Fuel Pump Drive Decoupled From Engine Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern gasoline direct injection systems face inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for various pump configurations and the generation of mechanical noise from high-pressure pumps, which are often mitigated with costly sound insulation.
Innovation Solution
A fuel pump system decoupled from the engine's camshaft, driven by a dedicated electric pump drive that synchronizes the low-pressure and high-pressure pumps independently of engine speed, allowing for a single pump configuration to serve multiple engines and reducing noise by eliminating the digital inlet valve and allowing installation away from the engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the high-pressure pump is mechanically driven by the engine camshaft, then the pump frequency is coupled to engine speed, but this increases device complexity and requires different pump configurations for various engines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical camshaft drive system with an electric motor drive system. The electric motor is controlled by an control unit that can independently regulate pump frequency regardless of engine speed, eliminating the need for mechanical coupling and allowing a single pump configuration to serve multiple engine types.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sound insulation is added around the high-pressure pump, then noise emissions are reduced, but this increases weight and may cause fuel heat up
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the digital inlet valve component that generates high-frequency ticking noise, eliminating the source of noise rather than adding sound insulation. This extraction approach reduces weight and avoids the fuel heat-up issue caused by insulation while still achieving noise reduction.
3Reliability
If the high-pressure pump is matched to the highest injection quantity per stroke, then fuel demand requirements are met, but this reduces efficiency at lower injection quantities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamically controllable pump drive system where the electric motor's rotational speed and pump frequency can be adjusted in real-time based on actual fuel demand. The control unit receives signals from the engine control unit and adapts pump operation to match current injection requirements, maintaining high efficiency across all operating conditions rather than being fixed for maximum demand.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a digital inlet valve is used to regulate pressurized fuel, then pressure stabilization is achieved, but high-frequency actuation generates ticking noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the digital inlet valve from the system entirely. Instead of using an electromagnetically actuated valve that opens and closes at high frequency to regulate fuel flow, the system uses a continuously controllable electric motor drive that regulates pump frequency to match fuel demand, eliminating the valve's ticking noise while maintaining pressure stability through electronic control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances efficiency, reduces noise, and lowers costs by enabling a single pump configuration for various engines, improving fuel injection precision and reducing power consumption while simplifying the supply infrastructure.
Implementation Method 1
a pump drive configured to drive the low-pressure pump and the high-pressure pump synchronously with a pump frequency independently from an engine speed of the internal combustion engine
Implementation Method 2
a high-pressure pump in fluid communication with the low-pressure pump and configured to compress the liquid fuel from the low pressure to a high pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel pump for a liquid fuel injection system of a motor vehicle is provided. The fuel pump for a fuel injection system includes a low-pressure pump that provides liquid fuel from a fuel tank of the motor vehicle at a low pressure. A high-pressure pump in fluid communication with the low-pressure pump and compresses the liquid fuel from the low pressure to a high pressure for injecting the liquid fuel into an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle. A pump drive drives the low-pressure pump and the high-pressure pump synchronously with a pump frequency independently from an engine speed of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.