Injector Sleeve for an Injector, and Blowing Device and Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract

An injector sleeve for an injector for introducing a gaseous fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine includes an intake in which the injector is at least partially receivable. A lateral surface on an external periphery has a longitudinal region around which a coolant flowing through a cooling chamber of the internal combustion engine is flowable. A sealing region connected to the longitudinal region seals the combustion chamber from the cooling chamber. A cap is arrangeable in the combustion chamber and the cap has a flow opening where gaseous fuel flowing out of the injector is directly flowable through the cap for shaping a jet of the gaseous fuel.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. An injector sleeve (10) for an injector (12) for introducing a gaseous fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an intake (14) in which the injector (12) is at least partially receivable; a lateral surface on an external periphery (16) that has a longitudinal region (18) around which a coolant flowing through a cooling chamber (20) of the internal combustion engine is flowable; a sealing region (22) connected to the longitudinal region (18) that seals the combustion chamber from the cooling chamber (20); and a cap (26) that is arrangeable in the combustion chamber and that has a flow opening (28), wherein gaseous fuel flowing out of the injector (12) is directly flowable through the cap (26) for shaping a jet of the gaseous fuel.

12. The injector sleeve (10) according to claim 11, wherein at least the longitudinal region (18) is formed by a wall (30) of the injector sleeve (10) and wherein the wall (30) is designed as one part with the cap (26).

13. The injector sleeve (10) according to claim 12, wherein the sealing region (22) is also designed as one part with the cap (26).

14. The injector sleeve (10) according to claim 11, wherein the sealing region (22) has a sealing element (32) for sealing the combustion chamber from the cooling chamber (20).

15. The injector sleeve (10) according to claim 14, wherein the sealing element (32) is a cavity (34) in which a seal element is at least partially receivable.

16. The injector sleeve (10) according to claim 11, wherein the flow opening (28) has a through direction along which the flow opening (28) is flowable through by the gaseous fuel and wherein the through direction runs obliquely to a longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve (10).

17. An injection device (36) for injecting a gaseous fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising: an injector (12), wherein the gaseous fuel is flowable through the injector (12); and the injector sleeve (10) according to claim 11, wherein the injector sleeve (10) is designed separately from the injector (12).

18. The injection device (36) according to claim 17, further comprising an intermediate chamber (38) delimited partially by the injector (12) and partially by the cap (26), wherein the intermediate chamber is disposed upstream of the flow opening (28) and downstream of the injector (12) in a flow direction of gaseous fuel flowing out of the injector (12) and flowing through the flow opening (28).

19. An internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, comprising: the injection device (36) according to claim 17.

20. The internal combustion engine according to claim 19, wherein the injector (12) has an exit opening (40) via which the gaseous fuel is guidable out of the injector (12) and wherein the exit opening (40) protrudes into the combustion chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of an injection device according to the invention according to a first embodiment; and

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the injection device according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an injection device 36 in a schematic sectional view. The injection device 36 is a component of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle. This means that the motor vehicle designed for example as a motor car has the internal combustion engine and can be driven by means of the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine has a cylinder head 42 and at least one combustion chamber. The internal combustion engine can be operated by means of a gaseous fuel, and thus a gas motor. The gaseous fuel can be injected directly into the combustion chamber by means of the injection device 36.

[0027] The injection device 36 comprises an injector 12 that can be flowed through by the gaseous fuel, and an injector sleeve 10 designed separately from the injector 12 and provided in addition to the latter that is also described as a water protection sleeve. The injector sleeve 10 has an intake 14 presently designed as a through opening, in which the injector 12 is at least partially received. The injector sleeve 10 additionally has a wall 30 preferably formed as one part. The injector sleeve 10 is preferably designed as one part. The wall 30 comprises or forms a lateral surface on the external periphery 16 and a lateral surface on the internal periphery 48. The lateral surface on the internal periphery 48 faces away from the lateral surface on the external periphery 16, in particular in the radial direction of the injector sleeve 10, i.e., along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the injector sleeve 10. The lateral surface on the internal periphery 48 directly delimits at least a longitudinal region of the intake 14 in the peripheral direction of the injector sleeve 10 running around the longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve 10, surrounding it completely. In particular, the entire intake 14 is in particular directly delimited by the lateral surface on the internal periphery 48.

