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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 FUEL INJECTION IN DIESEL ENGINES

Mechanical and electronic injection

Older engines make use of a mechanical fuel pump and valve assembly which is driven
by the engine crankshaft, usually via the timing belt or chain. These engines use simple
injectors which are basically very precise spring-loaded valves which will open and close
at a specific fuel pressure. The pump assembly consists of a pump which pressurizes the
fuel, and a disc-shaped valve which rotates at half crankshaft speed. The valve has a
single aperture to the pressurized fuel on one side, and one aperture for each injector on
the other. As the engine turns the valve discs will line up and deliver a burst of
pressurized fuel to the injector at the cylinder about to enter its power stroke. The
injector valve is forced open by the fuel pressure and the diesel is injected until the valve
rotates out of alignment and the fuel pressure to that injector is cut off. Engine speed is
controlled by a third disc, which rotates only a few degrees and is controlled by the
throttle lever. This disc alters the width of the aperture through which the fuel passes,
and therefore how long the injectors are held open before the fuel supply is cut,
controlling the amount of fuel injected.

This contrasts with the more modern method of having a separate fuel pump (or set of
pumps) which supplies fuel constantly at high pressure to each injector. Each injector
then has a solenoid which is operated by an electronic control unit, which enables more
accurate control of injector opening times depending on other control conditions such as
engine speed and loading, resulting in better engine performance and fuel economy. This
design is also mechanically simpler than the combined pump and valve design, making it
generally more reliable, and less noisy, than its mechanical counterpart.

Both mechanical and electronic injection systems can be used in either direct or indirect
injection configurations.

Indirect injection

An indirect injection diesel engine delivers fuel into a chamber off the combustion
chamber, called a prechamber, where combustion begins and then spreads into the main
combustion chamber.

Direct injection

Modern diesel engines make use of one of the following direct injection methods:

1) Distributor pump direct injection

The first incarnations of direct injection diesels used a rotary pump much like indirect
injection diesels, however the injectors were mounted directly in the top of the
combustion chamber rather than in a separate pre-combustion chamber. Examples are
vehicles such as the Ford Transit and the Austin Rover Maestro and Montego with
their Perkins Prima engine. The problem with these vehicles was the harsh noise that
they made and particulate (smoke) emissions. This is the reason that in the main this

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type of engine was limited to commercial vehicles (the notable exceptions being the
Maestro, Montego and Fiat Croma passenger cars). Fuel consumption was about 15%
to 20% lower than indirect injection diesels which for some buyers was enough to
compensate for the extra noise.

2) Common rail direct injection

In older diesel engines, a distributor-type injection pump, regulated by the engine,

supplies bursts of fuel to injectors which are simply nozzles through which the diesel
is sprayed into the engine's combustion chamber.

In common rail systems, the distributor injection pump is eliminated. Instead an

extremely high pressure pump stores a reservoir of fuel at high pressure - up to 1,800
bar (180MPa) - in a "common rail", basically a tube which in turn branches off to
computer-controlled injector valves, each of which contains a precision-machined
nozzle and a plunger driven by a solenoid.

Most European automakers have common rail diesels in their model lineups, even for
commercial vehicles. Some Japanese manufacturers, such as Toyota, Nissan and
recently Honda, have also developed common rail diesel engines.

1) Unit direct injection

This also injects fuel directly into the cylinder of the engine. However, in this system
the injector and the pump are combined into one unit positioned over each cylinder.
Each cylinder thus has its own pump, feeding its own injector, which prevents
pressure fluctuations and allows more consistent injection to be achieved. This type of
injection system, also developed by Bosch, is used by Volkswagen AG in cars (where
it is called Pumpe Düse - literally "pump nozzle"), and most major diesel engine
manufacturers, in large commercial engines (Cat, Cummins, Detroit Diesel). With
recent advancements, the pump pressure has been raised to 2,050 bar (205 MPa),
allowing injection parameters similar to common rail systems.

