Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Vince Paul Solferino

Paul Zeng

Patrick Brostrom

Scott Lehto

Joseph F Basmaji

Kyi Shin Shiah

Giuseppe DeRose, Jr

Michael Robert Kaput

Syed M Ahmed

Ross Dykstra Pursifull

Gopichandra Surnilla

Robert Andrew Wade

Mark Meinhart

Alvin Henry Berger

Jeffrey Eliot Chottiner

Christopher Arnold Woodring

Michael Bruno Magnan

Al Berger

Jim Chern

Robin Ivo Lawther

William Taylor

Mark L Stickler

Jacob Jensen

David E Masser

Simon Antonov

Nancy Gagnon

Ray Alan Kach

A fuel system including a high pressure fuel pump with a quite fuel metering valve is disclosed. In one example, the quite fuel metering valve may be driven via a rotating motor. The fuel system may reduce engine noise and may provide improved fuel pressure control.

Fuel pump with quiet rotating suction valve

Systems and methods are provided for cooling an alternator using a fan that is operationally independent of the alternator and a duct system that at least partially surrounds the alternator. Example vehicles include an alternator cooling system that comprises a fan configured to be operationally independent of the alternator and disposed adjacent to an end of the alternator, and a duct system encasing the end of the alternator. The vehicles further include a control module configured to control operation of the fan based on one or more inputs related to operation of the alternator. Example methods include receiving, at a processor, an input related to operation of the alternator; determining, based on the input, that a preset condition has been met, using the processor; and responsive thereto, generating a control signal to adjust an operating speed of the fan.

Alternator with external cooling system

Systems and methods are provided for a high-pressure fuel pump to mitigate audible ticking noise associated with opening and closing of a digital inlet valve of the high-pressure pump. To reduce the ticking noise associated with the high-pressure pump when the engine is idling, a solution is needed that is simple and does not involve retrofitting the fuel system with noise, vibration, and harshness countermeasures to mask the noise. Pressure devices and associated operation methods are provided that involve adding a combination of several check valves, an accumulator, and a flow control valve with weep channels to allow the digital inlet valve to be deactivated during engine idling as defined by a threshold engine speed.

Pressure device to reduce ticking noise during engine idling

A method is provided which mitigates the noise of a direct injection system in a port fuel injection and direct fuel injection (PFI-DI) engine and reduces NVH hardware. During a cold-start, the engine idle speed may be increased to mitigate the direct injection noise and during a warm idle, the engine cooling fan may be turned on during a direct injector cleanout cycle to mitigate the direct injection noise. This allows the PFI-DI engine to be run more efficiently without concern of the noise produced by the direct injectors and high pressure pump of the direct injection system.

Method and system for direct injection noise mitigation

A fuel system including a high pressure fuel pump with a quiet fuel metering valve is disclosed. In one example, the quiet fuel metering valve may be cam driven. The fuel system may reduce engine noise and may provide operating modes that are different from other fuel systems.

Fuel pump with quiet cam operated suction valve

A method of pressuring fuel for a direct injection fuel system via a fuel pump in an engine is provided. The method includes, during a first mode, adjusting a magnetic solenoid valve (MSV) to control pump outlet pressure and during a second mode, deactivating the MSV and controlling pump outlet pressure via a noise-reducing valve assembly on an inlet side of the fuel pump.

Engine fuel pump and method for operation thereof

A method for operating a fuel pump is provided. The method may include decreasing a pump chamber pressure, passively opening a metering valve coupled to a pump chamber in response to the decreasing, and while the metering valve is open, generating a rotational output via a motor, transferring the rotational output into an actuation force applied to the metering valve via a metering valve actuation device, and inhibiting the metering valve from closing via sustaining application of the actuation force.

Fuel pump with metering valve

A high pressure fuel pump for use with an internal combustion engine and a method of operation of a high pressure fuel pump are disclosed. The high pressure fuel pump may include a supply chamber and a pump chamber separated by a passage in sealing arrangement with a disk. The disk may have one or more holes therethrough and be rotatable in order to place the holes in the disk in varying degrees of alignment with the passage to allow respective, varying amounts of fuel to flow through the passage.

High pressure fuel pump

An engine is provided. The engine includes a piston operable to reciprocate in a cylinder, a crankshaft rotatably coupled to the piston, and a supercharger rotatably coupled to the crankshaft. The supercharger has an unequal distribution of mass along a longitudinal plane of the supercharger to provide a rotational counterbalance to reduce engine imbalance.

Engine balancing supercharger

An internal combustion engine direct injection fuel injector system includes a fuel rail which is welded to a fuel rail bracket. A fuel rail mounting sleeve has a flange and is bolted to the engine cylinder head. The bracket fits around the flange and is held in place by a steel washer and a pair of stepped isolator washers which are positioned in pockets formed on either side of the bracket. The isolator washers serve as springs which form a shock absorber between the bracket and cylinder head. Compression forces on the bracket and isolator washers are controlled by bolt tension.

Fuel rail mount

A direct fuel injection fuel system includes a fuel rail cap and a fuel injector received within the fuel rail cap. A clip extends through slots in the fuel rail cap and engages the fuel rail to support the fuel rail within the fuel rail cap. The fuel rail cap includes a groove adjoining the slots to accept a portion of the clip. The clip engages a shoulder on the fuel injector assembly. The shoulder may be on the injector body or on an adapter secured to the injector body.

Fuel injector mount

A direct fuel injection cylinder for an engine of a vehicle includes a direct fuel injector disposed in an injector bore within a cylinder head. A beveled conical wave washer is disposed between a shelf in the injector bore and a shoulder of the direct fuel injector. During operation of the vehicle, the beveled conical wave washer is elastically deformed by radial displacement caused by absorption of high frequency energy from the direct fuel injector. Elastic deformation of the beveled conical wave washer may reduce noise which may be caused by impact of the direct fuel injector and the cylinder head.

Beveled dampening element for a fuel injector

A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injector pocket, formed within a cylinder head, for housing an injector which sprays fuel into a combustion chamber defined by the cylinder head and a piston crown. The injector is mounted with a conical isolator which is loaded at a lower, elastic rate during lower power operation, with the conical isolator being stacked solid between a tapered portion of the injector and a corresponding tapered portion of the cylinder head during high power operation of the engine and injection system. The isolator controls unwanted injector ticking noise, while protecting the integrity of the injector's tip seal by preventing excessive axial displacement of the injector during higher load operation.

Direct fuel injection system for internal combustion engine with conical ring injector isolator

An internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and first and second balance shafts which are gear driven from one to the other, as a unilateral tensioning system applied to a flexible drive extending between the engine's crankshaft and a first one of the balance shafts, with the unilateral tensioning system being applied to the tension side alone of the flexible and inextensible drive element.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Vince Paul Solferino