The invention relates to an engine having prechamber ignition, in particular a gas engine, that comprises a main combustion space in a cylinder of the engine for combusting an air-fuel mixture and a prechamber having an ignition device arranged therein and a fuel injector arranged therein, wherein the prechamber has at least one transfer port that fluidically connects the prechamber to the main combustion space. The engine is characterized in that the fuel injector arranged in the prechamber is the only fuel injector via which fuel can be introduced into the associated main combustion space.

An active prechamber device may include a prechamber housing longitudinally aligned with a main axis. The active prechamber device may also include a prechamber nozzle forming a cap at an end of the prechamber housing. The prechamber nozzle and prechamber housing may define a prechamber space that extends along the main axis. The prechamber nozzle may have a plurality of orifices fluidly connected to the prechamber space. Additionally, a fuel injector may be in a linear arrangement with the prechamber housing along the main axis. The fuel injector may have a fuel injection nozzle positioned to spray a fuel into the prechamber space. An electrode arrangement may be formed within the prechamber space. The electrode arrangement may include an electrode shaft and an electrode ring. The electrode ring may circumscribe the electrode shaft to form a spark gap within the prechamber space.

A prechamber device includes an enclosure body and a cap forming an enclosed volume. The enclosure body has an orifice at one end. A precombustion chamber is defined within the enclosed volume and is in fluid communication with the orifice. A valve plug is movable along an axial axis of the enclosure body to adjust a valve opening at the orifice to a range of positions from a fully open position to a closed position. An actuator is coupled to the cap and the valve plug and is controllable to displace the valve plug along the axial axis of the enclosure body. The prechamber device is operable to generate turbulent jets that are directed into a main combustion chamber of an engine cylinder through the valve opening. During an engine cycle, the valve opening is controlled between the range of positions based on detected engine speed and engine load.

A fuel injection system for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders, where a plurality of respective main combustion chambers are defined; a number of first injectors and spark plugs coupled to the cylinders; a number of combustion pre-chambers, each obtained in the area of a respective spark plug; a number of extraction ducts, which originate from a respective cylinder to extract the gas mixture present inside the respective main combustion chamber; a reserve, where the gases extracted by the extraction ducts are mixed with the quantity of fuel needed to obtain a combustion under stoichiometric conditions inside the combustion pre-chambers; and a number of second injectors, each coupled to a respective combustion pre-chamber, into which it injects the gas-and-fuel mixture coming from the reserve.

The present invention relates to a zero emission propulsion system and generator sets using ammonia (NH.sub.3) as fuel for engines and power plants such as steam boilers (5) for steam turbines (7), piston engines (9), fuel cells (10) or Stirling engines (11). Due to the poor flammability of ammonia (NH.sub.3), a hydrogen reactor (4) can split ammonia (NH.sub.3) into hydrogen (H.sub.2) and nitrogen (N.sub.2). The hydrogen (H.sub.2) can be placed in a hydrogen tank (8) for intermediate storage and the nitrogen can be stored in a nitrogen tank (6). The hydrogen (H.sub.2) could be mixed with ammonia (NH.sub.3) to improve flammability and thus facilitate the ignition of an air/ammonia (NH.sub.3) mixture in engines or power plants (5, 9, 11). Alternatively, hydrogen (¾) may be supplied in a separate fuel system (5-1, 9-5, 11-8) as a pilot fuel for pilot ignition of an air/ammonia (NH3) mixture. The hydrogen (H.sub.2) can also be used in AIP systems along with oxygen (O2) from an oxygen tank (22). The hydrogen (H.sub.2) will then be used for fuel cells (10), for combustion in a steam turbine inlet/high pressure side (7-1), or in a Stirling engine (11). In addition to hydrogen (H.sub.2), other bio and fossil fuels from the fuel tank (12) can be used as pilot fuel for pilot ignition of an air/ammonia (NH.sub.3) mixture. The advantage of using existing bio or fossil fuels for pilot ignition is that engines or power plants (5, 9, 11) will have a pilot fuel system with sufficient capacity to maintain normal operations if ammonia (NH.sub.3) is not available. Alternatively, that engines or power plants (5, 9, 11) have an additional fuel system for existing bio or fossil fuels in order to maintain normal operations if ammonia (NH.sub.3) is not available. The nitrogen (N.sub.2) in the nitrogen tank (6) can be used as a gas in fire extinguishing systems or for submarine ballast tank blows.