1.2 CRDI (COMMON RAIL DIESEL INJECTION)

CRDI stands for Common Rail Direct Injection meaning, direct injection of the fuel into
the cylinders of a diesel engine via a single, common line, called the common rail which
is connected to all the fuel injectors.

Whereas ordinary diesel direct fuel-injection systems have to build up pressure anew for
each and every injection cycle, the new common rail (line) engines maintain constant
pressure regardless of the injection sequence. This pressure then remains permanently
available throughout the fuel line. The engine's electronic timing regulates injection
pressure according to engine speed and load. The electronic control unit (ECU) modifies
injection pressure precisely and as needed, based on data obtained from sensors on the
cam and crankshafts. In other words, compression and injection occur independently of
each other. This technique allows fuel to be injected as needed, saving fuel and lowering
emissions.

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More accurately measured and timed mixture spray in the combustion chamber
significantly reducing unburned fuel gives CRDi the potential to meet future emission
guidelines such as Euro V. CRDi engines are now being used in almost all Mercedes-
Benz, Toyota, Hyundai, Ford and many other diesel automobiles.

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of CRDI

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 A method for Combustion Phasing Control use Cylinder Pressure measurement in a
CRDI Diesel Engine

The start of combustion (SOC) in the combustion chamber has a considerable influence
upon all performances of the engine. In this paper, cylinder pressure was investigated as
a means for the closed-loop SOC control of a common-rail direct injection (CRDI) diesel
engine. In order to detect the SOC, the crank angle position where the difference pressure
became 10 bar was selected as the pressure variable. Using this pressure variable as a
feedback variable, an adaptive feed forward control was proposed. The feed forward
controller consisted of the radial basis function network (RBFN) and the feedback error
learning method, which was used for the training of the network. The proposed SOC
control strategy showed a far better regulation performance than that of the linear
feedback controller. A further extension of the strategy based on the individual cylinder
pressure feedback, the individual cylinder SOC control strategy, effectively reduced
cylinder-by-cylinder SOC variation in steady and transient engine operations.[1]

2.2 New Direct Fuel Injection Engine Control Systems for Meeting Future Fuel
Economy Requirements and Emission Standards

Recently, the need to reduce CO2 levels has made increased fuel economy an urgent
matter in Japan and Europe. Use of the highly efficient diesel engine is expected to
increase and measures against emissions such as soot are a major problem. Gasoline
engines, on the other hand, are more sustainable in terms of exhaust emissions, and are
steadily approaching the diesel engine in terms of fuel economy as well. Since
introducing a direct fuel injection engine control system in 1997, the Hitachi Group has
continued to develop and manufacture system control and the main components for it,
and now we are expanding into Europe as well. [2]

Figure 2 Basic Structure and components of Direct Fuel Injection System

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CHAPTER 3: BASIC PRINCIPLE OF CRDI

3.1 OVERVIEW

Compared with petrol, diesel is the lower quality fuel from petroleum family. Diesel
particles are larger and heavier than petrol, thus more difficult to pulverize. Imperfect
pulverization leads to more unburned particles, hence more pollutant, lower fuel
efficiency and less power. Common-rail technology is intended to improve the
pulverization process.

To improve pulverization, the fuel must be injected at a very high pressure, so high that
normal fuel injectors cannot achieve it. In common-rail system, the fuel pressure is
implemented by a very strong pump instead of fuel injectors. The high-pressure fuel is
fed to individual fuel injectors via a common rigid pipe (hence the name of "common-
rail"). In the current first generation design, the pipe withstands pressures as high as
1,600 bar or 20,000 psi. Fuel always remains under such pressure even in stand-by state.
Therefore whenever the injector (which acts as a valve rather than a pressure generator)
opens, the high-pressure fuel can be injected into combustion chamber quickly. As a
result, not only pulverization is improved by the higher fuel pressure, but the duration of
fuel injection can be shortened and the timing can be more precisely controlled.

