Methods and systems for adaptively cooling combustion chambers in engines

• US 8,905,011 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Roy Edward, Larsen, Melvin James
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US13/664,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20130263798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 123/578, 123/575, 123/299, 123/300, 123/304, 123/297, 123/41.34, 123/41.35, 123/41.42, 123/25.C, 123/25.K, 123/25.J, 123/25.Q
• US Class Current: 123/578
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/14 the coolant being liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 23/101 the injector being placed on or close to the cylinder centre axis, e.g. with mixture formation using spray guided concepts
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 41/04 in main cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/16 characterised by cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/40 specially adapted to the use of a special fuel or a plurality of fuels
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/022 using an optical sensor, e.g. in-cylinder light probe
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/025 by determining temperatures inside the cylinder, e.g. combustion temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/026 using an estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/232 characterized by the cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to various embodiments of systems and methods for cooling a combustion chamber of an engine. One method includes introducing fuel into the combustion chamber of an engine having an energy transfer device that moves through an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke, and an exhaust stroke. The method further includes monitoring a temperature of the combustion chamber. When the temperature reaches a predetermined value, the method also includes introducing coolant into the combustion chamber only during at least one of the power stroke and the exhaust stroke of the energy transfer device.

Claims

1. A method of limiting a peak temperature of a combustion chamber in an engine, the method comprising:

in a first portion of a cycle of the engine—

injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber during at least one of an intake stroke and a compression stroke of the first cycle; and

igniting the fuel in the combustion chamber to cause combustion;

monitoring a temperature of the combustion chamber resulting from the combustion; and

in at least one of the first portion or a second portion of the cycle of the engine—

when the temperature reaches a predetermined value, injecting coolant directly into the combustion chamber only during at least one of a power stroke and an exhaust stroke of the cycle;

wherein injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber comprises injecting a first fuel that combusts at a first temperature of combustion in the combustion chamber; and

wherein injecting the coolant directly into the combustion chamber comprises injecting a second fuel that combusts at a second temperature of combustion in the combustion chamber, wherein the second temperature is less than the first temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein injecting coolant directly into the combustion chamber comprises injecting a hydrogenous coolant directly into the combustion chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein injecting coolant directly into the combustion chamber comprises injecting coolant during each of the power stroke and the exhaust stroke of the cycle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined value of the temperature is 2200 degrees C.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber comprising injecting fuel with an injector; and

igniting the fuel in the combustion chamber comprises igniting the fuel with an ignition feature carried by the injector.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a predefined operational mode of the engine, the predefined operational mode comprising an acceleration or high load operational condition of the engine; and

when the engine operates in the predefined operational mode, injecting coolant directly into the combustion chamber only during at least one of the power stroke and an exhaust stroke of the cycle.

7. A method of cooling a combustion chamber in an engine, the method comprising:

introducing fuel into the combustion chamber of the engine, wherein an energy transfer device moves at least partially within the combustion chamber through an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke, and an exhaust stroke;

causing the fuel to combust in the combustion chamber;

monitoring a temperature of the combustion chamber; and

when the temperature reaches a predetermined value, introducing coolant into the combustion chamber only during at least one of the power stroke and the exhaust stroke of the energy transfer device, wherein introducing coolant into the combustion chamber comprises introducing a coolant that combusts in the combustion chamber at a lower temperature than the fuel.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

introducing the fuel into the combustion chamber comprising introducing the fuel with an injector; and

causing the fuel to combust comprises generating an ignition event with an ignition feature carried by the injector.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

introducing the fuel into the combustion chamber comprising introducing the fuel with an injector; and

introducing coolant into the combustion chamber comprises introducing the coolant with the injector.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring the engine for a predefined operational condition of the engine; and

when the engine operates in the predefined operational condition, introducing coolant into the combustion chamber only during at least one of the power stroke and the exhaust stroke.

11. An internal combustion engine system comprising:

a combustion chamber;

an energy transfer device movable relative to the combustion chamber through a cycle comprising an intake stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke, and an exhaust stroke;

an injector configured to inject fuel into the combustion chamber during at least one of the intake stroke and the compression stroke;

an ignition feature configured to ignite the fuel in the combustion chamber; and

a sensor configured to detect a temperature of the combustion chamber, wherein when the temperature reaches a predetermined value, the injector is configured to inject coolant directly into the combustion chamber only during at least one of the power stroke and the exhaust stroke;

wherein the fuel that combusts at a first temperature of combustion in the combustion chamber and wherein the coolant comprises a second fuel that combusts at a second temperature of combustion in the combustion chamber less than the first temperature.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the ignition feature is carried by the injector.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the coolant at least partially contains hydrogen.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the predetermined value of the temperature is 2200 degrees C.