[0028] The lateral surface on the external periphery 16 has a longitudinal region 18 around the external periphery of which a coolant flowing through at least one cooling chamber 20 of the internal combustion engine can flow. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the cooling chamber 20 is at least partially formed or delimited by the cylinder head 42. The cooling chamber 20 is a cooling jacket or component of a cooling jacket that can be flowed through by the coolant that is also described as a cooling medium and is preferably liquid. The coolant preferably comprises at least water, such that the coolant is also described as cooling water, the cooling chamber 20 or the liquid chamber 24 is also described as a water chamber and the cooling jacket is also described as a water jacket. The cylinder head 42 can be cooled at least in one partial region by means of the coolant. The injector sleeve 10 can additionally be cooled by means of coolant flowing directly around the longitudinal region 18, in particular via the longitudinal region 18 of the injector sleeve. This means that the coolant flows directly around the longitudinal region 18, i.e., comes into direct contact with the longitudinal region on its way through the cooling chamber 20. The longitudinal region 18 faces way from the intake 14, in particular in the radial direction of the injector sleeve 10, and thus in the radial direction of the injector 12 whose longitudinal extension direction coincides with the longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the lateral surface on the external periphery 16 has at least one sealing region 22 connected to the longitudinal region 18 by means of which the combustion chamber described by 11 in FIG. 1 is sealed from a liquid chamber 24 or vice versa. The liquid chamber 24 is presently the cooling chamber 20. Sealing the combustion chamber 11 from the liquid chamber 24 or the cooling chamber 20 avoids the coolant reaching the combustion chamber from the cooling chamber 20 and a fluid reaching the cooling chamber 20 (liquid chamber 24) from the combustion chamber 11. The sealing region 22 follows the longitudinal region 18 in the longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve 10 also simply described as a sleeve. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sealing region 22 is arranged on an end face 13 of the injector sleeve 10, whose end face 13 extends in a plane that runs perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. The end face 13 faces the cylinder head 42 or a wall region of the cylinder head in the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve, wherein at least a part of the end face 13 is supported, abuts or sits directly on the wall region in the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. The sealing region 22 facing the wall region of the cylinder head 42 in the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve faces away from at least a part of the intake 14 in the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. The sealing region 22 has at least one or several sealing elements, wherein the sealing element is presently designed as a cavity 34. The cavity 34 preferably extends in the peripheral direction of the sleeve, surrounding it completely, and is thus designed as an annular groove, for example. In the cavity 34, a sealing element 32 designed separately from the sleeve and separately from the cylinder head 42 is partially arranged, which abuts directly on the sleeve on the one hand, and directly on the cylinder head 42 on the other hand, in particular on its wall region. The sleeve is thus sealed from the cylinder head 42, and thus the cooling chamber 20 (liquid chamber 24) is sealed from the combustion chamber.

[0030] The injector 12 comprises an injector housing 46, for example, into which the gaseous fuel can be introduced, in particular from outside of the injector 12 as a whole. The injector housing 46 can be flowed through by the gaseous fuel introduced into the injector housing 46. The injector 12, in particular the injector housing 46, has at least or exactly one exit opening 40, in particular on its point also described as an injector point, for the fuel introduced into the injector housing 46. A valve element is arranged in the injector housing 46 that can be designed for example as a needle, in particular as an injection needle. The valve element can be moved relative to the injector housing 46 of the injector 12, in particular in the longitudinal extension direction of the injector 12 and/or translationally between a closed position and at least one open position. In the closed position, the valve element 40 closes the exit opening of the injector 12. This means that no gaseous fuel can flow out of the injector 12 in the closed position. In the open position, the valve element releases the exit opening 40 of the injector 12. This means that, in the open position, gaseous fuel can flow through the exit opening 40 and thus out of the injector housing 46 and thus out of the injector 12 as a whole. 44 designates a component that can be a component of the injector 12. The component 44 can in particular be a part of the injector housing 46 or a further, in particular separate housing of the injector 12. It can be seen that the component 44 is at least partially arranged in the intake 14, and abuts directly outwardly on the sleeve in the radial direction of the injector 12 or the sleeve, in particular on the lateral surface on the internal periphery 48, and abuts inwardly directly on the injector housing 46 in the radial direction of the sleeve or of the injector 12. At least a partial region 45 of the component 44 abuts, in particular directly, on the sleeve, in particular on the lateral surface on the internal periphery 48, whereby, for example, the combustion chamber is sealed from at least a part of the intake 14 also described as an interior or interior chamber of the injector sleeve 10.

