Patent ID: 7547002

Claim:
An integrated fuel injection and mixing system for atomizing and mixing a liquid fluid for introduction into a fuel reformer, the system comprising: a fluid injector, having an injector tip, for generating fine droplets of the liquid fluid under pressure; a mixing chamber that is in communication with an outlet at the injector tip of the fluid injector for atomizing and mixing the fine droplets of liquid fluid from said fluid injector with a second fluid to provide a fuel vapor mixture, wherein the mixing chamber has a diverging upper portion and a converging lower portion; and a mixer/swirler disposed in a central portion of the mixing chamber and comprising a plurality of vanes positioned in the central portion between the diverging upper portion and the converging lower portion of the mixing chamber, wherein the mixer/swirler is structured and arranged in the mixing chamber for stabilizing the fuel vapor mixture prior to introduction of the fuel vapor mixture through an entrance to the fuel reformer.