AU558564B2 - Control of fuel injection - Google Patents

Description

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MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BURVAL Of STANDARDS- 9b3-A

'V. COMMONWEALTH OF AU

Patents Act 1952-1 969 API-LI

APPLICATION FOR A, PATENT Upi y- L i ir A Herd insert (in full) Name of

Here insert title for a of Invention. Fare ORBITAL' ENGINE COMNY PROPRIETARY LIMITED, Ikiert (in full) Nam* Gr NaMes of &ppifcant or of 4 Whipple Street, Applicaflts. teliow5k by AddresS (09). Balcatta,... Western Australia, Australia. Here Insert ftll Name alid Address. of compa ny Official authorized Hee hereby apply for the grant of a Patent for ai invention entitled: to make declaration. Insert Title ofInvention. "IMPROVED CONTROL OF FUEL INJECTION APPARATUS FOR do so INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES"

KIATION4ACCEITUD.AIW AW~IN 'T

N)LLWfi the al which is described in the accompanying PROW S IONALI specification. -GOM IS L-EE (4)I Here

ins.rt (,n full) Name and Address IT of Actual W s Inventor or a. Inventors. MNaddress for service is Messrs. Edwd. Waters Sons, Patent Attorneys, Our Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

*9 the a( ORB] bATED this.. 31st December, 198 is enti day of

F'ull Namie COMPANY of Actual 31 ORBITAL ENGINE Inv~ntor. or Ilivalltors any Parakrhph 2 4igna- 3 sfould be ture of connoletied by Applicant (3) sioWing de- volittion 6f seal Of titlc. 8.g", Company ,And "The ibid 13=049;-. 0a1 8y:r ,applicnt) is this. orcrbd by the atssignee HA CStIk*Of of te.said (Naime of' LOUIS C. GEBHARDT. lntti Reg'l. Patent ttorney To:

2 This invention relates to the control of fuel to the elet injection apparatus used to supply fuel to an internal com- valve is hel bustion engine. There is currently in use a variety of demand of th w '?atent'Act 1952-1969

DE(CLARM PT SPPORT OF AN A1~LCATONFOR A PATENT OR PATENT OF -ADDITON

Herd ftemaeL1 insert (in inl supportofth Application ma e full) Name of Cmpaiy. ORBITAL ENGINE O2a4PAN~Y PM~PRIETARY LIMITED

of Invention. EPO M-E(X1NTIL OF FUEL INJECTION APPARATUS.FOR INENAL

BUSTION ENGINES

Here in e t T(3) 7-0,v Name avid Address. of Company O 4 O fi i authorized tM~ake to declaration.

do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:

1. 1 am authorized by" .ORBITAL- .NII

the applicant for the patent ,to make this declaration on its behalf.

(4l) Hee2. WILLIAM 80Ri of 2 Boilton.Street East Erern jitp oAtua WEstern Australia Inventor or

the actual inventor of 'the invention and the facts upon which") ORBITAL ENGINE (Th!ANY P9UPRIETARY LIMITED V is entitled 'to make the application, are aF follow: 7.

ITAL EGINE CNAWY PR P}REARY..LIMITD x

(L~FuN~mae. cjqq*& :enitled to have assine to Inventors any patent that is granted in res pect of the invention shold-be compic0fed by otiotle f The sid (Name t ipp ~ant Is t i day of 1 :(Naime of'

To: Ti'CM~SQE FETNS

(12) ACSTRALIAN PATENT ABRIDGMENT (19) AU (11) AU-B-92001/82

(54) CONTROL OF FUEL INJECTION (71) ORBITAL ENGINE COMPANY PROPRIETARY LIMITED (21) 92001/82 558564 (22) 31.12.81 (23) 31.12.82 (24) 31.12.81 (43) 7.7.83 (44) 5.2.87 (51); FO2D 5/02 FO2D 7/02 FO2M 63/02 (72) PETER WILLIAM SIMONS (74) WM (56) 34106/78 FO2M 51/00 45827/79 523968 FO2M 67/00

(57) Claim

1. A fuel injection apparatus for an internal combust- ion engine having one or more combustion chambers comprising an injector nozzle for each combustion chamber, having a fixed size constantly open orifice, means to deliver metered quantities of fuel to the nozzle for admission to the com- bustion chamber, means to adjust said metered quantity in response to a selected condition in the engine air induction system, means to activate said delivery means in response to the engine speed, said activating means being adapted to effect a base number cf deliveries to each combustion chamber per engine cycle, and means to increase the number of deliveries per cycle to at least one combustion chamoer in response to a selectod engine fuel demand.