[0031] It can also be seen from FIG. 1 that the cylinder head 42 has an intake 15 in particular designed as a through opening, which leads into the cooling chamber 20 in itself, i.e., on its own. The sleeve is partially received in the intake 15. The sleeve protrudes outside of the intake 15, passes through the cooling chamber 20 and penetrates a further through opening of the cylinder head 42, wherein the further through opening passes through the wall region of the cylinder head 42. The sleeve protrudes on a side of the wall region facing away from the cooling chamber 20 out of the further through opening, and protrudes into the combustion chamber 11. The further through opening, and thus the combustion chamber 11, are sealed from the cooling chamber 20 or vice versa by means of the sealing region 22. In the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve, a further sealing region 17 of the sleeve, in particular the lateral surface on the external periphery 16, is connected to the longitudinal region 18, pointing away from the sealing region 22, such that the sealing region 17 is arranged on a side of the longitudinal region 18 facing away from the sealing region 22 in the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. The sealing region 17 also has a further sealing element presently designed as a cavity 19, in particular as a groove and most particularly as an annular groove. A further sealing element is or can be received at least partially in the cavity 19, which can be designed separately from the sleeve and separately from the cylinder head, and can abut directly on the sleeve on one side and directly on the cylinder head 42 on the other. By means of the further sealing element of the sealing region 17, and by means of the further sealing element, the cooling chamber 20 (liquid chamber 24) is sealed from a further fluid chamber, for example, in particular a further liquid chamber or vice versa. The further fluid chamber is for example arranged on a side of the longitudinal region 18 or the sealing region 17 facing away from the cooling chamber 20 in the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. For example, the further fluid chamber can be flowed through by a further, in particular liquid medium, wherein the further fluid is preferably an oil. The further fluid chamber is thus an oil chamber, for example.

[0032] The injector 12 at least partially received in the sleeve is also partially arranged in the intake 15, passes through the cooling chamber 20 within the sleeve and passes through the further through opening of the cylinder head 42 also within the sleeve, wherein the injector 12 within the sleeve protrudes from the further through opening of the cylinder head 42 and protrudes into the combustion chamber 11 such that the exit opening 40 within the sleeve is arranged in the combustion chamber 11 or protrudes into the combustion chamber 11.

[0033] The injector sleeve 10 designed separately from the injector 12 and provided in addition to the injector 12 has a cap 26 that is arranged in the combustion chamber 11 or protrudes into the combustion chamber 11. The cap 26 is presently designed as one part with the wall 30 that forms the longitudinal region 18. The wall 30 in particular forms the lateral surface on the external periphery 16 and thus the longitudinal region 18 and preferably also the sealing regions 22 and 17. The sealing regions 22 and 17 of the longitudinal region 18 and the cap 26 are thus preferably formed as one part with one another or formed by a one-part component, in particular in the form of the sleeve.

[0034] In the first embodiment, the cap 26 has exactly one flow opening 28 that can be directly flowed through by the gaseous fuel in particular flowing out of the injector 12 via the exit opening 40 for shaping a jet of the gaseous fuel flowing out of the injector 12 and then flowing directly through the flow opening 28. This means that, on its way through the injector 12 and the sleeve into the combustion chamber 11, the fuel first flows through the injector 12 and thus the exit opening 40 and flows out of the injector 12, and only subsequently flows through the flow opening 28 and flows out of the sleeve via the flow opening 28. The gaseous fuel flowing out of the sleeve via the flow opening 28 flows directly into the combustion chamber 11. The flow opening 28 is thus arranged downstream of the in particular entire injector 12, and thus downstream of the exit opening 40 in the flow direction of the fuel.

[0035] The flow opening 28 forms or shapes the gaseous fuel flowing directly through the flow opening 28 into a fuel jet, also simply described as a jet, which flows out of the flow opening 28 or flows away from the flow opening 28 and flows into the combustion chamber 11. The fuel is thus injected directly into the combustion chamber 11. In other words, the flow opening 28 or a wall region 50 of the cap 26 directly delimiting the flow opening 28 shapes the jet penetrating into the combustion chamber 11 from the flow opening 28, whose shape thus depends on a shape of the flow opening 28, in particular on the internal periphery thereof. The flow opening 28 is thus a jet-shaping geometry that is integrated not into the injector 12 but into the injector sleeve 10. As the coolant circulates directly around the longitudinal region 18 or the wall 30 at least in the longitudinal region 18, heat introduced into the cap 26 also described as an injection cap or nozzle cap can be particularly effectively diverted to the coolant also described as a cooling medium. For liquid fuels, separating the sealing element and jet-shaping element, presently in the form of the flow opening 28, would not work, as a dead volume between these two elements would lead to problems when dosing the then liquid fuel. For gaseous fuels and in particular hydrogen, however, no such disadvantage need be feared due to the low density of the fuel.

