Fuel system having pressure pulsation damping

• US 6,925,989 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Wattleworth, Robert Eugene, Treusch, Christopher John, Li, Joe Zhi
• Primary Examiner(s): MOULIS, THOMAS N
• Application Number:
  US10/643,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 123/456, 123/467, 123/468, 123/469, 138 26- 30
• US Class Current: 123/456
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2200/315 for damping fuel pressure fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/465 of fuel rails

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel system having pressure pulsation damping. The invention specifically locates restrictors in relation to identified critical elements of the system to control the maximum operating system pulse magnitude, as well as dampening the overall pulsations of the system.

Claims

1. A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine, said system having fuel pressure damping and comprising:

a fuel feed line;

a fuel rail defining a fuel passageway therein, said rail being connected to said feed line to receive fuel from said feed line into said passageway;

a plurality of fuel injectors connected to said rail to receive fuel from said passageway to be delivered to the engine;

a compliance member located within said system, said compliant member decreasing the bulk modulus of said system;

at least a portion of said system defining a critical element of said system, said critical element significantly contributing to a resonant mode of said system during operation wherein a pressure pulsation occurs within said system; and

a fluid flow restrictor located within said system, said restrictor being located in relation to said critical element whereby the distance (C) from said restrictor to an end of said critical element is generally defined by the equation D=(1−

E)/0.00226, where E is the percent optimal benefit gained.

2. The fuel delivery system of claim 1 wherein said restrictor is located within said critical element.

3. The fuel delivery system of claim 1 wherein said restrictor is located in proximity to said critical element.

4. The fuel delivery system of claim 1 wherein said restrictor is located less than 422 mm from said critical element.

5. The fuel delivery system of claim 1 wherein said critical element is a portion of said rail.

6. The fuel delivery system of claim 1 wherein said rail includes a cross-over member located between first and second side rails.

7. The fuel delivery system of claim 6 wherein said critical element is a portion of said crossover member.

8. The fuel delivery system of claim 6 wherein said critical member is a portion of one of said first and second side rails.

9. A fuel delivery system for an Internal combustion engine, said system having fuel pressure damping and comprising:

a fuel feed line;

a fuel rail defining a fuel passageway therein, said rail being connected to said feed line to receive fuel from said feed line into said passageway;

a plurality of fuel injectors connected to said rail to receive fuel from said passageway to be delivered to the engine;

a compliance member located within said system, said compliant member decreasing the bulk modulus of said system;

at least a portion of said system defining a critical element of said system, said critical element significantly contributing to a resonant mode of said system during operation wherein a pressure pulsation occurs within said system; and

a fluid flow restrictor located within said system, said restrictor being located in relation to said critical element whereby the distance (D) from said restrictor to an end of said critical element is generally defined by the equation D=(1−

[R_r/R_a])/0.00226, where R_r is the required effect on the maximum pulse magnitude and R is the actual effect on the pulse magnitude.

10. The fuel delivery system of claim 9 wherein said restrictor is located within said critical element.

11. The fuel delivery system of claim 9 wherein said restrictor is located in proximity to said critical element.

12. The fuel delivery system of claim 9 wherein said restrictor is located less than 422 mm from said critical element.

13. The fuel delivery system of claim 9 wherein said critical element is a portion of said rail.

14. The fuel delivery system of claim 9 wherein said rail includes a cross-over member located between first and second side rails.

15. The fuel delivery system of claim 14 wherein said critical element is a portion of said cross-over member.

16. The fuel delivery system of claim 14 wherein said critical member is a portion of one of said first and second side rails.

17. A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine, said system having fuel pressure damping and comprising:

a fuel food line;

a fuel rail defining a fuel passageway therein, said rail being connected to said feed line to receive fuel from said feed line into said passageway;

a plurality of fuel injectors connected to said rail to receive fuel from said passageway to be delivered to the engine;

a compliance member located within said system, said compliant member decreasing the bulk modulus of said system;

at least a portion of said system defining a critical element of said system, said critical element significantly contributing to a resonant mode of said system during operation wherein a pressure pulsation occurs within said system of a magnitude beyond a predetermined limit; and

a fluid flow restrictor located within said system, said restrictor being located in relation to said critical element whereby the distance (D) from said restrictor to an end of said critical element results in a percent optimal benefit gained (E) that reduces the magnitude of the pressure pulsation to within the predetermined limit.

18. The fuel delivery system of claim 17 wherein raid restrictor is located within said critical element.

19. The fuel delivery system of claim 17 wherein said restrictor is located in proximity to said critical element.

20. The fuel delivery system of claim 17 wherein the distance (D) is generally defined by the equation D=(1−

E)/0.00226, where E is the percent optimal benefit gained.

21. The fuel delivery system of claim 17 wherein the percent optimal benefit gained (E) is generally defined by the equation E=1.00066−

0.00107663(D)−

0.00000699496(D²).