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appropriate processor 17 programmed so that only the base number of pulses are fed to the solenoid 15 for each cycle i~

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14 'U v JI oJ rm1 Fornm COIfdONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1962469

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: PF 21125/81 31.1: 2. 1982. kA

Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Pority 19E82 c.>

elated Art:

Name of Applicant: ORBITAL ENGINE COMPANY PROPRIETARY LIMITED a

4 Whipple Street, Balcatta, 6021, Western Australia of Applicant Australia.

Aetual Inventor: PETER WILLIAM SIMONS

EDWD. WATERS SONS, Address for Service: 50 QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 3000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled:

"IMPROVED CONTROL OF FUEL INJECTION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES"

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us

15

of the four cylinders over a duration less than one cycle such as when the increase in demand on the engine is relat- ively small. This may also apply where the metering system responses rapidly increase the metered quantity of fuel per

5r Sea of K Company nd Signatures of prwcdlbed by it of -Art.clIe LOUIS C. GEBHARDT.

.eg'd. PatenP A-tterneY

2- This invention relates to the control of fuel injection apparatus used to supply fuel to an internal com- bustion engine. There is currently in use a variety of systems for controlling the quantity of fuel injected to an internal combustion engine in accordance with the speed and load demands of the engine. The presently-known systems may be loosely categor- ised into mechanical and electronic systems, the distinct- ion being that whereas mechanical systems generally meter fuel by a combination of dynamic responses to mechanical and physical effects, electronic systems generally allow sensed information to be processed in a sophisticated manner by electronic circuitry in order to arrive at the metered fuel quantity. Often, mechanical systems have the advantage of simplicicy and relatively low costs in a given engine control.application but may have disadvantages which S include lack of response to sudden and short term variat- ions in fuel demand. The fully electronic systems have the capability to respond quickly to a wide range of engine con- ditions, however, electronic systems may not be cost- effective in some applications, especially where improved control is of little practical benefit. In engines not subject to severe exhaust emission constraints the benefit of improved control may be outweighed by the increase in costs. Additionally electronic systems require high skill in regard to maintenance and repair. .*There has been proposed in various prior published patent specifications to provide a fuel injection system wherein the quantity of fuel admitted each cycle is con- trolled by the period that an electronically operated nozzle valve is open to permit injection of the fuel. This basic type of system is referred to in British Patent Nos. 1,107,989; 1,149,073 and U.S. Patent No. 3,626,910. All of these systems rely upon the use of an inject- or nozzle having an electro-magnetically operated valve and to which fuel is constantly supplied at a set pressure by a suitable fuel pump. Appropriate electronic controls determ- ine the fuel demand of the engine in accordance with select- ed engine operating parameters and hence deliver a signal

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to the electro-magnetically controlled valve so that the valve is held open for a period depending upon the fuel demand of the engine. As the fuel supply to the valve is at a constant pressure the quantity of fuel delivered is directly proportional to the duration of the opening of the valve. A suitable triggering mechanism is provided which operates in accordance with the speed of the engine to time the opening of the electronically controlled valve relative to the engine cycle so that the fuel is delivered at the 1C correct point in'the engine cycle. 4* 'In British Patent No. 1,149,073 it is proposed to sub-divide each injection period into a number of element- ary injections so as to obtain better mixing of the fuel with the air and hence more complete combustion. In this S proposal, each and every injection is sub-divided into a number of elementary injections, irrespective of the load conditions on the engine, and variations in load conditions and other controlling factors are taken into account by varying the number and duration of each elementary inject- 20 ion so that for each injection the total required amount of fuel is injected. This system does not incorporate provision for the specific introduction of additional fuel under specified conditions, such as acceleration, but merely relies on the z.W overall control system to respond to the changed engine conditions by an appropriate increase in the totul duration of each injection period. The principal of sub-dividing each injection period into a number of elementary injections is also employed in S the injection system proposed in U.S. Patent No. 3,626,910 and again it is adopted for the purposes of obtaining improved fuel mixing and combustion. However, in this proposal the sub-dividing of each injection into a number of elementary injections occurs during the lower speed range of the engine, and as the engine speed increases, the number of elementary injections decreases, until at high speed operation a single continuous injection takes place to supply the total amount of fuel required. Again, as in the proposal of British Patent No.

