Fuel Injector Patents (Class 73/114.45)
  • Publication number: 20110030665
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a condition of a system for supplying fuel to a fuel injected controlled-ignition internal combustion engine, of a type including an electric control device that makes use of an oxygen probe for closed-loop regulation of a value of an air/fuel ratio admitted to the combustion chambers of the engine, and according to which a signal delivered by the oxygen probe is analyzed, the method a) deducing from the signal a change in injection time correction factor ALPHACL_MEAN making it possible to regulate richness of exhaust gases leaving the engine; b) comparing ALPHACL_MEAN against predetermined minimum and maximum threshold values THRESHOLD_MIN and THRESHOLD_MAX; c) diagnosing a defective condition when ALPHACL_MEAN is outside of a window included between THRESHOLD_MIN and THRESHOLD_MAX.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: RENAULT S.A.S.
    Inventors: Nicolas Protin, Michel Leporcq
  • Publication number: 20110017176
    Abstract: An abnormality diagnosing system for an internal combustion engine including a first fuel injection valve that injects fuel into a cylinder, and a second fuel injection valve that injects fuel into an intake passage is provided which has a control device controls an injection pattern of the first fuel injection valve and the second fuel injection valve. The control device stores engine operating conditions when an abnormality occurs in the engine, and make a return-to-normal determination as to whether the engine returns to a normal operating state when similar operation conditions that are the same as or within predetermined ranges of the stored operating conditions are established. The injection pattern is selected from patterns in which the fuel is injected solely from the first fuel injection valve, solely from the second fuel injection valve, and from both of the first and second fuel injection valves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mizuno, Naoya Okubo
  • Patent number: 7873461
    Abstract: A fuel control system that includes a fuel injector control module that selectively applies a power source to a coil of a fuel injector. The fuel control system also includes a current determination module that selectively measures current flowing through the coil. The fuel control system also includes a fuel temperature estimation module that selectively calculates a resistance of the coil based on the measured current and a voltage value of the power source and that determines an estimated fuel temperature based on the resistance. The fuel injector control module controls operation of a fuel system based on the estimated fuel temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Inventors: Mike M. McDonald, Kenneth J. Cinpinski
  • Patent number: 7856867
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for a fuel injector control system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of state monitoring modules and a fault determination module. The plurality of state monitoring module monitor a plurality of states of a driver circuit for a fuel injector based on data samples related to the plurality of states. The fault determination module diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit when at least one of the plurality of state monitoring modules receives a predetermined number of data samples indicating an undesired state within a sampling interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Inventors: Michael J. Lucido, Wenbo Wang
  • Publication number: 20100319443
    Abstract: A fuel temperature sensing device has fuel temperature sensors provided to respective cylinders for sensing fuel temperature. Each fuel temperature sensor is arranged in a position closer to an injection hole than to a pressure accumulator in a fuel passage extending from the pressure accumulator to the injection hole. The device has an average value calculating section for calculating an average value of fuel temperature sensing values sensed with the fuel temperature sensors of the respective cylinders. The device has a deviation calculating section for calculating deviations between the average value and the fuel temperature sensing values of the respective fuel temperature sensors. The device has a correcting section for correcting the fuel temperature sensing value of each fuel temperature sensor to approximate the deviation to zero for each fuel temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro NAKATA, Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20100319445
    Abstract: A fuel state sensing device is applied to an injector injecting fuel, which is supplied from a fuel pump, though an injection hole. The fuel state sensing device has a fuel pressure sensor (bulk modulus sensing section) for sensing a bulk modulus of the fuel existing in a fuel passage extending from a discharge port of the fuel pump to the injection hole. The fuel state sensing device has a fuel temperature sensor (fuel temperature sensing section) for sensing fuel temperature. The fuel state sensing device has an air mixing state calculating section for calculating a quantity or a ratio of air mixing in the fuel as an air mixing quantity or an air mixing ratio based on the sensed bulk modulus and the sensed fuel temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoyuki Yamada
  • Publication number: 20100294247
