Diesel Engine Fuel Injector Control for Vibration Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Diesel engines experience shaking when an injector is turned off, as there is no effective method to manage the firing sequence to conserve fuel without causing engine instability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a control module to detect engine conditions and distribute the 'firing outage' equally among all cylinders by controlling the firing of injectors based on transmission line pressure, using solenoid valves to manage fuel flow and adjust the firing sequence to eliminate shaking and conserve fuel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If an injector is turned off in a diesel engine to conserve fuel, then fuel economy is improved, but the engine experiences shaking and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the firing outage across multiple cylinders rather than concentrating it in a single cylinder. By distributing the skipped injections across different cylinders in a rotational pattern, the engine maintains smoother operation and reduces shaking while still achieving fuel savings from reduced fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic action by rotating which cylinder receives the skipped injection through a predetermined sequence. This periodic distribution of firing outages creates a rhythmic pattern that balances the engine's power delivery across revolutions, preventing sustained vibration in any single cylinder while maintaining overall fuel economy improvements.
2Loss of energy
If fuel injection is reduced to improve fuel economy, then energy loss decreases, but engine power and performance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively skipping fuel injection in only some cylinders during specific operating conditions rather than reducing injection across all cylinders. This partial approach achieves fuel savings while maintaining sufficient power output in the remaining active cylinders to meet engine performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which cylinders receive skipped injections based on real-time operating conditions and rotational position. This dynamic allocation allows the engine to optimize fuel economy at partial load conditions while maintaining power availability when needed, creating a flexible balance between fuel consumption and power output.
Data Source
AI summary
A diesel engine coupled to a transmission and having a fuel injector control system which among other things monitors the load on the engine by measuring the transmission line pressure, a higher pressure being indicative of a greater load. When the pressure is below a preset value and the engine is sufficiently warm, the normal injector firing sequence is altered by not actuating injectors at spaced intervals in the firing sequence. As the pressure and therefore the load decreases, the intervals between which injectors are not actuated are decreased so that in a given number of engine rotations there are fewer injector actuations and as a result of corresponding cylinders being idle, less fuel is supplied to the engine at lighter loads.