Fuel injector with dual control valve
AssigneeInternational Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorNing Lei
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulically actuated, intensified fuel injector includes a controller achieving a desired injection control strategy by selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from an intensifier piston to control the compressive stroke of the intensifier piston and selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from a needle valve to control the opening and closing of the needle valve during the injection event. A method of control is further included.
Claims52
A unit fuel injector, the injector internally preparing fuel during an injection event at a pressure sufficient for injection into an internal combustion engine by means of an intensifier piston, comprising:
- a single needle valve for injecting a single fuel into the internal combustion engine;
- and
- a selectively actuatable controller being in fluid communication with a source of pressurized actuating fluid and being in fluid communication with a substantially ambient actuating fluid reservoir, the controller having a first valve, responsive to a first electric actuator, for selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from the intensifier piston and a second valve operably fluidly coupled to a needle valve first closing surface and responsive to a second electric actuator for selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from the needle valve during the injection event for controlling opening and closing of the needle valve;
- wherein actuating fluid ported by the second valve to the needle valve first closing surface generates a force acting to close the needle valve.
A method of injection control for a fuel injector having only one needle valve for injecting fuel, comprising:
- fluidly coupling a selectively actuatable controller with a source of pressurized actuating fluid and with a substantially ambient actuating fluid reservoir;
- controlling opening and closing of the one needle valve by:
- selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from an intensifier piston by a first valve by a first electric actuator;
- and
- selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from a needle valve during an injection event by a second valve by a second electric actuator and, the second valve being operably fluidly coupled to a needle valve first closing surface, the second valve generating a force acting to close the needle valve by porting actuating fluid by the second valve to the needle valve first closing surface.
A hydraulically actuated, intensified fuel injector having only one needle valve for injecting fuel, comprising:
- a controller achieving a desired injection control strategy by selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from an intensifier piston to control the compressive stroke of the intensifier piston and selectively independently porting actuating fluid to and venting actuating fluid from the one needle valve to control the opening and closing of the one needle valve during the injection event;
- wherein the controller includes a first control valve and a second control valve disposed in a coaxial arrangement, actuating fluid being ported by the first control valve to the intensifier piston, the second valve being operably fluidly coupled to a needle valve first closing surface, actuating fluid being ported by the second valve to the needle valve first closing surface acting to put the intensifier piston into a state of hydraulic lock.
The unit fuel injector of claim 37 wherein actuating fluid ported by the second valve to the needle valve first closing surface generates a force acting to close the needle valve.
- 41.The unit fuel injector of claim 40 wherein the actuating fluid ported by the second valve to the needle valve first closing surface generates a force that is greater than an opposing force acting on a needle valve opening surface, the opposing force being generated by pressurized fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.