1,149,073,,no specific provis .ion is made for supplying additional injections of fuel during severe load condit- ions, such as acceleration, and the basic control system is relied upon to increase the total time of injection on each cycle in accordance with the operating conditions of-the engine. British Patent Nos. 1,272,595; 1,305,612 and 1,319,671 each relate to proposals whereby the basic fuel injection system as disclosed in British Patents 1,107,989 and 1,149,073 are modified so that further pulses of elect- rical energy are provided to the electro-magnetically oper- ated fuel injection valve, when the engine is required to accelerate, so as to increase the total period which the valve is open during each injection cycle and therefore _ncrease the total amount of fuel delivered. All of the injection systems disclosed in the various prior art specifications discussed herein require a comparatively expensive electronic processor to receive signals in accordance with the state of various engine oper- ating parameters and to then analyse this information and produce a signal which will result in the electro-magnetic nozzle valve being opened for the required duration to deliver the necessary fuel to meet the engine demand. Where provision is made to provide additional deliveries of fuel under selected load conditions, such as acceleration, there is required further electronic equipment to produce the 2" necessary signals and the processor must be of a more complicated nature to be able to handle the additional input and produce the required additional output signals. O This type of control system for fuel injection is accept- able in the more expensive motor vehicles and particular- ly in motor vehicles which already incorporate processors for controlling electrical-circuits and other functions of the vehicle. However, the costs involved in supplying such equipment is not acceptable in the low to medium price range of motor vehicles, even though it is is desirable to adopt fuel injection systems in such vehicles in order to simplify the compliance with current pollution control regulations.

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It is the object of the present invention to provide a fuel injection apparatus which may be controlled by comparatively simple mechanisms and has improved response characteristics compared with some current systems. With the above stated object in view there is pro- vided. a fuel injection apparatus for an internal combustion engine having one or more combustion chambers comprising an injector nozzle for each combustion chamber, the nozzle hav- ing a fixed size constantly open orifice, means to deliver metered quantities of fuel to the nozzle for admission to the combustion chamber, means to adjust said metered quant- ity in response to a selected condition in the engine air S induction system, means to activate said delivery means in response to the engine speed, said activating means being adapted to effect a base number of deliveries to each com- bustion chamber per engine cycle, and means to increase the number of deliveries per cycle to at least one combustion o a chamber in -2sponse to a selected engine fuel demand. The means to adjust the metered quantity of fuel is preferably operable in response to the pressure and/or the velocity of the air in the induction passage of the engine. These means may be a mechanical mechanism including a fluid 0 S motor respunsive to the pressure and/or speed or mass flow S of the air in the induction passage. The motor drives a 5 member, the movement of which varies the metered quantity of fuel delivered to the nozzle. The motor may comprise a S piston or diaphragm mounted in a chamber and urged by resil- ilent means to move in one direction, with the air induction pressure applied to the piston or diaphragm to induce move- ment in the opposite direction as said pressure decreases. 'kS Conveniently there is provided a fuel injection apparatus for an internal combustion engine having o!e, or more combustion chambers comprising an injector nozzle for each combustion. chamber, the nozzle having a fixed size constantly open orifice, means to deliver metered quantit- J ies of fuel to the nozzle for admission to the combustion chamber, mechanical means to adjust said metered quantity in response to a selected condition in the engine air induction system, electrically operable means to activate said-delivery means in response to the engine speed, said the addi activating means being adapted to effect a base number of The addi deliveries of.metered quantities of fuel to each combustion the mete chamber per engine cycle, and means responsive to at least new engi one selected engine operating condition to increase the 5 deliveri number of deliveries per cycle of metered quantities of tion in fuel to at least one combustion chamber. of fuel The means to activate the delivery means may be con- trolled by electrical pulses generated proportional to also occ engine speed. The number of pulses generated per revolution 10 the nece is preferably a multiple of the base number of deliveries In this per revolution. Under steady load conditions a proportion metered of the pulses generated are depressed, so the number of number o S pulses applied to the delivery activating means is equal to o~osr~l

5 the base number of deliveries. Upon the selected engine of fuel sY,.