Solenoid or piezoelectric valves make possible fine electronic control over the fuel
injection time and quantity, and the higher pressure that the common rail technology
makes available provides better fuel atomisation. In order to lower engine noise, the
engine'selectronic control unit can inject a small amount of diesel just before the main
injection event ("pilot" injection), thus reducing its explosiveness and vibration, as well
as optimising injection timing and quantity for variations in fuel quality, cold starting and
so on. Some advanced common rail fuel systems perform as many as five injections per
stroke.

In common rail systems, a high-pressure pump stores a reservoir of fuel at high pressure
up to and above 2,000 bars (29,000 psi). The term "common rail" refers to the fact that
all of the fuel injectors are supplied by a common fuel rail which is nothing more than a
pressure accumulator where the fuel is stored at high pressure. This accumulator supplies
multiple fuel injectors with high-pressure fuel. This simplifies the purpose of the high-
pressure pump in that it only has to maintain a commanded pressure at a target (either
mechanically or electronically controlled).
The fuel injectors are typically ECU-controlled. When the fuel injectors are electrically
activated, a hydraulic valve (consisting of a nozzle and plunger) is mechanically or
hydraulically opened and fuel is sprayed into the cylinders at the desired pressure. Since
the fuel pressure energy is stored remotely and the injectors are electrically actuated, the
injection pressure at the start and end of injection is very near the pressure in the
accumulator (rail), thus producing a square injection rate. If the accumulator, pump and
plumbing are sized properly, the injection pressure and rate will be the same for each of
the multiple injection events.

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3.2 PRESSURE CIRCUITS

Figure 3 Pressure circuits

LOW PRESSURE FUEL CIRCUIT

Low pressure Fuel pump

Low pressure Fuel pump is either an electric fuel pump with pre-filter or a gear type fuel
pump. The pump draws the fuel from the fuel tank and continually delivers the required
quantity of fuel in the direction of high pressure fuel pump.

Fuel Sender
It is located into the fuel tank and measures amount of fuel contained in fuel tank.

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Fuel Filter
It is located between low pressure fuel pump and high pressure fuel pump and filters the
fuel delivered from the fuel tank.

HIGH PRESSURE FUEL CIRCUIT

High pressure Fuel Pump
It compresses fuel up to 1600 bar and delivers the compressed fuel to common rail.

Common Rail
It is connected with the high pressure fuel pump and the injectors by the high pressure fuel
pipes. This rail stores the fuel compressed by the high pressure pump. The ECM controls
the fuel pressure of the common rail by using the rail pressure sensor and the rail pressure
regulator valve installed on the common rail.

Injector
The injector injects the high pressure fuel stored into the common rail into the cylin der by
the ECM control signal.

High pressure fuel pipe

High Pressure Fuel Pipe is a channel in high pressure Fuel Circuit consisting of the high
pressure fuel pump, the common rails, and injectors. It is a steel tube which can withstand
high frequency generated when the fuel pressure the maximum pressure or fuel injection
stops.

3.3 INJECTION STAGES

Due to extremely quick reactions in millisecond range upto five separate injection process
can be achieved per cycle. In addition to main injection process, pre and post processes are
also possible.

Pre Injection/Pilot Injection

During this stage a small amount of diesel is injected just before the main injection event
thus reducing vibration as well and optimising injection timing and quantity for variation
in fuel quality and cold starting. It moderates the acoustic hardness so called racking in the
combustion process.

Main Injection
It is the main event during which compression occurs and charge is ignited thereafter.

Post Injection
It injects small amount of fuel during the expansion phase thus creating small scale
combustion after the normal combustion takes place. This further eliminates the unburned

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particles and also increases the exhaust flow temperature thus reducing the pre-heat time
of the catalytic converter. In short, "post-combustion" cuts pollutants.

