An Advanced Fuel Supply Unit for Single Cylinder 2014-32-0040

Gas Engines 20149040

Published 11/11/2014

John Walters and Francois Brun

Synerject LLC

CITATION: Walters, J. and Brun, F., "An Advanced Fuel Supply Unit for Single Cylinder Gas Engines," SAE Technical
Paper 2014-32-0040, 2014, doi:10.4271/2014-32-0040.

Copyright © 2014 SAE International and Copyright © 2014 SAE Japan

Abstract Figures 1 and 2 are also showing that Recreation and Marine
markets are mature regarding EFI technology. They re-use
Stringent emissions legislation is being applied to small
automotive technology. Conversely, Utility and 2/3W (Lower
motorcycles and scooters around the world. This is forcing,
Cost Two and Three Wheeler vehicles) are only starting now to
gradually, the replacement of carburetors by electronic fuel
be equipped with EFI and will require specific solutions to
injection (EFI) systems. The integration of this new technology
achieve low cost objectives.
creates new constraints on the engine and also on the vehicle.
This study will provide an overview of these constraints and
In order to try to respect Euro3 legislations and equivalents,
also technical solutions to reduce the impact on engine and
some countries have authorized for the small gasoline engine
vehicle. A special focus will be done on the fuel system, where
2Ws, the use of carburetors with additional features controlled
the development of an advanced technology will be discussed
by a simple electronic control unit. The goal is to reduce the air/
in detail. This technology marks a break with the standard
fuel ratio variations. It is partly possible but this kind of system
automotive fuel system architecture in order to fulfill the
is quickly showing limitations and any additional performances
specific requirements of scooters and small motorcycles: low
require access to more data to calculate more accurately the
size, low weight, low energy demand, as well as simple
set points for actuators, which have to provide more dynamic,
integration. The discussion will disclose: the advantages and
accuracy and authority during engine operation. This is leading
drawbacks of different fuel system architectures, the detailed
to the change from carburetor to EFI.
description of the technology selected to achieve the
requirements, the modelling approach used for the sizing and
optimization of the design, and finally the performance
achieved on the test bench.