fuel demand arising the proportion of pulses applied to the closed i ~19r delivery activating means per engine cycle is increased to ,r. operated Irr

thereby increase the number of fuel deliveries per engine activate cycle. The delivery means is preferably solenoid operated 20 in the n and arranged to be activated to deliver a metered quantity engine c of fuel once for each cycle of the solenoid. The solenoid engine, may be cycled once for each pulse received, or proportional S low engi to the number of pulses received. as crank .D It will be understood that the present proposal is 25 be sense to adjust the metered quantity of fuel in order to accommod- such as ate normal load variations which are of gradual nature and a of chang so do not require rapid and large variations in the metered temperat oi quantity of fuel. When rapid and/or substantial load varia- circuits I tions occur these are accommodated by varying the number of deliveries of the metered quantity of fuel as this varia- fuel dur tion can be effected more rapidly than a large variation in the driv the actual metered quantity of fuel. However, when rapid ment of and/or substantial load variations occurs there will of processo course be initiated an adjustment to the metered quantity 35 solenoid of fuel as that load variation will be reflected in the con- engine c: '4 ditions in the air induction passage of the engine. This engine w: adjustment is comparatively slow and so the additional fuel arranged required to meet this load variation will be derived from over onl

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chamber on said one side of the control member being connect- 22. able to the air induction system of the engine, resilient where means urging the control member to move in the opposite when the additional deliveries of the metered quantity of fuel. The additional deliveries will cease as the adjustment to the metered quantity of fuel becomes effective to meet the new engine load. It is therefore seen that the additional deliveries of fuel provide the rapid response to the varia- tion in load, while the adjustment to the metered quantity of fuel is in progress to meet the new load conditions. Sudden decreases in load and hence fuel demand may also occur, and in such instances there may be a delay in the necessary correction to the metered quantity of fuel. In this situation th e means to activate delivery of the metereJ quantities of fuel may be arranged to decrease the number of deliveries per engine cycle. The means for delivering the predetermined quantity K21 ~of fuel may be the metering and injection apparatus as dis- closed in Australian Patent No. 523,968, and a solenoid operated valve may be used in conjunction therewith to activate the delivery of the metered quantity of fuel. The engine demands which may call for an increase in the number of deliveries of metered quantity of fuel per engine cycle, include such demands as acceleration of the engine, particularly when accelerating from idling speed, low engine temperature, and engine mode of operation, such as cranking at starting. The existence of these demands may be sensed by a variety of currently known sensing devices, such as potentiometers, which vary the voltage or the ratQ of change of voltage applied to an electronic processors, o temperature sensors, and the voltage condition of starting cc circuits, for example. io3 In regard to the sensing of a demand for additional fuel during acceleration, a potentiometer can be coupled to the drive operated accelerator, so that if the rate of move- ment of the accelerator exceeds a predetermined value the processor will increase the number of pulses fed to the solenoid, and hence the number of solenoid cycles per engine cycle will increase and the fuel supply to the engine will correspondingly increase. The processor may be arranged so that thiere is an increase in the fuel supply over only one cycle of the engine, or over a number of cycles, which number may vary in accordance with the rate of acceleration demanded by the accelerator. The additional deliveries of fuel may continue over a number of engine cycles at a constant or varying rate. The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of one practical arrangement of the fuel control system in accordance with the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of operation of the invention. Figure 2 is a diagrammatic layout of the control apparatus and associated equipment. Figure 3 is a side view partly in section of one embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invent- ion. Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated therein diagrammatically the manner in which the load conditions of the engine are monitored, and when a rapid change in load conditions is detected, how this is applied to produce the additional delivery or deliveries of measured quantities of fuel. The diagram illustrates the S engine running at idling 3peed and then accelerating to a S higher steady speed. The vertical broken line indicates the point of initiation of movment of the throttle from the idle posit- ion towards the higher szeady speed condition. As the o oro throttle moves through the transition positions indicated by the inclined line there will be a corresponding S steady average increase in the sub-atmospheric pressure in the air induction manifold of the engine as indicated at The actual pressure varying during this transition period in accordance with the cycling of the combustion chamber to which the manifold is connected. The vertical broken line indicates the point of initiation of movement of the throttle from the idle posit- ion towards the higher steady speed condition. As the tLfrottle moves through the transition positions indicated by the inclined line there will be a corresponding

