Fuel Supply System of Petrol Engine
AIR-FUEL MIXTURES
(a) Idling and low load:
-from no load to about 20% of rated power
-No load running mode is called idling condition
-very low suction pressure give rise to back flow of exhaust gases and air leakage
-increases the amount of residual gases and hence increase the dilution effects
-Rich mixture i.e. A/F ratio 12.5:1 provide smooth operation of the engine
(b) Normal power range or cruising range:
-from about 20% to 75% of rated power
-dilution by residual gases as well as leakage decreases, hence fuel economy is
important consideration in this case
-maximum fuel economy occurs at A/F ratio of 17:1 to 16.7:1
-mixture ratios for best economy are very near to the mixture ratios for minimum
emissions
(c) Maximum power range:
- from about 75% to 100% of rated power
-mixture requirements for the maximum power is a rich mixture, of A/F about 14:1
Rich mixture also prevents the overheating of exhaust valve at high load and
inhibits detonation in multi-cylinder engine the A/F ratio are slightly lower
Mixture requirements for transient operation:
-Carburettor has to provide mixture for transient conditions under which speed,
load, temperature, or pressure change rapidly
-evaporation of fuel may be incomplete in the transient condition, quantity of fuel
may be increasing and decreasing
(a) Starting and warm up requirements:
-engine speed and temperature are low during the starting of the engine from cold
-during starting very rich mixture about 5 to 10 times the normal amount of petrol is
sulpplied i.e. A/F ratio 3:1 to 1.5:1
-mixture ratio is progressively made leaner to avoid too rich evaporated fuel-air ratio
during warm up condition
-too high volatility may form vapour bubbles in the carburettor and fuel lines
particularly when engine temperatures are high
-too low volatility may cause the petrol to condense on the cylinder walls, diluting
and removing the lubricating oil film
(b) Acceleration requirements:
- Acceleration refer to an increase in engine speed resulting from the opening of the
throttle
-acceleration pump is used to provide additional fuel
Simple Carburettor:
-provide air-fuel mixture for all operating conditions
-Carburettor depression is pressure differential in the float chamber
and venture throat which causes discharge of fuel into the air stream
-flow is controlled by small hole of fuel passage
-pressure at the throat at the fully open throttle condition lies
between 4 and 5 cm of Hg and seldom exceeds 8 cm Hg
-Drawback of simple carburettor is that it provides too rich and too
lean mixture due to vacuum created at the throat is too high and too
small which is undesirable
Additional systems used with simple carburettor can help the engine to operate at all
conditions, which are given below,
(i) Main metering system:
-provide constant fuel-air ratio at wide range of speeds and loads.
-mainly based upon the best economy at full throttle (A/F ratio about 15.6:1)
The different metering systems are,
Compensating jet device:-Addition to the main jet, a compensating jet is provided to provide
the leanness effect
Emulsion tube or air bleeding device:
-mixture correction is done by air bleeding alone
-in this arrangement main metering jet is fitted about 25 mm below the petrol level which is
called as submerged jet
Back suction control or pressure reduction method:
-in this arrangement large vent line connects the carburettor entrance with the top of the float
chamber and another small orifice line is connected with the top of the float chambers with
venture throat
-it creates pressure differences according to engine operating conditions
Auxiliary valve carburettor:
-Valve spring of auxiliary valve lift the valve during increase of engine load which increases the
vacuum at venture
-Allows more admittance more additional air and the mixture is not over rich
Auxiliary port carburettor:
-opening of butterfly allows more air inductance which decreases quantity of fuel drawn
-used in aircraft carburettors
(ii) Idling system:
-Idling jet is added for the idling and low load operation which requires rich
mixtures of about A/F ratio 12:1
-consists of small fuel line from the float chamber to a point of throttle side
-gradual opening of throttle may stop the idling jet
(iii) Power enrichment or economiser system:
-this system provides the richer mixture for maximum power range of
operation
-It has meter rod economiser of large orifice opening to the main jet as the
throttle is opened beyond a certain point
-rod is tapered or stepped
(iv) Acceleration pump system:
-Engine acceleration condition or rapid increase in engine speed may open the
throttle rapidly which will not able to provide rich mixture
-acceleration pump of spring loaded plunger is used for fuel supply
(v) Choke:
-Rich mixture is required during cold starting period, at low crancking speed
and before the engine warmed up condition
-butterfly type valve or choke is used between the entrance to the carburettor
and venture throat to meet the requirement
-spring loaded by-pass choke is used in higher speeds
Drawbacks of modern carburettor:
-improper mixture proportion in multi-cylinder engine
-loss of volumetric efficiency due to obstruction of flow of mixture
from choke tubes, jets, throttle valve etc.
