The present invention provides, with reference to FIG. 1, an internal combustion engine (10) having a fuel injector which comprises a sprung piston (55) or a resilient diaphragm piston (8155) and an electrical coil (57, 8158) for displacing the piston (55, 8155). The piston draws fuel into and expel
The present invention provides, with reference to FIG. 1, an internal combustion engine (10) having a fuel injector which comprises a sprung piston (55) or a resilient diaphragm piston (8155) and an electrical coil (57, 8158) for displacing the piston (55, 8155). The piston draws fuel into and expels fuel from a pumping chamber (52, 8152). The number of operations of the injector per engine cycle is controlled by an electronic controller (23, 8159) to control the quality of fuel delivered per cycle to a combustion chamber. A voltage measured in the coil (52, 8158) by movement of the piston under action of the spring or due to its own resilience is used to give an indication of vapour pressure of the fuel. A device akin to the injector can be used to draw fuel from a pipeline to measure the vapour pressure of the fluid.
대표청구항▼
1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a variable volume combustion chamber;an air intake system for delivering charge air to the combustion chamber;an exhaust system for relaying combusted gas from the combustion chamber to atmosphere; anda fuel injection system for delivering fuel into the c
1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a variable volume combustion chamber;an air intake system for delivering charge air to the combustion chamber;an exhaust system for relaying combusted gas from the combustion chamber to atmosphere; anda fuel injection system for delivering fuel into the charge air for combustion therewith in the combustion chamber; wherein the fuel injection system comprises:a fuel injector which functions as a positive displacement pump and which comprises: a housing in which a pumping chamber is formed; an electrical coil; a piston which slides axially in a bore in the housing under action of the electrical coil; and a biasing spring which acts on the piston; anda controller which controls the operation of the fuel injector;wherein:in each of at least a majority of engine cycles the fuel injector is operated on a plurality of occasions by the controller;in response to an increasing engine speed and/or load the controller increases in amount the fuel delivered per engine cycle by increasing in number the occasions the fuel injector is operated per engine cycle;in response to a decreasing engine speed and/or load the controller reduces in amount the fuel delivered per engine cycle by reducing in number the occasions the fuel injector is operated per engine cycle;motion of the piston in a first direction draws fuel into the pumping chamber and motion of the piston in the opposite direction expels fluid from the pumping chamber;motion of the piston under action of the spring occasions a voltage in the coil;the controller uses the voltage occasioned by the piston motion under action of the spring to determine an indication of an amount of fuel vapour present in the pumping chamber; andthe controller adjusts operation of the injector in dependence on the indicated amount of fuel vapour, the controller increasing in number the occasions the fuel injector is operated per engine cycle in response to an indication of an increased fuel vapour amount. 2. An internal combustion engine comprising: a variable volume combustion chamber;an air intake system for delivering charge air to the combustion chamber;an exhaust system for relaying combusted gas from the combustion chamber to atmosphere; anda fuel injection system for delivering fuel into the charge air for combustion therewith in the combustion chamber; wherein the fuel injection system comprises:a fuel injector which functions as a positive displacement pump and which comprises: a housing in which a pumping chamber is formed; an electrical coil; a piston in the form of a diaphragm which is displaceable under the action of the electrical coil against resilience of the diaphragm, which resilience then returns the diaphragm to an undisplaced condition; anda controller which controls the operation of the fuel injector;wherein:in each of at least a majority of engine cycles the fuel injector is operated on a plurality of occasions by the controller;in response to an increasing engine speed and/or load the controller increases in amount the fuel delivered per engine cycle by increasing in number the occasions the fuel injector is operated per engine cycle;in response to a decreasing engine speed and/or load the controller reduces in amount the fuel delivered per engine cycle by reducing in number the occasions the fuel injector is operated per engine cycle;displacement of the piston in a first direction draws fuel into the pumping chamber and displacement of the piston in the opposite direction expels fluid from the pumping chamber;return of the piston under action of the resilience thereof occasions a voltage in the coil;the controller uses the voltage occasioned by the piston motion under action of the resilience thereof to determine an indication of an amount of fuel vapour present in the pumping chamber; andthe controller adjusts operation of the injector in dependence on the indicated amount of filet vapour, the controller increasing in number the occasions the fuel injector is operated per engine cycle in response to an indication of an increased fuel vapour amount. 3. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fuel injection system comprises additionally a temperature sensor for measuring fuel temperature and the controller uses the measured fuel temperature in combination with the indicated fuel vapour amount to determine what type of fuel in injected and adjusts operation of the fuel injector accordingly. 4. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controller controls operation of the electrical coil by applying an external voltage to the coil sufficient to displace the piston to a desired end position and then connects both ends of the coil together to allow current flow through the coil whereby the piston is held on the desired end portion without application of external voltage and next the controller grounds the coil to allow the current to die away and thereby to release the piston for movement. 5. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the controller can vary' in duration the period in which both ends of the coil are connected in order to vary operating frequency of the injector. 6. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the controller receives a signal indicative of engine speed and when the controller determines that engine speed is low and that the amount of fuel vapour is high then the controller reduces the operating frequency of the fuel injector in comparison with the operating frequency used for average operating speeds and average fuel vapour amounts. 7. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 in which the piston reciprocates between two end stops which ensure that the piston has a set distance of travel in each operation. 8. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein for during movement of the piston under action of the spring or under action of the resilience of the diaphragm the controller detects when the voltage occasioned by the piston motion starts to increase after a period of decreasing voltage and then records a maximum voltage which follows. 9. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrical coil surrounds the piston. 10. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a sensor is associated with a crankshaft or a camshaft of the engine and produces a timing signal related to rotation of the crankshaft or camshaft, which timing signal is used by the electronic controller to set timing of the operations of the injector in each engine cycle. 11. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fuel injector has a fuel inlet for admitting fuel into the fuel chamber and a fuel outlet via which fuel is forced from the fuel injector, the fuel injector also having a first one-way valve which allows fuel to flow into the fuel chamber from the fuel inlet while preventing flow of fuel from the fuel chamber back to the fuel inlet and the fuel injector further having a second one-way valve which permits fuel to flow out of the fuel chamber to the fuel outlet, white preventing flow of fuel back into the fuel chamber from the fuel outlet. 12. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 in which the controller comprises a peak voltage hold circuit for holding the maximum voltage occasioned by the piston motion under action of the spring or the resilience of the diaphragm, the peak voltage hold circuit comprising an operational amplifier which receives a voltage signal from the coil, a diode connected to the output of the operational amplifier, with a feedback signal for the operational amplifier taken from the output of the diode, and a capacitor connected to the output of the operational amplifier which holds a maximum voltage sampled by a processor of the controller. 13. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the capacitor is connected between the output of the operational amplifier and earth in parallel with a transistor and the transistor is controlled by a/the processor of the controller to periodically connect the output of the diode to earth to thereby reduce the voltage stored by the capacitor. 14. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 12, wherein a filter is used to filter the voltage signal supplied by the coil and the operational amplifier receives the filtered voltage signal. 15. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the fuel injector delivers fuel of a first type; a second injector is provided to deliver into the charge air either a fuel of a second type or a lubricant, the second injector functioning as a positive displacement pump and comprising: a housing in which a pumping chamber is formed; an electrical coil; a piston which slides axially in a bore in the housing under action of the electrical coil; and a biasing spring which acts on the piston; the controller controls operation of both fuel injectors; and the controller uses voltages occasioned by piston motion under spring action or resilience of the pistons of both injectors to determine indications of the amounts of vapour in the pumping chambers of both injectors, the controller adjusting operation of the injectors accordingly. 16. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the fuel injector delivers fuel of a first type; a second injector is provided to deliver into the charge air either a fuel of a second type or a lubricant, the second injector functioning as a positive displacement pump and comprising: a housing in which a pumping chamber is formed; an electrical coil; a piston in the form of a diaphragm which is displaceable under the action of the electrical coil against resilience of the diaphragm, which resilience then returns the diaphragm to an undisplaced condition; the controller controls operation of both fuel injectors; and the controller uses voltages occasioned by piston motion under spring action and/or resilience of the pistons of both injectors to determine indications of the amounts of vapour in the pumping chambers of both injectors, the controller adjusting operation of the injectors accordingly. 17. A fuel injection method for delivery of fuel for combustion in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: for a selected number of fuel delivery cycles in each engine operating cycle sequentially drawing into and then dispensing from a pumping chamber fuel for delivery to the combustion chamber;drawing fuel into and dispensing fuel from the pumping chamber by displacement of a sprung piston;displacing the sprung piston by applying an electromagnetic force to displace the piston against a spring then returning the piston by using the spring force;using the return of the piston under the spring force to generate an electrical signal;using the generated electrical signal to determine an amount of fuel vapour in the pumping chamber; andadjusting the selected number of fuel delivery cycles per engine operating cycle having regard to the determined amount of fuel vapour. 18. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fuel injection system comprises additionally a temperature sensor for measuring fuel temperature and the controller uses the measured fuel temperature in combination with the indicated fuel vapour amount to determine what type of fuel in injected and adjusts operation of the fuel injector accordingly. 19. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the controller controls operation of the electrical coil by applying an external voltage to the coil sufficient to displace the piston to a desired end position and then connects both ends of the coil together to allow current flow through the coil whereby the piston is held on the desired end portion without application of external voltage and next the controller grounds the coil to allow the current to die away and thereby to release the piston for movement. 20. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 19 wherein the controller can vary in duration the period in which both ends of the coil are connected in order to vary operating frequency of the injector. 21. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 20 wherein the controller receives a signal indicative of engine speed and when the controller determines that engine speed is low and that the amount of fuel vapour is high then the controller reduces the operating frequency of the fuel injector in comparison with the operating frequency used for average operating speeds and average fuel vapour amounts. 22. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 in which the piston reciprocates between two end stops which ensure that the piston has a set distance of travel in each operation. 23. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein for during movement of the piston under action of the spring or under action of the resilience of the diaphragm the controller detects when the voltage occasioned by the piston motion starts to increase after a period of decreasing voltage and then records a maximum voltage which follows. 24. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electrical coil surrounds the piston. 25. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein a sensor is associated with a crankshaft or a camshaft of the engine and produces a timing signal related to rotation of the crankshaft or camshaft, which timing signal is used by the electronic controller to set timing of the operations of the injector in each engine cycle. 26. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fuel injector has a fuel inlet for admitting fuel into the fuel chamber and a fuel outlet via which fuel is forced from the fuel injector, the fuel injector also having a first one-way valve which allows fuel to flow into the fuel chamber from the fuel inlet while preventing flow of fuel from the fuel chamber back to the fuel inlet and the fuel injector further having a second one-way valve which permits fuel to flow out of the fuel chamber to the fuel outlet, white preventing flow of fuel back into the fuel chamber from the fuel outlet. 27. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 in which the controller comprises a peak voltage hold circuit for holding the maximum voltage occasioned by the piston motion under action of the spring or the resilience of the diaphragm, the peak voltage hold circuit comprising an operational amplifier which receives a voltage signal from the coil, a diode connected to the output of the operational amplifier, with a feedback signal for the operational amplifier taken from the output of the diode, and a capacitor connected to the output of the operational amplifier which holds a maximum voltage sampled by a processor of the controller. 28. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 27, wherein the capacitor is connected between the output of the operational amplifier and earth in parallel with a transistor and the transistor is controlled by a the processor of the controller to periodically connect the output of the diode to earth to thereby reduce the voltage stored by the capacitor. 29. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 27, wherein a filter is used to filter the voltage signal supplied by the coil and the operational amplifier receives the filtered voltage signal. 30. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the fuel injector delivers fuel of a first type; a second injector is provided to deliver into the charge air either a fuel of a second type or a lubricant, the second injector functioning as a positive displacement pump and comprising: a housing in which a pumping chamber is formed; an electrical coil; a piston which slides axially in a bore in the housing under action of the electrical coil; and a biasing spring which acts on the piston; the controller controls operation of both fuel injectors; and the controller uses voltages occasioned by piston motion under spring action or resilience of the pistons of both injectors to determine indications the amounts of vapour in the pumping chambers of both injectors, the controller adjusting operation of the injectors accordingly. 31. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the fuel injector delivers fuel of a first type; a second injector is provided to deliver into the charge air either a fuel of a second type or a lubricant, the second injector functioning as a positive displacement pump and comprising: a housing in which a pumping chamber is formed; an electrical coil; a piston in the form of a diaphragm which is displaceable under the action of the electrical coil against resilience of the diaphragm, which resilience then returns the diaphragm to an undisplaced condition; the controller controls operation of both fuel injectors; and the controller uses voltages occasioned by piston motion under spring action and/or resilience of the pistons of both injectors to determine indications of the amounts of vapour in the pumping chambers of both injectors, the controller adjusting operation of the injectors accordingly.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (7)
Allen, Jeffrey; Ravenhill, Paul Bartholomew; Barraclough, Steven, Injection system for an internal combustion engine.
Nelson Robert E. (Box 215 ; Rte. 1 Rosamond CA) Nelson Robert M. (Box 215 ; Rte. 1 Rosamond CA 93560), Sensing pump with improved discrimination between liquids and gases.
Nelson Robert M. (Willow Springs Village ; Rte. 1 ; Box 215 Rosamond CA 93560) Nelson Robert E. (Rosamond CA), Sensors for detection of fluid condition, and control systems utilizing their signals.
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