Basic Function of Diesel Engine

The diesel engine (also known as a compression-ignition engine) is an internal

combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition and burn
the fuel that has been injected into the combustion chamber. 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.
The diesel engine has the highest thermal efficiency of any
standard internal or external combustion engine due to its very high compression
ratio and inherent lean burn which enables heat dissipation by the excess air. A
small efficiency loss is also avoided compared to two-stroke non-direct-injection
gasoline engines since unburn fuel is not present at valve overlap and therefore
no fuel goes directly from the intake/injection to the exhaust. Low-speed diesel
engines (as used in ships and other applications where overall engine weight is
relatively unimportant) can have a thermal efficiency that exceeds 50%.

INTAKE STROKE
The intake stroke begins at top dead center, and as the piston moves down, the
intake valve opens. The downward movement of the piston creates a vacuum in
the cylinder, causing an air to be drawn through the intake port into the
combustion chamber. As the piston reaches bottom dead center, the
intake valve closes.
COMPRESSION STROKE
The compression stroke begins with the piston at bottom dead center and rising
up to compress the air. Since both the intake and exhaust valves are closed,
there is no escape for the air, and it is compressed to a fraction of its original
volume. As the piston reach TDC, the compression stroke ends.
POWER STROKE
The piston begins the power stroke at TDC. At this point, fuel is injected into
combustion chamber and ignited by the heat of the compression. The expanding
forces of burning gases force the piston downward.
EXHAUST

STROKE

The exhaust stroke begins when the piston nears the end of the power stroke
and the exhaust valve is opened. As the piston moves upward towards top dead
center, it pushes the burnt gases, resulting from the ignition of the fuel and air
mixture, out of the combustion chamber and through the exhaust port. As the
piston reaches top dead center, ending the exhaust stroke, the
exhaust valve closes, and the intake valve opens to begin the intake stroke for
the next cycle.

Diesel Engine Component

Fundamental Operating Principle of Diesel Engine

Following is a step-by-step view when you start up a diesel-powered vehicle.
1.

You turn the key in the ignition.

Then you wait until the engine builds up enough heat in the cylinders for
satisfactory starting. (Most vehicles have a little light that says Wait, but a
sultry computer voice may do the same job on some vehicles.) Turning the
key begins a process in which fuel is injected into the cylinders under such
high pressure that it heats the air in the cylinders all by itself. The time it
takes to warm things up has been dramatically reduced probably no more
than 1.5 seconds in moderate weather.
Diesel fuel is less volatile than gasoline and is easier to start if the
combustion chamber is preheated, so manufacturers originally installed little
glow plugs that worked off the battery to pre-warm the air in the cylinders
when you first started the engine. Better fuel management techniques and
higher injection pressures now create enough heat to touch off the fuel
without glow plugs, but the plugs are still in there for emissions control: The
extra heat they provide helps burn the fuel more efficiently. Some vehicles
still have these chambers, others dont, but the results are still the same.

2.

A Start light goes on.

When you see it, you step on the accelerator and turn the ignition key to
Start.

3.

Fuel pumps deliver the fuel from the fuel tank to the engine.
On its way, the fuel passes through a couple of fuel filters that clean it before
it can get to the fuel injector nozzles. Proper filter maintenance is especially
important in diesels because fuel contamination can clog up the tiny holes in
the injector nozzles.

A diesel fuel filter.

4.

The fuel injection pump pressurizes fuel into a delivery tube.

This delivery tube is called a rail and keeps it there under constant high
pressure of 23,500 pounds per square inch (psi) or even higher while it
delivers the fuel to each cylinder at the proper time. (Gasoline fuel injection
pressure may be just 10 to 50 psi!) The fuel injectors feed the fuel as a fine
spray into the combustion chambers of the cylinders through nozzles
controlled by the engines engine control unit (ECU), which determines the
pressure, when the fuel spray occurs, how long it lasts, and other functions.

5.

The fuel, air, and fire meet in the cylinders.

While the preceding steps get the fuel where it needs to go, another process
runs simultaneously to get the air where it needs to be for the final, fiery
power play.
On conventional diesels, the air comes in through an air cleaner thats quite
similar to those in gas-powered vehicles. However, modern turbochargers
can ram greater volumes of air into the cylinders and may provide greater
power and fuel economy under optimum conditions. A turbocharger can
increase the power on a diesel vehicle by 50 percent while lowering its fuel
consumption by 20 to 25 percent.

6.

Combustion spreads from the smaller amount of fuel thats placed

under pressure in the precombustion chamber to the fuel and air in
the combustion chamber itself.

Introduce Advance Diesel Engine With Electronic Control (Common Rail

System).

Principles
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.
To lower engine noise, the engine's electronic 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.
Common rail engines require a very short (< 10 seconds) to no heating-up
time, depending on ambient temperature, and produce lower engine noise
and emissions than older systems.
Diesel engines have historically used various forms of fuel injection. Two
common types include the unit injection system and the distributor/inline
pump systems (See diesel engine and unit injector for more information).

