Method and systems for a leakage passageway of a fuel injector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9234486-B2
Application number	US-201313967490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2013
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

Various methods and systems are provided for a leakage passageway for a fuel injector of a common rail fuel system. In one embodiment, a fuel injector for an engine comprises an injector accumulator, an injector flow limiter valve configured to control a flow of fuel from a common fuel rail and into the injector accumulator, and a leakage passageway coupled between the injector accumulator and an inlet of the injector flow limiter valve, the leakage passageway bypassing the injector flow limiter valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel injector for an engine, comprising:
an injector accumulator;
an injector flow limiter valve configured to control a flow of fuel from a common fuel rail and into the injector accumulator; and
a leakage passageway coupled between the injector accumulator and an inlet of the injector flow limiter valve, the leakage passageway bypassing the injector flow limiter valve.

2. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the injector flow limiter valve is fluidically coupled to the common fuel rail and wherein the leakage passageway provides fluid communication between the injector accumulator and the common fuel rail.

3. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injector includes a flow passage, different than the leakage passageway, coupled between the common fuel rail and the injector accumulator, the flow passage including the injector flow limiter valve.

4. The fuel injector of claim 3 , wherein the injector flow limiter valve is configured to have a closed position blocking fuel flow through the flow passage.

5. The fuel injector of claim 3 , wherein the injector flow limiter valve is configured to have an open position providing fluid communication with the common fuel rail through the flow passage.

6. The fuel injector of claim 3 , wherein the flow passage and the leakage passageway are upstream of an injector nozzle and an injector body of the fuel injector, the injector body coupled to the injector accumulator.

7. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein the leakage passageway has a diameter in a range of 0.2-0.4 mm.

8. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein an inlet of the leakage passageway is coupled to the injector accumulator and an outlet of the leakage passageway is coupled to the inlet of the injector flow limiter valve.

9. The fuel injector of claim 1 , wherein an inlet of the leakage passageway is coupled to an outlet of the injector flow limiter valve, the outlet of the injector flow limiter valve fludically coupled to the injector accumulator, and an outlet of the leakage passageway is coupled to the inlet of the injector flow limiter valve.

10. A fuel injector for an engine, comprising:
an injector accumulator;
a first passage coupled between a flow limiter valve and the injector accumulator, the flow limiter valve positioned in a high pressure fuel line, upstream of the fuel injector, the high pressure fuel line coupled to a common fuel rail; and
a second passage, separate from the first passage, coupled between the injector accumulator and an inlet of the injector flow limiter valve, the inlet coupled to the common fuel rail.

11. The fuel injector of claim 10 , wherein the second passage bypasses the injector flow limiter valve.

12. The fuel injector of claim 10 , wherein the second passage has a diameter of 0.2-0.4 mm.

13. The fuel injector of claim 10 , wherein the second passage has an inlet coupled to the injector accumulator and an outlet coupled to the inlet of the injector flow limiter valve.

14. The fuel injector of claim 10 , further comprising a third passage, the third passage positioned downstream of the first passage and the second passage and the third passage coupled to a common fuel return, the common fuel return coupled to a fuel tank.

15. A fuel injection system of an engine, comprising:
a common fuel rail;
a first fuel injector with a first leakage passageway coupled between a first injector accumulator and an inlet of a first injector flow limiter valve positioned in a first flow passage, the inlet of the first injector flow limiter valve coupled to the common fuel rail; and
a second fuel injector with a second leakage passageway coupled between a second injector accumulator and an inlet of a second injector flow limiter valve positioned in a second flow passage, the inlet of the second injector flow limiter valve coupled to the common fuel rail.

16. The fuel injection system of claim 15 , wherein the first injector accumulator is in fluid communication with the second injector accumulator through the first leakage passageway, the second leakage passageway, and the common fuel rail.

17. The fuel injection system of claim 15 , wherein when the first injector flow limiter valve is closed and the second injector flow limiter valve is open, the second injector accumulator is in fluid communication with the common fuel rail through the second flow passage and the second leakage passageway and the second injector accumulator is in fluid communication with the first injector accumulator through the first leakage passageway.

18. The fuel injection system of claim 15 , further comprising a third fuel injector with a third leakage passageway coupled between a third injector accumulator and an inlet of a third injector flow limiter valve positioned in a third flow passage, the inlet of the third injector flow limiter valve coupled to the common fuel rail.

19. The fuel injection system of claim 18 , wherein the first injector accumulator, the second injector accumulator, and the third injector accumulator are all in fluid communication with one another through the first leakage passageway, the second leakage passageway, and the third leakage passageway, independent of a position of the first injector flow limiter valve, a position of the second injector flow limiter valve, and a position of the third injector flow limiter valve.

20. The fuel injection system of claim 18 , further comprising a common fuel return coupled to a first injector return passage of the first fuel injector, a second injector return passage of the second fuel injector, and a third injector return passage of the third fuel injector.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Das Sumit Kumar
• Nistler Paul Gerard
• Rivera Javier
• Anandhan Muthu

Classifications

• F02M55/002 Primary

  Arrangement of leakage or drain conduits in or from injectors · CPC title

• F02M2200/31

  Fuel-injection apparatus having hydraulic pressure fluctuations damping elements · CPC title

• F02M2200/40

  Fuel-injection apparatus with fuel accumulators, e.g. a fuel injector having an integrated fuel accumulator · CPC title

• F02M55/025

  Common rails · CPC title

• F02M63/0054 Primary

  Check valves (F02M59/462, F02M59/464 take precedence) · CPC title