Fuel injector and method of controlling the same, vehicle

Abstract

This application provides a fuel injector and its control method, as well as a vehicle. The fuel injector includes a body and a water inlet. The body contains a fuel passage and an air-water passage, and has an injection port and a water injection port. The inlet of the fuel passage connects to a fuel supply system, and the outlet of the fuel passage communicates with the injection port. The body also includes an injection valve assembly connected to the fuel passage, which controls the opening and closing of the fuel passage. The inlet of the air-water passage connects to an air source, and the outlet of the air-water passage communicates with a water injection port. The water inlet is located on the body and contains a water injection passage. One end of the water injection passage connects to a water supply system, and the other end communicates with the air-water passage to inject water into the air-water passage, causing air-liquid mixing. The water inlet includes a water injection valve assembly, which controls the opening and closing of the water injection passage. The fuel injector of this application simultaneously functions as both water and fuel injection, effectively meeting the needs of various complex engine operating conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle engine combustion control, and in particular to a fuel injector and its control method, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] During engine operation, water is injected into the cylinders using water injection technology. The evaporation of water absorbs heat, which lowers the combustion temperature and effectively prolongs the time for the air-fuel mixture to ignite, thus suppressing knocking. At the same time, the lower cylinder temperature caused by water injection helps slow down the formation of nitrogen oxides, ultimately leading to a reduction in NOx emissions.

[0003] Currently, gasoline engine water injection systems are divided into two types based on whether fuel and water share a single nozzle: direct fuel-water injection with fuel separation and direct fuel-water injection with fuel mixing. Direct fuel-water injection with fuel separation requires an additional water injector in addition to the fuel injector, which increases the cylinder head enclosure size and the complexity of the cylinder layout. While direct fuel-water injection with fuel mixing does not require a new water injector, the current technology involves premixing fuel and water using an additional fuel-water premixing device to form a mixture that is then fed into the fuel injector and sprayed into the combustion chamber through a single channel within the injector. The corrosive nature of the high-pressure fuel-water mixture and the harsh environment of the combustion chamber (high temperature and high pressure) place strict and specific requirements on the nozzle manufacturing process, and the additional fuel-water premixing device also increases costs.

[0004] The information disclosed in the background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One objective of this application is to provide a fuel injector that integrates both water injection and fuel injection functions.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, a fuel injector is provided, comprising:

[0008] The main body includes a fuel channel and an air-water channel, and has an oil injection port and a water injection port. The inlet of the fuel channel is connected to a fuel supply system, and the outlet of the fuel channel is connected to the oil injection port. The main body also includes an oil injection valve assembly connected to the fuel channel, which controls the opening and closing of the fuel channel. The inlet of the air-water channel is connected to an air source, and the outlet of the air-water channel is connected to the water injection port.

[0009] A water inlet is provided on the main body, and a water spray channel is formed in the water inlet. One end of the water spray channel is used to connect to the water supply system, and the other end is connected to the air-water channel to spray water into the air-water channel to mix the air and liquid. The water inlet includes a water spray valve assembly, which is used to control the opening and closing of the water spray channel.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this application, the gas-water channel includes a gas-liquid mixing pipe section, and a water spray section is provided at the inlet of the gas-liquid mixing pipe section; the water spray section is connected to the outlet of the water spray channel.

[0011] An annular water distribution channel is formed inside the water spray section. The annular water distribution channel is arranged around the circumference of the gas-liquid mixing pipe section and is connected to the gas-liquid mixing pipe section. Water from the water spray channel is evenly sprayed into the gas-liquid mixing pipe section through the annular water distribution channel.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this application, the flow cross-section is minimized at the position corresponding to the water spray section on the air-water channel.

[0013] According to one embodiment of this application, the air-water channel includes a gradually narrowing portion and a gradually widening portion connected in sequence. The flow cross-section of the gradually narrowing portion gradually decreases from front to back, and the flow cross-section of the gradually narrowing portion gradually increases from front to back.

[0014] The flow cross section is the smallest at the connection between the tapered portion and the widened portion.

