SBIR-STTR Award

Sturman Industries has designed a new family of high-pressure diesel fuel injectors using Direct Flow Control (DFC). These injectors are capable of a reliable, safe, and robust combination of higher injection pressures, a broader range of controllable injection shapes, and multiple events than existing HEUI or high-pressure common-rail diesel fuel injectors.

Benefits:
The diesel fuel injector market is being continually challanged by new EPA emissions regulations. This provides for a regulated demand for new diesel fuel injector technology. Sturman Industries has a demonstrated the ability to transistion fuel injector research and development into commercial products. An outstanding example of this is the Generation 2 HEUI diesel fuel system made under license from Sturman Industirs by Siemens Diesel Systems Technology for application in Ford diesel pickup trucks and International I-6 engines. The advanced Direct Flow Control (DFC) injector proposed here will have a high probability of comemercialization given the EPA regulatory environment and Sturman's proven track record of commercializing diesel fuel system.

Keywords:
high pressure, fuel injectors, diesel engines, engine emissions

Future military vehicle engines will require improvements in fuel systems to meet their desired performance targets. The development of high-pressure, electronically controlled diesel fuel injectors, with capabilities that surpass current technology, is required. The overall objective of this program is to boost the engine power density with limited impact to engine efficiency and emissions through development of an application specific diesel fuel injector for TACOM. Specific design targets for the injector include ultra-high injection pressures, flexible electronic control of multiple injections and active rate shaping. The goal is to accomplish this objective while maintaining wide spread commercialization potential for the resultant product. Feasibility of the S1 fuel injection system to meet the needs identified by TACOM was clearly proven during Phase I. Phase I Option will provide test bench data to validate the performance predictions from Phase I. Phase II will then apply the S1 injector to an engine provided by a potential commercial partner (Cummins Engine Company). Phase II will further prove the benefits the S1 injector can provide for future military vehicle engines.

Keywords:
Diesel, Fuel Injection, High Pressure, Rate Shaping, Multiple Events, Emissions, Nvh, Efficiency