Measuring and testing – Internal combustion engine or related engine system or... – Compression
Patent
1983-07-25
1985-06-18
Myracle, Jerry W.
Measuring and testing
Internal combustion engine or related engine system or...
Compression
310336, G01M 1500
Patent
active
045234582
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a device for testing fuel injectors such as those used in diesel engines. The invention also relates to a timing system for fuel injected engines.
BACKGROUND ART
Fuel injectors with atomizer nozzles have between 4 and 7 small holes in the nozzle, approximately 0.2 mm in diameter. In use, these holes are frequently reduced in size, or blocked entirely, causing an imbalance in the spray pattern of atomized fuel into the cylinder and a consequent imbalance in the air-fuel ratio, resulting in incomplete combustion.
This incomplete combustion manifests itself in power loss and black smoke emission from the exhaust. Continued operation of an engine under such conditions results in irrepairable damage to the injector, the piston and the cylinder head, in that sequence.
A faulty injector still in the engine can only be detected when it has failed completely. The engine is run at idle and each injector fuel supply connection is eased, in turn, until fuel leaks out. Under this condition, the injector will fail to operate. If, when the nut is eased, the idle speed is markedly affected then that injector is operating properly. Conversely, easing the nut on a faulty injector has no affect on the idle speed. This known method of testing fuel injectors is a time consuming inefficient method.
The applicant knows of no means of reliably detecting faulty injectors before failure thereof. The most widely practiced method of dealing with the problem is to remove and replace all injectors at specified service intervals. Another common detection method for a faulty injector is the "black smoke" test (a vehicle expelling 10 seconds or more of black smoke detected against the sky line). A loss of power under load is also an indication of fuel injection problems.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above described problem by providing apparatus for testing the fuel injectors in situ for faulty operation.
It is another objection of the present invention to provide a timing system for a fuel injected engine.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed apparatus for testing a fuel injector, said apparatus comprising transducer means adapted to be placed on or near said fuel injector to convert mechanical impulses to electrical signals, electronic processing means connected to the output of said transducer means and comprising an amplitude detecting circuit for detecting the amplitude of the received electrical signals, and display means connected to the output of said amplitude detecting circuit for providing a display proportional to the detected amplitude.
Preferably, the transducer comprises a detector having a piezo-electric crystal sandwiched between two magnets, the detector being magnetically attachable to the fuel injector.
Preferably, the display means comprises a bar graph display comprised of a series of light emitting diodes.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a timing system for a fuel injected engine, said timing system comprising transducer means adapted to be placed on or near a fuel injector in said engine to convert mechanical impulses to electrical signals, and timing signal generating means connected to the output of said transducer means for generating time signals in response to the output signals from the transducer means.
The transducer means used in the fuel injector testor can also be used as part of the timing system. The mechanical impulse generated when the fuel injector valve needle snaps back onto its seat is detected by the transducer means and an electrical signal is generated. Thus, the electrical signals received from the transducer means indicate the precise instants of time when the injector injects fuel into the combustion chamber, and the output signals can be used to operate a timing system such as an engine speed tachometer or a strobe light for checking timing. Consequently, a fuel injected engine, such as a diesel engine
REFERENCES:
patent: 4102181 (1978-07-01), Cser et al.
patent: 4109517 (1978-08-01), Dyballa et al.
Keldan Industries Limited
Myracle Jerry W.
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