[0015] According to one embodiment of this application, the main body is provided with an air intake pipe and a jet valve assembly;

[0016] An air intake pipe has an air jet channel, the inlet of which is connected to an air source, and the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the air-water channel.

[0017] The jet valve assembly has a valve located within the jet passage, which can be moved to block or open the outlet of the jet passage.

[0018] According to one embodiment of this application, the gas-water channel includes a gas pipe section; both ends of the gas pipe section are respectively connected to the inlet of the jet channel and the inlet of the gas-liquid mixing pipe section;

[0019] The gas pipe section is provided with a gas equalization section, which is arranged around the outer wall of the fuel channel. The gas equalization section has an annular cavity inside, which is connected to the jet channel to uniformly output gas from the jet channel.

[0020] The gas-water channel section following the gas equalization section forms an annular gas channel surrounding the fuel channel, and extends in the same direction as the fuel channel.

[0021] According to one embodiment of this application, the main body is further provided with a fuel injection valve assembly, which includes a fuel injection needle valve, a first elastic element, a first solenoid valve, and a first armature.

[0022] The fuel injection needle valve is fixedly connected to the first armature and extends into the fuel passage; the first elastic element is sleeved on the fuel injection needle valve, and the two ends of the first elastic element are respectively connected to the first solenoid valve and the first armature; the fuel injection needle valve blocks the outlet of the fuel passage under the elastic pressure of the first elastic element.

[0023] When the first solenoid valve is energized, the first solenoid valve compresses the first elastic element by driving the first armature to move, thereby causing the fuel injection needle valve to open the outlet of the fuel passage.

[0024] According to one embodiment of this application, the water spray valve assembly includes a water spray needle valve, a second elastic element, a second solenoid valve, and a second armature;

[0025] The water-spraying needle valve is fixedly connected to the second armature and extends into the water-spraying channel; the second elastic element is sleeved on the water-spraying needle valve, and the two ends of the second elastic element are respectively connected to the second solenoid valve and the second armature; the water-spraying needle valve blocks the outlet of the water-spraying channel under the elastic pressure of the second elastic element.

[0026] When the second solenoid valve is energized, the second solenoid valve compresses the second elastic element by driving the second armature to move, thereby causing the water jet needle valve to open the outlet of the water jet channel.

[0027] According to another aspect of this application, a vehicle is provided, including an engine cylinder, an air intake manifold communicating with the engine cylinder, and the fuel injector.

[0028] The fuel injector is mounted on the engine cylinder to inject oil and / or water into the engine cylinder; and / or

[0029] The fuel injector is mounted on the intake manifold to inject fuel and / or water into the intake manifold.

[0030] According to another aspect of this application, a control method for a fuel injector is provided, applied to the said fuel injector, the method comprising:

[0031] When the fuel injector enters the water injection mode, the water injection valve assembly is opened and the fuel injection valve assembly is closed to allow the fuel injector to spray water; when the fuel injector enters the water and fuel injection mode, the water injection valve assembly and the fuel injection valve assembly are opened to allow the fuel injector to spray water and fuel.

[0032] The fuel injector proposed in this application integrates water injection and fuel injection functions. By arranging separate air-water and fuel passages within a single injector, the fuel passage and air-water passage can be controlled independently without interference, allowing for flexible switching and effectively addressing the demands of various complex engine operating conditions. This fully leverages the advantages of water injection technology for gasoline engine combustion. Furthermore, this application contributes to improving the structural compactness of the fuel injector, facilitating its layout and reducing its impact on the cylinder head structure and volume. The water injection technology involved in this application differs from direct in-cylinder oil-water mixing injection, eliminating the need for an additional oil-water premixing device and avoiding corrosion of the pipelines by the oil-water mixture.

[0033] Furthermore, the air-water channel in this application connects to both the water supply system and the air source, thus forming an air-water mixture within the channel. When this mixture enters the cylinder, it reduces the amount of water distributed on the cylinder wall, effectively minimizing damage to the lubricating oil film and reducing problems such as oil emulsification. Moreover, the air-water mixture improves the uniformity of water distribution, preventing excessively rich water zones within the cylinder, thereby reducing adverse effects on combustion and emissions.

