HOUSING COMPONENT FOR A PRECHAMBER COMPONENT OF A COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abstract

A prechamber assembly for a combustion engine includes a prechamber component having one or more transfer ports, and a housing component having an igniter housing area. The prechamber component and the housing component are coupled together to at least partially define a prechamber. The housing component includes a first portion having a first material, and a second portion having a second material different from the first material, wherein the second portion is between the prechamber and the first portion.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: a housing component for a prechamber component of a combustion engine, comprising: a prechamber component housing area, wherein the prechamber component housing area is formed to house the prechamber component surrounding and/or forming at least a portion of a prechamber of the combustion engine, and at least one igniter housing area, wherein the at least one igniter housing area is formed to house and orient an igniter in a direction of the prechamber component housing area, wherein the housing component consists of a first material in a first area and of a second material differing from the first material in a second area, wherein the second area at least partly contains the prechamber component housing area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a steel alloy and/or the second material comprises a copper alloy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first area contains the at least one igniter housing area and/or at least partly surrounds the igniter in a housed state of the igniter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing component has at least one supply pipe, wherein the at least one supply pipe is formed to supply the prechamber and/or the prechamber component with a fuel, air or a fuel-air mixture, wherein the at least one supply pipe is arranged at least partly in the second area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing component has at least one prechamber gas valve sleeve housing to house a prechamber gas valve.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing component with the prechamber component housing area is formed, together with the prechamber component, to delimit and thus form the prechamber of the combustion engine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one igniter housing area connects an area for housing the igniter to the prechamber component housing area and is formed such that the igniter can be arranged substantially in the area for housing the igniter, with the result that an ignition area of the igniter is oriented through the at least one igniter housing area towards the prechamber component housing area to enable an ignition in the prechamber.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing component has an outer wall with a substantially cylindrical basic shape, which is formed to be inserted into a cylinder head of the combustion engine.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing component has a sleeve-shaped structure which surrounds the prechamber component housing area and the at least one igniter housing area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one igniter housing area connects the prechamber component housing area, formed sleeve-shaped, of the housing component to an area, formed sleeve-shaped and at least partly surrounding the igniter in a housed state of the igniter, of the housing component.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area are formed by two components coupled together along a joint.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising the prechamber component and the housing component, wherein a prechamber of the combustion engine is at least partly formed by the housing component and the prechamber component.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising the igniter arranged in the at least one igniter housing area, wherein an ignition area of the igniter projects through the at least one igniter housing area of the housing component into the prechamber, and the igniter comprises a spark plug.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising the combustion engine having the prechamber component with the housing component.

15. A system, comprising: a prechamber assembly for a combustion engine, wherein the prechamber assembly comprises: a prechamber component comprising one or more transfer ports; and a housing component comprising an igniter housing area, wherein the prechamber component and the housing component are coupled together to at least partially define a prechamber, wherein the housing component comprises: a first portion comprising a first material; a second portion comprising a second material different from the first material, wherein the second portion is between the prechamber and the first portion.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second material has a greater heat conductivity than the first material.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second material comprises a copper alloy.

18. A system, comprising: a housing component configured to couple to a prechamber component to at least partially define a prechamber of a combustion engine, wherein the prechamber component comprises one or more transfer ports, the housing component comprises an igniter housing area, and the housing component comprises: a first portion comprising a first material; and a second portion comprising a second material different from the first material, wherein the second portion is between the prechamber and the first portion.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second material has a greater heat conductivity than the first material.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second material comprises a copper alloy.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Further advantages and details of the invention are revealed by the figures and the associated description of the figures. There are shown in:

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates an installation position of a housing component in a cylinder head of a combustion engine, and

[0043] FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate a housing component according to a first embodiment example of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an installation position of a housing component 1 in a cylinder head 12 of a combustion engine 3.

[0045] The housing component 1 with its cylindrical basic structure is inserted into a corresponding opening of the cylinder head 12 of the combustion engine 3.

[0046] Fitted in a prechamber component housing area 4 of the housing component 1 is the prechamber component 2, which the housing component 1 supports against the cylinder head 12 in the direction of a combustion space 13 (combustion chamber).

[0047] The housing component 1 furthermore has an ignition means housing area 6, which is formed as a threaded area.

[0048] In this ignition means housing area 6, an ignition meansan igniter, such as a spark plug in this embodiment examplecan be inserted which projects through the ignition means housing area 6 into a prechamber 5 (combustion chamber).

[0049] The prechamber 5 is surrounded and thus formed by the prechamber component 2 and the housing component 1 in the area of the prechamber component housing area 4.

