Methods and systems are provided for reducing hot fuel vapor formation in a port injection fuel rail. In one example, a method may include operating a dual fuel injection system with at least a calibrated minimum amount of port fuel injection over a wide range of engine operating conditions, even as conditions change. A direct fuel injection amount is adjusted in accordance.

A method for starting an internal combustion engine with a fuel tank and a low-pressure pump which pumps gasoline out of the fuel tank at a low-pressure to a high-pressure pump that pumps the gasoline at a high-pressure to injectors of the internal combustion engine. An electronic controller is provided for controlling and/or regulating the low-pressure pump, the high-pressure pump, and the injectors. After a start pulse for the internal combustion engine, the method: checks whether a formation of vapor bubbles in the gasoline is possible on the low-pressure side during a hot start. If not possible, then the normal low-pressure is set. If possible, then a low pressure which is high enough that the formation of vapor bubbles is not possible on the low-pressure side is set, and the normal low-pressure is set after a period of time. The problem of vapor bubble formation is prevented in an inexpensive or cost neutral manner via the method.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, an apparatus that includes a high-pressure pump having a pump element, a regulating device positioned upstream of the high-pressure pump, a fuel channel defined between an inflow side of the regulating device and the pump element, and a safety device, actuatable to reduce a through-flowable cross section of the fuel channel.

An injector is designed to provide continuously variable injection rate shaping. With a hydro-mechanical internal feedback mechanism, injector needle position can be determined by controlling a feedback valve's on/off timing. According to the needle position, an injection needle valve opening can be controlled, and then the injection flow rate can be delivered proportionally. Also in accordance with the present invention a CRDI systems are provided including injectors of the present invention, wherein results demonstrate that injector designs of the present invention not only achieve rate shaping capability but also solve the above-noted problems of the current CRDI system. Finally, an iterative learning controller has also been developed to track the desired injection rate, and an injection rate estimator is designed to realize a cycle to cycle feedback control.

A non-return valve assembly for a high-pressure fuel injection system is disclosed. The valve comprises a valve chamber defined in part by a first body and in part by a second body and defining a valve chamber wall, an inlet passage formed in the first body and opening into the valve chamber at a valve seat defined by the first body, an outlet passage, and a valve ball received within the valve chamber and engageable with the valve seat so as to interrupt fluid flow from the outlet passage to the inlet passage through the valve chamber. The valve chamber wall comprises a plurality of guide portions to guide the valve ball in substantially linear movement within the valve chamber.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a low pressure pump in port fuel direct injection (PFDI) engines. One method includes, when operating a high pressure pump in a default pressure mode, pulsing the low pressure pump when pressure in a high pressure fuel rail decreases below a threshold. The method further includes, when operating the high pressure pump in a variable pressure mode, pulsing the low pressure pump based on presence of fuel vapor at an inlet of the high pressure pump.

A high-pressure fuel pump for a fuel delivery system of an internal combustion engine includes a pressure limiting valve positioned between an outlet and an inlet of the pump. The valve includes a spring-loaded closing element and a closing body that radially holds the closing element in place, and that has a concave receiving portion configured to at least partially receive the closing element. The receiving portion has a radially outer first area with a first opening angle, and a radially inner second area with a second opening angle larger than the first opening angle. The first area and the second area are located outside of a contact region between the closing element and the closing body.

A method for controlling a high-pressure pump for the injection of fuel into a combustion engine, the high-pressure pump being connected to a camshaft of the combustion engine, wherein the high-pressure pump is controlled in a camshaft-synchronous manner by ascertaining an angular offset between the flank positions of a camshaft pulse-generating wheel and a predefinable point above the bottom dead center of a cam of the high-pressure pump on the camshaft.

A fuel distributor, which is in particular used as a fuel distribution rail for mixture-compressing, spark-ignited internal combustion engines, including a base body, at which at least one high-pressure inlet and multiple high-pressure outlets are provided. An insert element is furthermore provided that is situated in an interior of the base body. In the interior, the insert element separates an inflow area, which extends from the high-pressure inlet to the high-pressure outlets, at least essentially from a damping area. The insert element is designed as a thin-walled insert element that forms a divider extending through the interior at least from the high-pressure inlet to the high-pressure outlets.

The invention relates to a common rail system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising a high-pressure pump which delivers highly pressurized fuel to a high-pressure accumulator, from which the fuel is fed to at least one injection valve of the internal combustion engine, a low-pressure pump for conveying fuel from a fuel container via a conveying line to the high-pressure pump, a flow control valve as an electromagnetic switching valve which is arranged in the conveying line for controlling the fuel quantity which is fed by the high-pressure pump to the high-pressure accumulator; it is provided according to the invention that the flow control valve is configured as a ball seat valve with an inlet opening which is connected to the low-pressure pump and an outlet opening which is connected to the high-pressure pump, which ball seat valve is open in the de-energized state.