JP4785540B2 - Internal combustion engine and its piston - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a piston used in a direct injection type internal combustion engine using a tumble flow.

In an internal combustion engine using a tumble flow as the gas flow in the cylinder, a cylindrical surface parallel to the piston pin central axis is provided on the piston crown so that the tumble flow generated in the intake stroke is well preserved in the compression stroke. A recessed piston is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. According to such a configuration, a circular or elliptical space is formed between the combustion chamber recess recessed on the cylinder head side when viewed from the piston pin axial direction, and the tumble along the vertical direction of the cylinder is formed. The flow turns smoothly.
JP 2000-186556 A

  In a direct injection internal combustion engine, in general, stratified lean combustion is realized by injecting fuel in the latter half of the compression stroke. However, in the configuration using the piston as described above, the fuel injection disposed on the side of the cylinder is performed. It is difficult to stably guide the fuel spray injected from the valve to the electrode part of the spark plug, and the combustion is not stable. Therefore, for example, even if an attempt is made to retard the ignition timing in order to reduce HC immediately after start-up, significant retarding becomes difficult due to restrictions on the combustion stability limit.

  In addition, in order to supply the fuel spray to the vicinity of the spark plug, if the fuel spray is collided with the piston crown surface and reflected to the spark plug side, a part of the fuel adheres to the piston crown surface and the HC increases. It becomes a factor of.

The invention, together with a spark plug is disposed substantially at the center portion of the cylinder top face, the fuel injection valve is disposed in the combustion chamber side of the intake valve side, with a relatively high load region of the fuel during the intake stroke A piston used in a direct injection internal combustion engine that performs stratified lean combustion by injecting and performing homogeneous combustion using the tumble flow in the cylinder and injecting fuel during the compression stroke in a region where the load is relatively low In addition, a curved surface substantially parallel to the piston pin central axis is recessed in the piston crown surface so as to follow the tumble flow in the cylinder flowing in the direction from the exhaust valve side to the intake valve side on the crown surface. In the piston of the internal combustion engine, the curved surface is formed as a concave portion that is deeper than the reference surface around the crown surface , and a piston pin central axis is provided at a substantially central portion of the curved surface directly below the spark plug. And flat Ridge which extends is formed. The rising portion on the intake valve side and the rising portion on the exhaust valve side rising from the curved surface to the ridge portion each form an arc surface, and the tumble flow gets over the ridge portion and the curved surface The curvature radius of the rising portion on the exhaust valve side is set to be larger than the curvature radius of the rising portion on the intake valve side so as to flow upward from the exhaust valve side to the intake valve side .

Desirably, the rising portion of the intake valve side of the ridge is located immediately below said spark plug.

  In one specific aspect, a convex portion that swells toward the cylinder head is provided on substantially the entire surface of the piston crown surface, and the curved surface is left so as to leave a portion of the convex portion close to the end in the piston pin axial direction. Is recessed in a rectangular shape.

  That is, in the configuration provided with the ridges as described above, when fuel is injected in the latter stage of the compression stroke for stratified lean combustion, the spray passes along the ridges as the spray passes above the ridges. Ascending flow is generated locally, and a part of the spray travels upward toward the spark plug. In particular, since the rising portion on the intake valve side of the ridge facing the spraying direction forms a smooth arc surface, the upward flow is generated more smoothly. Accordingly, an appropriate air-fuel mixture can be stably formed in the vicinity of the spark plug, and stable combustion can be obtained.

  On the other hand, when a tumble flow is generated in the cylinder, for example, when homogeneous combustion is performed with a large amount of exhaust gas recirculation, the tumble flow swirls along the curved surface of the piston crown surface. Since the rising part of the strip on the exhaust valve side forms a circular arc surface with a large radius of curvature, the tumble flow can easily get over the ridge, and the decrease in tumble flow due to the provision of the ridge is minimal. It will be a thing.

