Abstract: There was a problem that various fuel spray shapes cannot be obtained according to operating conditions of a direct injection engine. There is provided a giant magnetostrictive element type injector which controls the change rate (rising slope) or peak value of a supply current applied to a solenoid for magnetic field generation which displaces a giant magnetostrictive element according to requests of an engine. The steeper the rising slope of the supply current to the solenoid, the higher becomes a lifting speed of a plunger, the higher becomes the initial speed of a fuel spray, and the longer the penetration can be. The gentler the rising slope thereof, the lower becomes the lifting speed of the plunger, the lower becomes the initial speed of the fuel spray, and the shorter the penetration can be.

Abstract: It is necessary to attain the combustion stability when performing ignition retarding in order to reduce exhaust gas and raise the exhaust gas temperature under a cold start condition, as well as soot reduction under a fully open throttle valve condition. An injector according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of fuel passages having an axis line inclined with respect to a valve operation axis line at a nozzle end; wherein inclined axis lines of at least three of the fuel passages have a spreading angle, none of them intersecting with each other, and three injection points are formed in a plane perpendicular to a valve operation axis line to form a triangle; and wherein at least one center-oriented fuel passage having an injection point around the center of the triangle is provided.