Figure 4 High pressure Injection

Figure 5 Injection Stages

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CHAPTER 4: COMPONENTS OF CRDI

4.1 PRE-SUPPLY PUMP

Figure 6 Pre-Supply Pump

The electric fuel pump comprises of:

1. Electric Motor
2. Roller-Cell Pump
3 .Non return valve

4.2 HIGH PRESSURE PUMP

The high Pressure pump is the interface between the low pressure and high pressure
stages. Its function is to make sure there is always sufficient fuel under pressure available
in all engine operating conditions. At the same time it must operate fort the entire service
life of the vehicle. This includes providing a fuel reserve that is required for quick engine
starting and rapid pressurization in the fuel rail.
The high pressure pump constantly maintains a system pressure of upto 1600-2000 bar in
the high pressure accumulator. As a result, the fuel does not have to be pressurized
during the fuel injection cycle.

Figure 7 High Pressure Pump

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4.3 FUEL RAIL (HIGH PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR)

The function of high pressure accumulator is to maintain the fuel at high pressure. In so
doing, the accumulator volume has to dampen pressure fluctuations caused by the fuel
pulses delivered by the pump and the fuel injection cycles. This ensures that, when the
nozzles open, the injection pressure remains constant. The fuel rail also acts as a fuel
distributor.

Figure 8 Fuel Rail

4.4 PRESSURE LIMITING VALVE

The function of the pressure limiting valve is equivalent to that of a pressure relief valve.
The pressure limiting valve limits the pressure in the fuel rail by opening a pressure
outlet when the pressure exceeds the specific limit.

Figure 9 Pressure Limiting Valve

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4.5 NOZZLE (FUEL INJECTION)

A fuel injector is nothing but an electronically controlled valve. It is supplied with

pressurized fuel by the fuel pump, and it is capable of opening and closing many times
per second. When the injector is energized, an electromagnet moves a plunger that opens
the valve, allowing the pressurized fuel to squirt out through a tiny nozzle.
The nozzle is designed to atomize the fuel -- to make as fine a mist as possible so that it
can burn easily. The amount of fuel supplied to the engine is determined by the amount
of time the fuel injector stays open. This is called the pulse width, and it is controlled by
the ECU. The injectors are mounted in the intake manifold so that they spray fuel
directly at the intake valves.
A pipe called the fuel rail supplies pressurized fuel to all of the injectors. Each injector is
complete and self-contained with nozzle, hydraulic intensifier, and electronic digital
valve. At the end of each injector, a rapid-acting solenoid valve adjusts both the injection
timing and the amount of fuel injected. A microcomputer controls each valve's opening
and closing sequence.

Figure 10 Fuel Injector

4.6 MICROCOMPUTER & SENSORS

The new direct-injection motors are regulated by a powerful microcomputer linked via
CAN (Controller Area Network) data bus to other control devices on board. These
devices exchange data. The engine's electrical controls are a central element of the

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common rail system because regulation of injection pressure and control of the solenoid
valves for each cylinder - both indispensable for variable control of the motor - would be
unthinkable without them. This electronic engine management network is a critical
element of the common rail system because only the speed and spontaneity of electronics
can ensure immediate pressure injection adjustment and cylinder-specific control of the
injector solenoid valves.

Figure 11 Microcomputer

Figure 12 Sensors
val

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CHAPTER 5: METHOD OF OPERATION

In the common rail pressure accumulator fuel injection system, the functions of pressure
generation and the fuel injection are separate. The EDC electronics-control system controls
the individual fuel injection components.

5.1 PRESSURE GENERATION

A continuously operating high pressure pump driven by the engine produces the desired
injection pressure. As that pressure is stored in the pressure accumulator, it is largely
independent of engine speed and injected fuel quantity. The speed of high pressure pump
is directly proportional to the engine speed as it driven by a system with a fixed
transmission ratio. Because of the almost uniform injection pattern the high pressure
pump can be significantly smaller and designed for a lower peak drive system torque
than conventional fuel injection system.