.steady average increase in the absolute pressure in the air induction manifold of the engine as indicated at The. actual pressure varying during this transition period in accordance with the cycling of the combustion chamber to which the manifold is connected. The means controlling the metered quantity of fuel delivered to the engine is responsive to the pressure in the inlet manifold of the engine and accordingly during the transition period the metered quantity of fuel available for admission to the engine will increase as indicated by line in Figure 1. A potentiometer is incorporated in the mechanism which adjusts the metered quantity of fuel so that the out- Il~e.. S" put voltage from the potentiometer is related to the meter- ed quantity of fuel. Thus the output voltage of the potent- iometer will vary in the same manner as the metered quant- S ity of fuel varies and is represented by the line in Figure 1. The output voltage from the potentiometer is fed to a processor and the rate of change of this voltage determined at fixed reference points in the engine cycle. The engine is provided with a trigger signal generator arranged to deliver two trigger signals each cycle of the engine which in a four-stroke engine is one trigger signal per revolution of the engine. The trigger signals are used to produce a pulsating voltage that may be applied to a S suitable electrically controlled device such as a solenoid to time the deliveries of fuel in relation to the rotation of the engine so that without further processing the solen- oid would be activated twice each engine cycle. The trigg- er signal and the resulting control voltage is also used to time the. point of delivery of the metered quantity of fuel within the engine cycle. The processor is arranged so that under normal steady load conditions of the engine, only each alternate control voltage pulse is applied to the solenoid or other i electrical device irregulating the delivery of the metered quantity of fuel -so that under these steady load conditions there is only one metered quantity of fuel delivered to the Sengine during each engine cycle. The processor determines

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I whether steady load conditions exist by comparing the rate of change-of the output voltage from the potentiometer as illustrated by line (d I each half cycle of the engine, that is at each trigger signal, and if the rate of change of the voltage is above a predetermined value, then the additional control voltage pulses are not suppressed and permitted to be applied to the solenoid or other electrical control so that there would result in two metered quantit- ies of fuel being delivered each cycle of the engine as compared with the single measured quantity delivered under steady load conditions. The line in Figure 1 indicates the actual control voltage pulses applied to the solenoid controlling the delivery of the metered quantities of fuel oc~*a c under the load conditions represented in Figure 1 during u*9

i X5 transition from idling to a higher steady speed. Line (f) or in Figure 1 indicates the rate of change of the output volt- u age from the potentiometer and the predetermined threshhold o

of the rate of change is indicated by the horizontal broken line In the above discussed mode of operation of the regulation of the delivery of additional metered quantities of fuel, a switch may be provided in the potentiometer cir- cuit so that when the throttle is in the idled position the switch is open. Thus the processor will not be able to make comparisons between the potentiometer output voltage each half cycle and thus there will be a steady state wherein there will only be one delivery of the metered quantity of t fuel to the engine per engine cycle. This switch also enables the processor to be programmed to block all pulses of control voltage to the solenoid when the engine is decelerating after the throttle has been moved to the idle position. .It will be appreciated that when the throttle is closed suddenly whilst the engine is runnning at a signifi- cant speed, there is a time delay in the engine falling to idle speed as a result of the inertia of the components of the engine. It is clear that no fuel is required to be delivered to the engine during this deceleration period and thus- the processor can be p.rogrammed so that when the thrttle switch is closed and the engine speed is above a S, -ipredetermined fig-ure, which is conveniently slightly above solenoid d: e speed, all control voltage pulses will be suppressed to the ft so that there will be no deliveries of metered quantities injectior of fuel to the engine. Once the engine speed has dropped can be determ- below the predetermined minimum speed, which 5 section 7 the pro- ined'by the rate of the trigger signals received, the chamb to be cessor will again permit the control voltage pulses able via Sapplied to-the solenoid at the rate of one pulse per engine engine. T quant- .cycle so that there will be one delivery of a metered thus appl

.ity of fuel per engine cycle. 10 diaphragm Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings wherein section 7 of the there is shown in block diagram form the components 10 are io fuel control system of the present invention, particularly the diaphi In this the applic as described above in connection with Figure 1. manifold drawing the metering unit 100 has an induction .5 chamber sE the ""15 pressure operated mechanical mechanism 101 to regulate ion of the quantity of each metered delivery of fuel to the engine. diaphragm shown "J The various components of the mechanical mechanism induction Sdiagrammatically in Figure 2 have the same reference numer- Pc in more al as the corresponding component has as shown 20 13 carryin movable detail in Figure 3. The potentiometer 102 has a One of the and the variable wiper mounted on the metering member 21 ed to the voltage from the potentiometer is applied to the processor metering a to 104. The throttle off idle switch 105 is also coupled the meteri of volt- the processor 104 so as to control the application 25 fuel deliv, described. The 3 Z5 age to the potentiometer 102 as previously member 21 106 is activat- speed sensor included in the sensor package the roller! such as its crank- ed by a rotating portion of the engine which durii in accord- shaft to give trigger signals to the processor Acc Sr* ance with the engine speed. The pulsing control voltages 30 the inducti solenoid eminating from the processor are applied to the upwardly as of valve 108 to regulate the frequency of the deliveries 22 of the r metered quantities of fuel to the engine. metering de draw- Referring'now to Figure 3 of the accompanying 35 ing each cy injection ing there is illustrated a fuel metering and manifold of disclos- 35.: device operating on the principle of the invention decreases, Sedin the previously referred to Australian Patent No. inclined fa a mechan- ;239 68, -and indicated generally at 5, coupled to metered fue

ic control device 6 to affect adjustment of the quantity ni'fold de, ofuel metered during each cycle of the injector. The i~ilfc~ i i~fe meee dur jetr Th

