Caterpillar Inc.

Lifeng Wang

Scott F Shafer

Dana Ray Coldren

Alan Ray Stockner

Robert Michael Campion

Satya Naga Deepak Pillarisetti

Dennis Henderson Gibson

Ye Tian

Wade James Robel

David Elliot Hackett

Martin A Lehman

Eric Lee Schroeder

Andrew O Marrack

Sana Mahmood

Thomas Jeffrey Crowell

Aaron Michael Brown

Xinshuang Nan

Jianhua Zhang

George Kodikulam Joseph

Jianyuan Yang

Ronald Dean Shinogle

Scott Alan Leman

Cory Andrew Brown

Curtis John Graham

Hoisan Kim

Jack Albert Merchant

Victor Iskander Yacoub

Kevin Weiss

Mitchell B Juchems

Zhenyu Li

Chetan J Desai

Robert Graumüller

Sridhar Thangaswamy

Eric Lee Rogers

Ryan Thomas Sunley

Mandar Arvind Joshi

Koti Ratnam Padarthy

John D Gierszewski

Spencer Landon Huhn

Chris Lee Stewart

Alan W Wells

Fergal Michael O'Shea

Kaushik Krishnamurthy

Andrew C Heebink

Taylor Tang

Pierson Klein

Gengxun K Gurley

Dean C Diers

Kyle E Enzinger

Rui Zhang

Zhenyu (Jason) Li

Norval J Weimken

A fuel injector in a fuel system having a first fuel supply of a first fuel and a second fuel supply of a second fuel includes a multifunctional control valve movable in the fuel injector to control admission of the first fuel to a combined-fuel outlet passage, and to control a timing and an injection pressure of a fuel charge containing the first fuel. In an embodiment the first fuel includes a compression-ignition fuel such as diesel and the second fuel includes an alcohol fuel such as methanol. Related apparatus and methodology is disclosed.

Multi-function fuel injector valve in dual fuel system and fuel system operating method

Operating an engine system includes cold starting an engine, closing spill valves to pressurize fuel in a plurality of plunger cavities, opening injection valves in some of a plurality of fuel injectors to inject fuel into firing cylinders in an engine cycle, and opening spill valves in some of the plurality of fuel injectors while injection valves therein remain closed to bleed fuel to a lower pressure space in the engine cycle. The pressurization of fuel in the fuel injectors remaining closed parasitically loads the engine to increase a fuel burned amount hastening warm up and limiting misfire. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.

Engine parasitic loading strategy using fuel pressurization

A dual fuel engine system includes an engine, and a fuel system including a pressurized fuel reservoir, a first fuel pump, and a plurality of second fuel pumps each having an actuating fluid inlet fluidly connected to at least one of the first fuel pump or the pressurized fuel reservoir. The plurality of second fuel pumps may intensify or de-intensify a pressure of a second fuel relative to a pressure of the first fuel used to actuate the second fuel pumps so as to obtain an increased flow rate of the second fuel. Related apparatus and methodology is also disclosed.

Dual fuel engine system having fuel-actuated unit pumps and method

An electronically controlled fuel injector includes an injection valve; a control valve fluidly connected between a pressurized fuel supply passage and a control chamber for controlling operation of the injection valve, the control valve movable between a non-injection position and an injection position; the injection valve configured to inject fuel with the control valve in the injection position; and a control member chamber including an orifice that fluidly connects the control member chamber with a low pressure return line of a fuel supply system. The control chamber is fluidly coupled with a pressure communication passage such that the control chamber is fluidly coupled with the low pressure return line through the orifice in the control member chamber when the control valve is in the injection position. The pressure communication passage includes a two-way, variable flow rate valve.

Fuel injector control system and method

A fuel injector is disclosed. The fuel injector may have an injector body having a fuel inlet and at least one orifice. The fuel injector may also have a first check valve member. The first check valve member may be selectively movable to fluidly block a first flow of fuel from the fuel inlet to the at least one orifice. The fuel injector may have a second check valve member. The second check valve member may be selectively movable to fluidly block a second flow of fuel from the fuel inlet to the at least one orifice. The fuel injector may also have a control valve assembly. The control valve assembly may be configured to selectively operate either the first check valve or both the first check valve and the second check valve to fluidly connect the fuel inlet and the at least one orifice.

Fuel injector having dual solenoid control valves

A fuel injector capable of injecting a plurality of different fuels in a single fuel injection event includes a body including a primary fuel path and a pilot fuel path and a first plunger in fluid communication with the pilot fuel path. The fuel injector also includes a second plunger in fluid communication with the primary fuel path and with the pilot fuel path, a hydraulic control chamber within the pilot fuel path, and an injection valve at which the primary fuel path and the pilot fuel path connect to each other.

Multi-fuel injector and method

A fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel system, a valve train, and a fuel injector including a cam actuated plunger. The fuel injector has a noise suppressor fluidly connecting a plunger cavity to each of a spill passage and a nozzle supply passage in the fuel injector. The noise suppressor has an inlet configuration forming a fuel admission flow area to the plunger cavity, and an outlet configuration forming a fuel discharge flow area. The fuel discharge flow area is smaller than the fuel admission flow area, and the noise suppressor adjusts to the outlet configuration to throttle discharging of fuel from the plunger cavity to limit valve train noise.