[0034] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The above and other objectives, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent from a detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal internal structural diagram of a fuel injector according to an embodiment.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a method for controlling a fuel injector according to one embodiment.

[0038] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 1. Main body; 11. Fuel passage; 12. Gas-water passage; 121. Gas pipe section; 122. Gas-liquid mixing pipe section; 13. Gas equalization section; 14. Oil injection hole; 15. Water injection hole; 16. Water injection section; 17. Converging section; 18. Widening section;

[0039] 2. Water inlet; 21. Water spray channel; 22. Water spray valve assembly; 221. Water spray needle valve; 222. Second elastic element; 223. Second solenoid valve; 224. Second armature; 225. Second valve seat;

[0040] 31. Intake pipe; 311. Jet passage; 32. Jet valve assembly; 321. Valve; 322. Third solenoid valve; 323. Third armature; 324. Third elastic element; 325. Valve seat ring.

[0041] 4. Fuel injection valve assembly; 41. Fuel injection needle valve; 42. First elastic element; 43. First solenoid valve; 44. First armature; 45. First valve seat. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Although this application can be readily embodied in various forms of implementation, only some specific embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail in this specification. It is understood that this specification should be regarded as an exemplary illustration of the principles of this application and is not intended to limit the application to what is described herein.

[0043] Therefore, a feature described in this specification is used to illustrate one feature of one embodiment of this application, and does not imply that every embodiment of this application must have the described feature. Furthermore, it should be noted that this specification describes many features. While certain features may be combined to illustrate possible system designs, these features may also be used in other combinations not explicitly stated. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the described combinations are not intended to be limiting.

[0044] In the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, the directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, and back) used to explain the structure and movement of the various elements of this application are relative rather than absolute. These descriptions are appropriate when these elements are in the positions shown in the drawings. If the description of the positions of these elements changes, these directional indications also change accordingly.

[0045] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided to make the description of this application more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The drawings are merely illustrative of this application and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0046] The preferred embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] This application discloses a fuel injector that can be used to inject oil, water, or both into an engine cylinder or intake manifold, respectively. For details, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a longitudinal internal structural diagram of a fuel injector according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the fuel injector includes a main body 1, a water inlet 2, a fuel channel 11 and a gas-water channel 12 formed within the main body 1, and a jet nozzle and a water spray nozzle 15 formed on the main body 1; the inlet of the fuel channel 11 is used to connect to the fuel supply system, and the outlet of the fuel channel 11 is connected to the fuel injection nozzle 14; the inlet of the gas-water channel 12 is used to connect to the gas source, and the outlet of the gas-water channel 12 is connected to the water spray nozzle; the water inlet 2 is disposed on the main body 1, and a water spray channel 21 is formed within the water inlet 2, one end of the water spray channel 21 is used to connect to the water supply system, and the other end is connected to the gas-water channel 12 to spray water into the gas-water channel 12 to mix the gas and liquid; the water inlet 2 includes a water spray valve assembly 22, which is used to control the opening and closing of the water spray channel 21.

[0048] The fuel injector of this application integrates water injection and fuel injection functions. By arranging the air-water passage 12 and fuel passage 11 separately within a single injector, the fuel passage 11 and air-water passage 12 can be controlled independently without interference, allowing for flexible switching and effectively addressing the demands of various complex engine operating conditions. This fully leverages the advantages of water injection technology for gasoline engine combustion. Furthermore, this application helps improve the structural compactness of the fuel injector, facilitating its layout and reducing its impact on the cylinder head structure and volume. The water injection technology involved in this application differs from direct in-cylinder oil-water mixing injection, eliminating the need for an additional oil-water premixing device and avoiding corrosion of the pipelines by the oil-water mixture.