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solenoid operated air valve 15 controls the supply of air to the fuel and delivery valves of the fuel metering and injection device The mechanical control device 6 comprises a chamber section 7 divided into two sections by a diaphragm 8 with the chamber section 7a on one side of the diaphragm connect- able via the coupling 9 to the air induction manifold of an engine. The below-atmospheric pressure in the manifold is thus applied to the chamber section 7a on one side of the diaphragm whilst atmospheric pressure exists in the chamber section 7b on the other side of the diaphragm. The springs are located within the chamber section 7a to act upon the diaphragm to oppose the movement induced thereinto by the application of below-atmospheric pressure in the chamber section 7a. Accordingly, by an appropriate select- ion of the rate of springs 10, the movement of the diaphragm is proportional to the pressure existing in the induction manifold of the engine. Portion of the diaphragm 8 is coupled with the rod 13 carrying separate co-axial rollers 18 at its free end. One of the rollers 18 engages the plate 19 which is attach- 4

ed to the rod 20 that actuates member 21 extending into the metering and injection device 5. The member 21 extends into the metering chamber 21a of the device 5 and the volume of fuel delivered each cycle is varied by the extent that the member 21 extends into the metering chamber. The other of the rollers 18 engage the inclined face 22 of the ramp 23 which during normal operation has a fixed position. Accordingly it will be seen that as the pressure in the induction manifold decreases the rollers 18 will move upwardly as viewed in the drawing along the inclined face 22 of the ramp causing the rod 20 to move inwardly of the metering device and reduce the quantity of fuel metered dur- i ing each cycle. As is known the pressure in the induction manifold of an engine decreases as the demand for fuel decreases, and accordingly, the roller 18 moves along the inclined face 22 in the direction to reduce the quantity of metered fuel per cycle as the pressure in the induction manifold decreases. In the embodiment shown the inclination

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of the. inclined face 22 of the ramp 23 may be adjusted by the actuator 25 so that the rate of change of fuel quantity per unit of movement of the diaphragm 8 can be varied to suit particular engine operating conditions. The extent of control applied to actuator depends on the selected level of sophistication of control. The simplest arrangement is a mechanical actuator which is adjusted manually during cold start and warm-up. The most sophisticated are programmed control strategies which make corrections for variables such as engine speed, engine temp- erature, barometric pressure and ambient temperature. How- ever, a temperature-sensitive element communicating engine S temperature is commonly used as the most cost effective compromise in many applications. The solenoid operated valve 15 controls the supply S of air to the pneumatically operated fuel inlet and outlet o valves 27 and 28, and the supply of air through the valve 29 to the metering chamber 21a of the metering and inject- ion device 5. The sequency and manner of operation of these valves is disclosed in more detail in the Australian Patent hereinbefore referred to. The quantity of fuel displaceable from the hamber 21a by the air is the fuel located in that portion of the chamber 21a located between the point of entry of the air .e from 3 25 to the chamber, and the point of discharge of the fuel i the chamber, c this is the quantity of fuel between the air admission o valve 29 and the delivery valve 30. I a: The air admission valve 29 at the end of the meter- I ,i Y rl ing rod 21 located in the metering chamber 21a is normally held closed by the spring 31 to prevent the flow of air ;li'n U I, from the air .supply chamber 32 to the metering chamber 21a. ~i

Upon the pressure in the chamber 32 rising to a predetermin- ed value the valve 29 is opened to admit the air to the metering chamber 21a, and thus displace the fuel therefrom. The pulse generator 16 may be of any of the known types available and is mounted on the engine 30 at a suit- able location to generate pulses proportional to the speed of.rotation of the engine. These pulses are then fed to an