Background of Carb vs EFI and Market View

The carburetor is still dominating the WW (World Wide) market
of 2Ws (Two-Wheelers) motorized with a gasoline engine. The
future EU4 and equivalent emission standards, which will be
applied most probably in Asia in 2016-2017, will force the use
of EFI systems to control small engine combustion systems
and catalyst efficiency. This technology is well known and has
been inherited from automotive. During the last 15 years it has
been progressively introduced in the non-automotive industry,
on high end products like medium to large engine
displacements for motorcycles, outboard engines, ATV/UTV,
snowmobiles, power supply generators, and fork lift trucks (see
Figure 1). EFI can also be found on lower-cost products in
mass production like scooters and small motorcycles, mainly in Figure 1. Carburetor vs EFI trends
Europe, Taiwan, Japan, and NAFTA (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Carburetor vs EFI trends
EFI is the only technology available which is able to support
real reductions of emissions thanks to its ability to control
accurately the air/fuel ratio requested to maximize the Three
Way Catalyst (TWC) conversion efficiency all along the vehicle
life. In addition to its ability to manage accurately the air/fuel
ratio, EFI has also an accurate control of all the other key
parameters of the combustion system like air and spark
advance. Figure 3 is showing a typical system definition of an
EFI. As a result, engine performances are optimized and allow
best results regarding start-ability, low fuel consumption,
optimum engine performance and responsiveness, and perfect
torque controllability for best drivability.
Figure 3. EFI Engine Management Components
Despite all its advantages, EFI has not, to date, been able to
significantly penetrate the China, ASEAN or India markets. Its
high cost and apparent complexity for integration and
maintenance were not compatible with the maturity of these
markets.
So the continuous challenge of EFI is to simplify and to be
more easily integrated on engines and vehicles. Some
simplification around the air management system has been
already proposed and is used by the industry of small gasoline
engine for 2Ws, example in Figure 4.
Figure 4. Simplified Air Management System
The fuel system architecture is another important functional
“brick” of the control system, and has been inspired historically
by automotive. There have been efforts and research during
the last 10 years to simplify it. The next sections will describe
the different architectures which have been proposed to the
industry so far and will disclose a new concept that targets low
size, low energy, low number of parts (simplicity), ease of
installation, and low cost.
Various Fuel System Architectures
Three families of fuel supply systems have been used to-date
on small gasoline engine for 2Ws:
• Automotive architecture
• Pump injector
• Digital pulse pump injector
The Automotive Architecture
An electrical turbine fuel pump and its filter are located at the
bottom of the fuel tank. The fuel supply unit filters, lifts and
pressurizes fuel into a simple fuel line which is connected
between the tank and the injector. A fuel pressure regulator is
installed on the fuel line and controls the pressure via
bypassing the fuel flow which is not used by the engine.
• Main characteristics: in the tank at the bottom,
continuously flows 2 to 3 times the engine maximum flow
request to consider variation and ageing
• Advantages: well-known technology; good control of fuel
quantity; atomization and targeting
• Drawbacks: high power supply energy; complex, large,
and expensive fuel module which must consider fuel tank
diversity and shape complexity; vapor generation due to
fuel pressure regulator flow recirculation inside the tank.
The Pump Injector
A piston fuel pump is located on the air runner close to the
engine air inlet valve. The piston pump is actuated by a solenoid
during the flow delivery thanks to the control of the piston stroke
phased with the engine cycle. A spring returns the piston to feed
the pump. The pump incorporates a shut off valve which is
spraying the fuel inside the air runner. The pump is fed by a fuel
line connected to the tank via a fuel filter. A second fuel line
re-circulates the vapor from the top of the pump to the tank.
Reference [1] as an example of this technology.

• Main characteristics: in line, true flow control thanks to
sophisticated electronics and software (SW); the quantity
of fuel generated by the pump corresponds to the quantity
of fuel requested by the engine
• Advantages: compact packaging, “in-line solution” which
does not require fuel tank modification; high peak current
but low average energy demand.
• Drawbacks: complex and expensive component, sensitive
to fuel vapor lock, return line to the tank is requested,
limited performance for fuel atomization and targeting;
installation on engine has to respect strict rules
Figure 5. FSU fuel system components
Referencing Figure 6, the FSU operates by drawing fuel into
the pumping chamber with a solenoid actuating a plunger, as
commanded by the ECU, and then discharging pressurized
fuel into the delivery line with a spring, in synchronization with
the engine speed. The spring is set to provide the required fuel
delivery pressure, and check valves control the intake and
outflow from the pumping chamber. The amount of fuel taken
by the injector will determine the extension of the spring, and
so will be delivered automatically with no intervention of the
control system, unlike the system described in [1].

The Digital Pulse Pump Injector

The digital pulse pump is a variant of the pump injector where
the size of the device is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the
cost. Each pulse corresponds to a low and precise amount of
fuel flow. For a given fuel flow request, the pump is actuated
multiple times during engine air inlet stroke. Reference [2] as
an example of this technology.

