A fuel injection valve control device controlling a fuel injection valve that injects a fuel into a combustion chamber includes an operation-condition calculation portion that calculates a fuel injection condition of the fuel injection valve based on a crank angle detected by a crank angle sensor that detects the crank angle of an engine, a current-waveform setting portion that sets a current waveform of a current supplied to the fuel injection valve on the basis of the fuel injection condition calculated by the operation-condition calculation portion, and so on. The current-waveform setting portion sets the current waveform so as to set a temporal change of a pickup current of a needle provided in the fuel injection valve to be equal to or less than a predetermined reference value when a fuel injection start timing is equal to or more than 180 degrees BTDC. The current-waveform setting portion sets the current waveform so as to set a temporal change of the pickup current of the needle to be more than the predetermined reference value when the fuel injection start timing is smaller than 180 degrees BTDC.

Operating an engine includes injecting a first charge of liquid fuel using a first set of nozzle outlets in a fuel injector, and injecting a second charge of liquid fuel using a second set of nozzle outlets in a fuel injector. The first charge is autoignited in a first engine cycle, and the second charge is autoignited in a second engine cycle, and may be used to pilot ignite a charge of gaseous fuel. Operating the engine further includes limiting errors in targeting of the second charge of liquid fuel caused by transitioning the engine from a first combination to a second combination of speed, load, and boost, by varying an injection pressure of the liquid fuel from the first engine cycle to the second engine cycle.

An insert for use with a fuel injector comprises a shaft including a substantially cylindrical configuration defining a shaft cylindrical axis, a shaft radial direction, and a shaft diameter; and a head including a substantially cylindrical configuration defining a head cylindrical axis, a head radial direction, and a head diameter. The shaft and head may be attached to each other, the shaft cylindrical axis and the head cylindrical axis may be parallel to each other, the head diameter may be greater than the shaft diameter, and the shaft cylindrical axis may be spaced away from the head cylindrical axis.

An insert for use with a fuel injector comprises a shaft including a substantially cylindrical configuration defining a shaft cylindrical axis, a shaft radial direction, and a shaft diameter; and a head including a substantially cylindrical configuration defining a head cylindrical axis, a head radial direction, and a head diameter. The shaft and head may be attached to each other, the shaft cylindrical axis and the head cylindrical axis may be parallel to each other, the head diameter may be greater than the shaft diameter, and the shaft cylindrical axis may be spaced away from the head cylindrical axis.

A fuel injection method includes applying a first method current to close a spill valve according to a first method, applying a control valve current to open a control valve, and discontinuing the application of the control valve current to thereby cause the control valve to close. The method also includes applying a second method current to maintain the spill valve closed according to a second method and detecting a timing of a closing of the control valve while applying the second method current according to the second method, the second method being different than the first method.

A fuel injection method includes applying a first method current to close a spill valve according to a first method, applying a control valve current to open a control valve, and discontinuing the application of the control valve current to thereby cause the control valve to close. The method also includes applying a second method current to maintain the spill valve closed according to a second method and detecting a timing of a closing of the control valve while applying the second method current according to the second method, the second method being different than the first method.

A fuel system includes a mechanically actuated fuel injector having a spill valve assembly and a control valve assembly. A rate shaping control unit is coupled with a spill valve actuator and a control valve actuator, and structured to adjust a dwell time, cycle to cycle, between opening of a spill valve and closing of a check control valve. Adjusting the dwell time enables varying a back end rate shape, cycle to cycle, of fuel injections from a fuel injector into a cylinder in an internal combustion engine.

Methods and systems, using a controller (20), for performing fuel pressure control operation of an engine (12) having at least one cylinder (16) is disclosed. The controller (20) includes a fuel system control unit (42) configured to control a fuel pressure applied to at least one injector (18) of the engine (12) during a motoring condition period (412) based on a commanded pulse train duration (410). During the motoring condition period (412), no combustion occurs in the at least one cylinder (16) of the engine (12). The commanded pulse train duration is a time period during which the at least one injector (18) of the engine (12) is activated for a drain operation. The fuel system control unit (42) is configured to command the at least one injector (18), for the commanded pulse train duration during the motoring condition period (412), to release fuel from the at least one injector (18) without injecting the fuel into the at least one cylinder (16) of the engine (12).

Methods and systems, using a controller (20), for performing fuel pressure control operation of an engine (12) having at least one cylinder (16) is disclosed. The controller (20) includes a fuel system control unit (42) configured to control a fuel pressure applied to at least one injector (18) of the engine (12) during a motoring condition period (412) based on a commanded pulse train duration (410). During the motoring condition period (412), no combustion occurs in the at least one cylinder (16) of the engine (12). The commanded pulse train duration is a time period during which the at least one injector (18) of the engine (12) is activated for a drain operation. The fuel system control unit (42) is configured to command the at least one injector (18), for the commanded pulse train duration during the motoring condition period (412), to release fuel from the at least one injector (18) without injecting the fuel into the at least one cylinder (16) of the engine (12).

Operating an engine includes injecting a first charge of liquid fuel using a first set of nozzle outlets in a fuel injector, and injecting a second charge of liquid fuel using a second set of nozzle outlets in a fuel injector. The first charge is autoignited in a first engine cycle, and the second charge is autoignited in a second engine cycle, and may be used to pilot ignite a charge of gaseous fuel. Operating the engine further includes limiting errors in targeting of the second charge of liquid fuel caused by transitioning the engine from a first combination to a second combination of speed, load, and boost, by varying an injection pressure of the liquid fuel from the first engine cycle to the second engine cycle.