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US 11,867,142 B2Granted
Systems and methods for fuel injector control
AssigneeTransportation IP Holdings, LLC
InventorsVictor Manuel Salazar, Adam Edgar Klingbeil, Pradheepram Ottikkutti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-fuel injector assembly in one embodiment includes a first fuel injector assembly to deliver a first type of fuel and a second fuel delivery system to deliver a second type of fuel. The first fuel injector includes a first nozzle, at least one first needle, and at least one first actuator configured to move the at least one first needle. The at least one first actuator moves the at least one first needle to a first fuel delivery configuration that corresponds to a first fuel mixture composition, and a second fuel delivery configuration that corresponds to a second fuel mixture composition.
Claims20
A multi-fuel injector assembly comprising:
- a first fuel injector assembly configured to deliver a first type of fuel to a cylinder of an engine, the first fuel injector assembly comprising a first nozzle, a first needle, and a first actuator, the first nozzle comprising a first cavity that houses the first needle;
- a second fuel delivery system configured to deliver a second type of fuel to the cylinder, the second fuel delivery system comprising a second nozzle, a second needle, and a second actuator, the second nozzle comprising a second cavity that houses the second needle;
- and
- one or more processors operably connected to the first fuel injector assembly and the second fuel delivery system and configured to control the first fuel injector assembly and the second fuel delivery system to provide a first target fuel composition to the cylinder during a first time period of engine operational and to provide a second target fuel composition to the cylinder during a second time period of engine operation, the first target fuel composition being different from the second target fuel composition,
- wherein, to achieve the first target fuel composition, the one or more processors control the first actuator to position the first needle at a first fuel delivery position within the first cavity to deliver a first, non-zero amount of the first type of fuel to the cylinder, and control the second actuator to position the second needle at a first position within the second cavity, and
- to achieve the second target fuel composition, the one or more processors control the first actuator to move the first needle within the first cavity to a second fuel delivery position to deliver a second, non-zero amount of the first type of fuel to the cylinder, and control the second actuator to move the second needle within the second cavity from the first position to a second position to deliver a non-zero amount of the second type of fuel to the cylinder, such that the second target fuel composition includes both the first and second types of fuel.
3 more elements
An engine assembly comprising:
- a cylinder of an engine;
- an intake assembly operably coupled to the cylinder;
- a first fuel injector assembly configured to deliver a first type of fuel directly to the cylinder, the first fuel injector assembly comprising:
- a nozzle comprising a cavity in fluid communication with nozzle openings, each of the nozzle openings extending through a wall of the nozzle from the cavity to an exterior surface of the nozzle that is within the cylinder, the nozzle openings comprising a first set of the nozzle openings and a second set of the nozzle openings;
- a needle movably disposed within the cavity, the needle preventing flow of the first type of fuel from the cavity through any of the nozzle openings in a closed position of the first fuel injector assembly;
- and
- an actuator that moves the needle within the cavity between the closed position, a first fuel delivery position within the cavity, and a second fuel delivery position within the cavity, wherein the actuator moves the needle from the closed position to the first fuel delivery position to emit a first, non-zero amount of the first type of fuel from the cavity through the first set of nozzle openings while blocking the second set of nozzle openings, and the actuator moves the needle to the second fuel delivery position to emit a second, non-zero amount of the first type of fuel from the cavity through both the first and second sets of nozzle openings;
- and
- a second fuel delivery system configured to deliver a second type of fuel to the intake assembly.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- controlling, via one or more processors, a first fuel injector assembly and a second fuel delivery system to provide a first target fuel composition to a cylinder of an engine during a first time period of engine operation;
- and
- controlling the first fuel injector assembly and the second fuel delivery system to provide a second target fuel composition to the cylinder during a second time period of engine operation, the second target fuel composition being different from the first target fuel composition,
- the first fuel injector assembly comprising a first nozzle, a first needle, and a first actuator, the first nozzle comprising a first cavity that houses the first needle, the second fuel delivery system comprising a second nozzle, a second needle, and a second actuator, the second nozzle comprising a second cavity that houses the second needle,
- wherein the controlling to provide the first target fuel composition during the first time period comprises moving, via the first actuator, the first needle within the first cavity from a closed position to a first fuel delivery position to deliver a first, non-zero amount of a first type of fuel to the cylinder, and positioning, via the second actuator, the second needle at a first position within the second cavity, and
- the controlling to provide the second target fuel composition during the second time period comprises moving, via the first actuator, the first needle within the first cavity to a second fuel delivery position to deliver a second, non-zero amount of the first type of fuel to the cylinder, and moving, via the second actuator, the second needle within the second cavity from the first position to a second position to deliver a non-zero amount of a second type of fuel to the cylinder, such that the second target fuel composition includes both the first and second types of fuel.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.