[0049] Furthermore, the air-water channel 12 in this application connects to the water supply system and is used to connect to the air source. Therefore, an air-water mixture is formed within the air-water channel 12. When the air-water mixture enters the cylinder, it reduces the amount of water distributed on the cylinder wall, thereby effectively reducing damage to the lubricating oil film on the cylinder wall and reducing problems such as oil emulsification. In addition, the air-water mixture improves the uniformity of water distribution, avoiding excessively rich areas of water in the cylinder, thus reducing adverse effects on combustion and emissions deterioration.

[0050] The main body 1 can be made of metal to improve structural rigidity. Schematic, the main body 1 is roughly elongated; taking the orientation shown in the diagram as an example, the two ends of the main body 1 are the front and rear ends, respectively. The fuel passage 11 and the air-water passage 12 both extend along the length of the main body 1. The fuel injection port 14 and the water injection port 15 are located at the rear end of the main body 1. The front end of the main body 1 has interfaces for connecting the fuel supply system, the water supply system, and the air intake system. The type of fuel can be gasoline, diesel, ethanol, etc. The gas entering the air-water passage 12 can be air.

[0051] In one example, an oil inlet protrudes outward from one side of the front end of the main body 1. An oil injection channel is formed within the oil inlet. One end of the oil injection channel is used to receive oil, and the other end is connected to the fuel channel 11 and moves backward along the fuel channel 11 until it is sprayed out from the oil injection hole 14. Multiple oil injection holes 14 can be provided to improve the uniformity of injection.

[0052] In order to control the oil injection, in one embodiment, the main body 1 is also provided with an injection valve assembly 4. The injection valve assembly 4 includes an injection needle valve 41, which is disposed in the fuel passage 11. The injection needle valve 41 can block or open the outlet of the fuel passage 11 by moving along the fuel passage 11.

[0053] There are several ways to drive the fuel injection needle valve 41 to move. In one example, the fuel injection valve assembly 4 also includes a first armature 44, a first elastic element 42, a first solenoid valve 43, and a first valve seat 45. The fuel injection needle valve 41 is fixedly connected to the first armature 44 and extends into the fuel injection channel. The fuel injection needle valve 41 can be embedded through the first armature 44. The first elastic element 42 is sleeved on the fuel injection needle valve 41, and its two ends are respectively connected to the first solenoid valve 43 and the first armature 44. Under the elastic pressure of the first elastic element 42, the fuel injection needle valve 41 blocks the outlet of the fuel channel 11. At this time, the fuel injection needle valve 41 and the first valve seat 45 are sealed together to prevent oil leakage. When the first solenoid valve 43 is energized, the first solenoid valve 43 drives the first armature 44 to move through magnetic attraction, thereby compressing the first elastic element 42, so that the fuel injection needle valve 41 opens the outlet of the fuel channel 11 and the oil is injected. Here, the fuel injection valve assembly 4 can be located at the front end of the main body 1, and the fuel injection needle valve 41 extends from the front end to the rear end.

[0054] In one embodiment, the main body 1 is provided with an air intake pipe 31 and a jet valve assembly 32; a jet passage 311 is formed inside the air intake pipe 31, the inlet of the jet passage 311 is used to connect to an air source, and the outlet of the jet passage 311 is connected to the inlet of the air-water passage 12; the jet valve assembly 32 has a valve 321, which is located inside the jet passage 311 and can be moved to block or open the outlet of the jet passage 311.

[0055] Specifically, an intake pipe 31 inlet can be provided at the front end of the main body 1, and the jet valve assembly 32 is located in front of the fuel injection valve assembly 4. The jet valve assembly 32 includes a third armature 323, a third elastic element 324, a third solenoid valve 322, a valve 321, and a valve seat 325. There is a cavity between the valve 321 and the valve seat, and the air output from the jet channel 311 enters the air-water channel 12 through this cavity. The valve 321 is fixedly connected to the third armature 323 by a valve shaft; the valve 321 communicates with the intake pipe 31 along the cavity. The valve shaft 325 is fixedly connected to the armature. The two ends of the third elastic element 324 are respectively connected to the third solenoid valve 322 and the third armature 323. Under the elastic pressure of the third elastic element 324, the third armature 323 pushes the valve 321 to close the jet passage 311. At this time, the valve 321 and the valve seat 325 are in tight contact to ensure a seal. When the third solenoid valve 322 is energized, it drives the third armature 323 to move through magnetic attraction, thereby pulling the valve 321 and opening the jet passage 311. Here, the third elastic element 324 can be a spring or a sheet spring.

