Fuel Injection Systems

Introduction

AeroMech Engineering’s electronic fuel injection system is designed to maximize the power output of small engines while contributing to greater fuel efficiency, both keys to robust and capable small UAV power plants. The result is a compact, controllable, and highly stable “all weather” system that delivers improved performance, reliability, and fuel efficiency over the conventional carbureted systems. With over 500 hours of rigorous testing under its belt, this system is a proven performer.

Operation

The system is controlled by an AeroMech Engineering developed Engine Control Unit (ECU). This ECU contains all of the logic required to control the engine and provide feedback to the vehicle network. The core control of the ECU is to regulate fuel delivery by mapping throttle position to required fuel pressure. In addition to this basic map, the ECU also watches air data inputs of current altitude and air temperature. With this information, the ECU is able to dynamically adjust the fuel map to compensate for altitude. This system also uses an Air/Fuel Ratio (AFR) Sensor, which monitors the amount of combusted fuel in the exhaust gas coming from the engine. By feeding this data back to the ECU, the ECU is able to continually optimize the amount of fuel being supplied to the engine, and ensure that the engine is running at its ideal air fuel ratio.

Capabilities

The AFR Sensor provides the additional capability to effectively monitor the health of the engine in real-time. With the AFR sensor on-board, the system can close a control loop directly on engine performance. By monitoring the relationships between the values of commanded pump power, actual fuel pressure, and AFR, the system can provide warnings to the operator that a failure may be imminent, and suggest which component may be in danger of failure.

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