An efficient engine combustion system with multiple combustion modes, includes a valve actuating mechanism, a pre-combustion chamber, and a main combustion chamber. The valve actuating mechanism is a fully variable valve mechanism; an intake valve and an exhaust valve are driven by high-pressure oil; ignition is implemented by means of an ignition apparatus of the pre-combustion chamber; and a spark plug and a single-hole fuel injector are mounted in the pre-combustion chamber, a bottom end of which is provided with a flame jet hole. The continuous variable of valve timing and real-time adjustment of valve lift are realized by the control of a three-position four-way servo valve, driven by the high-pressure oil and monitored by a displacement sensor. The efficient engine combustion system with multiple combustion modes employs different combustion modes under different engine conditions, so as to ensure optimal thermal efficiency under different operating condition regions.

A precombustion chamber gas engine includes a main-chamber forming portion forming a main combustion chamber, a precombustion-chamber forming portion forming a precombustion chamber communicating with the main combustion chamber via a plurality of nozzle holes, and an ignition device disposed in the precombustion chamber and having an ignition portion spaced from a main chamber central axis of the main combustion chamber at a predetermined distance. In a plan view, the precombustion chamber has a near-ignition region including the ignition portion and a far-ignition region opposite to the near-ignition region separated by a borderline passing through a precombustion chamber central axis of the precombustion chamber and perpendicular to a straight line passing through the precombustion chamber central axis and the ignition portion. The distance between the precombustion chamber central axis and a precombustion-chamber-side opening end, connected to the precombustion chamber, of a specific far nozzle hole which is at least one nozzle hole in the far-ignition region is shorter or longer than the distance between the precombustion chamber central axis and a precombustion-chamber-side opening end of a specific near nozzle hole which is at least one nozzle hole in the near-ignition region.

A precombustion chamber gas engine includes a main-chamber forming portion forming a main combustion chamber, a precombustion-chamber forming portion forming a precombustion chamber including a small-diameter cylinder chamber communicating with the main combustion chamber via a plurality of nozzle holes and a large-diameter cylinder chamber, an ignition device disposed in the large-diameter cylinder chamber of the precombustion chamber, and a precombustion-chamber-gas supply device for supplying a precombustion-chamber fuel gas to the precombustion chamber not via the main combustion chamber. The nozzle hole is formed so that a precombustion-chamber-side straight line passing through a central position of a precombustion-chamber-side opening of the nozzle hole and parallel to an extending direction of a central line of the precombustion-chamber-side opening of the nozzle hole intersects with a main-chamber-side straight line passing through a central position of a main-chamber-side opening of the nozzle hole and parallel to an extending direction of a central line of the main-chamber-side opening of the nozzle hole, and an acute angle between a precombustion chamber central axis of the precombustion chamber and the precombustion-chamber-side straight line is smaller than an acute angle between the precombustion chamber central axis and the main-chamber-side straight line.

An internal combustion engine is provided with a pre-chamber provided inside a main combustion chamber. The pre-chamber includes an ignition plug, and a casing provided to a ceiling part to cover the ignition plug, the casing isolating an internal space formed therein from the main combustion chamber. A tumble flow of a mixture gas is formed inside the main combustion chamber. A plurality of communicating holes are formed in the casing, and include a first communicating hole opening to an intake port side and a second communicating hole opening to an exhaust port side. The tumble flow flowing into the pre-chamber through the first communicating hole forms in the pre-chamber a vortex flowing in the opposite direction from the tumble flow. The main combustion chamber is provided with a structure configured to suppress a flow opposing the vortex flowing into the pre-chamber through the second communicating hole.

An ignition system for a gaseous fuel engine includes an igniter and an actuator structured to apply an actuating force to a piston within the igniter, to autoignite an ignition charge of fuel and air within the igniter. A housing of the igniter includes a gas orifice having a flow area that is increased between a combustion pre-chamber in the igniter and a main combustion chamber in the engine, to limit velocity of outgoing combustion gases to below a threshold velocity for engine mis-fire.