GDi Fuel Pump Inlet Valve Particle Blockage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gasoline direct injection (GDi) fuel pumps are prone to malfunction due to small particles, including metallic particles, carried by the fuel that accumulate in the inlet valve assembly and cause blockages.
Innovation Solution
The fuel pump incorporates an improved inlet valve assembly featuring a check valve with a seat member and a movable valve member, actuated by a needle assembly with an armature and a washer having a plurality of through holes. The obturating member includes flexible blades with multiple small openings, which modify the flow behavior and restrict the passage of larger particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inlet valve assembly uses a conventional design with a needle assembly and air gap, then the valve can be actuated effectively by magnetic field, but particles accumulate in the air gap and cause blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the air gap from the inlet valve assembly design. By eliminating the air gap between the needle armature and pole piece, the space where particles could accumulate is removed, preventing particle buildup while maintaining magnetic actuation functionality through direct contact or minimal clearance design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a porous filter element within the inlet valve assembly that allows fuel flow while trapping particles. The porous structure enables selective passage of fuel molecules while blocking particulate matter, preventing particle accumulation in critical areas and maintaining reliable valve operation.
2Productivity
If the washer has large through holes for fuel flow, then fuel supply is adequate, but particles can pass through and accumulate in the inlet valve assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces solid washer holes with porous filter material that has controlled pore sizes. The porous structure provides adequate fuel flow rates while the pore size is sufficiently small to trap particles, thus maintaining productivity while preventing particle passage to the inlet valve assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite structures combining filter media with the washer assembly. The composite material integrates filtering capability with structural support, allowing the washer to maintain its mechanical function while adding particle filtration capability that prevents particle accumulation.
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 design reduces the likelihood of blockages by limiting the flow of particulate pollution through the washer, ensuring consistent operation of the fuel pump and preventing malfunctions caused by particle accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
The needle assembly is spring biased toward the valve seat member and lifts off the shutter, whereby the inlet valve assembly is open by default allowing fuel to enter the compression chamber. Energizing the coil assembly will retract the needle assembly, typically during a compression phase, allowing the shutter to come into seated position and close the holes in the valve seat member.
Implementation Method 2
The needle assembly is spring biased toward the valve seat member and lifts off the shutter, whereby the inlet valve assembly is open by default allowing fuel to enter the compression chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
A GDi fuel pump comprising an inlet valve assembly arranged in an inlet passage of the pump housing. The inlet valve assembly comprises a check valve comprising a seat member cooperating with a valve member; and an actuator assembly having a needle assembly reciprocally moveable by means of a magnetic field to actuated the valve member. The needle assembly includes an actuating needle, an armature, a washer with a plurality of through holes and an obturating member. The obturating member comprises a plurality of flexible blades, each blade comprising an obturating pad configured to be moveable between a rest position, wherein the obturating pad rests on the washer and closes a respective through hole thereof, and a raised position, raised from the washer when the needle moves away from the check valve. Each obturating pad comprises a plurality of openings, the cumulative cross-sections of the openings in a respective pad representing a fraction of the flow cross-section through the respective hole in the washer.