Fuel injector and fuel system with valve train noise suppressor

A fuel system is disclosed for use with an engine. The fuel system may have a common rail, a first type of fuel injector fluidly connected to the common rail, and a second type of fuel injector fluidly connected to the common rail. The second type of fuel injector may include a pumping portion having a bore formed therein, and a plunger reciprocatingly disposed in the bore. The second type of fuel injector may also include an accumulator portion fluidly connected to the common rail and configured to receive fuel pushed from the bore of the pumping portion by the plunger, a nozzle portion, and a valve portion fluidly connecting the pumping, nozzle, and accumulator portions.

Common rail fuel system having pump-accumulator injectors

A method of increasing parasitic load on an internal combustion engine includes injecting a fuel into a combustion chamber of an active cylinder of the internal combustion engine, combusting the injected fuel in the combustion chamber of the active cylinder, and determining that increasing a temperature of an exhaust aftertreatment device is required. The method includes increasing a parasitic load on the internal combustion engine by deactivating a cylinder, wherein no fuel is injected in the deactivated cylinder for a combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine, and further increasing the parasitic load by pulsing a spill valve member of a spill valve of a fuel injector in the deactivated cylinder between a fully closed position and an at least partially open position.

Engine and method for exhaust aftertreatment

A fuel injector includes an injector body, and a plunger movable within a plunger cavity in the injector body. The fuel injector also includes a spill valve positioned at least partially within a main fuel passage, a fill passage forming a fluid connection between the plunger cavity and the main fuel passage, and a cross passage forming a second fluid connection between the plunger cavity and the main fuel passage. The fuel injector also includes a metering edge within the plunger cavity and positioned such that the plunger passes the metering edge during pumping to the plunger for valvetrain noise suppression. A metering slot may be formed in the injector body or the plunger.

Fuel injector having cam-actuated plunger and plunger cavity metering edge for valvetrain noise suppression

A fuel system is disclosed for use with an engine, including a fuel injector assembly fluidly coupled with a low-pressure fuel conduit, an accumulator, and a cap within an opening in the accumulator. The fuel injector assembly may be structured to draw in low-pressure fuel, pressurize the fuel, and store the pressurized fuel in the accumulator for injection to a combustion chamber. The cap has a pressure sensor and a pressure relief valve therein, and drains fuel leaked past fluid seals between the cap and each of the pressure sensor, the pressure relief valve, and the accumulator by way of a common drain line.

Stand-alone common rail capable injector system

An engine control system is structured for operating a turbocharged engine system and includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is structured to switch the engine system from operation in a parasitically loaded mode where fuel pressurized by a fuel pump is dumped to a low pressure space, to operation in a second mode, where an engine load increase is detected. Turbocharger lag in the engine system is limited during increasing the engine load by way of exhaust energy produced in response to the parasitic loading. Related methodology is disclosed.

Control system for turbocharged engine system and operating method for same

A fluid injection system includes a fluid injector assembly; a fluid conditioning module having an outlet port that is fluidly coupled to an inlet port of the fluid injector assembly; an injector assembly outlet conduit fluidly coupled to an outlet port of the fluid injector assembly and disposed downstream of the fluid injector assembly, the injector assembly outlet conduit defining a pressure measurement port and a flow-restricting orifice, the pressure measurement port being disposed upstream of the flow-restricting orifice along the direction of fluid flow through the fluid injector assembly; a pressure sensor fluidly coupled to the pressure measurement port; and a controller operatively coupled to the fluid conditioning module and the pressure sensor. The controller is configured to adjust a flowrate of a fluid through the injector assembly inlet conduit based on a pressure signal from the pressure sensor.

Fluid injector supply system and method for operating same

A port injection system for gaseous fuels may include an injector body defining a hydraulic fluid inlet chamber, a hydraulic fluid exit passageway, a hydraulic fluid actuation passageway, a check valve inlet passageway fluidly connected with the hydraulic fluid actuation passageway, a valve chamber, and a gaseous fuel inlet chamber. An electrical solenoid actuator may be mounted to the injector body, with the electrical solenoid actuator including a movable armature, and a poppet valve connected to the movable armature and disposed within the valve chamber. The poppet valve may be movable between a pressurized hydraulic fluid flow blocking position and a pressurized hydraulic fluid flow passing position. A check valve may be disposed within the check valve inlet passageway. A gas admission valve may be disposed at least partially within the gaseous fuel inlet chamber and in contact with the check valve such that movement of the check valve by hydraulic fluid entering the check valve inlet passageway results in actuation of the gas admission valve away from a normally closed position closing off the gaseous fuel inlet chamber to a fuel injection position wherein gaseous fuel is allowed to flow from the gaseous fuel inlet chamber into an intake manifold or intake port of an engine on which the injector body is mounted.

Port injection system for gaseous fuels

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Lifeng Wang