Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle has an internal combustion engine, and a fuel and lubrication system comprising a fuelling system for fuelling the engine and a lubrication system for delivering lubricating oil to the engine. The fuelling system comprises a fuel reservoir from which fuel can be delivered to the engine. The fuel reservoir comprises a main tank and a header tank. The lubrication system comprises an oil tank. The oil tank is accommodated internally within the main tank to provide an integrated assembly. The arrangement provides for warming of lubrication oil for the UAV engine using several available heat sources. Further, the arrangement facilitates a configuration and layout intended to minimise or negate any undesirable moments of inertia for the UAV during flight as fuel and oil is consumed.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle has an internal combustion engine, and a fuel and lubrication system comprising a fuelling system for fuelling the engine and a lubrication system for delivering lubricating oil to the engine. The fuelling system comprises a fuel reservoir from which fuel can be delivered to the engine. The fuel reservoir comprises a main tank and a header tank. The lubrication system comprises an oil tank. The oil tank is accommodated internally within the main tank to provide an integrated assembly. The arrangement provides for warming of lubrication oil for the UAV engine using several available heat sources. Further, the arrangement facilitates a configuration and layout intended to minimise or negate any undesirable moments of inertia for the UAV during flight as fuel and oil is consumed.

Abstract: A fuel rail assembly for direct injection of a gaseous fuel into an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel rail defining a flow passage for receiving gaseous fuel and a delivery injector for directly injecting fuel received from the fuel rail into a combustion chamber of the engine. The delivery injector is arranged having a selectively openable delivery port for delivery of gaseous fuel into the combustion chamber when the delivery port is in an open condition. The fuel rail assembly further comprises a valve operable so as to interrupt the flow of gaseous fuel to the delivery injector for delivery into the combustion chamber. A containment zone is defined between the valve and the delivery port when the delivery port is in a closed condition, whereby the containment zone is selected so as to be a prescribed volume.

Abstract: A method of operation of a dual fluid fuel injection system arranged to supply fuel to a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, the dual fluid fuel injection system being controllable to effect fuel metering events and fuel delivery events. The method comprises operating the dual fluid fuel injection system so as to have at least one fuel delivery event during each engine cycle and to have fewer than one fuel metering event, on average, per engine cycle. An electronic control unit for implementing the method is also described. The method and control unit allow dynamic range of a fuel metering injector, where included within the dual fluid fuel injection system, to be extended.

Abstract: A method of operation of a dual fluid fuel injection system arranged to supply fuel to a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, the dual fluid fuel injection system being controllable to effect fuel metering events and fuel delivery events. The method comprises operating the dual fluid fuel injection system so as to have at least one fuel delivery event during each engine cycle and to have fewer than one fuel metering event, on average, per engine cycle. An electronic control unit for implementing the method is also described. The method and control unit allow dynamic range of a fuel metering injector, where included within the dual fluid fuel injection system, to be extended.

Abstract: A fuel injector assembly for an internal combustion engine, including: a delivery chamber (5) located within the injector assembly (1); a mass flow rate control means (50) for controlling the mass flow rate of fuel and compressed gas supplied to the delivery chamber (5), the mass flow rate being a function of the differential pressure across the mass flow rate control means (50); and valve means (9) for selectively communicating the delivery chamber (5) to the engine to deliver fuel to the engine; wherein when the valve means (9) is opened, at least compressed gas is caused to flow thereby generating a differential pressure across the mass flow rate control means such that a controlled fuel flow is provided to the engine.

Abstract: A fuel vapor handling system for a dual fluid fuel injection system, including: a fuel supply apparatus and a gas supply apparatus for respectively supplying liquid fuel and gas-vapor mixture to at least one delivery injector of the dual fluid fuel injection system, the fuel supply apparatus including a fuel pump; and a fuel vapor control device providing a fluid communication between the fuel supply apparatus downstream of the fuel pump and the gas supply apparatus to allow fuel vapor present within the fuel supply apparatus to pass to the gas supply apparatus for subsequent delivery by the at least one delivery injector. The fuel vapor device preferably allows the pressure of the liquid fuel supplied to the at least one delivery injector to be substantially equalized with the pressure of the gas supplied to the delivery injector.