[0056] Because the front part of the main body 1 is equipped with a fuel injection valve assembly 4, the air-water channel 12 extends from the front end of the main body 1 to one side of the fuel injection valve assembly 4 and then extends backward, resulting in a local gas density that is relatively high and difficult to mix evenly with water. Therefore, in one embodiment, the air-water channel 12 includes a gas pipe section 121 that communicates with the jet channel 311; the gas pipe section 121 is provided with a gas equalization part 13, which is arranged around the outer wall of the fuel channel 11. The gas equalization part 13 has an annular cavity inside, which is connected to the jet channel 311 to evenly distribute the gas output from the jet channel 311; the air-water channel 12 pipe section after the gas equalization part 13 forms an annular air passage that is arranged around the outer periphery of the fuel channel 11 and is in the same direction of extension as the fuel channel 11.

[0057] Here, the gas pipe section 121 is used to receive air entering from the intake pipe 31. The gas pipe section 121 can be divided into two sections by the gas equalization section 13. The front section communicates with the jet passage 311 and extends to the front end of the main body 1, bypassing to one side of the fuel injection valve assembly 4, and then extends rearward until it reaches the gas equalization section 13. Since the gas equalization section 13 has an annular cavity inside, the gas flow cross section is effectively expanded, resulting in a decrease in gas density and improved uniformity of subsequent mixing with water. From the gas equalization section 13, the gas can flow along the annular air passage. The fuel passage 11 can be arranged coaxially with the annular air passage to further improve the uniformity of gas distribution within the annular air passage.

[0058] As can be seen from the foregoing embodiments, the fuel injector also includes a water injection valve assembly 22, which is used to control the opening and closing of the water injection channel 21. Specifically, the water spray valve assembly 22 includes a second armature 224, a second elastic element 222, a second solenoid valve 223, and a third needle valve seat. The water spray needle valve 221 is fixedly connected to the second armature 224 and extends into the water spray channel 21, where the water spray needle valve 221 can be embedded through the second armature 224. The second elastic element 222 is sleeved on the water spray needle valve 221, and its two ends are respectively connected to the second solenoid valve 223 and the second armature 224. Under the elastic pressure of the second elastic element 222, the water spray needle valve 221 blocks the outlet of the water spray channel 21. At this time, the water spray needle valve 221 and the second valve seat 225 are sealed together to prevent water leakage. When the second solenoid valve 223 is energized, the second solenoid valve 223 drives the second armature 224 to move through magnetic attraction, thereby compressing the second elastic element 222, so that the water spray needle valve 221 opens the outlet of the water spray channel 21, allowing water to spray out. Here, the second elastic element 222 can be a spring or a sheet spring.

[0059] Here, when the fuel injector needs to spray water, it needs to be accompanied by air jet. Therefore, when controlling the fuel injector to spray water, the water injection valve assembly 22 opens the water injection channel 21, and the air jet valve assembly 32 also needs to open the air jet channel 311.

[0060] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the gas-liquid channel 12 further includes a gas-liquid mixing pipe section 122 connected to the outlet of the gas pipe section 121. A water spray section 16 is provided at the connection between the gas pipe section 121 and the gas-liquid mixing pipe section 122. The water spray section 16 is connected to the outlet of the water spray channel 21. An annular water uniform channel is formed inside the water spray section 16. The annular water uniform channel is arranged circumferentially along the annular gas channel and is connected to the annular gas channel. Water from the water spray channel 21 is evenly sprayed into the gas-liquid mixing pipe section 122 through the annular water uniform channel.

