Abstract: Various embodiments may include a method for actuating a fuel injector with a solenoid drive and a nozzle needle. The solenoid drive has a solenoid and a movable armature. The fuel injector has an idle stroke between the armature and the nozzle needle. An example method includes: applying a precharging current to the solenoid drive during a precharging phase to move the movable armature into mechanical contact with the nozzle needle; and applying a voltage pulse to the solenoid drive during a boost phase until the current intensity of the current flowing through the solenoid reaches a predetermined peak value.

Abstract: A metering device for metering water or an aqueous solution, such as an injector for metering a reducing agent liquid into an exhaust gas stream of a combustion system or an injector for metering water or aqueous solution into a combustion chamber or into an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. The metering device has an inlet and an outlet for the water or aqueous solution and a shut-off device which is arranged between the inlet and the outlet. At least one electrically operated heating element is arranged in the region of the shut-off device so as to heat and avoid freezing of the liquid.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method includes: setting an actuation time based on a predefined injection quantity; detecting a duration of a resulting closing process; calculating an injection quantity based on the time and the duration; determining the difference of the injection quantity and the predefined quantity; and determining a corrected value of the actuation time based on the difference; and using the corrected value to control further actuation of the fuel injector. The injection quantities and the actuation time are on a characteristic diagram of the relationship between the actuation time, the duration of the closing process, and the injection quantity.

Abstract: A method for detecting the commencement of opening of the nozzle needle of an injector of an injection system. In the detection method, the coil of the solenoid injector has a voltage applied to it which is so low that the armature is moved toward the nozzle needle at such a low speed that the abutment causes a stoppage of the armature movement, without the nozzle needle being opened. In this case, the idle travel is overcome, but no injection process is initiated. The abutment of the armature against the nozzle needle is detected, in the current profile, as the commencement of opening of the nozzle needle.

Abstract: A method for determining an injection quantity of a fuel injector determines a first time at which an injection process of the fuel injector starts, a second time at which the injection process of the fuel injector ends, calculates a model on the basis of the first time and the second time, which model represents the position of a nozzle needle of the fuel injector as a function of the time, and calculates the quantity of fuel to inject.

Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The fuel injector including the following: (a) a pole piece, (b) an armature which can be moved along a movement axis, (c) a coil and (d) a permanent magnet, wherein the movable armature has at least one electrically insulating element which is designed to reduce eddy currents in the armature, and wherein the permanent magnet is fitted such that it generates a magnetic field which produces a force which acts on the armature in the direction of the pole piece. The invention also describes a method for ascertaining a position of a movable armature in a fuel injector and also an engine controller.

Abstract: The invention provides a device and a method for determining a pressure of a fuel (19) which is to be injected into a combustion chamber (23) via a controllable closure element (11) of a solenoid valve (1), wherein the method comprises: generating a current flow (i) through a coil (3) of the solenoid valve (1) in order to generate a magnetic field, in order to generate a magnetic force acting on an armature (9), which magnetic force shifts the armature (9) in the direction of the opening of the closure element (11), determining a magnitude of a magnetic flux (?) of the magnetic field before or when a first state (I) at which the armature starts to shift the closure element is reached, and determining a magnitude of the pressure on the basis of the determined magnitude of the magnetic flux.

Abstract: A device and a method are provided for determining a stroke of an armature of a magnetic valve which has a coil and the armature is displaceable by magnetic force, including: providing at least one reference data set which includes a magnitude of a current through the coil and a magnitude of the magnetic flux in the case of a known magnitude of the stroke; generating a current flow through the coil of the magnetic valve in order to generate a magnetic field for generating a magnetic force on the armature, which magnetic force displaces the armature in the direction for the opening of a closure element coupled to the armature; determining a magnitude of the magnetic flux when the armature abuts against a driver of the closure element; and determining the magnitude of the stroke based upon the determined magnitude of the magnetic flux and the reference data set.

Abstract: A device and a method are provided for controlling a magnetic valve which has a coil and an armature which is displaceable by magnetic force, by means of which armature a closure element is displaceable for the purposes of injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, the method includes the steps of: energizing the coil with a voltage in accordance with a first voltage profile in order to generate a first electrical current through the coil; determining a first profile as a function of a first magnetic flux and the first current; identifying, in the first profile, a first characteristic of at least one first start of displacement at which the armature begins to displace the closure element, generating a second voltage profile and energizing the coil in accordance with the second voltage profile, such that, in a second profile, as a function of a second magnetic flux and a second current, a second characteristic of a second start of displacement is more similar to a reference characteristic than the first charact

Abstract: A method for detecting the commencement of opening of the nozzle needle of an injector of an injection system. In the detection method, the coil of the solenoid injector has a voltage applied to it which is so low that the armature is moved toward the nozzle needle at such a low speed that the abutment causes a stoppage of the armature movement, without the nozzle needle being opened. In this case, the idle travel is overcome, but no injection process is initiated. The abutment of the armature against the nozzle needle is detected, in the current profile, as the commencement of opening of the nozzle needle.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to internal combustion engines. The teachings thereof may be embodied in methods for the measuring of a feedback signal generated by the movement dynamics of a fuel injector in operation. A method may include: (a) generating an electrical test pulse; (b) feeding the test pulse into an actuation line connecting the output stage to the injector to an electric drive of the injector; (c) measuring an electrical response pulse generated by the actuation line in response to the test pulse; (d) identifying a characteristic feature of the measured response pulse; (e) transferring the feature to a control and evaluation unit; (f) evaluating the feature; and (g) acquiring the characteristic information item about the measuring channel based on the evaluation of the transferred characteristic feature.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine with multiple cylinders and injection valves that are provided for the cylinders and that meter fuel also comprises an exhaust gas tract in which an exhaust gas catalytic converter is arranged. A characteristic value (OSC) of an oxygen storage capacity of the exhaust gas catalytic converter is determined. In accordance with the characteristic value (OSC), a heating measure (HM) for heating the exhaust gas catalytic converter is carried out.