While these older systems provided accurate fuel quantity and injection
timing control, they were limited by several factors:

They were cam driven, and injection pressure was proportional to

engine speed. This typically meant that the highest injection
pressure could only be achieved at the highest engine speed and
the maximum achievable injection pressure decreased as engine
speed decreased. This relationship is true with all pumps, even
those used on common rail systems. With unit or distributor
systems, the injection pressure is tied to the instantaneous pressure
of a single pumping event with no accumulator, and thus the
relationship is more prominent and troublesome.
They were limited in the number and timing of injection events that
could be commanded during a single combustion event. While
multiple injection events are possible with these older systems, it is
much more difficult and costly to achieve.
For the typical distributor/inline system, the start of injection
occurred at a pre-determined pressure (often referred to as: pop
pressure) and ended at a pre-determined pressure. This
characteristic resulted from "dummy" injectors in the cylinder head
which opened and closed at pressures determined by the spring
preload applied to the plunger in the injector. Once the pressure in
the injector reached a pre-determined level, the plunger would lift
and injection would start.

In common a rail system, a high-pressure pump stores a reservoir of fuel

at high pressure up to and above 2,000 bars (200 MPa; 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 needs 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.

Fuel Injection Pump

An Injection Pump is the device that pumps fuel into the cylinders of a
diesel engine. Traditionally, the injection pump is driven indirectly from the
crankshaft by gears, chains or a toothed belt (often the timing belt) that
also drives the camshaft. It rotates at half crankshaft speed in a
conventional four-stroke engine. Its timing is such that the fuel is injected
only very slightly before top dead centre of that cylinder's compression
stroke. It is also common for the pump belt on gasoline engines to be
driven directly from the camshaft. In some systems injection pressures
can be as high as 200 MPa (30,000 PSI).
1. Inline Injection Pump
In-line injection pumps to meter,
and raise the pressure of the fuel.
The basic principle is for a plunger
to act on a column of fuel, to lift an
injector needle off its seat.
Inside the pump is a pumping
element, and a delivery valve for
each cylinder of the engine. The
element has a barrel, and a plunger
that fits inside it. Their accurate fit
and highly-polished finish ensures
only minimal fuel leakage past them, without needing positive seals. The
barrel usually has two holes, or ports, called the inlet port, and the spill
port. They connect the inside of the barrel with the gallery. The gallery
contains filtered fuel from the low-pressure system. At the top of the
barrel is a delivery valve, delivery valve holder, and the pipe to carry fuel
to each cylinder.
The upper end of the plunger has a vertical groove, extending from its top
to an annular groove. The top edge of this annular groove is cut in a helix,
also called the control edge. Some pumps have a helix cut on top of the
plunger.
A camshaft, cam follower and spring, move the plunger in a reciprocating
motion.
When the plunger is below the ports, fuel from the gallery enters the
barrel above the plunger. This ensures the barrel is full of fuel. As the
camshaft rotates, the plunger is pushed past the ports. The highly

polished surfaces cause a sealing effect, trapping the fuel above the
plunger. Moving the plunger further raises the pressure of the fuel. This
forces the fuel out past the delivery valve, along the fuel line to the
injector.
Fuel flows to the injector until the control edge uncovers the spill port. The
pressurized fuel above the plunger then moves down the vertical groove,
to the annular groove, and into the spill port. The delivery valve stops fuel
leaking from the pipe back into the element. It reduces pressure in the
fuel line to ensure there is no dribbling by the injector.
The delivery valve has a relief plunger, and a conical face which is held
against its matching seat by the delivery valve spring. The relief plunger
on the valve is a close fit inside the bore of the delivery valve seat.
When the fuel pressure rises, the delivery valve is lifted off its seat. When
the plunger is clear of its bore, fuel flows to the injector. When injection
ceases, the pressure below the delivery valve drops to gallery pressure.
Fuel pressure above the delivery valve forces the valve towards its seat.
The relief valve enters the seat bore, sealing the volumes above and
below the delivery valve. Further movement of the delivery valve towards
its seat, increases the volume in the injector pipe, and reduces the
pressure in there. This drop in pressure causes the injector needle to snap
shut, helping to prevent fuel dribble from the injector. The conical face of
the delivery valve then contacts the seat, further sealing the plunger from
the injector pipe.
Rotating the plunger controls the length of the stroke for which the spill
port is covered. This is called the effective stroke. It influences how much
fuel is delivered to the injector. A short effective stroke means a small
amount of fuel is injected. A longer effective stroke lets more fuel be
delivered. To stop the engine, the vertical groove on the plunger is aligned
with the spill port, which stops pressure in the barrel rising.
The plunger is rotated by a control sleeve, a rack, and a pinion. Moving
the rack rotates the pinion, the control sleeve, and then the plunger. The
racks movement is controlled by the governor.