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining an error in a fuel metering unit of an injection system for an internal combustion engine, wherein the gradients of a first signal representing a physical variable and of a second signal representing a physical variable are determined, and at a predefined magnitude and/or direction of the two gradients an error is recognized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: Andreas Mueller, Andreas Sommerer, Bernd Becker
  • Publication number: 20100286892
    Abstract: With an internal combustion engine (1) there is the problem that the fuel-air mixture directed into the combustion chamber of the cylinders (2) can be substantially influenced by manufacturing tolerances and ageing of the fuel injectors and uneven distribution is thus created. According to the invention it is therefore proposed that the uneven distribution is individually determined for each cylinder (2) depending on the operating mode of the internal combustion engine (1) (homogenous operation, stratified operation), wherein either the exhaust gas is analyzed and a corresponding emission value is determined there from or that a value is individually determined for each cylinder (2) for the operational roughness of the internal combustion engine (1). These values are compared with a limit value predetermined for the internal combustion engine (1) and upon exceeding of the predetermined limit value a fault entry in a fault memory (9) is made for the cylinder (2) concerned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventor: Reza Aliakbarzadeh
  • Publication number: 20100275885
    Abstract: A method for determining an opening voltage of an injector having a piezo actuator, in particular an injector of an internal combustion engine, in which an output voltage is applied at the piezo actuator in the closed state of the injector, and the voltage is lowered by energizing the piezo actuator so as to open the injector. The energy supply is interrupted at a holding voltage and the voltage change present at the piezo actuator is then measured over the time, the reaching of the opening voltage being inferred in the case of a voltage rise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Oliver Becker, Thomas Breitbach
  • Patent number: 7826963
    Abstract: An engine control system includes a driver module and a diagnostics module. The driver module includes a high-side driver and a low-side driver, which selectively actuate a load. The driver module generates status signals based on detection of each of a plurality of failure modes of the high-side and low-side drivers. The diagnostics module increments a first error count for a first mode of the plurality of failure modes when the status signals indicate the driver module has detected the first mode. The diagnostics module increments a corresponding total count each time the driver module analyzes the first mode. The diagnostics module sets a fail state for a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) when the first error count for the first mode reaches a first predetermined threshold prior to the total count reaching a second predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Inventors: Wenbo Wang, Mark D. Carr, Michael J. Lucido, Jon C. Miller, John F. Van Gilder, Daniel P. Grenn, Hamid M. Esfahan, Ian J. Mac Ewen
  • Patent number: 7805985
    Abstract: In order to diagnose the leakage of an injector (IN1) which serves for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber of at least one cylinder (CY1) of a combustion engine (CE), it is detected, in an observation time window (OPS2) during which the particular injector (IN1) of the combustion engine (CE) that is to be tested is deactivated, whether a deviation (DV) of the speed curve (GS2) of the combustion engine (CE) has occurred relative to a reference speed curve (GS1) which indicates injector leak-tightness. In the event that a deviation (DV) is detected, it is concluded that there is a leakage of the injector (IN1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Günter Friedl, Carlos Eduardo Migueis, Oswald Schumann
  • Publication number: 20100242920
    Abstract: There is provided an internal combustion engine controller that realizes a reduction in maximum current value and current regulation without sacrificing boost performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara OMORI, Ryoichi Oura, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Takuya Mayuzumi
  • Patent number: 7788019
    Abstract: When either one of two injectors of each cylinder becomes abnormal, a control device performs failsafe control of performing increase correction of injection quantity of a normal injector. If actual injection quantity is restricted with the maximum injection quantity that can be injected by the normal injector during the execution of the failsafe control, the control device restricts duty of an actuator of an intake air quantity adjustment mechanism (such as a throttle opening degree), thereby restricting intake air quantity to intake air quantity that does not cause melting damage of a catalyst. Thus, increase of deviation of an air-fuel ratio toward a lean side can be inhibited, and the melting damage of the catalyst can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamashita, Toshiki Annoura
  • Patent number: 7779678
