Abstract: At least some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to pump assemblies. In some embodiments, the pump is a high-pressure pump for an engine. The pump includes: an inlet valve configured to receive fuel; an armature coupled to the inlet valve and configured to actuate the inlet valve; and a pump barrel comprising a barrel guide, the barrel guide comprising a protrusion and configured to guide a motion of the armature.

Abstract: A fuel injector for gaseous fuel is provided. The fuel injector includes at least one valve having a valve seat and a plunger that engages the seat to prevent gaseous fuel flow and is displaced from the seat to permit gaseous fuel flow. Displacement of the plunger away from the seat to open the at least one valve is resisted by a first plunger control mechanism and then a second plunger control mechanism depending on the distance the plunger is lifted from the seat.

Abstract: Fuel injection control systems and methods for enhancing the delivery of low quantities of fuel in internal combustion engines. Calibration/control data may be continuously generated and updated during the operation of the engine, for example without delivering fuel to the engine cylinders. Disclosed embodiments include periodically operating one or more fuel injectors of the engine in a non-injection state; generating and storing parameter information representative of the operation of the one or more fuel injectors in the non-injection state; and operating the one or more fuel injectors in an injection state to inject a desired pulse of fuel based upon the parameter information and information representative of an additional amount of fuel.

Abstract: A fuel pump assembly includes a fuel pump. The fuel pump includes a camshaft having a cam lobe. The camshaft is configured to rotate. The fuel pump includes a first cam roller and a second cam roller disposed about an outer surface of the cam lobe, a first pumping assembly configured to interact with the first cam roller, and a second pumping assembly configured to interact with the second cam roller. The second pumping assembly is offset from the first pumping assembly. The fuel pump further includes a housing configured to support the camshaft, the first cam roller, the second cam roller, the first pumping assembly, and the second pumping assembly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing and optimizing the injection of fluid into an internal combustion engine via a common rail system. Once various injection parameters are determined for a given injection system, these data may be used to model the effect of sequential injection events for the system. A processer can then be used to run the model and to adjust sequential fuel injection events to optimize engine performance and fuel usage.

Abstract: A method includes operating a pump to pump fuel to a rail and concurrently operating one or more injectors to inject fuel from the rail into one or more cylinders of an engine. The method further includes filtering measurements of fuel pressure of the rail to determine filtered pressures for at least a first pressure measurement zone preceding a target event and a second pressure measurement zone succeeding a target fuel mass change event, determining a pressure change in response to the filtered pressures, and determining a fuel mass change of the target event in response to the pressure change.

Abstract: A method includes operating a fuel injector to perform a fuel injection, determining an estimate of the actual injected quantity of the fuel injection, determining a change in a commanded on time to achieve an injected quantity relative to the commanded on time required to initiate injection of the injector in response to the estimate of the actual injected quantity and a commanded injection quantity, and determining an injector opening rate shape slope estimate for the injector in response to the commanded on time required to initiate injection. The method may further include one or more of outputting a diagnostic or prognostic of the fuel injector, adjusting an injection control parameter, or adjusting an injector monitoring operation in response to the injector opening rate shape slope estimate.

Abstract: At least some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to pump assemblies. In some embodiments, the pump is a high-pressure pump for an engine. The pump includes: an inlet valve configured to receive fuel; an armature coupled to the inlet valve and configured to actuate the inlet valve; and a pump barrel comprising a barrel guide, the barrel guide comprising a protrusion and configured to guide a motion of the armature.

Abstract: Provided are methods and fuel injection systems implemented with a plurality of injectors coupled with a common rail, the common rail coupled with a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor coupled with a processor. The method includes: identifying, by the processor, one of the injectors to calculate a pressure change rate of the common rail associated therewith; receiving, by the processor, pressure measurements of the common rail from the pressure sensor before and during an injection event within a measurement window; using, by the processor, a pre-injection mean pressure of the common rail to determine a rail pressure drop range that is specific to the identified injector; and calculating, by the processor, the pressure change rate associated with the identified injector based on the pressure measurements of the common rail taken during the rail pressure drop range.

Abstract: A fuel injector includes an injector body comprising an internal injector cavity, a flow passageway, and a drain conduit. The flow passageway is in fluid communication with at least one injector orifice. The fuel injector further includes a valve assembly comprising a valve seat and a valve member in fluid communication with the fuel circuit. The valve member is configured to move between an open position allowing fuel flow through the at least one injector orifice and a closed position inhibiting fuel flow through the at least one injector orifice. The fuel injector also includes a nozzle valve element fluidly coupled to the valve assembly, an actuator operably coupled to the valve assembly and the nozzle valve element, and a flexible member configured to elastically deform in response to pressure in the fuel injector. The flexible member is configured to inhibit flow to the drain circuit during an injection event.

