Fuel delivery system and method of operation

• US 7,448,363 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Buell Motorcycle Company
• Original Assignee: Buell Motorcycle Company
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Matt, Hurda, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Moulis; Thomas N
• Application Number:
  US11/772,282
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 123/357, 123/516, 123/497, 123/179.16, 123/179.17
• US Class Current: 123/497
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0602 Fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/31 Control of the fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3845 by controlling the flow into the common rail, e.g. the amount of fuel pumped

Abstract

A fuel delivery system for an engine. The fuel delivery system includes a fuel tank, at least one fuel injector, a fuel pump, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an engine control module. The fuel pump is configured to draw fuel from the fuel tank and provide the fuel to the at least one fuel injector. The pressure sensor is configured to sense a pressure of the fuel being provided to the at least one fuel injector. The temperature sensor is configured to sense a temperature of the engine. And the engine control module is configured to control the fuel pump based on the sensed pressure and the sensed temperature.

Claims

1. A fuel delivery system for an engine, comprising:

a fuel tank;

at least one fuel injector;

a fuel pump configured to draw fuel from the fuel tank and provide the fuel to the at least one fuel injector;

a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure of the fuel being provided to the at least one fuel injector;

a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the engine; and

an engine control module configured to control the pressure of the fuel based on the sensed pressure and the sensed temperature, the engine control module further configured to determine a stop pressure based on the temperature of the engine sensed after the engine has stopped and to control the fuel pump to provide fuel to the at least one fuel injector at the stop pressure once the engine has stopped.

2. The fuel delivery system of claim 1, wherein the fuel pump provides fuel to the at least one fuel injector prior to starting the engine at a pressure based on the detected engine temperature.

3. The fuel delivery system of claim 1, wherein the stop pressure is greater than a pressure at which the fuel vaporizes at the detected temperature of the engine.

4. The fuel delivery system of claim 1, further comprising an ignition system operable to at least in part select a start mode, a run mode, and an off mode, the ignition system providing an indication of the selected mode to the engine control module.

5. The fuel delivery system of claim 1, further comprising an engine load detector providing an indication of an engine load, and

wherein the pressure of the fuel is controlled based on the detected engine load.

6. The fuel delivery system of claim 5, wherein the engine load is determined by a throttle position.

7. The fuel delivery system of claim 6, further comprising an engine speed indicator, and

wherein a first desired fuel pressure is determined based on the detected engine temperature and a second desired fuel pressure is determined based on the detected engine load and the detected engine speed, and wherein the fuel pump is controlled to provide fuel to the at least one fuel injector at a pressure equivalent to the greater of the first desired fuel pressure and the second desired fuel pressure.

8. The fuel delivery system of claim 1, wherein a time period that the at least one fuel injector is open is determined based on the sensed pressure,

wherein the time period that the at least one fuel injector is open is increased when the sensed pressure is below a threshold, and

wherein the time period that the at least one fuel injector is open is decreased when the sensed pressure is above a threshold.

9. The fuel delivery system of claim 8, wherein the time period that the at least one fuel injector is open is modified a first amount when the sensed pressure varies from a desired pressure by more than a first predetermined amount and the time period that the at least one fuel injector is open is modified a second amount when the sensed pressure varies from a desired pressure by more than a second predetermined amount.

10. A motorcycle, comprising

an engine including at least one fuel injector;

a fuel tank;

a fuel delivery system including

a fuel pump configured to draw fuel from the fuel tank and provide the fuel to the at least one fuel injector, and

a pressure sensor;

a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the engine; and

an engine control module configured to control the fuel pump based on the sensed pressure and the sensed temperature in an engine start mode and an engine run mode, wherein in the engine start mode the engine control module is configured to receive an indication to start the engine, detect the sensed temperature after receiving the indication, determine a starting fuel pressure from a start mode look up table based on the sensed temperature, control the fuel pump to provide the starting fuel pressure, and start the engine after the sensed pressure substantially equals the starting fuel pressure, and wherein in the engine run mode the engine control module is configured to determine an operating fuel pressure from a run mode look up table based on the sensed temperature, wherein the start mode look up table is different from the run mode look up table.

11. The fuel delivery system of claim 10, further comprising an engine load detector providing an indication of an engine load.

12. The fuel delivery system of claim 11, further comprising an engine speed indicator.

13. The fuel delivery system of claim 12, wherein a first desired fuel pressure is determined based on the detected engine temperature and a second desired fuel pressure is determined based on the detected engine load and the detected engine speed, and wherein the fuel pump is controlled to provide fuel to the at least one fuel injector at a pressure equivalent to the greater of the first desired fuel pressure and the second desired fuel pressure.

19. The fuel delivery system of claim 10, wherein the transitioning from the starting fuel pressure to the operating fuel pressure is based on at least one of increments of time and increments of pressure.

14. A method of delivering fuel to an engine, comprising:

detecting a fuel pressure;

detecting a temperature of an engine;

determining a fuel pressure set-point based on the detected temperature;

controlling the fuel pressure based on the detected fuel pressure and the fuel pressure set-point;

receiving an indication to stop the engine;

stopping the engine;

determining a stopped fuel pressure set-point after the engine has stopped based on the detected fuel pressure and the detected temperature after the engine has stopped, the stopped fuel pressure set-point being greater than a pressure at which the fuel vaporizes; and

controlling the fuel pressure after the engine has stopped based on the stopped fuel pressure set-point.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting an amount of time a fuel injector is open based on the detected fuel pressure.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising

determining a first desired fuel pressure based on a detected engine temperature,

determining a second desired fuel pressure based on a detected engine speed and a detected engine load, and

setting the fuel pressure set-point to the greater of the first desired fuel pressure and the second desired fuel pressure.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising

starting the engine after the detected fuel pressure is substantially equal to the fuel pressure set-point;

determining a desired operating fuel pressure; and

transitioning the fuel pressure from the fuel pressure set-point to the desired operating fuel pressure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the desired operating fuel pressure includes determining the desired operating fuel pressure based on one of the detected temperature and a combination of a detected engine load and a detected engine speed.