  According to this invention, the fuel spray injected from the fuel injection valve on the cylinder side can be stably guided to the electrode portion of the spark plug, and stable stratified lean combustion can be obtained. Therefore, for example, when the ignition timing is retarded to reduce HC immediately after starting, the combustion stability limit of the ignition timing becomes more retarded, and a large ignition timing retard is possible. At the same time, the tumble flow can be minimized.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, the configuration of a direct injection type internal combustion engine in which the piston 4 of the present invention is used will be described with reference to FIG. As illustrated, a plurality of cylinders 3 are arranged in series on the cylinder block 1, and a cylinder head 2 is fixed so as to cover the upper surface thereof. A piston 4 is slidably fitted in the cylinder 3. The combustion chamber 11 recessed in the cylinder head 2 has a so-called pent roof type, and a pair of intake valves 5 are provided on one inclined surface, and a pair of exhaust valves 6 are provided on the other inclined surface. Has been placed. A spark plug 7 is disposed at a substantially central position of the cylinder 3 surrounded by the pair of intake valves 5 and the pair of exhaust valves 6.

  The cylinder head 2 is formed with a pair of intake ports 8 corresponding to the pair of intake valves 5, and an exhaust port 9 corresponding to the pair of exhaust valves 6.

  The electromagnetic fuel injection valve 10 that directly injects fuel into the cylinder is disposed on the bottom surface of the cylinder head 2 near the side wall of the cylinder 3 on the intake valve 5 side, and is mounted with its center axis inclined downward. It has been. In particular, the fuel injection valve 10 is disposed between the two intake valves 5 and is configured to inject fuel at an inclination angle close to horizontal toward the center of the cylinder 3 where the spark plug 7 is located. .

  The intake port 8 has a shape suitable for generating a so-called forward tumble flow in the cylinder 3, but further, a partition partitioning the inside of the port into upper and lower flow paths and one of the flow paths. Tumble generating means such as a tumble control valve for opening and closing the path can be provided as necessary.

  The basic operation of the internal combustion engine will be briefly described. First, a homogeneous air-fuel mixture is formed in the cylinder 3 at the time of full load of the engine or in a region where the air-fuel ratio is relatively small in the lean combustion region. Homogeneous combustion is performed. During the homogeneous combustion, fuel is injected and supplied into the cylinder 3 during the intake stroke, and is actively diffused by the tumble flow generated in the cylinder 3.

  On the other hand, in a lean combustion region where the air-fuel ratio is very large in a low load region, stratified lean combustion is performed that enables reliable ignition by stratification of the air-fuel mixture. During this stratified lean combustion, fuel is injected from the fuel injection valve 10 toward the space between the combustion chamber 11 wall surface and the piston 4 in the latter half of the compression stroke. Since the injected fuel forms an ignitable air-fuel mixture around the spark plug 7 as will be described later, ignition and combustion are possible by igniting at an appropriate timing. In addition, when it has a means to variably control the tumble flow such as a tumble control valve, it is desirable to suppress the tumble flow during stratified lean combustion.

  Next, FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the piston 4 according to the present invention, particularly the configuration of its top. As shown in the figure, the piston 4 has a convex portion 21 that swells from the surrounding reference surface 20 toward the cylinder head 1 on substantially the entire crown surface, and an upper surface at the center of the convex portion 21. A concave portion 22 having a rectangular shape as viewed from above is provided. The convex portion 21 enters the combustion chamber 11 on the cylinder head 1 side at the top dead center position and swells in a dome shape so as to occupy a part of the volume thereof, but the concave portion 22 is largely provided. Therefore, actually, the convex portions 21a and 21b occupying the crescent-shaped regions in the crown surface are partially left at both ends in the piston pin axial direction. Then, crescent-shaped squish areas 23 and 24 are formed as the same plane as the reference surface 20 at two locations on both ends in the direction orthogonal to the piston pin (that is, the end portions on the intake valve side and the exhaust valve side). .