[0061] As before, an annular air channel is formed in the gas-liquid channel after the gas equalization section 13. Therefore, by providing a water spray section 16 with an annular water equalization channel, water can be evenly sprayed into the annular air channel along the circumference of the annular air channel, thereby achieving uniform mixing of water and air.

[0062] Currently, the internal structure of water sprayers used in domestic and international water spray technologies cannot achieve fine water droplets, resulting in poor water atomization. Regardless of whether intake manifold injection or in-cylinder injection is used, water tends to accumulate on the cylinder walls upon entering the cylinder, damaging the lubricating oil film and causing oil emulsification. When water is distributed as large droplets within the cylinder, the uneven distribution creates excessively rich water zones, negatively impacting combustion and leading to worsened emissions.

[0063] Based on this, in one embodiment of this application, the air-water channel 12 is positioned at the location corresponding to the water spray section 16, where the flow cross-section is minimized. That is, after water is sprayed from the water spray channel 21, it enters the gas-liquid mixing pipe section 122 from the narrowest point of the air-water channel 12. By setting this narrowest point of the air-water channel 12, the airflow velocity can be greatly enhanced. After the water is sprayed out through the water spray section 16, it collides with the accelerated gas, breaking into fine droplets. These fine droplets are carried by the high-speed flowing gas towards the airflow direction, keeping the water in a fine droplet state and spraying it into the combustion chamber or intake manifold through the spray hole 15. This allows for effective atomization and evaporation of the water, which is beneficial for the diffusion of water mist within the cylinder. It can improve problems such as water flowing into the combustion chamber as large droplets due to poor atomization or being sprayed directly onto the cylinder wall as large droplets, leading to oil emulsification. It can effectively improve problems such as localized high water concentration caused by poor atomization and poor diffusion within the combustion chamber, resulting in combustion deterioration. When combustion occurs in the engine combustion chamber, the cooling effect of water can be fully utilized to reduce knocking tendency, improve engine thermal efficiency, and reduce the generation of NOx and other emissions. It also makes it possible to eliminate the strategy of fuel enrichment and cooling under high load, which is beneficial to improving fuel economy and PN emissions under high load conditions.

[0064] Here, a protrusion can be provided in the air-water channel 12 at a position corresponding to the water spray section 16 to reduce the flow cross-section of the air-water channel 12. In one embodiment, the air-water channel 12 includes a tapered section 17 and a widening section 18 connected in sequence. The flow cross-section of the tapered section 17 gradually decreases from front to back and gradually increases from front to back; the flow cross-section is smallest at the connection between the tapered section 17 and the widening section 18. This embodiment allows the airflow velocity to increase gradually when flowing through the tapered section 17, and the airflow velocity to decrease gradually when entering the tapered section 17 after passing through the smallest flow cross-section, thereby improving the stability of the air-liquid flow. Here, the tapered section 17 can be an arc-shaped surface of the inner wall of the air-water channel 12 bulging towards the center of the gas channel. The widening section 18 can be an arc-shaped concave surface of the inner wall of the air-water channel 12 facing away from the center of the gas channel.

[0065] Here, multiple sets of tapered sections 17 and widening sections 18 can be arranged along the extending direction of the air-water channel 12, and a water spray section 16 is provided at the junction of each set of tapered sections 17 and widening sections 18. This improves the uniformity of air-water mixing and increases the breakage of water droplets.

[0066] This application also proposes a vehicle comprising an engine cylinder, an intake manifold communicating with the engine cylinder, and a fuel injector; the fuel injector is mounted on the engine cylinder to inject oil and / or water into the engine cylinder; or the fuel injector is mounted on the intake manifold to inject oil and / or water into the intake manifold.

[0067] Specifically, the fuel injection valve assembly 4, the jet valve assembly 32, and the water injection valve assembly 22 in the fuel injector of this application operate independently without affecting each other. Therefore, the fuel injector described in this application can achieve flexible control of fuel injection and water injection. By setting multiple fuel injectors and based on different arrangements, various combinations of functions can be achieved, such as intake manifold water injection combined with direct gasoline injection, direct gasoline injection combined with direct water injection, intake manifold and in-cylinder dual fuel injection combined with intake manifold water injection, and intake manifold and in-cylinder dual fuel injection combined with intake manifold and in-cylinder dual water injection. This can effectively meet the needs of complex engine operating conditions and fully leverage the advantages of water injection technology for gasoline engine combustion.