    Abstract: In a method and a device for operating an injection device (5) for an internal combustion engine, the injection device (5) includes injection valves (40), via which fuel is injected directly into combustion chambers (100) of the internal combustion engine. Mechanisms are provided for detecting misfirings (310), and for determining a fuel pressure (320). A mechanical fault of an injection valve (40) is detected when a misfire occurs in a cylinder (110) and the fuel pressure simultaneously drops below a threshold value (SW). An electrical fault in an injection device (5) is detected when misfirings of cylinders (110) assigned to an output stage bank of the injection device (5) are observed, and the fuel pressure has dropped below a threshold value (SW). The responses to the faults that are implemented differ depending on the faults that were detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Wolber, Oliver Wiemers, Winfried Langer, Andreas Baumann, Christian Koehler, Norbert Mueller, Hans-Juergen Baehr, Matthias Walz
  • Publication number: 20100199752
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for a fuel injector control system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of state monitoring modules and a fault determination module. The plurality of state monitoring module monitor a plurality of states of a driver circuit for a fuel injector based on data samples related to the plurality of states. The fault determination module diagnoses a fault in the driver circuit when at least one of the plurality of state monitoring modules receives a predetermined number of data samples indicating an undesired state within a sampling interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Lucido, Wenbo Wang
  • Publication number: 20100170329
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is described for testing a multi-hole fuel injector nozzle. The apparatus comprises mounting means for the multi-hole nozzle and fuel supply means for supplying fuel to the multi-hole nozzle. The multi-hole nozzle is mounted outside a measurement chamber for capturing the fuel spray from an individual spray hole outlet of the multi-hole nozzle. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a spray target plate, located within the measurement chamber, at which the fuel spray is directed. The spray target plate (28) is connected to a remote pressure sensor, which is used to determine the spray force of the fuel spray acting on the spray target plate. The apparatus is further arranged to determine the mass flow rate of the fuel spray. A new parameter, referred to as ‘momentum efficiency’ is defined, and calculated using the determined values of spray force and mass flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Godfrey Greeves
  • Publication number: 20100152994
    Abstract: A method for assessing a method of functioning of a fuel injector in response to the application of a control voltage to at least one actuator of the fuel injector, including the steps of applying the control voltage to the at least one actuator of the fuel injector for a no-torque-generating injection into an engine, determining a fuel content in an exhaust tract disposed at an engine, comparing the determined fuel content with a specified comparison value, and assessing the method of functioning of the fuel injector based on the comparison result. Furthermore, also described is an evaluation device for assessing a method of functioning of a fuel injector in response to the application of a control voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Thomas Breitbach, Rainer Peck, Christian Kriechbaum
  • Patent number: 7735361
    Abstract: A test apparatus serves to test cam-driven fuel injection systems. The apparatus includes a camshaft which can act on a piston of the fuel injection system at least indirectly via a lever. It is proposed that the lever have a multiplicity of fastening positions for an actuating element which can act on the piston and that the fastening positions be disposed at different distances from a pivot axis of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Hoss
  • Publication number: 20100101544
    Abstract: In a method and a device for determining an operating characteristic of an injection system, to determine an operating characteristic (30) of an internal combustion engine (1) that is charged by a turbocharger (4), the method has the following steps: A) carrying out a pilot injection of fuel into a cylinder (51, 52, 53, 54) of the internal combustion engine using the injection system (30); B) determining an operating parameter of the turbocharger (40); C) determining an operating characteristic of the injection system (30) using the operating parameter of the turbocharger (40) previously determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Uwe Jung, Hans-Peter Rabl, Janos Radeczky
  • Publication number: 20100089137
    Abstract: A device for detecting the cam top position in an in-line type high pressure pump, with which time required to detect rotation position of the cam top position can be decreased in engine starting operation, thereby time for starting engine can be decreased. A cam for driving a plunger has a plurality of cam lobes, a plurality of cam top position pointers are attached to the outer periphery of the camshaft or to the outer periphery of a flywheel connected to the camshaft such that each of the pointers corresponds to each of the cam lobes of said cam in the number and angle phase respectively, and a cam top position detector is located to face the pointers when the camshaft rotates so that the pointers are detected by the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventor: Kensho Kato
  • Publication number: 20100071375
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a gas turbine combustor is disclosed which includes a fuel nozzle for issuing fuel into the combustor for combustion, at least one photodetector responsive to flame radiation indicative of an OH chemiluminescence peak, and at least one photodiode responsive to flame radiation indicative of a CH chemiluminescence peak.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas C. Myhre
