# US 10,871,122 B1 · Fuel injector monitoring

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- Number: US 10,871,122 B1
- Document ID: US10871122B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/584,558
- Filed: 2019-09-26
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-26
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: Robert M. Campion; Hoisan Kim; Kenth I. Svensson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871122B1

## CPC

- F02D 41/401: {Controlling injection timing (F02D41/402 takes precedence)}
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- F02D 41/2432: {Methods of calibration}
- F02M 55/008: {Arrangement of fuel passages inside of injectors}
- F02M 57/005: {the devices being sensors}
- F02M 61/166: {Selection of particular materials}
- F02M 61/168: {Assembling; Disassembling; Manufacturing; Adjusting}
- F02M 61/1893: {Details of valve member ends not covered by groups F02M61/1866 - F02M61/188}
- F02D 2200/0602: Fuel pressure
- F02D 2200/0614: Actual fuel mass or fuel injection amount
- F02D 2200/0618: Actual fuel injection timing or delay, e.g. determined from fuel pressure drop
- F02M 2200/21: Fuel-injection apparatus with piezoelectric or magnetostrictive elements
- F02M 2200/247: Pressure sensors
- F02M 2200/9007: Ceramic materials
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A fuel system is disclosed. The fuel system may include at least one fuel injector, the at least one fuel injector having an injector body and one or more piezoelectric sensors located in the injector body. The fuel system may include a controller configured to: obtain, from the one or more piezoelectric sensors, one or more pressure measurements associated with a fuel injection process; determine a timing of the fuel injection process based on the one or more pressure measurements; determine an adjustment to the timing based on a comparison of the timing to a reference timing; and adjust the timing of the fuel injection process based on the determined adjustment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel system, comprising:
at least one fuel injector,
the at least one fuel injector having an injector body and one or more piezoelectric sensors located in the injector body; and
a controller configured to:
obtain, from the one or more piezoelectric sensors, one or more pressure measurements associated with a fuel injection process;
determine a timing of the fuel injection process based on the one or more pressure measurements;
determine an adjustment to the timing based on a comparison of the timing to a reference timing; and
adjust the timing of the fuel injection process based on the determined adjustment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure measurements relate to fuel pressure in a fuel passageway of the fuel injector.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure measurements relate to acoustic pressure caused by movement of a control valve of the fuel injector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure measurements relate to acoustic pressure caused by movement of a nozzle check valve of the fuel injector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the one or more piezoelectric sensors are associated with a sleeve located in the injector body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fuel system of claim 1, wherein the reference timing is associated with a reference fuel injection process of a reference fuel injector.

### Claim 7

A method, comprising:
obtaining, from one or more sensors of a fuel injector, one or more pressure measurements associated with a fuel injection process;
determining a timing of the fuel injection process based on the one or more pressure measurements;
determining an adjustment to the timing based on a comparison of the timing to a reference timing; and
adjusting the timing of the fuel injection process based on the determined adjustment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors have been formed by additive manufacturing using a piezoelectric material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more pressure measurements relate to fuel pressure in a fuel passageway of the fuel injector.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more pressure measurements relate to acoustic pressure caused by movement of a control valve of the fuel injector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more pressure measurements relate to acoustic pressure caused by movement of a nozzle check valve of the fuel injector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the timing of the fuel injection process is determined based on respective measurement times associated with the one or more pressure measurements.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the reference timing is associated with a reference fuel injection process of a reference fuel injector.