Exhaust gas recirculation valve powered by pressure from an oil pump that powers a hydraulically actuated fuel injector

An engine assembly, comprising:

• an engine air inlet;
• an engine exhaust outlet;
• an injector oil pump having a pump outlet, said injector oil pump generating an operational pressure at said pump outlet;
• a fuel injector having an injector oil inlet, an injector piston, and an injector spring, wherein (1) said injector oil inlet is in fluid communication with said pump outlet of said injector oil pump, (2) said operational pressure at said pump outlet is used to move said injector piston from (i) a low pressure position in which fuel is prevented from being advanced out of said fuel injector, to (ii) a high pressure position in which fuel is advanced out of said fuel injector, and (3) said injector spring moves said piston from said high pressure position to said low pressure position;
• and
• a valve assembly having (1) a valve oil inlet which is in fluid communication with said pump outlet, (2) an exhaust gas inlet, (3) a valve spring, and (4) an exhaust gas outlet, wherein (i) said valve assembly is positionable between a first valve position and a second valve position, (ii) said exhaust gas inlet is isolated from said exhaust gas outlet when said valve assembly is positioned in said first valve position, (iii) said exhaust gas inlet is in fluid communication with said exhaust gas outlet when said valve assembly is positioned in said second valve position, (iv) said operational pressure at said pump outlet is used to move said valve assembly from said first valve position to said second valve position, and (v) said valve spring biases said valve assembly into said first valve position.

A method of controlling a flow of engine exhaust in an engine assembly which includes (1) an engine air inlet, (2) an engine exhaust outlet, (3) an injector oil pump having a pump outlet, the injector pump generating an operational pressure at the pump outlet, (4) a fuel injector having an injector oil inlet, and an injector piston, wherein (i) the injector oil inlet is in fluid communication with the pump outlet of the injector oil pump, (ii) the injector piston is positionable between (A) a low pressure position in which fuel is prevented from being advanced out of the fuel injector, to (B) a high pressure position in which fuel is advanced out of the fuel injector, and (5) a valve assembly having (i) a valve oil inlet which is in fluid communication with the pump outlet, (ii) an exhaust gas inlet, and (iii) an exhaust gas outlet, wherein (A) the valve assembly is positionable between a first valve position and a second valve position, (B) the exhaust gas inlet is isolated from the exhaust gas outlet when the valve assembly is positioned in the first valve position, and (C) the exhaust gas inlet is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas outlet when the valve assembly is positioned in the second valve position, comprising the steps of:

• moving the injector piston from the low pressure position to the high pressure position with the operational pressure generated by the injector oil pump at the pump outlet;
• and
• moving the valve assembly from the first valve position to the second valve position with the operational pressure generated by the injector oil pump at the pump outlet.