Title: The detection of faults in diesel fuel injectors

Authors: P.G. Eastwood, N.A. Halliwell, J.N. Carter

Addresses: The Institute, of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK. ' The Institute, of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK. ' Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Hampshire, UK

Abstract: Condition-monitoring research effort at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research is directed towards marine diesel installations and aims to provide the engineer with laser tools far rapid fault diagnosis. Early work with fuel injectors has shown that the detection of faults is possible through the analysis of vibration signatures obtained from the injector body. These signatures are shown to contain identifiable pulses whenever injection occurs, which originate from forces generated internally as a consequence of needle valve dynamic behaviour. A first theatrical model of needle valve dynamics is presented which demonstrates that common injector faults will produce a change in the vibrational energy associated with these |injection| pulses. The monitoring of changes in this parameter relative to a stored baseline value is therefore proposed as a simple way of assessing injector health in situ.

Keywords: diesel fuel injectors; health monitoring; fault diagnosis; fault detection; vibration measurement; modelling; condition monitoring; marine diesel engines; needle valve dynamics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1987.061211

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1987 Vol.8 No.4/5/6, pp.455 - 464

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article