2. Distributor Type Fuel Injection Pump

The distributor-type
uses a vane-type
transfer pump to fill the
single pumping
This then raises fuel
pressure to injection
pressure.
A distribution system then distributes fuel
cylinder, in the firing order of the engine.

pump

element.

to each

The most common type in light automotive use is the Bosch VE pump.
A drive shaft driven from the engine, rotates a plunger, and a cam disc.
Cams on the face of the disc have as many lobes as cylinders in the
engine. A plunger spring holds the cam disc against rollers that rotate on
their shafts.
The lobes move the plunger to-and-fro in its barrel, making it rotate, and
reciprocate, at the same time. Its rotation operates the fuel inlet port to
the pumping chamber, and at the same time distributes pressurized fuel
to the correct injector. The reciprocating motion pressurizes the fuel in the
pumping chamber.
The plungers pumping action forces fuel through a delivery valve, to the
injector. This pump is for a 3-cylinder engine, so it has 3 delivery valves.
The barrel has 1 intake port and 3 distribution ports. The plunger has a
central passage, a connecting passage to the distributing slit, and a crossdrilling to a control sleeve. As the plunger rotates, each intake slit aligns
with the intake port, and the distributing slit with the distributing port.
As the plunger rotates, the intake slit moves away from the intake port. At
the same time, the plunger is acted on by the cams, causing it to move
axially along the barrel, pressurizing the fuel in the pumping chamber.
The distributing slit now uncovers the distribution port, and the
pressurized fuel passes through delivery valve to the injector. Further
rotation of the plunger closes off the distribution port, and opens the
intake port. At the same time, the plunger spring moves the plunger back
along the barrel for the next pumping stroke.

For intake, fuel from the feed pump reaches the open intake port in the
barrel. The intake slit aligns with the intake port, and fuel fills the pumping
chamber and passages in the plunger.
For injection, the plunger rotates to close off the intake port, and moves
along the barrel, to pressurize fuel in the pumping chamber. The
distributing slit aligns with the distribution port and the pressurized fuel
forces the delivery valve off its seat, and reaches the injector. In this
phase, a cut-off port in the plunger is covered by the control sleeve.
To end fuel delivery, the plungers cut-off port moves out of the control
sleeve, and lets pressurized fuel spill back into the pump housing. This
relieves pressure in the pumping chamber, the delivery valve closes, and
injection ceases.
Metering the fuel is controlled by effective stroke of the control sleeve,
and thats determined by the action of the governor sliding the control
sleeve along the plunger. Sliding it one way opens the cut-off port earlier,
and reduces effective stroke. Sliding it this way delays its opening, and
increases effective stroke.
The governor changes the position of the control sleeve to vary the
quantity of fuel delivered, according to throttle position and load.
When the ignition is switched off, an electrical solenoid closes off the
intake port, and stops fuel delivery.
Common Rail
The Common Rail Diesel Injection System delivers a more controlled
quantity of atomized fuel, which leads to better fuel economy; a reduction
in exhaust emissions; and a significant decrease in engine noise during
operation.

In the Common Rail system, an accumulator, or rail, is used to create a

common reservoir of fuel under a consistent controlled pressure that is
separate from the fuel injection points.
A high-pressure pump increases the fuel pressure in the accumulator up to
1,600 bar or 23,200 PSI. The pressure is set by the engine control unit and
is independent of the engine speed and quantity of fuel being injected into
any of the cylinders. The fuel is then transferred through rigid pipes to the
fuel injectors, which inject the correct amount of fuel into the combustion
chambers.

The injectors used in Common Rail

systems are triggered externally by
an Electronic Diesel Control, or EDC
unit, which controls all the engine
injection parameters including the
pressure in the fuel rail and the
timing and duration of injection.
Diesel fuel injectors used in
Common Rail injection systems
operate differently to conventional
fuel injectors used in the jerk pump
system, where the plungers are
controlled by the camshaft position
and speed. Some common rail injectors are controlled by a magnetic
solenoid on the injector. Hydraulic force from the pressure in the system is

used to open and close the injector, but the available pressure is
controlled by the solenoid triggered by the Electronic Diesel Control unit.
Some injectors use Piezo crystal wafers to actuate the injectors. These
crystals expand rapidly when connected to an electric field. In a Piezo
inline injector, the actuator is built into the injector body very close to the
jet needle and uses no mechanical
Common Rail Diesel Fuel
Injection Pump
parts to switch injector needles.
The electronic diesel control unit precisely meters the amount of fuel
injected, and improves atomization of the fuel by controlling the injector
pulsations. This results in quieter, more fuel efficient engines; cleaner
operation; and more power.

Fuel Injector

The fuel injectors are controlled by either a solenoid or piezo actuator.

They are energize sequentially by the engine ECM. The ECM
simultaneously switches a live voltage supply and an earth for each
injector. Multiple injection processes per cylinder combustion are possible.

Advantages of common rail

Fuel pressure available on demand

Higher injection pressure and finer atomization of fuel
Injection pressure created independent of engine speed
Multiple injection per cylinder combustion are possible

Benefit of Common Rail

Reduction of overall exhaust emission

Reduction of particulate emission
Reduction of noise emission
Improve fuel efficiency
Higher performance