• Main characteristics: in-line, true flow control thanks to

sophisticated electronics and SW, the quantity of fuel
generated by the pump corresponds to the quantity of fuel
requested by the engine
• Advantages: very compact packaging, “in-line solution”
which does not require fuel tank modification; medium
peak current but low average energy demand; low cost.
• Drawbacks: volumetric efficiency sensitive to internal and
external parameters, sensitive to fuel vapor lock, return Figure 6. FSU Construction
line to the tank is requested, reduced performances for
fuel atomization and targeting, injection phasing limited, The average delivered pressure (Pavg) will decrease with
dynamic flow range limited, installation on engine has to injector demand (per cycle) due to the change in spring force
respect strict rules applied through the plunger delivery motion. The trend of lower
pressure at higher injector flow demand can be seen in Figure
Considering the different advantages and drawback of these 7, and is directly related to the spring stiffness.
different fuel systems, SYNERJECT has developed a new
concept fuel supply unit (FSU) with the intention to keep all the Additionally, the non-ideal behavior of the check valves
advantages without the drawbacks. begins to significantly affect the pressure/flow behavior of the
FSU at speeds above 7200RPM, as time to complete the inlet
and outlet flow is shorter and begins to affect volumetric
Advanced Fuel Supply Unit (FSU) efficiency. This effect can be seen in comparing the low speed
and high speed characteristics in Figure 8. This pressure/flow
Basic Fuel System and FSU Operation characteristic is acceptable can be compensated by the
A novel fuel system architecture is proposed that can serve to control system.
meet these market requirements. This system (Figure 5)
contains a standard automotive-style fuel injector, an Engine
control unit (ECU), and an FSU which provides nearly constant
fuel pressure output.
 tdelivery: the time required for discharge of the pressurized fuel
into the downstream line. The spring force is applied to the
plunger to pressurize the fuel.

The summation of the fundamental time durations td, ts, tf, tr,
and tdelivery will govern the maximum operating speed.
Considering that the target maximum speed is >10,000 RPM,
this fundamental cycle must be accomplished in less than
11ms, even considering worst case temperature, speed, and
flow per cycle. FSU sizing and analyses provided time duration
targets which have driven the required performances and
design choices of sub-components such as valves and the
solenoid. Reference Table 1.

Table 1. Target durations of key steps in fundamental cycle and critical

subcomponents
Figure 7. Pressure vs Injector Demand Characteristic

We can better understand the critical workings of the FSU

operation by closely examining one cycle and the fundamental
steps inside each cycle. Figure 8 helps to explain the sequence
of these steps.

Operational and Functional Benefits

Simplification
The FSU is providing controlled fuel pressure over all engine
speeds and injector demand. Therefore a pressure regulator is
not required. An automotive-style injector can be installed,
calibrated, and controlled in the same manner as existing port
injection fuel systems. Re-using the automotive-style injector
allows continued capitalization of the advances brought by this
industry in spray development and component cost. The FSU
brings low size, low energy, and easy implementation and
installation (no changes to vehicle architecture required) for
fuel delivery.
Figure 8. Fundamental cycle
The axial plunger-in-bushing motion (high L/D, very low side
td: the time where current is rising with no plunger motion,
forces) essentially eliminates subcomponent wear over time.
beginning with start of current and ending when the magnetic
The FSU will not produce the contamination generated by
force overcomes the spring preload.
conventional fuel pumps powered by brushed DC motors,
which typically require a downstream filter required to protect
ts: time duration of the plunger suction motion, where the
the fuel injector.
plunger is pulling fuel into the chamber and attains full lift.
The low weight and small size of the FSU allows simple
tf: once the plunger reaches full lift, some additional time is
packaging in the target market applications, and particularly
required to completely fill the chamber and stabilize the inlet
lends itself well to integration with simple fuel delivery modules.
check valve.
Figure 9 shows an example that has been developed.

