The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928Meyer, Robert B.
History
The First Airplane Diesel Engine: Packard Model DR-980 of 1928
Meyer, Robert B.
Airplanes -- Motors (Diesel)
Although Woolson designed the ingenious weight-saving features, Dorner
was responsible for the engine's diesel cycle which employed the "solid"
type of fuel injection. In order to understand Dorner's contribution, a
brief description of the type of diesel injection pioneered by Dr.
Rudolf Diesel is necessary. His system injected the fuel into the
cylinder head with a blast of air supplied by a special air reservoir at
a pressure of 1000 psi or more. Known as the "air blast" type of
injection it produced good turbulence, with the fuel and air thoroughly
mixed before being ignited. Such mixing increases engine efficiency, but
it involves the provision of bulky and costly air-compressing apparatus
which can absorb more than 5 percent of the engine's power. Naturally
the compressor also adds considerably to the engine's weight.
In contrast to this, a "solid" type of fuel injection may be employed to
eliminate the complications of the "air blast" system. It consists of
injecting only fuel at a pressure of 1000 psi or more. Air is admitted
by intake stroke, as with a gasoline engine. Turbulence is induced by
designing the combustion chamber and piston so as to give a whirling
motion to the air during the intake stroke. The following quotation from
Dorner now becomes readily understandable. "Since 1922 my invention
consisted in eliminating the highly complicated compressor and in
injecting directly such a highly diffused fuel spray so that a quick
first ignition could be depended upon. By means of rotating the air
column around the cylinder axis, fresh air was constantly led along the
fuel spray to achieve completely sootless burning-up.... In 1930 I sold
my U.S.A. patents to Packard."[14]
Valve Ports: The inlet port (which was also the exhaust port) was
arranged tangentially to the cylinder. This design imparted a very rapid
whirling motion to the incoming air, thereby aiding the combustion
process. Engine efficiency and rpm were both increased.
Fuel Injector Pumps: A combination fuel pump and nozzle was provided for
each cylinder in contrast to the usual system of having a multiple pump
unit remotely placed with regard to the nozzles. The former system was
adopted after frequent fuel-line failures were experienced due to the
engine's vibration. Woolson stated that his system prevented pressure
waves, which interfered with the correct timing of the fuel injection,
from forming in the tubing. Leigh M. Griffith, vice president of Emsco
Aero, writing in the September 1930, _S.A.E. Journal_ stated: "Regarding
the superiority claim for the simple combination of fuel pump and
injection valve into one unit, without connecting piping, the author
entirely overlooks the fact that the elasticity of a pipe and its
contained fuel can be important aids in securing that extremely abrupt
beginning and ending of injection which is so desirable."
[Illustration: Figure 29.--Fuel-injector disassembly. U.S. Navy test,
1931. (Smithsonian photo A48323C.)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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