Pressure-responsive fuel delivery system

Abstract

A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine that includes a fuel supply with a pump responsive to application of electrical power for supplying fuel under pressure. A fuel injector is coupled to the supply for controlled delivery of fuel from the supply to the engine. A check valve is positioned in the fuel line that connects the pump outlet to the injector to prevent reverse flow of fuel from the injector to the pump when the pump is shut down. A sensor is coupled to the fuel line between the check valve and the pump outlet for providing an electrical signal as a function of fuel pressure at the pump outlet, and electronic control circuitry applies electrical power to the pump as a function of such pressure signal. A fuel bypass is connected to the fuel line between the pump outlet and the check valve for providing an open but restricted fuel flow path from the pump outlet parallel to the fuel line, such that fuel continues to flow through the bypass and the pump continues operation even in the absence of fuel demand at the engine. In this way, the pump maintains a minimum level of operation so as to be able rapidly to accommodate increasing demand for fuel at the engine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.