Abstract: A method for determining a closing time of a valve having a coil drive may include switching off a current flow through a coil of the coil drive so that the coil is depowered, measuring a time curve of a voltage induced in the non-powered coil, wherein the induced voltage is generated at least partially by a motion of the armature relative to the coil, evaluating the measured time curve of the voltage induced in the coil, wherein the evaluation comprises comparing the measured time curve of the voltage induced in the depowered coil to a reference voltage curve stored in an engine controller, and determining the closing time based on the evaluated time curve. The reference voltage curve is thereby adapted to current operating conditions of the valve. A corresponding device and computer program for determining the closing time of a valve comprising a coil drive are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a nozzle body for a fuel injection valve, the nozzle body including a cavity and an injection channel for dispensing fuel from the cavity. The injection channel includes a first section and a second section downstream of the first section, the first and second sections having a common interface. The first section extends from a fuel inlet opening to a second opening disposed at the common interface. The cross-sectional area of the first section monotonically decreases from the fuel inlet opening to the common interface. The cross-sectional area of the second section monotonically increases from the common interface to the fuel outlet opening.

Abstract: A method for determining the movement time curve of an electromagnetically driven armature of an actuator that has a coil may include: (a) applying to the coil a control signal dimensioned such that the armature undergoes only a partial deviation from the armature starting position without reaching an end position defined by a stop, and reaches the armature starting position again after reaching a turnaround position, wherein the deviation of the armature over time is described at least approximately by a section of a parabola at least between the turnaround position and the starting position, (b) determining the time at which the armature reaches the armature starting position again, (c) determining the speed with which the armature reaches the armature starting position again, and (d) ascertaining the movement time curve of the armature using a mathematical equation that describes the parabola based on the detected time and the detected speed.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an actuator having a coil and a displaceably mounted armature driven by a magnetic field generated by the coil, in a measurement operating mode for ascertaining a time at which the armature reaches its stop position after activation of the actuator. The method includes applying to the coil an actuation voltage signal dimensioned such that the expected armature stop time falls in a time window in which a temporally constant voltage is applied to the coil, detecting an intensity profile of the current flowing through the coil within the time window, and determining the armature stop time, based on an evaluation of the detected current intensity profile. A method for operating such an actuator is also disclosed, wherein information about the stop time is obtained in a measurement operating mode and used in a series operating mode for optimized actuation of the actuator.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for estimating a fuel leakage quantity which enters from a leaking injection valve during a shut-down time of a motor vehicle into an intake tract or into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle and is added to a fuel mixture to be combusted during a starting process. The method may include: measuring a first start index characteristic of a starting behavior of the engine during a first starting process; determining a first injected fuel quantity during the first starting process; measuring a second start index characteristic of a starting behavior of the engine during a second starting process; determining a second injected fuel quantity during the second starting process; and estimating the fuel leakage quantity based on the measured first start index, the determined first injected fuel quantity, the measured second start index and the determined second injected fuel quantity.

Abstract: Each cylinder bank of the internal combustion engine is assigned in each case one injection event memory (EES), an injection determining process (EEP) and an injection execution process (EAP). In the respective injection determining process (EEP), desired injection events (EE) are determined for the associated cylinder bank. These injection events are stored in succession in the respectively associated injection event memory (EES). In the respective injection execution process (EAP), injection events (EE) are retrieved in succession from the associated injection event memory (EES) and executed in a sequence in which they were stored in the associated injection event memory (EES) by the associated injection determining process (EEP) (FIFO: first in first out). The in each case next injection event (EE) is executed only after the end of an execution of the in each case previously executed injection event (EE).

Abstract: A method for determining the movement behavior of a fuel injector having a coil drive includes: (a) applying an electrical excitation to a coil of the coil drive, which prompts an opening movement of a valve needle; (b) recording the temporal progression of a first electrical measurement variable of the coil; (c) determining the time when the opening movement ends based on the recorded temporal progression of the first electrical measurement variable; (d) modifying the electrical excitation of the coil such that the valve needle performs a closing movement; (e) recording the temporal progression of a second electrical measurement variable of the coil; and (f) determining the time when the closing movement ends based on the recorded temporal progression of the second electrical measurement variable. One of the two measurement variables is the voltage present at the coil and the other is the intensity of current flowing through the coil.

Abstract: A method for determining an opening behavior of a combustion engine fuel injector having a coil drive includes: applying to a coil of the coil drive an electrical test excitation that is weaker than an electrical standard excitation applied to the coil during normal operation of the engine, such that an opening position of the fuel injector is achieved at a point at which the coil drive is not in magnetic saturation; measuring the chronological progression of an electrical variable of the coil; determining a first point in time at which the fuel injector reaches its opening position under the influence of the electrical test excitation, based on the measured chronological progression of the electrical variable, and determining a second point in time at which the fuel injector would reach its opening position under the influence of the electrical standard excitation, based on the determined first point in time.