GB1254067A - Internal combustion engine, fuel supply system and process - Google Patents

Abstract

1,254,067. Regulating fuel injection engines, combustion chambers; fuel injectors carburetters. E. A. VON SEGGERN and H. E. VON SEGGERN. March 13, 1969, No. 13364/69. Heading F1B. In an I. C. engine which employs surface combustion to minimise pre-ignition and detonation a pre-formed mixture is spark-ignited and the resulting flame is directed from an ignition chamber against a surface in the combustion chamber 15 which has deposited thereon liquid fuel substantially in advance of its time of ignition. The liquid fuel is exposed to air, pre-heated by residual heat and progressively vapourized by the flaming gas jet until it is ignited and during the intake and compression strokes the air and gas in the combustion space are circulated about an axis, liquid fuel is introduced into the combustion space in an unatomized stream along an axis convergent with the axis of circulation and is intercepted and remains on the combustion space wall in a zone surrounding the point of interception of the fuel stream axis. The engine has inlet and exhaust valves 16, 17 opening into a combustion chamber 15 which connects through a passage 21 into an ignition chamber 20 fed by an auxiliary inlet manifold 27 from a carburetter 28. A fuel pump 31 delivers fuel from a tank 29 to carburetter 28 and fuel injectors 33, 34. Each injector has a stem 42, secured to diaphragms 77, 79, and a conical valve 41 engaging seat 39. A fuel passage 43 extends between the valve seat and a fuel chamber 44. A pump 50 delivers hydraulic fluid through orifices 55 into fluid chambers 54 in the injectors 33. Each chamber 54 is connected with a control valve 57, Fig. 3 having a common control cavity 60. A similar control valve 62 is connected to injectors 34. Both control valves 57, 62 have a rotating valve member 66 which sweeps over the open ends of the inlet connections in succession to momentarily block the fluidflow. The valve is driven at engine camshaft speed by sprocket 46 and chain 47 and the housing 69 is rotatable by an arm 70 and rod 71 (see below) to control the timing of the fuel injection. Valve 66 is of triangular shape so that vertical movements (as seen in Fig. 1) control the duration of fuel injection. The closing of the end of an inlet connection 58 increases the fluid pressure in the respective chamber 54. In operation the hydraulic pump continuously circulates fluid so that orifices 55 cause the pressure in tube 51 to be higher than in chambers 54 and return line 61. When flow is stopped in the control valve 57 or 62 pressure builds up in chamber 54 and forces diaphragm 77 against spring 78 thereby opening valve 41. When the engine is cold mixture formed in carburetter 28 passes into ignition chamber 20 and circulates round the central axis. During the compression stroke air and residual gas is recompressed into the ignition chamber 20 forcing the mixture therein into a toroidal shape which after ignition by electrodes 23 is expands through passage 21 into the combustion chamber 15. Inlet manifold throttles 82, 85 are controlled by a lever 88 through a linkage system which modifies their relative positions in dependence on engine temperature and speed sensed by a heat responsive unit 103 and speed governor 115. When throttle 82 is fully open the engine developes “ maximum power and for increased power the throttle 85 is fully opened and flow through tube 63 is reduced to commence injection through injector 34. The fuel impinges on piston top 101 and remains as a thin liquid film during intake and compression whilst air is circulated round the control axis. As the engine gets hotter the heat responsive unit 103 moves lever 104 upwardly which moves a metering pin 106 downwardly to eventually cut off mixture formation in the carburetter. The linkage is so arranged that when the throttle is opened the control valve 57 operates injector 33 to deliver fuel into the ignition chamber. The heat sensitive unit 103 is connected to control rod 71 to control the time of fuel injection. The rod 71 is also connected to a vacuum-operated diaphragm unit 118 which is connected to the inlet manifold 18 to vary the injection timing in dependence on engine lead. The lever mechanism acts through lever 126 to vary the pressure in the fuel line by means of springs 122, 123 acting jointly on a piston 124 which controls a relief valve 125 of pump 31. The heat responsive unit 103 also acts through lever 128 to vary the fuel pressure. In modification the engine may operate on gasoline for cold starting and one injector is arranged to provide the ignition charge and the fuel for surface combustion. The injectors may be operated mechanically or electrically. Throttle 85 may pivot about a vertical axis as shown in Fig. 1. Manifold 27 may be heated by exhaust gases.