-wear of carburettor parts
-Freezing at low temperature
-surging when carburettor is tilted or during acrobatics in aircraft
-backfiring in fuel pipe line
Petrol injection:
-to avoid above problem of modern carburettor, petrol injection is used like in
diesel engine
-petrol injected during the suction stroke in the intake manifold at low pressure
-injection timing is not much critical as like in diesel engine
-continuous injection and timed injection methods are used
M.P.F.I. - Multi Point Fuel Injection system.
In this system each cylinder has number of injectors to supply/spray fuel in
the cylinders as compared to one injector located centrally to supply/spray
fuel in case of single point injection system.
The term MPFI is used to specify a technology used in Gasoline/petrol Engines.
For Diesel Engines, there is a
similar technology called CRDI.
Classification of MPFI System:
1) On the basis of Position of Injection Point
i. Port Injection System (multi point)
ii. Throttle Body Injection System (single point)
2) On the basis of Injection Action
i. Timed or Pulsed
ii. Continuous Injection
3) On the basis of Position of Components in the Control Circuit
i. D-MPFI
Port Injection System in this system the
ii. L-MPFI
injector is placed on the side of the intake
manifold near the intake port.
The injector sprays gasoline into the air, inside
the intake manifold.
The gasoline mixes with the air in a uniform
manner. This mixture of gasoline and air then
passes through the intake valve and enters into
the cylinder.
Every cylinder is provided with an injector in its
intake manifold i.e. if there are six cylinders,
there will be six injectors.
Throttle body injection system(Single Point
injection) in this system this throttle body is similar
to the carburetor throttle body, with the throttle
valve controlling the amount of air entering the
intake manifold.
An Injector is placed slightly above the throat of the
throttle body.
The injector sprays gasoline into the air is the intake
manifold where the gasoline mixes with air.
This mixture then passes through the throttle valve
and enters into the intake manifold.
Continuous injection:
-fuel is sprayed at low pressure continuously into the air supply
-amount of fuel is governed by air throttle opening
-in supercharged engine, fuel injected in the form of multiple spray into the
suction side of the centrifugal compressor
--provide efficient atomisation of fuel and uniform mixture strength to all
cylinder
-one fuel injection pump and one injector
Timed injection system:
-similar to high speed diesel engine
-components are fuel feed or lift pump, fuel pump and distributor unit, fuel
injection nozzles and mixture controls
-mixture controls are automatic for all engine operating conditions
D-MPFI electronic system is referred to as Djetronic(
German word “D” referred “Druck” means
“pressure” and “Jetronic” a word coined by Bosch
means “injection”).
It works as “Manifold pressure control type”.
The main input signal are the intake
manifold pressure, engine speed and flow volume of
air which are sent to ECU to control A/F ratio.
L-MPFI electronic system is referred to as
Ljetronic (“L” comes from the German word
“Luft” means “air” ).
It works as “air flow-controlled type”.
The main input signal are the Air flow rate and
engine speed to regulate fuel quantity injected.
(i) Multiple plunger jerk pump system:
-pump with separate plunger and high injection nozzle pressure for
each cylinder
-100 to 300 bar pressure
-measured quantity of fuel for definite time and over definite period
is delivered
(ii) Low pressure single pump and distributor system:
-single plunger or gear pump supply fuel at low pressure to a rotating
distributor
-pressure about 3.5 to 7 bar
Lucas petrol injection system:
-firstly used in racing car
-single distributor system with novel metering device
-line pressure is maintained at 7 bar
-metering distributor and control unit distributes the required amount of
fuel at correct time and interval
-has shuttle arrangements for metering unit
-in aircraft engine two injectors and spark plug provided for direct
injection of fuel in combustion chamber
Diesel injection system
Requirements of diesel injection system:
-fuel must introduce precisely defined period of cycle
-amounts metered very accurately
-rate of injection meet desired heat release pattern
-quantities of fuel meet changing speed and load condition
-good atomisation of fuel
-good spray pattern for rapid mixing of fuel and air
-no dribbling and after injection of fuel i.e. sharp injection
-injection timing suits the speed and load requirements
-distribution of fuel in multi-cylinder should uniform
-weight, size and cost of fuel injection system should be less
Types of diesel injection system:
(a) Air injection system:
-fuel supplied through camshaft driven
fuel pump
-fuel valve is also connected with high
pressure airline to inject into cylinder
-multi-stage compressor which supply air
at a pressure of about 60 to 70 bar
-blast air sweeps the fuel along with it
-good atomisation results in good
mixture formation and hence high mean
effective pressure
-heavy and viscous fuels are used
-fuel pump require small pressure
-but it is complicated due to compressor
arrangement and expensive,bulky engine
and low bhp
-overheating and burning of valve seat
Solid injection system:
-Fuel directly injected to combustion chamber without primary atomisation
termed as solid injection.
-Also known as airless mechanical injection
-2 units-pressurise and atomising unit
(i) Individual pump and injector or
jerk pump system:
-separate metering and compression
pump is used for each cylinder
-reciprocating fuel pump is used to
meter and set the injection pressure
of the fuel
-heavy gear arrangements which
gives jerking noise, hence name is
given is jerk pump
-jerk pump is used for medium and
high speed diesel engines
(ii) Common rail system:
-high pressure fuel pump delivers fuel to an accumulator whose pressure is
constant
-plunger type of pump is used
-driving mechanism is not stressed with high pressure hence noise is reduced
-common rail or pipe is connected in between accumulator and distributing
elements
-separate metering and timing elements connected to automatic injector
-self-governing type
Fuel Injectors
3 main types of fuel injectors,
Blast injector:
-these are superseded by mechanically operated injectors used in air injection system
Mechanically operated injector:
-consist of a set of camshaft, cams and rocker gear and other cams for controlling the
timing of the fuel injection
Automatic injector:
-consists of spring loaded needle valve and operated hydraulically by the pressure of fuel
-quanity of fuel is metered by the fuel pump
Types of nozzles:
(a) Depends on the type of combustion chamber,
Open combustion chamber:
-fuel seeks air
-air swirl is created due to inclined induction port
-multi-hole nozzle injects fuel at a pressure of about 200 to 300 bar to slow moving air
-provide good cold starting performance and improved thermal efficiency
Pre-combustion chamber:
-air velocity is very much high
-single hole nozzle with 65 to 100 bar injection pressure is used
-used in high speed engine due to rapid combustion
-external heating device for easy starting of the engine
Different types of nozzle for different combustion chamber
(i) Single hole nozzle:
-used in open combustion chamber
-size of hole larger than 0.2 mm
-very high injection pressure required
(ii) Multi-hole nozzle:
-no. of hole varies from 4 to 18 and the size from 1.5 to 0.35 mm
-injection rate is not uniform
(iii) Pintle nozzle:
-a projection or pintle is provided in the nozzle to avoid weak injection and dribbling
-pintle may be cylindrical or conical shape
-cone angle varied from 0 to 60ᵒ
-provide good atomisation and reduced penetration
-fuel pressures are lower than single and multi-hole nozzle
(iv) Pintaux nozzle:
-injected fuel in upstream of air
-development of pintle nozzle with auxiliary hole drilled in the nozzle body
-reduced delay period and increased thermal efficiency
IGNITION SYSTEM
Basically Convectional Ignition systems are of 2 types:
(a) Battery or Coil Ignition System, and
(b) Magneto Ignition System
Battery or Coil Ignition System:
-used in 4-wheelers, but now-a-days it is more commonly used in 2-wheelers also
- The ignition system is divided into 2-circuits:
(i) Primary Circuit:
-consists of 6 or 12 V battery, ammeter, ignition switch, primary winding
-it has 200-300 turns of 20 SWG (Sharps Wire Gauge) gauge wire, contact breaker,
capacitor.
(ii) Secondary Circuit:
-consists of secondary winding or coil which have 21000 turns of 40 (S WG) gauge wire.
-bottom end of which is connected to bottom end of primary and top end of
secondary winding or coil is connected to centre of distributor rotor.
-distributor rotors rotate and make contacts with contact points and are connected to
spark plugs which are fitted in cylinder heads.
C=condenser, P=primary coil, S=secondary coil, R1=ballast resistance,
SW1=ignition switch, SW2=contact breaker
Magneto Ignition System:
- magneto will produce and supply the required current to the primary winding
or coil
- rotating magneto with fixed coil or rotating coil with fixed magneto for
producing and supplying current to primary, remaining arrangement is same as
that of a battery ignition system
-no battery required
- during starting the quality of spark is poor due to slow speed
-very much compact
governor in IC engine
Governor is the mechanical device that helps to control the speed of the engine by regulating
fuel supply.
When the load on the engine increases, the governor increases the supply of the fuel and when
the load on the engine decreases, the governor decreases the supply of fuel.
When the load on the engine increases:- the speed of the engine decreases. as the speed
decreases, the governor helps to increase the opening of the fuel supply valve.
Therefore with an increase in fuel supply, the speed of the engine also increases to the mean
speed.
When the load on the engine decreases:- As the load on the engine decreases, the speed of the
engine suddenly increases. In this condition, the governor helps to decrease the opening of the
fuel supply valve.
Pneumatic Governor :-
The amount of vacuum applied to the diaphragm is controlled by the accelerator pedal
through the position of the butterfly valve in the venturi unit A diaphragm is connected to the
fuel pump control rack Position of the accelerator pedal also determines the position of the
pump control rack and hence the amount of fuel injected.