FUEL INJECTOR FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

摘要

A fuel injector for vaporizing a liquid fuel for use in an internal combustion engine. The fuel injector includes at least one capillary flow passage (12) , the at least one capillary flow passage (12) having an inlet end (14) and an outlet end (16), the capillary flow passage comprises a channel formed within a monolithic body produced from a material selected from the group consisting of ceramics, polymers, metals and composites thereof or a multi-layer ceramic body, a fluid control valve (18) for placing the inlet end of the at least one capillary flow passage (12) in fluid communication with the liquid fuel source and introducing the liquid fuel in a substantially liquid state, a heat source (20) arranged along the at least one capillary flow passage, the heat source (20) operable to heat the liquid fuel in the at least one capillary flow passage (12) to a level sufficient to change at least a portion thereof from the liquid state to a vapor state and deliver a stream of substantially vaporized fuel from the outlet end of the at least one capillary flow passage.