Electronic fuel injection system for greater efficiency

Aug 02, 2010

THE electronic fuel injection system came into place in the late 1980s replacing the old fuel system of the carburetor. Carburetor engines were primarily simple but with many disadvantages like high fuel consumption, floating, and fuel wastage.

By Richard Kiyimba

THE electronic fuel injection system came into place in the late 1980s replacing the old fuel system of the carburetor. Carburetor engines were primarily simple but with many disadvantages like high fuel consumption, floating, and fuel wastage. The carburetor would deliver fuel for ignition in excess and as a result, the engine would have an incomplete combustion giving off dangerous gases that affect the environment.

For improvement, the electronic ignition system was invented. This system proved to operate with a greater efficiency compared to the carburetor engine.

The system consists of an electrical fuel pump located at the rear of the vehicle where the tank is. The pump has strainers that do not allow dirt to go into the fuel system. The system has a fuel filter that trap any dirt that has escaped the primary filtration at the strainer on the fuel pump.

Nozzles that are electronically operated to allow a discharge of fuel into the end of the intake manifold.

The system also has an air flow metre responsible for sending a signal through its sensor to the electronic control unit. This signal determines how much fuel will be delivered at the nozzles via the action of the ECU (Electronic control unit).

The system operation is as follows:
Please note that the air will flow through to the engine manifold past the air flow metre located in the air cleaner unit and immediately the air sensor will alert the ECU of the amount of air allowed.

The ECU will then command the responsible nozzle to open via the action of a solenoid by automatically switching the nozzle solenoid on and off and release a proportion of fuel that will appropriately mix with the available air for a complete combustion to happen.

Please note also that complete combustion is when all the air and fuel available for combustion is completely burnt and the end result at the exhaust gases is water vapour.

Instantly the exhaust pipe should deliver colourless exhaust emissions in case of petrol engines.

The nozzles will discharge the fuel at the end of the intake manifold. The pressure of the fuel mixes with the available air and then the atomised mixture flows into the cylinder and gets compressed.

Then a spark will be introduced at the end of the compression phase leading to ignition. If the ECU has a problem, fuel delivery will not happen, if the air flow sensor has a problem, the engine may fail to start or have a malfunction.

Note that modern engines rely on the activity of the sensors. It is always wise to check the sensors first in case of engine failure or malfunction.

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