tr: after the completion of the command pulse, time is required

for magnetic field breakdown resulting in only the spring force
being applied onto the plunger.
Figure 9. Simple fuel delivery module
Energy
The FSU is actuated in sync with the engine speed and so the
energy required to drive the device is proportional to engine
speed. This results in the power demand being notably lower
than conventional fuel pumps in all but the highest engine
speeds. FSU average current draw vs vehicle speed is shown
in Table 2, and is compared to a best-in-class conventional
turbine fuel pump that is applied in similar applications.
Table 2. Current Draw vs Vehicle Speed
Design Considering Boundary Conditions
Some of the challenges in development were related to
achieving functionality at the environmental boundary
conditions. One example is the requirement to operate
nominally at high engine speeds at maximum ambient
temperature. Without proper consideration in the solenoid
design, elevated ambient temperature and component self-
heating (at high frequencies / high duty cycle) can significantly
decrease the solenoid force. This is due to the resulting higher
resistance in the coil leading to lower current, hence lower
magnetic force, causing unacceptably long actuation times
(mainly td - Ref Figure 8).
To design a solenoid which achieves the high speed / high
temperature operating requirement, consideration of all
performance parameters is necessary, due to the interactions
between coil design, magnetic circuit design, operating speed,
power input, and ambient temperature - Figure 10. With strong
constraints for current supply and environmental temperature,
and mandatory speed requirement (achievable by reaching
target solenoid force at td), the most effective area of the
design on which to act was the magnetic circuit design.
Figure 10. Solenoid design interactions
The efficiency of the solenoid's magnetic circuit to generate
force from input current is typically expressed in terms of Force/
Magnetomotive force (mmf), where mmf = Amps × coil turns.
Defining the target mmf was an iterative process due to the
interactions of physical phenomenon in Figure 10, but we can
illustrate the method via the final design values. With final coil
design parameters, Power input, and heat transfer coefficient
from the coil, Tcoil and the current available at td (at the
maximum environment temperature), target mmf can be
calculated. There is 2.5A available (at td = 2ms) with 220
coil-turns = 550mmf, which must be sufficient to create our
target force.
Figure 11 shows an example of initial design solenoids where
800+ mmf was required to reach the target force. With this
level of efficiency, low current (high temperature) operation
would not be achieved.
To meet the target mmf, the cross section area of the magnetic
components were increased (in critical areas) and air gaps
were decreased, which lowered the overall reluctance. These
are the normal methods for improving magnetic efficiency. The
real benefit during development was the clear and accurate
setting of the target required to achieve the performance, and
the ability, via simulation, to simultaneously consider all of the
other linked parameters.
Figure 12 highlights the increase in magnetic efficiency that
was achieved during development.
The capability to produce force at relatively low current levels
greatly enhances the performance at max boundary
temperature. The target force is achieved prior to the target td,
leading to fully capable speed performance over the expected
thermal operating envelope.

Figure 11. Improvements to Mag Circuit - Improved capability to
produce Target Force at lower mmf
Figure 12. Dynamic Force Improvements
Conclusion
The high volume / low displacement gasoline engines applied
in the 2W and Utility markets are undergoing a massive move
from carburetor to EFI. New specific components are
requested because vehicle size and cost, mission profile and
boundary conditions in use are very different from automotive.
The fuel system is one of the engine sub-systems which
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http://papers.sae.org/2014-32-0040
require specific solutions, and the FSU has been developed as
a key component of a novel solution. The proper selection of
architecture, the integration of multiple functions in one
packaging, and size reduction are the keys drivers to optimize
a system.
Designing a pump that is actuated every engine cycle requires
complex design optimization involving simultaneous physical
phenomena. Thanks to these efforts, the FSU is able to
achieve the lowest cost, size, weight and energy demand
requested for low displacement single cylinder engines
equipped with EFI.
References
1. Ishibe, E., Torii, K., and Kasai, T., “Development of a
4-Stroke Small-Displacement Scooter with Discharge
Pump Type Fuel Injection System,” 2005.
2. Allen, J. and Ravenhill, P., “A Novel Low Cost High
Frequency Fuel Injection System for Small Engines,” SAE
Technical Paper 2006-32-0107, 2006, doi:10.4271/2006-
32-0107.
3. Chai, Hi-Dong. “Electromechanical Motion Devices.”
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR, 1998. Print.
Definitions/Abbreviations
2W - Two Wheeler (Vehicles)
2/3W - Two or Three Wheeler (Vehicles)
ECU - Electronic Control Unit
EFI - Electronic Fuel Injection
FSU - Fuel Supply Unit
SW - Software
WW - Worldwide