5.2 FUEL INJECTION

The nozzles inject the fuel directly into the engine’s combustion chambers. They are
supplied by high pressure fuel lines connected to the fuel rail. A nozzle consists
essentially of an injector nozzle and a fast switching solenoid valve that controls the
injectors nozzle by means of mechanical actuators. The electronic engine control unit
controls the solenoid valve.
At a constant system pressure, the quantity injected is proportional to the length of time
that the solenoid valve is open and thus entirely independent of the engine or pump speed
(time based fuel injection system)

5.3 CONTROL
With the aid of range of sensors, the engine control unit records the accelerator-pedal
position and the current status of engine and the vehicle. The data collected includes:

 The crankshaft angle of rotation.

 The camshaft speed
 The fuel rail pressure
 The charge air pressure
 The temperature of intake air, engine coolant and fuel.
 The mass of the air charge.
 The road speed of the vehicles etc.
The control analyzes the input signal and calculates with in a split seconds the control
signals required for the high pressure pumps, the nozzle and the other actuators. The later
may include the exhaust gas re circulation valve or the charge air actuator.
The extremely fast switching time demanded of the nozzles is achieved with a aid off
optimized high pressure solenoid valves and special control methods.
The position time system matches the start of injection to the rotation of the engine using
the data from the crankshaft and the camshaft sensors. The electronic diesel control

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makes it possible to precisely meter the fuel injection. In addition, EDC offers potential
for response.

5.4 ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

Additional control functions perform the task of reducing exhaust gas emission and fuel
consumption or providing added safety and convenience. Some examples are:

 Control of exhaust gas re circulation.

 Charge air pressure control
 Cruise control
 Electronic immobilizer.
Integration of EDC in an overall network of vehicle systems also opens a range of new
possibilities (e.g. Data exchange with climate control system or the transmission control
system)

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CHAPTER 6: ADVANTAGES, APPLICATIONS & FUTURE TRENDS

6.1 ADVANTAGES

S.No Normal Diesel Engine CRDI engine

1 Pressure range from 200-400 bar
2 Indirect injection of fuel
3 Noisy Engine
4 Fuel Injection Pressure Varies
5 Mechanical metering of fuel
quantity
6 Fuel Injection timing mechanically
controlled by fuel injection pump
7 High Fuel consumption at low
engine speed
8 High Emission at low engine speed
9 More particulate emission
Uniform Pressure exceeding 1200 bar
Direct Injection of high pressure fuel
Less Engine Noise
Fuel Injection Pressure Remain constant
Electronically control metering of fuel
Electronically controlled injection timing &
independent of engine speed
Low fuel consumption at all engine speed
Low emission at all engine speed
Reduce particulate emission

6.2 APPLICATIONS
The pressure accumulator common rail fuel injection system for diesel engines with direct
injection is used in following type of vehicles:

 Cars ranging from economy models with 3 cylinders 0.8 litre engine producing 30kw
of power and 100 N-m torque, and with fuel consumption of 3.5 litres 100km to
luxury sedans with 8 cylinders 3.9 litres engines developing 180kw of power and 560
N-m of torque.
 Light commercial; vehicle with power output of up to 30kw/cylinder
 Heavy duty trucks, railway locomotives and ships with engines producing upto
200kw/cylinder

The common rail system offers a significantly higher level of adaptability to engine design
on the part of the fuel injection system than cam operated as evidenced by:

 Better fuel efficiency

 Higher torque
 Lower green house gas emission
 Wide range of applications
 High injection pressure
 Variable injection timing

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6.3 FUTURE TRENDS

5.1 Ultra-High Pressure Common–Rail Injection:

Newer CRDI engines feature maximum pressures of 1800 bar. This pressure is up to 33%
higher than that of first-generation systems, many of which are in the 1600-bar range. This
technology generates an ideal swirl in the combustion chamber which, coupled with the
common-rail injectors’ superior fuel-spray pattern and optimized piston head design, allows
the air/fuel mixture to form a perfect vertical vortex resulting in uniform combustion and
greatly reduced NOx (nitrogen oxide) emissions. The system realizes high output and torque,
superb fuel economy, emissions low enough to achieve Euro Stage IV designation and noise
levels the same as a gasoline engines. In particular, exhaust emissions and Nox are reduced
by some 50% over the current generation of diesel engines.

