A method for operating a fuel injector having at least one injection orifice that is controlled by an injector needle, in which pressure variations during the opening and/or closing of the injector needle are ascertained with the aid of a sensor. In order to determine the opening/closing instant of the injector needle, a variable that characterizes the velocity of sound of a pressure wave by the opening and/or closing is measured, and the wave propagation time, by which the needle or valve opening/closing instant is corrected, is inferred therefrom.

An apparatus and method for controlling a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. Each fuel injector in the system is operated to perform a predetermined injection pattern per engine cycle. A signal representative of a fuel pressure within the fuel rail during the operation of the fuel injectors is sampled. A Fourier analysis of the fuel rail pressure signal is performed to determine one or more harmonic components thereof. The determined harmonic components of the fuel rail pressure signal are used to calculate a dynamic fuel quantity that flows through a fuel injector during an injection pulse of the injection pattern. A fuel quantity actually injected by the fuel injector during the injection pulse as a function of the dynamic fuel quantity is calculated.

A storage device is configured to store a first mapping that receives, as an input, a first input variable including a cam phase variable on present and past phases of a cam, and output a pulsating variable on a pulsating component. The execution device is configured to acquire the first input variable and estimate the pulsating variable by applying the acquired first input variable to the first mapping. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the pulsating variable without providing a low-pressure fuel pressure sensor by estimating a fuel pressure variable by applying the first input variable to the first mapping.

A method and a device for determining the injection quantity or the injection rate of a fluid which is transported to an injector through a hydraulic line and is injected into a reaction space by the injector. The fluid pressure in the hydraulic line is measured by a pressure sensor, the fluid pressure at the injector is determined using the pressure measured by the pressure sensor and a stored transmission function of the hydraulic line, and the injection quantity or the injection rate of the fluid injected by the injector is determined using the fluid pressure determined at the injector.

A fuel pressure estimation system estimates a fuel pressure variable on a fuel pressure in a supply pipe for an engine apparatus including an engine having a fuel injection valve, and a fuel supply device having a fuel pump that supplies the fuel in a fuel tank to the supply pipe, and includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device stores a first mapping that receives, as an input, first input variables including a pump variable, a consumption flow rate variable on a consumption flow rate of the fuel, and a property variable on a property of the fuel, and outputs the fuel pressure variable. The execution device acquires the first input variables and estimates the fuel pressure variable by applying the first input variables to the first mapping.

A fuel pump pressure-feeds fuel to an accumulation container that accumulates high-pressure fuel. A fuel injection valve injects high-pressure fuel accumulated in the accumulation container to an internal combustion engine. A fuel pressure sensor detects a fuel pressure in the accumulation container. A fuel pressure acquisition unit acquires the fuel pressure detected with the fuel pressure sensor. A reference computation unit computes a required injection quantity and an injection start timing based on an operation state of the internal combustion engine at a predetermined reference computation timing, which is set for each combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine, and further to compute an injection time period based on a fuel pressure acquired by the fuel pressure acquisition unit at the reference computation timing. A correction unit corrects the injection time period based on the fuel pressure acquired by the fuel pressure acquisition unit at the injection start timing.

When a rotational speed of an engine is higher than a predetermined rotational speed, a low-pressure fuel injection valve is controlled through the use of a fuel injection time based on an estimated fuel pressure in a low pressure supply pipe and a target fuel injection amount. When the rotational speed of the engine is equal to or lower than the predetermined rotational speed, the low-pressure fuel injection valve is controlled through the use of a fuel injection time based on a detected fuel pressure input from the fuel pressure sensor from the issuance of a command to activate energization of a solenoid to the start of energization of the solenoid and a target fuel injection amount.

Methods and systems are provided for balancing a plurality of fuel injectors. In one example, a method includes determining a fuel injector error shape and applying a fueling correction to all injectors based on the fuel injector error shape.

A storage device stores a first mapping that receives, as an input, first input variables including a previously estimated value for a fuel temperature variable, a pump variable on a state of a fuel pump, a first engine variable on a state of an engine, and an outside air temperature variable on an outside air temperature, and outputs the fuel temperature variable. Further, an execution device is configured to acquire the first input variables and estimate the fuel temperature variable by applying the acquired first input variables to the first mapping. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the fuel temperature variable by applying the first input variables to the first mapping even without providing a temperature sensor.

A fuel pressure estimation system estimates a fuel pressure variable on a fuel pressure in a supply pipe for an engine apparatus including an engine having a fuel injection valve, and a fuel supply device having a fuel pump that supplies the fuel in a fuel tank to the supply pipe, and includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device stores a first mapping that receives, as an input, first input variables including a pump variable, a consumption flow rate variable on a consumption flow rate of the fuel, and a property variable on a property of the fuel, and outputs the fuel pressure variable. The execution device acquires the first input variables and estimates the fuel pressure variable by applying the first input variables to the first mapping.