[0068] In this embodiment, the fuel injector can simultaneously inject fuel and water in an oil-water separation mode, eliminating the need for additional water injectors in the cylinder or intake manifold. This reduces engine size and improves structural compactness. While direct in-cylinder oil-water mixing injection does not require additional water injectors, current technology necessitates an additional oil-water premixing device to premix the oil and water, sending the mixture into the injector and injecting it into the combustion chamber through a single channel. The corrosiveness of the high-pressure oil-water mixture and the harsh high-temperature, high-pressure environment of the combustion chamber place stringent requirements on the nozzle manufacturing process, and the additional premixing device also increases costs. This application effectively avoids the need for an oil-water premixing device, preventing the reduction in structural and performance stability caused by the corrosiveness of the oil-water mixture, and saving costs.

[0069] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a method for controlling a fuel injector according to one embodiment.

[0070] This application also proposes a control method for a fuel injector, applied to the fuel injector in the above embodiments. The specific structure and beneficial effects of the fuel injector in the above embodiments will not be repeated here.

[0071] Specifically, the control methods for fuel injectors include:

[0072] S51, obtain the engine's operating conditions;

[0073] S52 determines whether the fuel injector enters the fuel injection mode, water injection mode, or both modes simultaneously, based on the engine's operating conditions.

[0074] S53, when the fuel injector enters the water injection mode, the water injection valve assembly 22 is opened and the fuel injection valve assembly 4 is closed so that the fuel injector sprays water; when the fuel injector enters the water and fuel injection mode, the water injection valve assembly 22 and the fuel injection valve assembly 4 are opened so that the fuel injector sprays water and fuel.

[0075] The engine's operating status at a certain moment is referred to as its operating condition. Specifically, the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or controller can identify the corresponding phase of the engine. When the engine phase reaches a specific position, it is determined whether to enter the fuel injector injection mode, water injection mode, or both simultaneously. This application's solution achieves independent supply of water or fuel to the cylinder or intake manifold by flexibly controlling the water injection valve assembly 22, the fuel injection valve assembly 32, and the fuel injection valve assembly 4.

[0076] Furthermore, the fuel injector also includes an injection valve assembly 32 disposed within the injection passage 311, and an injection valve assembly 4 disposed within the fuel passage 11; therefore, the method includes:

[0077] S51, obtain the engine's operating conditions;

[0078] S52 determines whether the fuel injector enters the fuel injection mode, water injection mode, or both modes simultaneously, based on the engine's operating conditions.

[0079] S53, when the fuel injector enters the water injection mode, the water injection valve assembly 22 and the jet valve assembly 32 are opened, and the fuel injection valve assembly 4 is closed; when the fuel injector enters the fuel injection mode, the fuel injection valve assembly 4 is opened, and the water injection valve assembly 22 and the jet valve assembly 32 are closed; when the fuel injector enters the simultaneous fuel and water injection mode, the water injection valve assembly 22, the jet valve assembly 32, and the fuel injection valve assembly 4 are opened.

[0080] Although this application has been described with reference to several typical embodiments, it should be understood that the terminology used is illustrative and exemplary, and not restrictive. Since this application can be embodied in many forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the invention, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted broadly within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fuel injector, characterized in that, include: The main body includes a fuel channel and an air-water channel, and has an injection port and a water injection port on its surface. The inlet of the fuel channel is connected to a fuel supply system, and the outlet of the fuel channel is connected to the injection port. The main body also includes an injection valve assembly connected to the fuel channel, which controls the opening and closing of the fuel channel. The inlet of the air-water channel is connected to an air source, and the outlet of the air-water channel is connected to the water injection port. A water inlet is provided on the main body, and a water spray channel is formed in the water inlet. One end of the water spray channel is used to connect to the water supply system, and the other end is connected to the air-water channel to spray water into the air-water channel to mix the air and liquid. The water inlet includes a water spray valve assembly, which is used to control the opening and closing of the water spray channel. The gas-water channel includes a gas-liquid mixing pipe section, and a water spray section is provided at the inlet of the gas-liquid mixing pipe section; the water spray section is connected to the outlet of the water spray channel. The flow cross-section is smallest at the position corresponding to the water spray section on the air-water channel.

