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Fuel injection strategies in opposed-piston engines with multiple fuel injectors

  • US 10,066,545 B2
  • Filed: 03/28/2017
  • Issued: 09/04/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of operating an opposed-piston engine with fuel injectors located for direct side injection of fuel into a cylinder of the opposed-piston engine, in which a pair of pistons is disposed crown to crown in the cylinder, the method comprising:

  • causing the pair of opposed pistons to move in the cylinder;

    compressing charge air between end surfaces of the pair of opposed pistons as they move toward top dead center positions in the cylinder;

    injecting fuel from a first fuel injector and a second fuel injector in response to successive drive signal pulses;

    the fuel being injected into a combustion chamber defined in the cylinder between the end surfaces of the pair of opposed pistons as the pair of opposed pistons approach top dead center locations, such that fuel injected by the first fuel injector includes at least a pilot injection followed by a main injection, and fuel injected by the second fuel injector includes at least a pilot injection followed by a main injection;

    maintaining an inter-pulse gap between successive edges of the drive signal pulses that causes each pilot injection to be separated from its following main injection by at least a minimum time interval; and

    ,causing the fuel to ignite in response to heat produced by compression of the charge air.

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