An inner side wall surface of a gap forming member, which is opposed to a flange outer wall surface of a flange of a needle, is slidable relative to the flange outer wall surface. Also, an outer side wall surface of the gap forming member, which is opposed to a stationary core inner wall surface of a stationary core, is slidable relative to the stationary core inner wall surface. The flange outer wall surface and the outer side wall surface are curved to project in a radially outer direction of a housing in a cross section thereof taken along an imaginary plane, which includes an axis of the housing.

A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The fuel injector including the following: (a) a pole piece, (b) an armature which can be moved along a movement axis, (c) a coil and (d) a permanent magnet, wherein the movable armature has at least one electrically insulating element which is designed to reduce eddy currents in the armature, and wherein the permanent magnet is fitted such that it generates a magnetic field which produces a force which acts on the armature in the direction of the pole piece. The invention also describes a method for ascertaining a position of a movable armature in a fuel injector and also an engine controller.

A valve has a valve housing in which a closure element having at least one sleeve section is movable along its sleeve longitudinal axis by an actuator to open and close a fluid connection between a fluid inlet and outlet. The actuator has stationary and movable parts relative to the valve housing. At least the movable parts and the closure element are arranged entirely within an enclosed fluid space between the fluid inlet and outlet. To close the fluid connection spaced first and second seal devices of a double-sealed seat are in sealing contact with equally-spaced first and second counter-seal devices on the valve housing along first and second closed seating lines, respectively. With regard to the at least one double-seal seat, the ratio between first and second areas enclosed by first and second sealing lines in projection along the sleeve longitudinal axis, respectively, is between 6/10 and 10/6.

The present invention relates to an injector for injecting fuel, preferably for injecting a gaseous fuel, in particular hydrogen, which comprises a fuel feed line for introducing a gaseous fuel under high pressure, an active valve which is actively switchable and is configured to close or release at least one passage in order to selectively release or interrupt a flow connection from the fuel feed line to an area downstream of the active valve, and a passive valve which is arranged downstream of the active valve and can be passively switched into a closing or releasing state by different pressure conditions applied upstream and downstream of the passive valve in order to selectively release or interrupt a flow connection from upstream of the passive valve to an area downstream of the passive valve.

A solenoid actuator is described. The solenoid actuator comprises an armature, pole piece(s), electromagnet coil(s) arranged, in response to energisation, to cause travel of the armature between first and second positions along a direction of travel, permanent magnet(s) positioned and orientated for latching the armature in at least the first position when the armature is in the first position and spring(s) arranged to bias the armature. The solenoid actuator can be operated to provide partial lift.

The present invention provides systems, methods and apparatus to overcome limitations of liquid fuel engine combustion. Liquid fuel is mixed with superheated water which vaporizes, mixes with air and ignites within the injector nozzle. The injector nozzles then accelerate the mixture into the engine combustion chamber where unburned fuel vapor mixes and burns. Combustion begins the instant of injection and increases uniformly. Combustion pressure builds progressively. Combustion of fuel vapor is more ideal, and better controlled. As part of the system and apparatus, the present disclosure also includes a low-cost high-speed solenoid valve which produces shorter injection pulses. It also includes a high-speed, high-air-volume solenoid fuel valve. In addition, the present invention and its disclosure create tools to develop and optimize this new method of fuel vapor injection.

A solenoid actuator is described. The solenoid actuator comprises an armature, pole piece(s), electromagnet coil(s) arranged, in response to energization, to cause travel of the armature between first and second positions along a direction of travel, permanent magnet(s) positioned and orientated for latching the armature in at least the first position when the armature is in the first position and spring(s) arranged to bias the armature. The solenoid actuator can be operated to provide partial lift.

A short travel solenoid actuator (44) is disclosed which comprises at least one pole piece (47, 48), an armature (51), an electromagnet coil (46) arranged, in response to energisation, to actuate the armature between first and second positions. A permanent magnet (52) is positioned and orientated so as to latch the armature in the first and second positions when the armature is in the first and second positions respectively. A spring (53) is arranged to bias the armature.

An apparatus for controlling the lift of a valve member in a flow control valve comprises an end stop assembly having at least two pieces, a plunger with one end interposed between these pieces and biasing members that urge the pieces into contact with the plunger. The plunger is movable by an actuator to thereby move the pieces of the end stop assembly from a first position in which the pieces of the end stop assembly form a first surface for contacting the valve member to a second position in which the pieces form a second surface that comes into contact with the valve member when the valve member is lifted from its seated position, to thereby allow different discrete lifts of the valve member.

An electromagnetic actuator includes an electrical coil and a high permeability magnetic flux path. The magnetic flux path includes a magnetic core, an armature and a flux return structure. The electromagnetic actuator further includes a flux sensor which is integrated within the actuator and is configured to detect a magnetic flux within the high permeability magnetic flux path.