Airless thermal regenerator or enhancer with mixer

Abstract

A combustor comprises a fuel-fired burner for a vehicle application. In one example, the fuel-fired burner is configured to regenerate a particulate filter where the fuel-fired burner comprises one of a thermal regenerator or thermal enhancer that operates with airless fuel injection. A fuel nozzle supplies fuel to the fuel-fired burner and an igniter ignites fuel sprayed from the fuel nozzle. A mixer is positioned downstream of the fuel nozzle and upstream of the igniter and operates to reduce fuel droplet size, which improves ignition.

1 . A component assembly comprising:
 a combustor comprising a fuel-fired burner having airless fuel injection;   at least one fuel nozzle to supply fuel to said combustor;   an igniter to ignite fuel sprayed from said at least one fuel nozzle; and   a mixer positioned downstream of said at least one fuel nozzle and upstream of said igniter.   
     
     
         2 . The component assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said fuel-fired burner comprises one of a thermal regenerator or thermal enhancer. 
     
     
         3 . The component assembly according to  claim 2  wherein said fuel-fired burner is configured to regenerate a particulate filter. 
     
     
         4 . The component assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said mixer solely mixes fuel with existing exhaust gases for ignition without requiring an additional atomization air supply. 
     
     
         5 . The component assembly according to  claim 1  including a housing having an exhaust gas inlet, an exhaust gas outlet, and an internal wall structure positioned within said housing to define a combustion chamber, and wherein said mixer is supported by said internal wall structure within said combustion chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The component assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said at least one fuel nozzle defines a nozzle axis extending along a length of said at least one fuel nozzle, and wherein said exhaust gas inlet defines an exhaust gas flow axis that is non-parallel to said nozzle axis. 
     
     
         7 . The component assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said at least one fuel nozzle defines a nozzle axis extending along a length of said at least one fuel nozzle, and wherein said exhaust gas inlet defines an exhaust gas flow axis that is parallel to said nozzle axis. 
     
     
         8 . The component assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said at least one fuel nozzle defines a nozzle axis extending along a length of said at least one fuel nozzle and wherein said mixer is axially spaced from a tip of said at least one fuel nozzle along said nozzle axis and said igniter is axially spaced from said mixer along said nozzle axis. 
     
     
         9 . The component assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said igniter comprises at least one electrode positioned downstream of said mixer. 
     
     
         10 . The component assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said mixer is defined by an outer peripheral surface with a downstream end face and an upstream end face, and wherein said downstream and upstream end faces provide discontinuous surfaces that cooperate to reduce the size of fuel droplets flowing through said mixer from said upstream end face to said downstream end face. 
     
     
         11 . The component assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said fuel-fired burner is configured to heat up a NOx reduction catalyst. 
     
     
         12 . A method of assembling a component comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a combustor comprising a fuel-fired burner having airless fuel injection, providing at least one fuel nozzle to supply fuel to the combustor, and providing an igniter to ignite fuel sprayed from the at least one fuel nozzle; and   (b) positioning a mixer within the combustor downstream of the at least one fuel nozzle and upstream of the igniter.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  including solely mixing fuel with existing exhaust gases for ignition without requiring an additional atomization air supply. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12  including providing a housing having an exhaust gas inlet, an exhaust gas outlet, and an internal wall structure positioned within the housing that defines a combustion chamber, and including supporting the mixer on the internal wall structure within the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12  including forming the mixer to be defined by an outer peripheral surface with a downstream end face and an upstream end face with each of the upstream and downstream end faces providing discontinuous surfaces that cooperate to reduce the size of fuel droplets flowing through the mixer from the upstream end face to the downstream end face. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the fuel-fired burner comprises one of a thermal regenerator or thermal enhancer. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  including configuration the fuel-fired burner to regenerate a particulate filter.