  • Patent number: 7677092
    Abstract: A cylinder characteristic variation sensing device has a small injection controlling section that performs small injections sequentially in respective cylinders, a torque increase amount sensing section that senses an increase amount of output torque caused in connection with the small injection for each cylinder, an injection quantity sensing section that senses an actual injection quantity of the small injection for each cylinder, and a cylinder characteristic variation calculating section that calculates a variation in a cylinder characteristic among the cylinders (i.e., a cylinder characteristic variation) based on a variation in the sensing value of the injection quantity sensing section among the cylinders (i.e., an injection quantity variation) and a variation in the sensing value of the torque increase amount sensing section among the cylinders (i.e., a torque increase amount variation).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ishizuka, Kenichiro Nakata
  • Publication number: 20100050755
    Abstract: A method and a device for monitoring a fuel injection system are described. A manipulated variable is modified by a certain amount. A first value of a measured variable is detected prior to the modification and at least a second value is detected after the modification. An error is detected when the first value and/or the at least second value deviate from an expected value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Kappelmann, Dietrich Beckenbauer, Joachim Palmer, Rene Zieher
  • Publication number: 20100024516
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an LPG fuel output characteristic of an LPG injector. The output characteristic of the LPG can be determined by calculating a total mass of LPG injected into a canister of known volume by the injector during a plurality of open/closed cycles of the injector. The pressure differential and temperature in the canister can be used in the calculation of total LPG mass along with a gas constant of the LPG and the volume of the canister. The total LPG mass can then be used to determine the mass of LPG injected by the injector during each open/closed cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: SCHWAN'S GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN, INC.
    Inventors: Victor Vandyke, Kevin Michael Wolter, Thomas Arnold Kulenkamp
  • Publication number: 20100030454
    Abstract: A method for determining a fuel mass of a single injection that has been injected into at least one combustion chamber of a combustion engine with at least one injection under high pressure. The method includes determining a correction variable for the single injection with the aid of a comparison of a measure for the actual amount of the injected fuel of at least one test injection, which takes place due to a measure for a default nominal amount of a desired single injection, and a measure for the nominal amount of the test injection. The method additionally includes executing a plurality of timely directly successive test injections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Olbrich, Wolfgang Beuer, Andreas Sommerer, Steffen Meyer-Salfeld
  • Publication number: 20090314073
    Abstract: A method of identifying an individual short circuit fuel injector, within an injector bank of an engine comprising a plurality of fuel injectors. Each fuel injector has a piezoelectric actuator and an associated injector select switch forming part of an injector drive circuit. The method comprises: (i) charging all of the piezoelectric actuators of the plurality of fuel injectors within the injector bank during a charge phase; (ii) at the end of the charge phase waiting for a delay period; and (iii) subsequently closing an injector select switch of a fuel injector to select said fuel injector. The method further comprises: (iv) determining a stack voltage present on terminals of the piezoelectric actuator of the selected fuel injector and storing the stack voltage in a data store. The stack voltage is indicative of an amount of charge present on the selected injector at the end of the delay period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: LOUISA J. PERRYMAN, DANIEL JEREMY HOPLEY
  • Publication number: 20090287396
    Abstract: The fuel injection amounts into each cylinder are set on the assumption that a heavy fuel will be injected during the engine starting process, and a specific torque is allowed to be generated by combustion in a specific cylinder when a fuel with a specific property between those of the heaviest fuel and the lightest fuel is injected thereinto. When the torque generated in the specific cylinder is in a range at or around the specific torque, the property level of fuel to be injected during the engine starting process is determined to be in a level range at or around the specific property. When the torque generated in the specific cylinder is higher than the range around the specific torque, the property level is determined to be in a level range on the light fuel side of the level range around the specific property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Koichi Ueda, Kota Sata
  • Publication number: 20090260419
