초록 ▼

A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel and a method thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a fixture assembly, a rate tube fluidically connected to the fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during, a pressure sensor positioned upstr

A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel and a method thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a fixture assembly, a rate tube fluidically connected to the fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during, a pressure sensor positioned upstream of the rate tube that is adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output, a flow meter that measures flow of injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the measured fuel flow, and a computing device that processes the duration of actuation, the pressure output and the flow output to determine injection information such as fuel injection quantity, variation, and rate shape.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injec

The invention claimed is: 1. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; and a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector, to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; wherein said rate tube is elongate with a length sufficient to increase a time duration for a pressure pulse to be reflected back to said pressure sensor so that said pressure sensor measures fuel pressure before the pressure pulse is reflected back to said pressure sensor. 2. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, wherein said determined injection information is at least one of fuel injection quantity, variation, and rate shape. 3. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a purge port that allows air to be purged from said injector receiving opening when the fuel injector is received therein. 4. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a current probe electronically connected to said computing device that monitors actuation of the fuel injector. 5. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the fuel injected by the fuel injector, and provides a temperature output to said computing device. 6. The rate tube measurement system of claim 5, wherein said computing device uses said temperature output to correct said determined injection information to compensate for the temperature of the fuel injected. 7. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a rupture disc positioned downstream of said fixture assembly and upstream of said flow meter to prevent over pressurization of said rate tube measurement system. 8. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a filter upstream of said flow meter that traps debris and dampens pressure pulses in said rate tube. 9. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a valve assembly that regulates fuel flow through said rate tube measurement system. 10. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a pressure gauge that measures and displays the back pressure of said fuel in said rate tube measurement system. 11. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a relief valve adapted to allow adjustment of the back pressure of said fuel in said rate tube measurement system to simulate cylinder pressure. 12. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, further including a remote purge supply that facilitates purging of said rate tube measurement system. 13. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, wherein said measured pressure changes are indicative of rate shape of said plurality of injection events. 14. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of injection events is a single pulse injection event. 15. The rate tube measurement system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of injection events is a multi-pulse injection event. 16. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; and a relief valve adapted to allow adjustment of the back pressure of said fuel in said rate tube measurement system to simulate cylinder pressure; wherein said relief valve is a spring loaded mechanical valve. 17. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector, to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; and an accumulator assembly positioned upstream of said flow meter that dampens pressure pulses in said rate tube measurement system. 18. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; and a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector, to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; wherein said flow meter is a mass flow meter that measures the mass of fuel flowing therethrough. 19. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; and a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector, to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; wherein said mass flow meter is a coriolis mass flow meter. 20. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; and a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector, to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; wherein said measured pressure changes are indicative of rate shape of said plurality of injection events and said computing device determines an area under a rate trace curve for each of said plurality of events based on said measured pressure changes. 21. A rate tube measurement system for measuring injected fuel comprising: a fixture assembly having an injector receiving opening sized to receive a fuel injector therein; a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly to receive fuel injected by the fuel injector during a plurality of injection events when the fuel injector is actuated; a pressure sensor positioned downstream of said injector receiving opening and upstream of said rate tube, said pressure sensor being adapted to measure pressure changes in the injected fuel and provide a pressure output; a flow meter that measures flow of the injected fuel and provides a flow output indicative of the average measured fuel flow; and a computing device electronically connected to the fuel injector to monitor duration of actuation of the fuel injector, to said pressure sensor to receive said pressure output, and to said flow meter to receive said flow output, said computing device being adapted to process said duration of actuation, said pressure output and said flow output to determine injection information regarding at least one injection event; wherein said computing device is a computer having a program adapted to determine an area under a rate trace curve for each of said plurality of injection events based on said measured pressure changes. 22. A method of measuring the amount of fuel injected by a fuel injector comprising: securing a fuel injector to a fixture assembly adapted to capture fuel injected by the fuel injector; actuating the fuel injector in a plurality of injection events and monitoring duration of actuation of the fuel injector during at least one injection event; measuring the pressure of the fuel injected by the fuel injector using a pressure sensor; conveying the fuel injected by the fuel injector through a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly, said rate tube having a length sufficient to provide a time duration of sufficient length to allow measurement of the pressure of the fuel injected before pressure pulses are reflected back to said pressure sensor; measuring flow of fuel through said rate tube; and determining injection information regarding said at least one injection event based on said duration of actuation, measured pressure, and measured flow. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said determined injection information regarding said at least one event is at least one of fuel injection quantity, variation, and rate shape. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein changes in said measured pressure are indicative of rate shape of said at least one injection event. 25. The method of claim 22, further including purging air prior to measuring the pressure of the fuel injected. 26. The method of claim 22, further including measuring the temperature of the fuel injected by the fuel injector, and correcting said determined injection information to compensate for temperature of the fuel injected. 27. The method of claim 22, further including measuring and adjusting back pressure of the fuel injected to simulate cylinder pressure. 28. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of said plurality of injection events is a single pulse injection event. 29. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of said plurality of injection events is a multi-pulse injection event. 30. A method of measuring the amount of fuel injected by a fuel injector comprising: securing a fuel injector to a fixture assembly adapted to capture fuel injected by the fuel injector; actuating the fuel injector in a plurality of injection events and monitoring duration of actuation of the fuel injector during at least one injection event; measuring the pressure of the fuel injected by the fuel injector using a pressure sensor; conveying the fuel injected by the fuel injector through a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly, said rate tube having a length sufficient to provide a time duration of sufficient length to allow measurement of the pressure of the fuel injected before pressure pulses are reflected back to said pressure sensor; measuring flow of fuel through said rate tube; determining injection information regarding said at least one injection event based on said duration of actuation, measured pressure, and measured flow; and dampening pressure pulses of the fuel injected. 31. A method of measuring the amount of fuel injected by a fuel injector comprising: securing a fuel injector to a fixture assembly adapted to capture fuel injected by the fuel injector; actuating the fuel injector in a plurality of injection events and monitoring duration of actuation of the fuel injector during at least one injection event; measuring the pressure of the fuel injected by the fuel injector using a pressure sensor; conveying the fuel injected by the fuel injector through a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly, said rate tube having a length sufficient to provide a time duration of sufficient length to allow measurement of the pressure of the fuel injected before pressure pulses are reflected back to said pressure sensor; measuring flow of fuel through said rate tube; and determining injection information regarding said at least one injection event based on said duration of actuation measured pressure, and measured flow; wherein said flow of fuel is measured by a mass flow meter. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein said mass flow meter is a coriolis mass flow meter. 33. A method of measuring the amount of fuel injected by a fuel injector comprising: securing a fuel injector to a fixture assembly adapted to capture fuel injected by the fuel injector; actuating the fuel injector in a plurality of injection events and monitoring duration of actuation of the fuel injector during at least one injection event; measuring the pressure of the fuel injected by the fuel injector using a pressure sensor; conveying the fuel injected by the fuel injector through a rate tube fluidically connected to said fixture assembly said rate tube having a length sufficient to provide a time duration of sufficient length to allow measurement of the pressure of the fuel injected before pressure pulses are reflected back to said pressure sensor; measuring flow of fuel through said rate tube; and determining injection information regarding said at least one injection event based on said duration of actuation, measured pressure and measured flow; wherein changes in said measured pressure are indicative of rate shape of said at least one injection event; the method further including calculating an area under a rate trace curve for said at least one injection event based on said measured pressure changes. 34. The method of claim 33, further including determining variations in the area under the rate trace curves of different injection events to determine variation in shot-to-shot injection quantity.