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appropriate processor 17 programmed so that only the base number of pulses are fed to the solenoid 15 for each cycle of the engine at. steady operating conditions. Accordingly when it is required to increase the number of fuel deliver- ies per cycle of the engine the processor can, in accorJ- ance with its program, increase the number of pulses fed to the solenoid above the base number. Also the processor may be programmed for the period over which the increased number of pulses are fed to the solenoid to be varied such as for only one or a number of engine cycles. The operation of the processor has been described in more detail with reference to Figure 1. In one example of the present invention is applied to a four stroke four cylinder engine equiped with a fuel injector having four fuel metering units, one for each cylinder, each controlled by an individual solenoid valve. c., The pulse generator is arranged to produce four pulses per revolution of the engine and the processor is programmed to

n o normally supress each alternate pulses. There is thus two i;

*s pulses per revolution available for activation of the four o solenoid valves. As the engine is a four stroke cycle each cylinder requires fuel only once each two revolutions. Accordingly with two pulses per revolution each of the four solenoid valves is activated once every two revolutions to deliver a measured quantity of fuel for each cylinder once every two revolutions. When engine operating conditions are such that an increase in the number of fuel deliveries for each cylinder L S per cylinder cycle is required, an appropriate sensor 30 signals the processor, and the suppression of pulses is r(lrl Q temporarily stopped, and thus four pulses per revolution V1 V are available for activation of the solenoid valves and so each solenoid valve may be activated twice every two revolutions that is twice each cylinder cycle. The process- or programme may be arranged to control the number of cycles of the engine during which the increased number of pulses are aoplied to the solendids. Th, ogramme may also be arranged to provide the increase in the number of deliveries of fuel to one or some

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I.i L nr~aii~c-l of the four cylinders over a duration less than one cycle such as when the increase in demand on the engine is relat- ively small. This may also apply where the metering system responses rapidly increase the metered quantity of fuel per solenoid cycle. In the preceding example an individual solenoid is provided to control each metering chamber however where the fuel is delivered into the induction passage as distinct from directly into each cylinder, the timing of the deliv- ery relative to the cylinder cycle is not critical. Thus fuel for a number of cylinders may be delivered at the same time, into the induction passage. In such a system individ- ual solenoids for each metering chamber are not required. Acceptable performance has been obtained using only ,.7o solenoids each controlling two metering chambers, so a metered quantity of fuel is delivered for two cylinders each solenoid cycle. It is possible to use only one solen- oid to control four metering chambers with a metered quant- ity of fuel being delivered for all four cylinders each solenoid cycle. However, the response to transient engine Scondition is reduced as variations in the fuel supply are effected at relatively longer time intervals. In the preceding description reference has been made to cylinders of engines which infers that the engine .25 is a reciprocating piston engine, however, it is to be S unTiderstood that the present invention i applicable to all types of internal combustion engines.

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Ine the tuel demand of the engine in accordance with to supply the select- ed engine.-operating parameters and hence deliver a signal Again,

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THE CLAIMS DEFI1

1. A fuel ion engine havil an injector noz fixed size cons quantities of f bustion chamber response to a s system, means t the engine spee effect a base n chamber per eng of deliveries in response to ~u*J*

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r r ion engine havi an injector no; ru having a fixed r er metered quai the combustion ered quantity gine air induc activate said speed, said ac number of deli combustion cha at least one s the number of

cC fuel to at lea 4

3. A fuel 2 wherein said the pressure engine air inc

A fuel

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Claims (1)

o Mr-Mr P -16- THE CLAIMS DEFINING-THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

1. A fuel injection apparatus for an internal combust- ion engine having one or more combustion chambers comprising an injector nozzle for each combustion chamber, having a fixed size constantly open orifice, means to deliver metered quantities of fuel to the nozzle for admission to the com- bustion chamber, means to adjust said metered quantity in response to a selected condition in the engine air induction system, means to activate said delivery means in response to the engine speed, said activating means being adapted to effect a base number of deliveries to each combustion chamber per engine cycle, and means to increase the number of deliveries per cycle to at least one combustion chamber in response to a selected engine fuel demand. ar

2. A fuel injection apparatus for an internal combust- ion engine having one or more combustion chambers comprising an injector nozzle for each combustion chamber, the nozzle S having a fixed size constantly open orifice, means to deliv- er metered quantities of fuel to the nozzle for admission to the combustion chamber, mechanical means to adjust said met- ered quantity in response to a selected condition in the en- gine air induction system, electrically operable means to activate said delivery means in response to the engine speed, said activating means being adapted to effect a base number of deliveries of metered quantities of fuel to each combustion chamber per engine cycle, and means responsive to S at least one selected engine operating condition to increase the number of deliveries per cycle of metered quantities of fuel to at least one combustion chamber.

3. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said adjustment means is operable in response to the pressure and/or speed or mass flow of the air in the engine air induction system.

A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in any one of regulations.

S17

the preceding claims wherein said means to increase the num- ber of fuel deliveries is responsive to the acceleration and/or temperature of the engine.

A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in any one of -the preceding claims wherein the means to activate said del- ivery means is adapted to operate in response to electrical pulses generated proportional to the engine speed.

6. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim wherein the number of pulses generated per revolution is pro- portional to the base number of deliveries per engine cycle.

7. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the means responsive to the selected engine fuel demand is adapted to increase the number of pulses applied to the delivery means per engine cycle relative to the num- ber of pulses applied to effect the base number of deliver- ies.

A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the fuel delivery means is solenoid operated and said metered quantity of fuel is delivered once each cycle of the solenoid. f ft ft

9. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the solenoid is cycled proportional to the number of pulses received.

A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims vherein the means to deliver the fuel S includes a chamber having a selectively openable discharge port, means operable to supply fuel to the chamber to fill the chamber with fuel,, and means operable to selectively ad- mit gas to the chamber to displace fuel from the chamber up- on opening of the discharge port.

11. fuel A injec appa as clai in cla II. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 10

I (I t

18 i

r- wherein the means to adjust the metered quantity of fuel in- cludes means to control the quantity of fuel displaceable from the chamber by the admission of the gas to the chamber.

12. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim whereinri the means to adjust the predetermined quantity of fuel includes means to adjust the volume of the chamber between position of entry of the gas to and the position of dis- charge of fuel from the chamber, to thereby control the quan- tity of fuel displaceable from the chamber by the gas.

13. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 12 in- cluding a member extending into the chamber and movable relative to the chamber in the direction of displacement of the fuel from the chamber to vary the volume of the chamber a between the positions of entry of the gas to and of dis-

_Ii *4*4

0 charge of the fuel from the chamber.

14. A fuel injection apparatus according to claim 13 *0 0

wherein the member extending into the chamber and movable relative to the chamber has the gas inlet port formed there-

It in.

0 c 15. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in cl.jim 13 or 14 including means to control the extent of projection of the movable member into the chamber. 9 04

1 16. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 9O

wherein said means to control the extent of projection of 0 4, the movable member is operable in response to the pressure 0o 9 in the air induction system of the engine.

17. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said means to control the extent of projection of the movable member includes a control chamber, a control mem- ber in said control chamber and movable relative thereto in one direction in response to the pressure in the control chamber on one side of the control member, said control

**0 chamber on said one side of the control member being connect- able to the air induction system of the engine, resilient means urging .the control member to move in the opposite direction to said one direction, and means operably connect- ing said control member to the movable member extending into the chamber so that as the pressure in the control chamber decreases the extent of projection of the member into the chamber increase whereby the predetermined quantity of fuel decreases.

18. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 17 where the member extending into the chamber is operably conn- ected *to a first member having a first surface transverse to the direction of movement of the member relative to the chamber, and directed toward a relatively fixed second sur-. *USGS. face, said first and second surfaces defining a converging gap therebetween, a spacer member located in said gap in en- 8 *sl..

.8R gagement with said first and second surfaces and operably connected to the control member whereby movement of the V. 8

8~ spacer member along the gap in response to the pressure in 8 *8 8 C 8 the control chamber varies the extent of projection of the movable member into the chamber.

19. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 18

8 ~8 84~ wherein the included angle of the gap between the first and 8 8 second surfaces is adjustable.

4 6 8 84. 20. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 19 including means to control the admission of the gas to the chamber comprising a solenoid operable to sel- 884858 ectively open a gas inlet valve to admit gas to the chamber. 08 64 a 0 4 V

21. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim when appended to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein said solen- oid is operable to open the gas inlet valve to admit gas to the chamber and close same after displacement of the predet- .erml3Ine!i quantity of fuel from the chamber once for each pOuls e generated.

.0

t"i

20 I" I1

i-. 22. A fuel injection apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the gas inlet valve is adapted to open automatically when the pressure of the gas downstream thereof'is above a predetermined pressure, and said solenoid controls the tim- ing and duration of the application of gas to said valve above said predetermined pressure.

DATED this 30th day of December, 1982.

ORBITAL ENGINE COMPANY PROPRIETARY LIMITED

EDWD. WATERS SONS, Patent Attorneys, 50 Queen Street, 'SASS. Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA.

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