Pressure control for fuel injectors
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMitchell B. Juchems, Kaushik Krishnamurthy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one instance, disclosed herein is a method for controlling a fuel injector of an engine system, the method including: applying a first current to a spill valve solenoid to move a spill valve of the fuel injector to a closed spill position; reducing the first current applied to the spill valve solenoid to move the spill valve to an at least partially-open position; determining a dwell duration for the fuel injector based on an expected fuel pressure of the fuel injector; and after the determined dwell duration, increasing the first current applied to the spill valve solenoid to return the spill valve to the closed spill position.
Claims20
A method for controlling a fuel injector of an engine system, the method comprising:
- applying a first current to a spill valve solenoid to move a spill valve of the fuel injector to a closed spill position;
- reducing the first current applied to the spill valve solenoid to move the spill valve to an at least partially-open position;
- determining a dwell duration for the fuel injector based on an expected fuel pressure of the fuel injector;
- and
- after the determined dwell duration, increasing the first current applied to the spill valve solenoid to return the spill valve to the closed spill position.
A method for generating at least one pressure-dwell relationship map for a fuel injector, the method comprising:
- performing a series of tests on the fuel injector, wherein each test of the series of tests includes:
- applying a first current to a spill valve solenoid to move a spill valve of the fuel injector to a closed position;
- reducing the first current applied to the spill valve solenoid to move the spill valve to a partially-open position for a dwell duration;
- and
- measuring at least one fuel pressure of the fuel injector after expiration of the dwell duration;
- and
- generating, based on the series of tests performed on the fuel injector, at least one pressure-dwell relationship map for the fuel injector.
An engine system including at least one fuel injector and a controller operative to:
- apply a first current to a valve solenoid to move a valve of the fuel injector to a fully closed position;
- reduce the first current applied to the valve solenoid to move the valve to a partially-open position;
- determine a dwell duration for the valve of the fuel injector based on at least one expected fuel pressure of the fuel injector;
- and
- after determining the dwell duration, increase the first current applied to the valve solenoid to return the valve to the fully closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.