FUEL INJECTION TIMING

GROUP 5

FLORENDO, ALDRIN DEXTER

RILLORAZA, JIEREMY
MACUROY, KAIZER

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 FUEL INJECTION TIMING
DIESEL ENGINE FUEL INJECTION TIMING
DIESEL ENGINE

The diesel engine (also known as a compression-ignition or “CI” engine) is

an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel that has been
injected into the combustion chamber is initiated by the high temperature
which a gas achieves when greatly compressed (adiabatic compression). This
contrasts with spark-ignition engines such as a petrol engine (gasoline engine)
or gas engine (using a gaseous fuel as opposed to gasoline), which use a spark
plug to ignite an air-fuel mixture.

INJECTION TIMING

 Injection timing is the time at which injection of fuel into the combustion
chamber begins.
 this quantity is defined in terms of after how many degrees of the
crankshaft's rotation should the fuel be injected.
 also called “start of injection” (SOI).
Four Stroke Cycle Diesel Engine
Four stroke engines have twice as many teeth on the camshaft gear (or
sprocket) as there are on the crankshaft gear. This means the camshaft runs at
half the speed of the crankshaft. The camshaft turns (injection and valves
operate) only once for every two revolutions of the crankshaft.

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The cylinders are numbered 1- 4. The timing assembly consist of rockers 5,
valves 6, push rod 7, cams 8, camshaft 9 and timing gear 10. The crankshaft is
11 and the flywheel 12.

Four Stroke Cycle Diesel Engine Timing

The induction stroke commences when the inlet valve opens 25° before tdc
when air is drawn into the cylinder as the piston moves down. The intake valve
closes 30° after bdc. The air is now trapped in the cylinder and as the piston
rises on the compression stroke, the air is compressed. As the air is
compressed, it rises in temperature. When the piston reaches 5° before tdc, the
injection of fuel commences and continues until 25° after tdc.
The heat in the compressed air ignites the fuel and combustion takes place.
The gases expand forcing the piston down on the power stroke.
The exhaust valves opens at 45° before bdc and the exhaust gases are
discharged as the piston rises on the exhaust stroke. Most of the exhaust gases
have been discharged as the piston nears tdc. However, at 25° before tdc, the
inlet valve opens and air enters the cylinder and helps discharge any remaining
exhaust gases until the exhaust valve closes at 15° after tdc. The whole cycle is
then repeated.

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Figure 5.2. Four stroke timing
 Figure 5.3. Four stroke timing Diagram

Both the exhaust valve and inlet valve are open from 25° before tdc to 15° after
tdc, an overlap of 40°. This is referred to as “valve overlap” and ensures that all
the exhaust gases are discharged from the cylinder and the cylinder receives a
fresh charge of air to make it more efficient when combustion next takes place.
Therefore, there is one power stroke for every cycle or two revolutions of the
crankshaft.

Two Stroke Cycle Diesel Engine

With two stroke engines, injection occurs and the valves will open and close on
each turn of the crankshaft. In two-stroke engines, the camshaft must run at
the same speed as the crankshaft.

The two strokes of power followed by compression are required to complete one
cycle. The events of injection, combustion, expansion and compression of the
gases takes place as the four stroke engine, but the exhaust of the burnt gases
and the induction of air take place at the bottom of its stroke, this being a
chief difference between the two stroke cycle and the four stroke cycle.

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 Figure 5.4. Two stroke engine

There are variations in two stroke cycle engines. It has inlet ports and exhaust
valves. The inlet holes or ports are in the lower section of the cylinder liner
wall. The piston uncovers the inlet ports as it moves down the cylinder. The
piston covers the inlet ports as it moves up the cylinder. This action has the
same effect as a valve opening and closing. An engine driven scavenge blower is
fitted and the incoming air is blown into the cylinder through the inlet ports
when they are uncovered by the piston.

Figure 5.5. Two stroke timing

Induction commences at 49° before bdc when the piston has uncovered the
inlet ports. Air is forced into the cylinder by the scavenge blower as the piston

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moves down to bdc and back up again until it covers the inlet ports at 49°
after bdc.

As the piston rises, the exhaust valve closes at 62° after bdc. The air is now
trapped in the cylinder and as the piston rises the air is compressed and rises
in temperature.
Fuel is injected before tdc and continues after tdc. Two stroke engine do not
specify the period of injection as this will vary depending upon the engine
speed, the load and the size of the injectors. The camshaft contains the
exhaust valve cams as well as the unit injector cams. Therefore, if the exhaust
valve timing is correct, the unit injector timing will be correct providing the
injector follower is adjusted to a definite height in relation to the unit injector.
A special gauge is supplied to set this height.
The heat in the compressed air ignites the fuel and combustion takes place.
The gases expand forcing the piston down on the power stroke.
 
