US 4,462,372 A · Fuel injection system

Abstract

Disclosed is a fuel injection system particularly useful on supercharged boat and vehicle drag racing engines which functions to provide a positively controlled uniform fuel/air ratio proportional to engine speed from idle through maximum engine horsepower operation. The system utilizes an engine-driven positive displacement pump supplying pressurized fuel to calibrated injection nozzles via a unique driver-controlled fuel metering valve. This valve has idle and full throttle positions for vehicle racing, but idle, partial and full throttle positions for boat racing. In each application, excess fuel entering a rotary metering valve is returned to the source via continuously open valveless passages and, upon initiation of acceleration, total fuel requirements are supplied to the engine instantly and without delay in a precisely controlled fuel/air ratio. During the initial phase of engine acceleration, the rate of fuel flow to the injectors is inversely proportional to the rate of return of excess fuel to its source and fuel pressure increases proportionately to the square of the increase in engine speed. During deceleration, excess fuel is automatically dumped to its source by the metering valve to safeguard against a pressure rise at the fuel pump outlet and the attendant highly destructive consequences.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A continuous flow fuel injection system for use on a racing engine equipped with accelerator controlled butterfly throttle valve means connected to an inlet of a supercharger discharging into the engine intake manifold, said fuel injection system being characterized by having in combination:

a positive displacement fuel pump adapted to be driven by the engine and having a capacity at least equal to maximum engine needs;
fuel metering valve means having an inlet connected to an outlet of said pump and having a non-circular main fuel outlet passage discharging into air flowing to the engine intake manifold and a non-circular excess fuel passageway connected to an fuel source by continuously open unrestricted duct means;
a rotary valve mounted in said metering valve means operatively connected to said throttle valve means and having a non-circular main fuel port for controlling fuel flow between said fuel inlet and said main fuel outlet passage, and having a non-circular venting port operatively associated with said excess fuel passage, said rotary valve being operable to vent excess fuel to the fuel source at the starting line of a race and to close after not in excess of 9.degree. rotation of said valve toward the fully open throttle position thereof as the engine accelerates;
and
said valve being operable upon release of said accelerator to rotate abruptly in the reverse direction to a position supplying fuel for engine idling while opening said venting port to vent excess fuel to the fuel source and avoid a harmful pressure condition on the outlet side of said fuel pump.

2 more elements

A fuel injection system for use on a drag race engine of the type having an engine-driven positive displacement pump supplying pressurized fuel to an inlet of a fuel metering valve operatively connected to a throttle valve controlling air flow to an intake manifold via an engine-driven supercharger, said fuel metering valve being characterized in having:

a housing having an annular bore in communication with a fuel inlet, a non-circular outlet passage in communication with fuel injection nozzles discharging into said intake manifold, and a non-circular excess fuel passage in communication with a source of fuel via unrestricted valveless duct means;
a rotary valve in said bore operatively connected to spring-biased accelerator means and to said throttle valve;
said valve having a T-shaped main fuel port and a non-circular fuel venting port operatively associated with a respective one of said non-circular fuel outlet passages and effective to vent approximately 80% of the fuel to said fuel source and 20% of the fuel to said injection nozzles during engine idling, and effective to close said venting port thereafter to supply 100% of the fuel entering said T-shaped port to said nozzles after said valve has been rotated not in excess of about 9% from the engine idling position thereof during initial acceleration of said engine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fuel injection system

Life of this patent

Fuel injection system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22