  The concave portion 22 is formed of a bottom surface 22a formed of a curved surface substantially parallel to the piston pin central axis, and a pair of side wall surfaces 22b and 22c extending along a direction orthogonal to the piston pin. The bottom surface 22a may be a simple cylindrical surface having a constant radius of curvature, or may be a curved surface with a partially different radius of curvature, but generally follows the flow of the tumble flow in the cylinder 3. Is so curved.

  Further, a ridge portion 25 extending linearly in parallel with the piston pin central axis is provided at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface 22a formed of the curved surface. As shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 25 has a substantially trapezoidal cross section, and the intake valve side rising part 25a and the exhaust valve side rising part 25b rising from the bottom surface 22a to the protrusion 25. However, each forms a smoothly continuous circular arc surface. Here, the radius of curvature of the rising portion 25b on the exhaust valve side is set larger than the radius of curvature of the rising portion 25a on the intake valve side. The rising portion 25a on the intake valve side is located directly below the electrode portion of the spark plug 7. Note that the upper portion of the rising portion 25 a on the intake valve side, that is, the portion on the distal end side of the ridge portion 25 stands upright substantially vertically toward the spark plug 7.

  In the configuration of the embodiment as described above, as shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. 4, when fuel is injected at the latter stage of the compression stroke for stratified lean combustion, the traveling direction of the spray F is the ridge portion 25. Is directed toward the spark plug 7 along the rising portion 25a on the intake valve side, or when the spray F passes above the protruding portion 25, along the rising portion 25a on the intake valve side of the protruding portion 25. As a result, an upward upward flow as indicated by an arrow is locally generated, and a part of the spray F is guided to the upper spark plug 7 side. In particular, the rising portion 25a on the intake valve side of the protrusion 25 facing the spraying direction forms a smooth arc surface, so that an upward flow is generated more smoothly. Therefore, an appropriate air-fuel mixture can be stably formed in the vicinity of the spark plug 7 and stable combustion can be obtained.

  On the other hand, as described above, in the homogeneous combustion, combustion is performed using the tumble flow in the cylinder. As shown in the explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 5 and 6, the tumble flow indicated by the arrow T is It flows on the bottom surface 22a of the concave portion 22 made of a curved surface from the exhaust valve side to the intake valve side, and turns in the cylinder 3. Here, since the rising portion 25b on the exhaust valve side of the ridge portion 25 forms an arc surface having a large curvature radius, the tumble flow can smoothly get over the ridge portion 25, and the ridge portion 25 is provided. The decrease in tumble flow is minimized.

  If the step portion is provided on the bottom surface 22a of the recess 22 so that only the rising portion 25a on the intake valve side is generated, the wall thickness of the piston crown is thin on the intake valve side, and the exhaust valve side However, in the above configuration, the protrusion 25 having a relatively small volume is present, so that when the piston is manufactured by casting, thermal distortion occurs. There is no. Further, the compression ratio of the engine is not reduced by increasing the thickness of the piston crown.

  FIG. 7 shows an experimental result on the stability improvement at the time of stratified lean combustion by providing the above-mentioned protrusion 25, and particularly, the ignition timing for the early activation of the catalyst immediately after the cold start. The characteristic when this is retarded is shown in comparison between the comparative example not provided with the ridges 25 and the example provided with the ridges 25. The experimental conditions are a 1250 rpm fast idle state, an air-fuel ratio of 16, and a water temperature of 20 ° C.

  (C) of the figure shows the relationship between the variation σPi of the in-cylinder pressure indicating the combustion fluctuation and the ignition timing. In general, the combustion fluctuation increases as the ignition timing is retarded. Here, L1 is the combustion stability limit. In the comparative example, the ignition timing exceeds the combustion stability limit L1 in the vicinity of 10 ° CA after the top dead center, and cannot be delayed more than this. On the other hand, in the embodiment provided with the protrusions 25, the in-cylinder pressure variation σPi becomes relatively small, and can be retarded to about 18 ° CA after top dead center.

