Walbro Corporation

Orbital Walbro Corporation

Thomas M Hoover

Edward J Talaski

Charles H Tuckey

James Thompson

A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine that includes a fuel supply with a fuel pump responsive to application of electrical power for supplying fuel under pressure to fuel injectors mounted on the engine. A pressure sensor is coupled to the pump/injector fuel delivery line for measuring fuel delivery pressure. A second sensor is positioned within the fuel tank and is responsive to fuel alcohol concentration. The pump motor is energized by a pulsed d.c. signal having a duty cycle that varies as a combined function of the pressure and alcohol-concentration sensor output signals so as to maintain constant fuel pressure at the injectors while automatically compensating quantity of fuel delivered by the injectors for differing fuel alcohol concentrations.

Pressure-responsive fuel delivery system

In an internal combustion engine that includes at least one cylinder having a piston coupled to an engine crankshaft, a fuel injector coupled to a fuel supply and responsive to electronic signals for feeding fuel from the supply directly into the cylinder, and an air supply that includes a throttle valve responsive to electronic signals for controlling quantity of combustion air fed to the cylinder, a method and system for controlling the air/fuel ratio within the cylinder to obtain combustion at or near the lean limit beyond which the engine misfires. Actual combustion is monitored and compared as a function of crank angle with a predetermined combustion characteristic indicative of operation at the lean burn limit. The throttle valve is controlled as a function of the resulting error signal to restrict air supply to the combustion cylinder so that cylinder combustion approaches the predetermined lean burn characteristic.

Air/fuel ratio control in an internal combustion engine

A mounting system for electric pumps used in automotive vehicles, especially those in which the pump is installed in the fuel tank. To reduce pump and pump motor vibrations and noise, which may be objectionable to passengers, the pump is mounted within a jacket enclosure carried in the vehicle fuel tank. A suspension for the pump within the jacket consists of identical mount rings of relatively soft flexible material which has internal and external relatively thin projections to contact the inner walls of the jacket on the outside of the ring and to contact the pump housing on the inside of the ring. Radial continuations of the projections establish the axial location of the pump within the jackets.

In-tank fuel pump mount

In a fuel delivery system that includes a pump for supplying fuel under pressure from a supply to an internal combustion engine, a check valve is positioned between the pump and the engine for preventing back-flow of fuel from the engine to the pump. The valve has a flow passage with a central axis and a valve seat orientated away from the pump. A valve element is positioned within the passage for axial motion against a coil spring as a function of fuel pressure from the pump. The coil spring is captured in compression between the valve element and a guide positioned downstream of the valve element within the flow passage. A stem that extends axially from the valve element is slidably disposed in a central bore in the guide. An orifice couples the bore to the fluid flow passage. The guide and valve stem thereby not only restrain lateral motion of the valve element within the passage, but also form a piston/cylinder construction that cooperates with the orifice to dampen axial motion of the valve element. Thus, axial and lateral motions of the valve element are stabilized, greatly reducing the vibrational signature of the pump and check valve system, and reducing pressure pulses delivered from the pump to the engine.

Check valve for engine fuel delivery systems

A mounting system for electric pumps used in automotive vehicles, especially those in which the pump is installed in the fuel tank. To reduce pump and pump motor vibrations and noise, which may be objectionable to passengers, the pump is mounted within a cage enclosure carried in the vehicle fuel tank. A suspension for the pump within the cage consists of leaf spring strike-outs in the walls of the cage unit which contact the outer walls and ends of the pump housing to provide a resilient suspension radially and axially.

Electric vehicle pump isolation mount

A mounting for an electric fuel pump in a fuel tank of a passenger vehicle which includes an oversize, open-ended enclosure to surround a pump within the fuel tank. The enclosure is mounted on a pipe depending into the fuel tank from a cantilever connection. The pump is floatingly mounted in the enclosure by conical coil springs at each end seated respectively on the pump housing and inner flanges of the enclosure. The enclosure is formed of two telescoping portions clamped together by a plate which also traps the depending pipe to support the assembly within the fuel tank.

Growing community of inventors

Reese, MI, United States of America

Thomas M Hoover