A fuel pump includes a mechanical regulating valve arranged in a pump body which modulates the pressure in a high pressure space so that the pressure matches the engine demand. Modulation by the regulating valve requires adjustment of the inlet fuel quantity, adjustment of the volume of the high pressure space, and control of a return fluid communication enabling fuel to exit the high pressure reservoir.

Various methods and systems are provided for a pressure relief valve of a fuel system. In one example, a valve includes a first chamber in fluid communication with a first fuel line, a second chamber in fluid communication with a second fuel line and in fluid communication with a fuel storage tank, a piston separating the first chamber from the second chamber, and a needle coupled to the piston and controlling a flow passage between the second fuel line and the second chamber, where the piston and needle are sized such that a force applied on the piston by the first chamber parallel to an axis of movement of the piston maintains the needle in a closed position when the first fuel line flows fuel at a first pressure and the second fuel line flows fuel at a second pressure, the second pressure greater than the first pressure.

A metering valve is installed in a feed passage that supplies low pressure fuel, which is fed from a feed pump, to a pressurizing chamber. The metering valve adjusts a discharge amount of the low pressure fuel discharged from the pressurizing chamber. A first pressure regulating valve is opened in a case where a pressure of the low pressure fuel becomes equal to or larger than a first preset pressure. A second pressure regulating valve is opened in a case where the pressure of the low pressure fuel becomes equal to or larger than a second preset pressure. The first pressure regulating valve and the second pressure regulating valve are configured such that a degree of responsiveness of valve opening and closing of the second pressure regulating valve is higher than a degree of responsiveness of valve opening and closing of the first pressure regulating valve.

A valve member is movable with first and second partition member and opens and closes a first pressure chamber with respect to a return passage. The first partition member partitions the first pressure chamber from a second pressure chamber. The second partition member partitions the second pressure chamber from a third pressure chamber. The first, second, and third pressure chambers cause fuel from a fuel flow passage to flow therethrough. A switching unit switches an opening and closing state of the second pressure chamber and the third pressure chamber with respect to the fuel flow passage and the return passage.

An engine fuel system includes a fuel delivery system including a first fuel pump that is coupled to a pressure relief valve that is arranged in parallel with a second fuel pump. The first fuel pump is disposed to deliver pressurized fuel to the second fuel pump and the pressure relief valve, and the second fuel pump is disposed to deliver pressurized fuel to the fuel rail. A controller characterizes the first fuel pump to determine a relationship between a fuel pump speed and a fuel pump current at a setpoint pressure for the pressure relief valve. A feed-forward pump speed command is determined based upon a target fuel pressure and a fuel flowrate. A closed-loop pump speed is commanded based upon the characterization of the fuel pump. The first fuel pump is controlled to deliver fuel to the second fuel pump based thereon.

A high-pressure fuel pump includes a housing including a chamber, an inlet flow passage to draw fuel into the chamber, and a discharge flow passage to discharge fuel out of the chamber. The high-pressure fuel pump further includes a piston disposed in the housing and configured to compress fuel, a sleeve coupled to the housing and configured to support the piston and form a space for storing fuel, a discharge valve disposed in the discharge flow passage and configured to open when a pressure of fuel stored in the chamber is equal to or greater than a first pressure, and a pressure relief valve disposed in a relief flow passage that communicates with the discharge flow passage and the space. The pressure relief valve is configured to open when a pressure of fuel supplied into the relief flow passage is equal to or greater than a second pressure.

Disclosed herein is a high-pressure fuel pump. The high-pressure fuel pump includes a housing including a chamber provided to compress fuel supplied thereinto, an inlet flow passage that communicates with the chamber to draw fuel into the chamber through the inlet flow passage, and a discharge flow passage that communicates with the chamber to discharge the fuel out of the chamber through the discharge flow passage. The high-pressure fuel pump further includes a piston disposed in the housing and configured to linearly reciprocate to compress the fuel supplied into the chamber; and a discharge valve disposed in the discharge flow passage of the housing and configured to open when a pressure of fuel stored in the chamber is equal to or greater than a first pressure, the discharge valve including an open-and-close member that makes line contact with an inlet of the discharge valve to close the inlet.

In a pressure regulator, a valve element nozzle is supported by a diaphragm, which partitions between an inlet portion and an outlet portion. The outlet portion includes an inner cover and an outer cover. The inner cover receives an adjusting spring in an inside space of the inner cover. A primary communication hole is formed in the inner cover to oppose the valve element nozzle, and a secondary communication hole is formed in the inner cover at a location, which is on a radially outer side of the primary communication hole. The outer cover covers the inner cover and thereby forms a fuel space, which is communicated with the inside space through the primary and secondary communication holes, at a location between the inner cover and the outer cover.

The present disclosure relates to internal combustion engines. Various embodiments may include a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a high-pressure fuel pump with a pressure chamber and a pump piston; a high-pressure region downstream of the pump piston; and a valve arrangement connecting the pressure chamber to the high-pressure region. The valve arrangement includes an outlet valve and a pressure-limiting valve. The outlet valve and the pressure-limiting valve are mounted in two separate receptacle bores in a common valve housing. The receptacle bores extend along a longitudinal axis of the valve housing. The valve housing defines a central flow bore. The receptacle bores are each fluidly connected to the central flow bore by a bore intersection.

Methods are provided for controlling a direct injection fuel pump, wherein a solenoid spill valve is energized and de-energized according to certain conditions. A control strategy is needed to operate the direct injection fuel pump outside regions where pump operation may be variable and inaccurate, where the regions may be characterized by smaller pump commands as well as smaller displacement volumes. To maintain a suitable range of pump commands and displacements while operating outside the low accuracy regions, a method is proposed that involves clipping calculated pump commands when the calculated pump commands lie within the low accuracy regions.