[0050] The housing component 1 furthermore has a prechamber gas valve sleeve housing 10 in which the prechamber gas valve 11 is arranged via the prechamber gas valve sleeve 14.

[0051] A coolant can flow via a cooling channel 15 of the cylinder head 12 around the housing component 1, the prechamber component 2, and the prechamber gas valve sleeve 14 and the prechamber gas valve 11, whereby an active cooling of these components can be carried out.

[0052] In order to seal the cooling channel 15 against the environment, the respective components are sealed against the cylinder head 12 by means of seals formed individually as o-rings.

[0053] During operation of the combustion engine 3, air, fuel or an air-fuel mixture is supplied to the prechamber 5 via the prechamber gas valve 11 and a supply pipe 9 of the housing component 1, which is subsequently ignited via an ignition means arranged in the ignition means housing area 6 and combusts in the prechamber 5.

[0054] Through the combustion in the prechamber 5 (in particular the expansion produced by the combustion), so-called ignition torches are passed via transfer ports 16 of the prechamber component 2 into the combustion space 13 of the combustion engine 3 which initiate the combustion in the combustion space 13.

[0055] Corresponding prechamber concepts for combustion engines 3 are used as ignition amplifiers by the state of the art. Corresponding ignition amplifiers are used primarily in combustion engines with large combustion spaces (from approx. 2.5 litres).

[0056] FIGS. 2 to 4 show an embodiment example of a housing component 1 according to a first embodiment example of the invention, wherein FIG. 2 represents a section along the longitudinal axis and FIG. 3 a perspective view of FIG. 2.

[0057] FIG. 4 represents a detail view of the end, facing the combustion space 13, of the housing component 1 in an installed state of the housing component 1 in the combustion engine 3.

[0058] The housing component 1 of the embodiment example of FIGS. 2 to 4 has a prechamber component housing area 4, which prechamber component housing area 4 is formed to house the prechamber component 2.

[0059] This prechamber component housing area 4, together with the prechamber component 2, at least partly forms the prechamber 5.

[0060] The prechamber component housing area 4 is connected to the prechamber gas valve sleeve housing 10 of the housing component 1 via the supply pipe 9 of the housing component 1.

[0061] By means of the prechamber gas valve sleeve housing 10, a prechamber gas valve 11 can be housed via which air, fuel or an air-fuel mixture can be supplied to the prechamber 5 via the supply pipe 9.

[0062] Furthermore, the housing component 1 of this embodiment example has an ignition means housing area 6, which ignition means housing area 6 is formed to house an ignition meansa spark plug in this embodiment exampleand to orient it in the direction of the prechamber component housing area 4.

[0063] In other words, a spark plug is screwed into the ignition means housing area 6 formed as a thread, with the result that the spark plug projects through the ignition means housing area 6 into the prechamber 5 and thus the electrodes of the spark plug are positioned in the prechamber 5, while the prechamber 5 and the prechamber component housing area 4 are sealed to the top via the spark plug itself.

[0064] In an end, facing away from the combustion space 13, of the housing component 1, the ignition meansthe spark plugis enclosed in rotatory manner by the housing component.

[0065] In this embodiment example, the housing component 1 is formed by a first area 7 and a second area 8, which are represented by different hatchings for reasons of clarity, even though these areas 7, 8 are part of a single, joint component, the housing component 1.

[0066] The first area 7 of this embodiment example contains the prechamber component housing area 4, the supply pipe 9, part of the ignition means housing area 6 and likewise part of the prechamber gas valve sleeve housing 10.

[0067] This first area 7 of this embodiment example is formed by a first material which is implemented by a copper alloy.

[0068] This copper alloy has increased heat conductivity properties, with the result that these components of the housing component 1, subject to high heat stresses during combustion, can, as a result of the improved heat conductivity, divert the heat energy to the surrounding cylinder head 12 and/or the coolant supplied to the housing component 1.

[0069] The second area 8 is formed by a second material, which is different to the first material. In this embodiment example, the second area 8 is implemented by a steel alloy.

[0070] For manufacture, the first area 7 and the second area 8 are implemented by two separate components, which are joined together by means of a friction welding method during the manufacturing process to form the housing component 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0071] 1 housing component [0072] 2 prechamber component [0073] 3 combustion engine [0074] 4 prechamber component housing area [0075] 5 prechamber [0076] 6 ignition means housing area [0077] 7 first area [0078] 8 second area [0079] 9 supply pipe [0080] 10 prechamber gas valve sleeve housing [0081] 11 prechamber gas valve [0082] 12 cylinder head [0083] 13 combustion space [0084] 14 prechamber gas valve sleeve [0085] 15 cooling channel [0086] 16 transfer port