    Abstract: The control apparatus for the internal combustion engine includes: a unit for detecting the change in the alcohol concentration of a fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders; a unit for detecting an air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders; a unit for making the failure diagnosis when the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a unit for inhibiting the failure diagnosis executed based on the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders when the change in the alcohol concentration is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Maeda, Hideki Takubo
  • Publication number: 20090241650
    Abstract: A fuel pressure sensor/sensor mount assembly in which a fuel pressure sensor is so mounted as to exposed to a high-pressure fuel path through which fuel is supplied to a fuel injector, a fuel injection apparatus equipped with a built-in fuel pressure sensor, and a pressure sensing apparatus working to measure the pressure of fuel in a fuel injector are provided. The fuel pressure sensor/sensor mount assembly is disposed between the high-pressure fuel path and the fuel injector, thus permitting the size of the fuel injector to be minimized without sacrificing the accuracy in measuring the pressure of the fuel. The fuel injection apparatus and the a pressure sensing apparatus are designed to ensure desired accuracy in measuring the pressure of the fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Kondo, Tooru Taguchi, Hideo Naruse, Akitoshi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20090240417
    Abstract: A fuel delivery device 11 has a delivery pipe 18, which supplies fuel to a fuel injection valve 21 of an internal combustion engine 10. An electromagnetic relief valve 22 releases the fuel from the delivery pipe 18 in response to an opening instruction and lowers the pressure of the fuel in the delivery pipe 18. A diagnosis device for the relief valve 22 has an electronic control unit 27 outputting the opening instruction to the relief valve 22 in response to a stopping instruction for stopping the engine 10. The unit 27 determines whether the relief valve 22 has a defect based on a manner in which the pressure of the fuel in the delivery pipe 18 changes after output of the stopping instruction. As a result, it is appropriately diagnosed whether the electromagnetic relief valve 22 has a defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Fushiki, Naoto Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20090205413
    Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus is combined with a high-pressure fuel supply system including a high-pressure fuel pump, a fuel rail, injectors, and a fuel pressure measuring unit for measuring fuel pressure in the fuel rail. The diagnostic apparatus is capable of detecting troubles in the high-pressure fuel pump and injectors and of discriminating between a trouble in the high-pressure fuel pump and a trouble in the injectors includes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Shin YAMAUCHI, Yoichi Iihoshi, Toshio Hori, Yoshikuni Kurashima
  • Publication number: 20090158833
    Abstract: A fuel injector malfunction monitoring apparatus designed to monitor a malfunction of fuel injectors which are installed in cylinders of an internal combustion engine and work to spray fuel in response to a fuel injection command signal. The apparatus comprises an injector operation disabling circuit and a state monitoring circuit. The injector operation disabling circuit works to disable the fuel injection command signal to place a selected one of the fuel injectors in a non-injection mode during operation of the internal combustion engine for inducing a change in state of the engine arising from stop of spraying of the fuel. The state monitoring circuit works to monitor the state of the internal combustion engine upon placement of the selected one of the fuel injectors in the non-injection mode for use in determining whether the selected on is malfunctioning or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideyuki KUSATSUGU
  • Patent number: 7533563
    Abstract: A fuel injector testing system and method that make accurate determination of the condition of an injector installed in an engine possible even if the injector is hidden under or behind engine components. A waveguide attached to the injector guides stress waves generated when the injector pintle is opened or closed to a location on the engine that is accessible by a technician. A stress-wave sensor attached to the accessible end of the waveguide measures the stress-wave intensity and plots on a display its magnitude vs. time. A technician testing a fuel injector can read from the display the numerically accurate impact intensities and the precise timing of the injector pintle opening and closing movements. The display can also compute automatically the values of the impact intensities and the length of time that the injector valve was open. This allows the technician to quickly detect a faulty injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Inventor: Michael N. Horak
  • Publication number: 20090056677
    Abstract: A fuel injection device includes a fuel injection valve for injecting fuel, which is distributed from a pressure-accumulation vessel. A pressure sensor is located in a fuel passage, which extends from the pressure-accumulation vessel to a nozzle hole of the fuel injection valve. The pressure sensor is located closer to the nozzle hole than the pressure-accumulation vessel and configured to detect pressure of fuel. The fuel injection device further includes a storage unit for storing individual difference information, which indicates an injection characteristic of the fuel injection valve. The injection characteristic is obtained by an examination. The individual difference information indicates a relationship between an injection state when the fuel injection valve performs fuel injection and a fluctuation in detected pressure of the pressure sensor. The fluctuation is attributed to the fuel injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro NAKATA, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 7497204