  (A) of the figure shows the characteristics of HC generated in the engine, and in general, HC decreases as the ignition timing is retarded. When compared at the same ignition timing, the amount of HC generated in the example is larger than that in the comparative example, but assuming that the combustion is retarded to the combustion stability limit, the ignition timing near 10 ° CA after top dead center Compared to the amount of HC generated in the comparative example (indicated by point A1) under the above, the amount of HC generated in the example (indicated by point A2) under the ignition timing near 18 ° CA after top dead center However, it is about 40% lower.

  Further, (b) in the figure shows the exhaust temperature at the inlet of the catalytic device attached to the exhaust manifold of the internal combustion engine, and generally the exhaust temperature tends to increase with the retard of the ignition timing. Even when compared at the same ignition timing, the exhaust gas temperature in the example is higher than that in the comparative example. However, if it is assumed that the engine is retarded to the combustion stability limit, ignition at around 10 ° CA after top dead center Compared to the exhaust temperature of the comparative example under time (indicated by point B1), the exhaust temperature of the example (indicated by point B2) under the ignition timing near 18 ° CA after top dead center is 200. Highly obtained near ℃.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the combustion stability is improved. As a result, ignition timing can be greatly retarded immediately after starting, etc., the amount of HC generated can be reduced, the exhaust gas temperature can be increased, and the catalyst can be obtained. Can be activated early.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cylinder injection type internal combustion engine in which the piston which concerns on this invention is used. The perspective view of the top part of the piston which concerns on this invention. Sectional drawing of the principal part. Explanatory drawing which shows the behavior of fuel spray. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship with a tumble flow. Similarly perspective view. The characteristic view which showed the relationship between ignition timing, (a) HC generation amount, (b) catalyst inlet exhaust temperature, and (c) dispersion | variation (sigma) Pi of in-cylinder pressure by contrast in an Example and a comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

4 ... Piston 22 ... Recess 22a ... Bottom surface (curved surface)
25 ... Projection 25a ... Rising part on the intake valve side 25b ... Rising part on the exhaust valve side

Claims (4)

A spark plug is arranged at the substantially central portion of the top surface of the cylinder, and a fuel injection valve is arranged at the side of the combustion chamber on the intake valve side. In a relatively high load region, fuel is injected during the intake stroke. A piston used in an in- cylinder direct injection internal combustion engine which performs stratified lean combustion by injecting fuel during a compression stroke in a region where the load is relatively low while performing homogeneous combustion using the tumble flow inside An internal combustion engine in which a curved surface substantially parallel to the piston pin central axis is recessed in the piston crown surface so as to follow the tumble flow in the cylinder flowing in the direction from the exhaust valve side to the intake valve side on the crown surface In the piston of
The curved surface is formed as a recess recessed deeper than a reference surface around the crown surface,
A ridge extending in parallel with the piston pin central axis is formed at a substantially central portion of the curved surface directly below the spark plug, and on the intake valve side rising from the curved surface to the ridge. The rising portion and the rising portion on the exhaust valve side each form a circular arc surface, and the exhaust valve side so that the tumble flow passes over the protrusion and flows on the curved surface from the exhaust valve side to the intake valve side. A piston of an internal combustion engine, wherein a curvature radius of a rising portion of the engine is larger than a curvature radius of a rising portion on the intake valve side.   2. The piston of an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein a rising portion on the intake valve side is located immediately below the spark plug.   A convex portion bulging toward the cylinder head is provided on substantially the entire surface of the piston crown surface, and the curved surface is recessed in a rectangular shape so as to leave a portion near the end in the piston pin axial direction of the convex portion. The piston of the internal combustion engine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The internal combustion engine provided with the piston in any one of Claims 1-3.

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