Fuel leakage detector system

A system for determining the presence of a fuel leak in a predetermined portion of the a high pressure fuel system of a fuel injected vehicle, the predetermined portion of the fuel system being arranged hydraulically intermediate of a fuel tank for holding a supply of fuel and a fuel-injected engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:

• a fuel pump for receiving at a fuel inlet thereof fuel from the fuel tank at a first fuel pressure and flowing the fuel out of a fuel outlet thereof at a second fuel pressure, the second fuel pressure being greater than the first fuel pressure;
• means for determining the mass of fuel flowing out of said fuel pump;
• a fuel distribution manifold having a manifold inlet for receiving the fuel from said fuel pump;
• a plurality of fuel injectors, each having an injector inlet for receiving the fuel from said fuel pump;
• means for determining the mass of fuel flowing out of said injectors;
• and
• generating means to generate a difference between the mass of the fuel flowing through said fuel pump and the mass of the fuel flowing out of said injectors;
• and
• means responsive to said difference for generating a fuel leak signal when said difference is greater than a predetermined value.

A system for determining the presence of a fuel leak in a predetermined portion of the fuel system of a vehicle, the predetermined portion of the fuel system being arranged hydraulically intermediate of a fuel tank for holding a supply of fuel and a fuel-injected engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:

• a fuel pump for receiving at a fuel inlet thereof fuel from the fuel tank at a first fuel pressure and issuing the fuel at a fuel outlet thereof at a second fuel pressure, the second fuel pressure being greater than the first fuel pressure;
• a fuel distribution manifold having a manifold inlet for receiving the fuel issued by said fuel pump;
• a fuel pressure regulator for regulating a pressure of the fuel in said fuel distribution manifold;
• a pressure sensor coupled to said fuel distribution manifold for producing a sensor pressure signal responsive to a pressure of the fuel in said fuel distribution manifold;
• regulator control means for receiving at an input thereof said sensor pressure signal for producing at an output thereof a fuel pressure regulator control signal;
• fuel pressure regulator electrovalve means responsive to said fuel pressure regulator control signal for opening and closing to maintain the pressure of the fuel in said fuel distribution manifold at a predetermined regulated fuel pressure;
• a plurality of fuel injectors, each having an injector inlet coupled to said fuel distribution manifold, for receiving the fuel at the predetermined regulated pressure;
• and
• system control means responsive to fuel flowing out said pump and the fuel flow flowing out of said injectors for generating a fuel leak signal representing the difference between the amount of fuel flowing out said pump and the amount of fuel flowing out of said injectors.