Internal-combustion engines – Charge forming device – Heating of combustible mixture
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-11
2001-02-13
Kwon, John (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
Charge forming device
Heating of combustible mixture
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186125
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a control device for a diesel-operated internal-combustion engine, or for an oil-heating system, with a mixer unit, wherein diesel oil and air can be mixed to form a fuel mixture, a diesel oil feed line, by means of which the diesel oil can be fed to the mixer unit, an air feed line by means of which the air can be fed to the mixer unit, a fuel mixture line by means of which the fuel mixture can be introduced from the mixer unit into the internal-combustion engine, or the oil-heating system, and a setting device by means of which the diesel oil flow through the diesel oil feed line can be adjusted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When diesel-operated internal-combustion engines and oil-heating systems are used, very often the energy content of the diesel oil is not optimally used for the production of mechanical or thermal energy. As a result, the fuel consumption can be too high, whereby in addition a greater amount of pollutants can be emitted because of the incomplete combustion of the diesel oil.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide a control device for a diesel-operated internal combustion engine, or for an oil-heating system, which can reduce on the one hand the fuel consumption and on the other hand the pollutant emissions by optimizing the combustion process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, this object is achieved through a control device for a diesel-operated internal-combustion engine, which in addition to the features mentioned in the introduction has a heater by means of which the air flowing through the air feed line can be dehumidified and heated to an approximately uniform temperature, a control unit arranged in the air feed line downstream of the heater by means of which the air flow through the air feed line can be controlled depending on the speed of the internal-combustion engine, and a limiter unit which is arranged in the air feed line downstream of the control unit and by means of which the maximal amount of air flowing through the air feed line can be predetermined.
For an oil-heating system this object is achieved by means of a control unit which, in addition to the features described in the introduction, also comprises the above-mentioned heater, as well as the above-mentioned limiter unit.
In an embodiment of the control device according to the invention wherein the mixer unit has an air-guiding cylinder arranged approximately perpendicularly with respect to the flow direction of the diesel oil feed line and along whose peripheral surface the air enters the diesel oil flow passing through the mixer unit, the control unit can be replaced by a control plunger which is mounted to be axially slidable at the front end of the air-guiding cylinder remote from the diesel oil flow. Due to the possibility of axial displacement of the control plunger, the amount of air entering the annular space surrounding the air-guiding cylinder, and thereby entering the diesel oil flow, can be controlled.
Depending on the diesel oil aggregate, by using such control devices fuel savings of at least 10% result, whereby in most cases they clearly exceed 10%. The control device of the invention can be used in a simple manner and universally for retrofitting of stationary and mobile installations, particularly trucks, busses, passenger automobiles, construction and agricultural machines, propulsion and supply aggregates, ships, motorboats, etc.
The control unit by means of which the air flow through the air feed line can be controlled depending on the speed of the internal-combustion engine can have a particularly advantageous construction when the control unit has an electronic control, wherein voltage differences occurring in a generator as a result of changes in the speed of the internal-combustion engine are converted by electronic components into signals, by means of which a drive unit for controlling means or a valve for controlling the flow is actuated. Due to this control of the amount of admixed air depending on the speed of the internal-combustion engine, the combustion of the diesel oil/air mixture is considerably improved. The electronic components of the electronic controller can also be integrated into an electronic module built for this purpose.
The maximum air flow through the air feed line can be set in a particularly simple manner when the limiter unit is an adjusting needle. By combining the action of this needle, by means of which the flow cross section of the air feed line can be limited, and of the underpressure produced by the diesel oil flow passing through the mixer unit, the maximum amount of the air to be supplied through the air feed line to the mixer unit results.
When used in connection with diesel-operated internal-combustion engines, it has been proven that the most advantageous location for the control device of the invention is upstream of the injection pump of the diesel-operated internal-combustion engine.
When the control device of the invention is used in connection with an oil-heating system, the location should be upstream of an oil filter of the oil-heating system.
The air can be introduced into the mixer unit through the air feed line in a particularly advantageous manner when the air is sucked into the mixer unit by means of the suction pressure of the diesel oil flowing through the mixer unit. Furthermore due to the increase of the suction pressure with the increasing diesel oil flow a quantitative adjustment of the air amount aspired from the air feed line into the mixer unit to the amount of diesel oil flowing through the mixer unit results.
For the protection of the heater, the control unit and the limiter unit against overload it is advantageous to insert an oil filter in the air feed line.
The heater can be advantageously designed as an electric heating element.
A high-grade glass-fiber reinforced plastic material has proven to be especially suitable for the housing of the control device of the invention, whereby preferably Technyl A 20 V 25 can as such a material.
A simple way of manufacturing the control device of the invention is achieved when the electronic components and the heater are cast with the housing.
In the control device of the invention a check valve is arranged in the air feed line upstream or in the area of the heater, which closes when air is no longer aspired through the air feed line. This reliably prevents when the engine is turned off, the diesel oil from escaping from the control i device of the invention through the air feed line.
In specific cases of use, e.g. gasoline engines, wherein fuel pumps are arranged in the fuel feed line upstream of the mixer unit, when the fuel feed line can be provided with transverse opening only at the downstream radial end segment of the air-guiding cylinder, in the flow direction of the fuel, through which opening the air flowing along the peripheral surface of the air-guiding cylinder can be sucked into the fuel flow. Since otherwise the annular space surrounding the air-guiding cylinder is sealed against the fuel feed line, this reliably prevented this way that the fuel entering the mixer unit under pressure as a result of the action of the fuel pumps travels upwards on the peripheral surface of the air-guiding cylinder.
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Dubno Herbert
Kwon John
LandOfFree
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