Temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of a member, the member including a component controlled by a control signal, active at most during at least one limited activity interval, and transmitted to the component via two wires, a temperature probe connected to the two wires, in parallel with the component, and a diode, connected between a terminal of the component and a terminal of the probe connected to the same wire, in order to allow the passage of a current in the component only in a first direction, the temperature measurement being performed by a current flowing in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, outside of the activity interval.

A fuel passage leads a fuel from a pressure-accumulation vessel to a nozzle hole of a fuel injection valve. A fuel pressure sensor detects a fuel pressure in a fuel passage. An estimation device is applicable to a combustion system, which includes these components, and includes a mixing acquisition unit and an injection amount estimation unit. The mixing acquisition unit acquires the mixing ratio of various components contained in the fuel used for combustion in the internal combustion engine. The injection amount estimation unit estimates an injection amount of the fuel from the nozzle hole according to a change mode of the fuel pressure, which is detected with the fuel pressure sensor and associated with injection of the fuel from a nozzle hole, and the mixing ratio acquired with the mixing acquisition unit.

Embodiments of apparatus are disclosed for affecting working fluid flow in a system that delivers material between two locations by carrying the material in the working fluid. For example, embodiments of the disclosed apparatus may be used in an internal combustion engines to carry fuel droplets to a combustion area using air as the working fluid. The apparatus may include a passage including a funnel portion and tumble area that direct working fluid into a stratified stream. The stratified stream may include an outer boundary flow having a toroidal and/or helical flow characteristic and an inner flow carrying injected material that is bound by the outer flow.

A high pressure hydraulic system comprising: a hydraulic chamber containing pressurized fluid, a wall which encloses at least one part of the hydraulic chamber and has an integral diaphragm, a piezoelectric sensor isolated from the pressurized fluid contained in the hydraulic chamber by the diaphragm, and an elastic element arranged to apply an elastic force to the piezoelectric sensor, between the piezoelectric sensor and the diaphragm, so that a deformation of the diaphragm produced by a change in the pressure of the fluid contained in the hydraulic chamber causes a change in the elastic force that the elastic element applies to the piezoelectric sensor.

A fuel injector includes a noise sensor fixed to the body fixed on the injector body to record knocks relevant to the end travel of a control valve and of a needle.

Embodiments of apparatus are disclosed for affecting working fluid flow in a system that delivers material between two locations by carrying the material in the working fluid. For example, embodiments of the disclosed apparatus may be used in an internal combustion engines to carry fuel droplets to a combustion area using air as the working fluid. The apparatus may include a passage including a funnel portion and tumble area that direct working fluid into a stratified stream. The stratified stream may include an outer boundary flow having a toroidal and/or helical flow characteristic and an inner flow carrying injected material that is bound by the outer flow.

Various embodiments may include a method for operating a diesel-common-rail piezo-operated servo injector comprising: partially charging the piezo-actuator from a non-charged state at 0 V (method a); partially discharging the piezo-actuator from an already charged state to a remaining limited charge (method b); measuring the piezo-voltage with both methods and comparing the results; when the comparison demonstrates correspondence within a predefined threshold, using method b in ranges in which method a cannot be carried out; and when the comparison does not demonstrate correspondence within the predefined threshold, using method a without using method b.

A fuel injector system includes an injector body having a proximal end and a distal end, the injector body defining a nozzle having an outlet. The injector system includes a spill valve fluidly connected to the outlet and having a spill valve member movable between an open position and a closed position. The injector system includes a control valve including a control valve member movable between an open position and a closed position. The injector system includes a check valve fluidly connected to the outlet, the control valve including a check valve needle movable between an open position and a closed position. The injector system also includes an electrical monitoring circuit configured to output a signal indicative of at least one of the open position or the closed position of the spill valve member.

A method for operating a fuel injection system for a vehicle is provided. In particular, the fuel injection system includes an injection nozzle having a nozzle body, a nozzle orifice and a nozzle needle movable in the nozzle body. The method including: measuring an actual injection timing of the injection nozzle during injection based on an electrical signal generated by the nozzle needle through an electric contact with the nozzle body so that the electrical signal identifies an open state and a closed state of the injection nozzle; calculating a deviation of the actual injection timing from a scheduled injection timing of the fuel injection system; and controlling the injection nozzle by adjusting injection parameters of the injection nozzle based on the evaluated deviation.

It is widely appreciated that renewable sources of energy are desirable. In particular, in recent years the development of biodiesel has been encouraged in order to find a replacement for fossil fuels in internal combustion engines. Typically, such biodiesel is based on triacylglycerols of vegetable origin. Animal fat, due to its different chemical composition and production process presents additional challenges when attempted to be used as a source of fuel. Most known methods require extensive processing of naturally occurring fats in order for them to be usable in conventional engines. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of oxidizing organic fats within an internal combustion engine to generate power by applying a first electrical charge to an oxidizer (e.g. air) and applying a second electrical charge to the organic fat opposite in polarity to the first electrical charge. In this way, constituents of the organic fat to be oxidized are attracted to the oxidizer, in preference to an interior surface of the combustion chamber. Thus, carbonization of the interior surface of the combustion chamber is reduced, as material contributing to carbonization is retained within exhaust gas.