2. The fuel injector according to claim 1, characterized in that, An annular water distribution channel is formed inside the water spray section. The annular water distribution channel is arranged around the circumference of the gas-liquid mixing pipe section and is connected to the gas-liquid mixing pipe section. Water from the water spray channel is evenly sprayed into the gas-liquid mixing pipe section through the annular water distribution channel.

3. The fuel injector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air-water channel includes a constricting section and a widening section connected in sequence. The flow cross-section of the constricting section gradually decreases from front to back, and the flow cross-section of the widening section gradually increases from front to back. The flow cross section at the connection between the tapered portion and the widened portion is the smallest.

4. The fuel injector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main body is provided with an air intake pipe and a jet valve assembly; An air intake pipe has an air jet channel, the inlet of which is connected to an air source, and the outlet of which is connected to the inlet of the air-water channel. The jet valve assembly has a valve located within the jet passage, which can be moved to block or open the outlet of the jet passage.

5. The fuel injector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gas-liquid channel includes a gas pipe section; both ends of the gas pipe section are connected to the inlet of the jet channel and the inlet of the gas-liquid mixing pipe section, respectively. The gas pipe section is provided with a gas equalization section, which is arranged around the outer wall of the fuel channel. The gas equalization section has an annular cavity inside, which is connected to the jet channel to uniformly output gas from the jet channel. The gas-water channel section following the gas equalization section forms an annular gas channel surrounding the fuel channel, and extends in the same direction as the fuel channel.

6. The fuel injector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuel injection valve assembly includes a fuel injection needle valve, a first elastic element, a first solenoid valve, and a first armature; The fuel injection needle valve is fixedly connected to the first armature and extends into the fuel passage; the first elastic element is sleeved on the fuel injection needle valve, and the two ends of the first elastic element are respectively connected to the first solenoid valve and the first armature; the fuel injection needle valve blocks the outlet of the fuel passage under the elastic pressure of the first elastic element. When the first solenoid valve is energized, the first solenoid valve compresses the first elastic element by driving the first armature to move, thereby causing the fuel injection needle valve to open the outlet of the fuel passage.

7. The fuel injector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water spray valve assembly includes a water spray needle valve, a second elastic element, a second solenoid valve, and a second armature; The water-spraying needle valve is fixedly connected to the second armature and extends into the water-spraying channel; the second elastic element is sleeved on the water-spraying needle valve, and the two ends of the second elastic element are respectively connected to the second solenoid valve and the second armature; the water-spraying needle valve blocks the outlet of the water-spraying channel under the elastic pressure of the second elastic element. When the second solenoid valve is energized, the second solenoid valve compresses the second elastic element by driving the second armature to move, thereby causing the water jet needle valve to open the outlet of the water jet channel.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, It includes an engine cylinder, an intake manifold communicating with the engine cylinder, and at least one fuel injector as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The fuel injector is mounted on the engine cylinder to inject oil and / or water into the engine cylinder; and / or The fuel injector is mounted on the intake manifold to inject fuel and / or water into the intake manifold.

9. A method for controlling a fuel injector, applied to the fuel injector as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the engine's operating conditions; Depending on the engine's operating conditions, the fuel injector is controlled to enter either fuel injection mode, water injection mode, or both fuel and water injection modes. When the fuel injector enters the water injection mode, the water injection valve assembly is opened and the fuel injection valve assembly is closed to allow the fuel injector to spray water; when the fuel injector enters the simultaneous fuel and water injection mode, the water injection valve assembly and the fuel injection valve assembly are opened to allow the fuel injector to spray both water and fuel.

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