    Abstract: The invention relates to a drive circuit for an injector arrangement comprising a first fuel injector in parallel with a capacitive component. The drive circuit comprises: a selector means (SQ1, SQ2) and diagnostic means. The selector means (SQ1, SQ2) is operable to select the first fuel injector and/or the capacitive component into the drive circuit and to deselect the first fuel injector and/or the capacitive component from the drive circuit. When the capacitive component is selected and the first fuel injector is deselected, the diagnostic means is operable to sense a current (Isense) through the first fuel injector. When the sensed current (Isense) is at variance from a first threshold current (Ilimit) the diagnostic means is operable to provide a first signal on detection of a stack terminal short circuit fault associated with the first fuel injector. The capacitive component may be a second fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Louisa J Perryman, Martin A P Sykes
  • Publication number: 20090019935
    Abstract: A fuel injector testing system and method that make accurate determination of the condition of an injector installed in an engine possible even if the injector is hidden under or behind engine components. A waveguide attached to the injector guides stress waves generated when the injector pintle is opened or closed to a location on the engine that is accessible by a technician. A stress-wave sensor attached to the accessible end of the waveguide measures the stress-wave intensity and plots on a display its magnitude vs. time. A technician testing a fuel injector can read from the display the numerically accurate impact intensities and the precise timing of the injector pintle opening and closing movements. The display can also compute automatically the values of the impact intensities and the length of time that the injector valve was open. This allows the technician to quickly detect a faulty injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventor: Michael N. Horak
  • Patent number: 7467543
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing a fuel injection device which includes a piezoelectric actuator, with which a valve element is actuated. The fuel injection device is connected to a diagnostic device which applies a defined voltage to the piezoelectric actuator. The charge introduced into the piezoelectric actuator, and from that a capacitance of the piezoelectric actuator, are ascertained by means of the diagnostic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Schoor, Kai Sutter
  • Publication number: 20080302176
    Abstract: In order to diagnose the leakage of an injector (IN1) which serves for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber of at least one cylinder (CY1) of a combustion engine (CE), it is detected, in an observation time window (OPS2) during which the particular injector (IN1) of the combustion engine (CE) that is to be tested is deactivated, whether a deviation (DV) of the speed curve (GS2) of the combustion engine (CE) has occurred relative to a reference speed curve (GS1) which indicates injector leak-tightness. In the event that a deviation (DV) is detected, it is concluded that there is a leakage of the injector (IN1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Gunter Friedl, Carlos Eduardo Migueis, Oswald Schumann
  • Publication number: 20080282785
    Abstract: A test apparatus serves to test cam-driven fuel injection systems. The apparatus includes a camshaft which can act on a piston of the fuel injection system at least indirectly via a lever. It is proposed that the lever have a multiplicity of fastening positions for an actuating element which can act on the piston and that the fastening positions be disposed at different distances from a pivot axis of the lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventor: Reinhard Hoss
  • Publication number: 20080270009
    Abstract: A pulse width signal modifier comprises a fuel injector monitor in communication with an engine fuel injector. A signal modifier is configured to modify a 25% greater pulse width signal output to the fuel injector, wherein the modified pulse width signal is optimized for an E85 fuel blend.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventor: Paul Spivak
  • Publication number: 20080264157
    Abstract: In a method and a device for testing for leakage in a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine, a temperature quantity is determined that characterizes the temperature of at least a part of the fuel injection valve. On the basis of this temperature quantity, the presence of a leak is inferred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Traugott Degler, Lars Empacher, Andreas Hempel, Wolfgang Beuer, Hans-Martin Jaeger, Myriam Howey
  • Patent number: 7430899
    Abstract: Current based methods and systems for testing an electromagnetically actuated fuel injector of an engine are provided. In at least one embodiment, an injector is commanded to actuate, data about a current associated with the command is collected, and a determination is made regarding whether the injector is functioning properly based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Harry Kekedjian, Roderick Simpson, Alexander Marrocco