[0036] In the first embodiment, at least a partial region of the cap 26 is arranged in the combustion chamber, such that at least the partial region of the cap 26 protrudes into the combustion chamber. The flow opening 28 is arranged in the partial region of the cap 26. This means that the flow opening 28 is arranged in the combustion chamber or protrudes into the combustion chamber. The cap 26 of the injector sleeve 10 has the wall region 50 that directly delimits the flow opening 28. If the needle releases the exit opening 40 of the injector 12 in the open position of the valve element, then the gaseous fuel can flow out of the exit opening 40 of the injector 12. At least part of the gaseous fuel flowing directly through the flow opening 28 comes into direct contact with at least part of the wall region 50. After the gaseous fuel has flowed out of the exit opening 40, the gaseous fuel flows through the flow opening 28 of the cap 26 and into the combustion chamber 11. This means that, on its flow path from the injector 12 into the combustion chamber 11, the gaseous fuel first flows through the exit opening 40 of the injector 12 and then flows through the flow opening 28 of the cap 26. Consequently, the flow opening 28 is arranged downstream of the exit opening 40 of the injector 12 in the flow direction of the gaseous fuel from the injector 12 into the combustion chamber 11.

[0037] In the present exemplary embodiment, the injection device 36 has an intermediate chamber 38 delimited, in particular respectively directly, by the injector 12 and partially by the cap 26. The intermediate chamber 38 is arranged upstream of the flow opening 28 and downstream of the exit opening 40 of the injector 12 in the flow direction of the fuel flowing out of the injector 12 and through the flow opening 28. Consequently, the gaseous fuel flowing out of the injector 12 flows out of the injector 12 via the exit opening 40, and the gaseous fuel then flows into the intermediate chamber 38 and through the intermediate chamber 38. The fuel then flows through the flow opening 28. At least a part of the gaseous fuel is in direct contact with at least a part of the wall region 50 of the injector sleeve 10. After the gaseous fuel has spread out in the intermediate chamber 38, the gaseous fuel flows through the flow opening 28, and thus out of the cap 26 into the combustion chamber.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of the injection device 36. The cap 26 of the injector sleeve 10 has several, in particular at least or exactly two flow openings 28, which can be flowed through directly by the gaseous fuel flowing out of the injector 12. The flow openings 28 are preferably arranged in the partial region of the cap 26, wherein the partial region protrudes into the combustion chamber 11. This means that the flow openings 28 protrude into the combustion chamber. The needle releases the exit opening 40 of the injector 12 in the open position of the valve element, such that the gaseous fuel can flow out of the exit opening 40 of the injector 12. At least a part of the gaseous fuel can be in direct contact with at least a part of the wall region 50 of the cap 26. After the gaseous fuel has flowed out of the exit opening 40, the gaseous fuel flows through the flow openings 28 of the cap 26 and into the combustion chamber 11. Consequently, the flow openings 28 are arranged downstream of the exit opening 40 of the injector 12 in the flow direction of the gaseous fuel from the injector 12 into the combustion chamber. The flow openings 28 respectively form or shape a jet of the gaseous fuel flowing into the combustion chamber 11, and are thus respective, jet-shaping geometries that are not integrated into the injector 12 but into the injector sleeve 10, wherein the jets strike or penetrate into the combustion chamber 11 particularly favourably in the second embodiment.

[0039] In the first embodiment and in the second embodiment, the respective flow opening 28 is designed in a plane or extends in a respective plane. The respective flow opening can additionally be flowed through by the gaseous fuel along a respective through direction, wherein the through direction runs perpendicular to the plane. In the first embodiment, the plane runs perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. This means that the through direction runs in parallel to the longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve 10 or coincides with the longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve 10 in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, however, the plane runs obliquely to the longitudinal extension direction of the sleeve. This means that the through direction runs obliquely to the longitudinal extension direction of the injector sleeve 10 in the second embodiment. It is additionally presently provided in the second embodiment that the through directions of the flow openings 28 or the planes run obliquely to one another. The through directions or the planes could run perpendicular to one another in some instances, for example.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0040] 10 injector sleeve [0041] 11 combustion chamber [0042] 12 combustion chamber [0043] 13 end face [0044] 14 intake [0045] 15 intake [0046] 16 lateral surface on the external periphery [0047] 17 sealing region [0048] 18 longitudinal region [0049] 19 cavity [0050] 20 cooling chamber [0051] 22 sealing region [0052] 24 liquid chamber [0053] 26 cap [0054] 28 flow opening [0055] 30 wall [0056] 32 sealing element [0057] 34 cavity [0058] 36 injection device [0059] 38 intermediate chamber [0060] 40 exit opening [0061] 42 cylinder head [0062] 44 housing [0063] 45 partial region [0064] 46 injector housing [0065] 48 lateral surface on the internal periphery [0066] 50 wall region