Abstract: A fuel pump assembly includes a fuel pump. The fuel pump includes a camshaft having a cam lobe. The camshaft is configured to rotate. The fuel pump includes a first cam roller and a second cam roller disposed about an outer surface of the cam lobe, a first pumping assembly configured to interact with the first cam roller, and a second pumping assembly configured to interact with the second cam roller. The second pumping assembly is offset from the first pumping assembly. The fuel pump further includes a housing configured to support the camshaft, the first cam roller, the second cam roller, the first pumping assembly, and the second pumping assembly.

Abstract: A fuel injector assembly including a member and a seat. The member has a first center along a longitudinal axis. The member has a curved surface and a flat surface. The curved surface has a radius of curvature greater than a width of the member. The flat surface is axially opposed to the curved surface. The seat has a second center disposed on the longitudinal axis. The seat is positioned distal from the flat surface defining a flow path in an open position of the fuel injector assembly and is in confronting relation to the flat surface such that the second center is concentric to the first center forming a sealing interface in a closed position of the fuel injector assembly.

Abstract: Fuel injection control systems and methods for enhancing the delivery of low quantities of fuel in internal combustion engines. Calibration/control data may be continuously generated and updated during the operation of the engine, for example without delivering fuel to the engine cylinders. Disclosed embodiments include periodically operating one or more fuel injectors of the engine in a non-injection state; generating and storing parameter information representative of the operation of the one or more fuel injectors in the non-injection state; and operating the one or more fuel injectors in an injection state to inject a desired pulse of fuel based upon the parameter information and information representative of an additional amount of fuel.

Abstract: A method of controlling an engine system includes controlling a fuel injector to perform a zero-fueling injector operation during operation of the engine, the zero-fueling injector operation including a non-zero injector on-time resulting in zero fueling by the injector, determining an injection system pressure change associated with the zero-fueling injector operation, modifying at least one fuel injection control parameter in response to the injection system pressure change, and using the modified fuel injection control parameter to control injection of fuel by the fuel injector during operation of the engine.

Abstract: At least some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to pump assemblies. In some embodiments, the pump is a high-pressure pump for an engine. The pump includes: an inlet valve configured to receive fuel; an armature coupled to the inlet valve and configured to actuate the inlet valve; and a pump barrel comprising a barrel guide, the barrel guide comprising a protrusion and configured to guide a motion of the armature.

Abstract: Provided are methods and fuel injection systems implemented with a plurality of injectors coupled with a common rail, the common rail coupled with a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor coupled with a processor. The method includes: identifying, by the processor, one of the injectors to calculate a pressure change rate of the common rail associated therewith; receiving, by the processor, pressure measurements of the common rail from the pressure sensor before and during an injection event within a measurement window; using, by the processor, a pre-injection mean pressure of the common rail to determine a rail pressure drop range that is specific to the identified injector; and calculating, by the processor, the pressure change rate associated with the identified injector based on the pressure measurements of the common rail taken during the rail pressure drop range.

Abstract: A method for operating an engine fueling system to manage fuel in an accumulator supplying fuel to an engine including multiple cylinders comprising monitoring fuel load in the accumulator, determining that the engine is operating in a cylinder deactivation mode such as a skip-fire mode during which one or more fueling events to one or more of the cylinders is being skipped, and controlling a supply of fuel from a fuel pump to the accumulator during the cylinder deactivation mode operation. In embodiments, controlling the supply of fuel includes causing fuel to be supplied from the fuel pump to the accumulator if the monitored fuel load is less than or equal to a first fuel load, and causing fuel to be not supplied from the fuel pump to the accumulator if the monitored fuel load is greater than the first load value. Controlling the supply of fuel may comprise controlling the supply of fuel during each fueling event cycle of each deactivated cylinder.

Abstract: A pump inlet valve includes a valve body and a plunger assembly. The valve body includes a valve body cavity. The plunger assembly is arranged within the valve body cavity and includes a plunger body, a plunger barrel formed at the plunger body so as to form a plunger barrel volume, and a plunger. The plunger is configured to move within the plunger barrel to thereby allow a fluid to flow past the plunger assembly when the plunger is in an open position and to inhibit the fluid from flowing past the plunger assembly when the plunger is in a closed position. The plunger is configured to allow continuous fluid communication between the plunger barrel volume and a supply inlet, through which fluid is supplied to the pump inlet valve.

Abstract: A pumping assembly includes at least one removable unit barrel pumping assembly coupled to a housing of the pumping assembly. The pumping assembly further includes a drive member having a roller configured to engage a portion of the unit barrel pumping assembly during operation of the pumping assembly. The roller is configured to include a plurality of geometric shapes to distribute load forces during operation of the pumping assembly.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling pressure of an engine, including a controller structured to implement the method and an engine system including the controller. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method based on a mass balance analysis of a fuel system to determine how much mass needs to be pumped to maintain or achieve a certain pressure for the engine. In some embodiments, the method analyzes how much mass can be pumped by each pumping event based on current engine conditions. The analysis is performed over the smallest repeatable pump events and cylinder events cycle, or “subcycle,” based on the number of pump events and cylinder events for a given engine configuration.