing a compressed air chamber in communication with said inlet means of said second passage means, whereby upon rotation of said fan means, air will be preheated by passage over said radiator means and compressed by said compressor vane means and delivered to said second passage means.

6. An internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber with ignition means;

a vaporized fuel injection system for supplying a mixture consisting essentially of air and vaporized fuel to said combustion chamber;

valve means controlling the flow of said air and vaporized fuel into said combustion chamber; and

liquid coolant injector means mounted adjacent said valve means for injecting liquid coolant into said combustion chamber with said air and vaporized fuel for controlling temperature within said combustion chamber upon combustion of said air and vaporized fuel.

7. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

power supply means;

distribution means connecting said power supply means and said ignition means;

temperature sensing means associated with said at least one combustion chamber to sense combustion temperature therein; and

ignition control means connected to said distribution means for disabling said ignition means for said one combustion chamber in response to a signal provided by said temperature sensing means upon sensing an excessive combustion temperature to prevent operation of said ignition means of said one combustion chamber.

8. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 7, wherein said internal combustion engine is provided with a plurality of combustion chambers, each having ignition means and liquid coolant injection means and distributor means having a plurality of contacts for controlling each ignition means and a plurality of contacts for controlling each liquid coolant injection means and rotor means engaging said contacts for controlling the sequencing of operation of said liquid coolant injection means and said ignition means and wherein said ignition control means is provided for each ignition means to prevent operation thereof in response to excessive combustion temperature due to malfunction of a respective liquid coolant injection means.

9. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 6, further comprising radiator means connected to said engine

fan means operatively driven by said internal combustion engine disposed between said radiator means and said internal combustion engine, said fan means having a plurality of radially extending blades with compressor vanes mounted at a radially outermost end of each blade,

compressor means comprising compressor housing means substantially surrounding said compressor vane means and providing a compressed air chamber, whereby upon rotation of said fan means, air will be compressed by said compressor vane means and delivered to said compressed air chamber and means connecting said compressed air chamber to said vaporized fuel injection system.

10. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 9, further comprising heavy particle collector means disposed in communication with said compressor means adjacent an outer periphery thereof for receiving and trapping heavy particles of dirt and the like.

11. An ignition system for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber comprising:

power supply means;

at least one ignition means operatively associated with said at least one combustion chamber;

distribution means connecting said power supply means and said at least one ignition means;

temperature sensing means associated with said at least one combustion chamber to sense combustion temperature therein; and

ignition control means connected to said distribution means for disabling said ignition means in response to a signal provided by said temperature sensing means upon sensing an excessive combustion temperature to prevent operation of said ignition means.

12. An ignition system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said combustion engine has a plurality of combustion chambers each having respective ignition means and temperature sensing means and wherein said distribution means includes distributor means for sequentially supplying power to said ignition means associated with each combustion chamber, said ignition control means being operative to prevent operation of a respective ignition means when a temperature sensing means associated therewith senses excessive combustion temperature.

13. An ignition system as set forth in claim 12, further comprising first transformer means operatively connected between said power supply means and said distributor means and a plurality of second transformer means connected between said distributor means and each respective ignition means.