5.2 CRDI and Particle Filter:

Figure 13 Particle Filter

Particle emission is always the biggest problem of diesel engines. While diesel engines emit
considerably less pollutant CO and Nox as well as green house gas CO2, the only
shortcoming is excessive level of particles. These particles are mainly composed of carbon
and hydrocarbons. They lead to dark smoke and smog which is very crucial to air quality of
urban area, if not to the ecology system of our planet.

Basically, particle filter is a porous silicon carbide unit; comprising passageways which has a
property of easily trapping and retaining particles from the exhaust gas flow. Before the filter

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surface is fully occupied, these carbon / hydrocarbon particles should be burnt up, becoming
CO2 and water and leave the filter accompany with exhaust gas flow. The process is called
regeneration.

Normally regeneration takes place at 550° C. However, the main problem is: this
temperature is not obtainable under normal conditions. Normally the temperature varies
between 150° and 200°C when the driving in town, as the exhaust gas is not in full flow.

The new common-rail injection technology helps solving this problem. By its high-pressure,
precise injection during a very short period, the common-rail system can introduce a "post-
combustion" by injecting small amount of fuel during expansion phase. This increases the
exhaust flow temperature to around 350°C.

Then, a specially designed oxidizing catalyst converter locating near the entrance of the
particle filter unit will combust the remaining unburnt fuel come from the "post-
combustion". This raises the temperature further to 450° C.

The last 100°C required is fulfilled by adding an addictive called Eolys to the fuel. Eolys
lowers the operating temperature of particle burning to 450° C, now regeneration occurs. The
liquid-state additive is store in a small tank and added to the fuel by pump. The PF unit needs
to be cleaned up every 80,000 km by high-pressure water, to get rid of the deposits resulting
from the additive.

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CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION

The seminar that I had taken is CRDI system from which we reached to the conclusion that CRDI
technology revolutionized diesel engines and also petrol engines (by introduction of GDI
technology). By introduction of CRDI a lot of advantages are obtained, some of them are:

 More power is developed.

 Increased fuel efficiency. Reduced noise
 More Stability.
 Pollutants are reduced.
 Particulates of exhaust are reduced.
 Exhaust gas recirculation is enhanced.
 Precise injection timing is obtained.
 Pilot and post injection increase the combustion quality.
 More pulverization of fuel is obtained.
 A very high injection pressure can be achieved.
 The powerful microcomputer makes the whole system more perfect. It doubles the torque
at lower engine speeds.

The main disadvantage is that this technology increase the cost of the engine.Also this
technology cant be employed to ordinary engines.

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REFERENCES
[1] Maru Yoona, Kangyoon Leeb, and Myoungho Sunwoo. “A method for combustion
phasing control using cylinder pressure measurement in a CRDI diesel engine.” Hyundai-Kia
Motor Company, 772-1.

[2] T. Shiraishi et al., “Study on Mixture Formation of Direct Injection Engines,” Transaction
of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. Vol. 33, No. 4 (Oct. 2002) in Japanese.

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_rail.

[4] Kouremenos D. A. and Hountalas D. T. Development and validation of a detailed fuel

injection system simulation model for diesel engines. SAE Technical Papers, 01(0527), 1999.

[5] Covington J. P. Modernizing the fixed-venturi carburettor. Automotive Engineering,

82(7), 1974.

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