Addressing fuel pressure uncertainty during startup of a direct injection engine
First Claim
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1. A method of starting an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- adjusting a fuel pressure within a fuel rail to a first value by operating a high pressure fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to a high pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the high pressure regulation device, the high pressure regulation device in fluid communication with the fuel rail;
after the fuel pressure within the fuel rail attains the first value, initiating delivery of fuel to the internal combustion engine from the fuel rail by successively injecting fuel directly into combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine; and
reducing the fuel pressure within the fuel rail from the first value to a second value over subsequent successive fuel injection events after at least a first fuel injection event by adjusting an operating parameter of the high pressure fuel pump.
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Abstract
An engine system and a method of starting an internal combustion engine of the engine system are described. In one embodiment, the method includes adjusting a fuel pressure within a fuel rail to exceed a pressure of a pressure relief valve. The method may be particularly useful during degradation of a fuel pressure sensor.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of starting an internal combustion engine, comprising:
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adjusting a fuel pressure within a fuel rail to a first value by operating a high pressure fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to a high pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the high pressure regulation device, the high pressure regulation device in fluid communication with the fuel rail; after the fuel pressure within the fuel rail attains the first value, initiating delivery of fuel to the internal combustion engine from the fuel rail by successively injecting fuel directly into combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine; and reducing the fuel pressure within the fuel rail from the first value to a second value over subsequent successive fuel injection events after at least a first fuel injection event by adjusting an operating parameter of the high pressure fuel pump. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An engine system, comprising:
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an internal combustion engine including one or more combustion chambers, each of the one or more combustion chambers including a direct fuel injector; a fuel rail configured to supply fuel to the direct fuel injector of each of the one or more combustion chambers; a fuel rail pressure sensor configured to provide an indication of a fuel rail pressure; a fuel tank configured to store fuel; a fuel passage fluidly coupling the fuel tank to the fuel rail; a low pressure fuel pump arranged along the fuel passage; a high pressure fuel pump arranged along the fuel passage between the low pressure fuel pump and the fuel rail; a high pressure regulation device fluidly coupled with the fuel passage between the high pressure fuel pump and the fuel rail; a low pressure regulation device fluidly coupled with the fuel passage between the low pressure fuel pump and the fuel tank; and a control system configured to, before delivering fuel to the internal combustion engine at start-up, assess a state of the fuel rail pressure sensor, and if the fuel rail sensor is in a degraded state, the control system is further configured to; adjust a fuel rail pressure to a first value by operating the low pressure fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to the low pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the low pressure regulation device and by operating the high pressure fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to the high pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the high pressure regulation device; initiate delivery of fuel to the internal combustion engine from the fuel rail by successively injecting fuel directly into the one or more combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine via the one or more direct fuel injectors after the fuel rail pressure attains the first value; after at least a first fuel injection event, reduce the fuel rail pressure from the first value to a second value over subsequent successive fuel injection events by adjusting an operating parameter of the high pressure fuel pump and by continuing to operate the low pressure fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to the low pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the low pressure regulation device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of starting an internal combustion engine, comprising:
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adjusting a fuel pressure within a fuel rail to a first value by operating a high pressure fuel pump at a first pump stroke volume to provide pressurized fuel to a high pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the high pressure regulation device, the high pressure regulation device in fluid communication with the fuel rail; initiating delivery of fuel to the internal combustion engine from the fuel rail by successively injecting fuel directly into combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine; and after at least a first fuel injection event, reducing the fuel pressure within the fuel rail to a reduced value over one or more subsequent successive fuel injection events by operating the high pressure fuel pump at a second pump stroke volume that is less than first pump stroke volume while operating a low pressure fuel pump to provide pressurized fuel to a low pressure regulation device that exceeds a pressure relief setting of the low pressure regulation device, the low pressure regulation device in fluid communication with a fuel passage that fluidly couples the low pressure fuel pump to the high pressure fuel pump. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification