GASOLINE AND DIESEL FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS

Gasoline Fuel Injection System

A modern gasoline injection system uses pressure from an electric fuel
pump to spray fuel into the engine intake manifold. Like a carburettor, it
must provide the engine with correct air-fuel mixture for specific operating
conditions. In a schematic diagram of GFIS, the sensors of the engine sense
the volume air entering into the cylinder. Engine control unit (ECU) sends
an input to the fuel injector to inject the precise amount of fuel
proportionate to the volume of air sucked in, the ECU have to monitor a
huge amount of input sensors.

From the fuel tank, the electric fuel pump sucks and pressurizes the
fuel to be injected in engine cylinder by common rail injection system. High
pressure fuel line is connected from the electric fuel pump inside the tank
which the fuel flow through the fuel line and drawn to the fuel filter to
remove dust particle and then sends to fuel rail. At this high pressure, fuel
is sprayed in to the engine cylinder by means of injector. Any spill over fuel
in the injector is returned to the tank.

A gasoline injection system has several possible advantages over a

carburettor type of fuel system. Some advantages are as follows:

 Improved atomization. Fuel is forced into the intake manifold under

pressure that helps break fuel droplets into a fine mist.
 Better fuel distribution. Each cylinder receives an equal flow of fuel
vapors.
 Increased engine power. Precise metering of fuel to each cylinder and
increased air flow can result in more horsepower output.
 Fewer parts. Simpler, late model, electronic fuel injection systems have
fewer parts than modern computer-controlled carburetors.

Cars that uses gasoline injection system

Honda Civic Reborn, Honda City, Mitsubishi Mirage G4
 There are many types of gasoline injection systems. Systems are
classified as either single- or multi-point injection and as either indirect
or direct injection.

Direct and Indirect Injection System

In direct injection engines, injectors directly inject the fuel into the
main combustion chamber, right into the top of the piston. The piston on
the engine has a bowl or cup machined into them that the fuel directed into.
The shape of the piston bowl controls the movement of air and fuel as the
piston comes up for the compression stroke (before the mix is ignited and
the piston is pushed downward). Advantage: produce more power, better
emissions and improved fuel efficiency. Disadvantage: complexity and cost.
Indirect injection in an internal combustion engine is fuel injection
where is not directly injected into the combustion chamber. An indirect
injection engine delivers fuel into chamber off the combustion chamber,
called a pre-chamber, where combustion begins and then spreads into the
main combustion chamber.

Classification of indirect combustion chambers

1. Swirl chamber - It consists of a spherical chamber located in the
cylinder head and separated from the engine cylinder by a tangential
throat. About 50% of the air enters the swirl chamber during the
compression stroke of the engine, producing a swirl.
2. Pre-combustion chamber - This chamber is located at the cylinder head
and is connected to the engine cylinder by small holes. It occupies 40% of
the total cylinder volume. During the compression stroke, air from the
main cylinder enters the pre-combustion chamber.
3. Air cell chamber - The air cell is a small cylindrical chamber with a hole
in one end. It is mounted more or less coaxially with the injector, said
axis being parallel to the piston crown, with the injector firing across a
small cavity which is open to the cylinder into the hole in the end of the
air cell. The air cell is mounted so as to minimize thermal contact with
the mass of the head. A pintle injector with a narrow spray pattern is
 used. At TDC the majority of the charge mass is contained in the cavity
and air cell.
Advantages of IDI:
 Possible to produce smaller size of engines suitable for cars.
 Low injection pressure is required, so the injector is cheaper to produce.
Disadvantage:
 Poorer fuel consumption due to lower thermal efficiency
 Higher compression ratio required to aid starting
 Glow plugs are needed for a cold engine start on diesel engines.

Gasoline Direct Injection

Direct gasoline injection engines
deliver fuel directly into the engine cylinders.
The gasoline is highly pressurized, and injected via
a common rail fuel line directly into
the combustion chamber of each cylinder. The
injector is connected along with the intake valve,
exhaust valve and the spark plug.
Main Components of GDI
 Engine Control Unit (ECU) - is a computer
that controls all the electronic components on the engine.
 Sensors – in order to provide the correct amount of the fuel for every
operating condition, the ECU has to monitor a huge number of input
sensors.
 High pressure Fuel pump – pressurizes the fuel.
 Fuel Injector – injects the fuel into the cylinder.
Three combustion modes:
1. Ultra lean burn or stratified charge mode - is used
for light-load running conditions, at constant or
reducing road speeds, where no acceleration is
required. The mixture is injected at the end of the
compression stroke for lowest heat losses. This is
when the compression ratio of the cylinder is
maximum. In lean-burn engines the air-fuel
ratio may be as lean as 65:1 (by mass).
2. Stoichiometric mode- is used for moderate load
conditions. Fuel is injected during the intake stroke,
creating a homogeneous fuel-air mixture in the
cylinder. From the stoichiometric ail-fuel ratio
(14.7:1), an optimum burn results in a clean exhaust
emission, further cleaned by the catalytic converter.
3. Full power mode- is used for rapid acceleration and
 heavy loads (as when climbing a hill). The air-fuel mixture is
homogeneous and the ratio is slightly richer than stoichiometric, which
helps prevent pinging. The fuel is injected during the intake stroke.

Advantage of GDI
 Increases fuel efficiency
 Provide higher power output
 Increases the engine’s volumetric efficiency
 Lower engine thermal losses
Cars that uses GDI
Audi a6, Ford Edge, 2016 Veloster Turbo

Diesel Fuel Injection System

The fuel injection system lies at the very heart of the diesel engine. By
pressurising and injecting the fuel, the system forces it into air that has
been compressed to high pressure in the combustion chamber.
Like the GFIS, modern diesel fuel injection system uses also electronic
control unit in the system. These engines do not have a spark plug unlike
gasoline. The air is already present in the combustion chamber and is
compressed. Since no spark plug is present to produce spark, the heated air
will ignite the fuel that is injected into the combustion chamber with high
pressure. Compression ratios in diesel engine range between 6:1 for a
stationary engine and 24:1 for passenger vehicles. This high ratio causes
increased compression pressures of 400 to 600 psi and cylinder
temperatures reaching 800°F to 1200°F.

The diesel fuel injection system consists of:

 fuel injection pump - pressurizes fuel to high pressure
 high-pressure pipe - sends fuel to the injection nozzle
 injection nozzle - injects the fuel into the cylinder
 feed pump – sucks fuel from the fuel tank
 fuel filter - filtrates the fuel
Cars that uses diesel injection system
Izuzu mu-X, Honda CR-V, Ford Everest