The exhaust valve opens at 83° before bdc allowing the burned gases to escape
into the exhaust manifold. However, at 49° before bdc, the inlet ports are
uncovered by the piston and air enters the cylinder and helps discharge any
remaining exhaust gases until the exhaust valve closes at 62° after bdc. The
whole cycle is then repeated.
 
There is one power stroke for every revolution of the crankshaft.

Firing Order
In engines with several cylinders, the cylinders are designed to fire one after
the other, to increase the smooth delivery of power. They do not fire in
consecutive order (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8), as this would have the effect of twisting
one end of the crankshaft while the other end tries to catch up. Instead,
cylinders are designed to fire, first at one end of the engine, then at the other.
In this way, the power thrust is more evenly balanced on each end of the
crankshaft.
Typical firing orders for internal combustion engines are:
 
Four cylinder engines 
                    
1,3,4,2  (sometimes 1,2,4,3)

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Six cylinder engines                  1,5,3,6,2,4 (or 1,3,5,6,4,2)
Vee eight cylinder engines             1,5,4,8,6,3,7,2 is most common

GASOLINE ENGINE INJECTION TIMING

Fuel Injection Timing

Figure 5.6. Firing sequence
• The fuel injection timing is one of the most important operating
parameters that affect the atomization, mixture formation and
combustion which determines the performance and emissions of a
gasoline engine. Optimizing the injection timing will improve the
performance of the engine to a large extend.

Types of Injection Timing

1. Intake Stroke Injection Timing/ Homogenous mode

When petrol is injected during the intake stroke (while the air is
being drawn into the cylinder), the fuel will mix with all of the air in the
cylinder, resulting in complete mixing or homogenous mixture formation
.

Figure 5.7. Homogenous Mode

2. Compression Stroke Injection Timing/ Stratified Charge Mode

 At low torque output up to about 3000 rpm the engine is operated in

Stratified Charge Mode. In this mode the injector adds the fuel during
the compression stroke, just before the spark plug fires.
 In the period between the injection finishing and the sparkplug firing, the
airflow movement within the combustion chamber transports the air/fuel
mixture into the vicinity of the sparkplug. This results in a portion of

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 relatively rich air/fuel mixture surrounding the sparkplug electrode while
the rest of the combustion chamber is relatively lean.

Figure 5.8. Stratified Charge Mode

3. Homogenous Stratified Charge Mode

• The initial injection occurs during the intake stroke, giving plenty of time

for the fuel to mix with the air throughout the combustion chamber.
Then, during the compression stroke, a second amount of fuel is
injected. This leads to the creation of a rich zone around the sparkplug.
The rich zone easily ignites, which in turn ignites the leaner air/fuel ratio
within the remainder of the combustion chamber. Of the total fuel
addition, approximately 75 per cent occurs during the first injection and
25 per cent in the second. The Homogenous Stratified Charge Mode is
used during the transition from Stratified Charge to Homogenous Modes.

Ignition Timing

• Ignition timing, in a spark ignition internal combustion engine (ICE), is

the process of setting the angle relative to piston position and
crankshaft angular velocity that a spark will occur in the combustion
chamber near the end of the compression stroke.

• Setting the correct ignition timing is crucial in the performance of an

engine. Sparks occurring too soon or too late in the engine cycle are often
responsible for excessive vibrations and even engine damage. The
ignition timing affects many variables including engine longevity, fuel
economy, and engine power.

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Gasoline Direct Injection

• Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) is a type of fuel injection system that

sprays gasoline directly into the combustion chamber. Like engines
equipped with Multiport Fuel Injection (MFI) systems, there is a separate
fuel injector for each of the engine's cylinders. But instead of mounting
the injectors in the intake manifold so the injectors spray fuel into the
intake ports in the cylinder head, the GDI injectors are mounted in the
cylinder head and spray fuel directly into the combustion chamber
instead of the intake port.

Gasoline Direct Injection Applications

• Gasoline direct injection is used on a variety of late model engines: Audi,

BMW, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, MINI, Nissan, Porsche,
VW and others. Some recent domestic applications include Ford Eco
boost engines (which are also turbocharged) in the 2010 Focus & Edge
and 2011 Explorer, and the DI 3.6L V6 engine in the 2010 Buick
Lacrosse and Enclave, 2010 Cadillac STS and CTS, 2010 Camaro V6,
2010 Chevy HHR SS, 2010 Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia. The 2014
Corvette LT1 also has direct injection.

• By 2016, almost half of all new vehicles sold in the U.S are predicted to
have gasoline direct injection engines. 

FUEL INJECTION STRATEGIES FOR GASOLINE ENGINE

Based on Number of Injection

• Single injection
o It is the traditional way of injecting fuel to the combustion
chamber. Where the fuel is injected in the intake stroke.
• Split injection
o It is the strategy where in fuel is injected more than once per cycle
in different strokes.
o It can be in intake and compression, or in intake and expansion.

• Multiple injection

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 o It is also the same with the split injection, which is more injections
per cycle but in the same stroke.
o It can be in intake or compression prior to ignition.

Based on Engine Load

• Ultra lean burn or stratified charge mode
o The air and fuel ratio can be as high as 65:1 for a very limited
time.
o This is used for light-load running conditions, at constant or
reducing road speeds, where no acceleration is required.
o The fuel is not injected at the intake stroke but rather at the latter
stages of the compression stroke.
• Stoichiometric mode
o This is used for moderate load conditions.
o Fuel is injected during the intake stroke, creating a homogeneous
fuel-air mixture in the cylinder.

• Full power mode
o This is used for rapid acceleration and heavy loads like when
climbing a hill.
o The air-fuel mixture is homogeneous and the ratio is slightly richer
than stoichiometric, which helps prevent detonation (pinging). The
fuel is injected during the intake stroke.
Based on Injector location
• Indirect Injection
o The fuel is injected outside the combustion chamber, where it
allows the fuel to mix with the air to produce a homogenous
mixture.
o The disadvantage of this one is that carbon builds up in the intake
and intake valve.
• Direct injection
o In this strategy, fuel is injected right into the combustion chamber.

o This allow the fuel to be fully burn. The negative effect of this one
is that dirt builds up in the intake and intake valve for fuel in not
flowing in it anymore.

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Advantages of good Injection Strategy
• Better fuel consumption.
• Better fuel efficiency
• Better combustion
• Lesser carbon monoxide emission
• Better fuel economy

FUEL INJECTION CONTROL STRATEGIES OF DIESEL ENGINES

The modern electronic fuel injection system is known to keep the emission
levels within limits without compromising the performance of the engine and
will continue to play a vital role in the development of improved diesel engines
for the foreseeable future.
The principles and strategies:
- Injection pressure level controls spray penetration and improve atomization.
- Fuel should be distributed mainly within the air inside the combustion
chamber with minimum possible wall wetting.
- Nozzle configuration, such as, number of spray holes, diameter, orientation,
nozzle tip protrusion inside the combustion chamber, all affect fuel distribution
and atomization within the combustion chamber.
- Use of variable injection timing and variable injection rate technology.
INJECTION PRESSURE
-This strategy controls the spray penetration and improves fuel atomization by
higher injection pressure.
-Fuel injection pressures range from 200 - 2500 bar based on the fuel injection
systems used.
INJECTION RATE SHAPING
-Fuel injection rate shaping is a phenomenon to vary the injection rate over the
course of a single fuel injection.
-To control the injection rate, the parameters like injection pressure, spray hole
diameter, number of spray holes and injection duration must be optimized.
SPLIT OR MULTIPLE INJECTIONS

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 - In split or multiple injections there are one or two pilot injections at low
pressure help in reducing engine noise as well as NOx emissions.
- But nowadays , high pressure common rail fuel injection systems allows
a very high degree of flexibility in the timing and quantity control of
multiple injections, which can be used to obtain significant reductions in
engine noise and emissions without compromising its performance and
fuel consumption.
2 Modes of Split/Multiple Injection
• First mode uses a pilot + main injection strategy
• Second mode uses a main + post injection strategy
Pilot + Main injection strategy
• This split injection strategy can be implemented by injecting a small
amount of fuel prior to main injection.
• According to research, this strategy made the start of combustion (SOC)
occur more quickly because the first injected fuel prepares the air-fuel
mixture condition to ignite earlier. It is found that as the pilot injection
timing advanced, the ignition delay shortened. This is to advance the
SOC.
Main + Post injection Strategy
• This injection strategy means that a small amount of fuel is injected
separately at the end of combustion.
• This increased the activation of the late combustion cycle, showing that
the PM emissions can be oxidized by post injection. However, PM
emission may increase if some of the post-injected fuel is included in the
diffusion of flame.

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