Valve cuts NVH in GDI engines

When a leading automotive manufacturer struggled with the release of a new fuel-injection engine technology, the company required an immediate solution to maintain launch scheduling, not to mention corporate reputation. Increasingly stringent global emissions regulations have led many OEMs to implement gasoline direct-injection (GDI) fueling technology, which provides improved fuel economy, reduce emissions, and increase power. But GDI can bring problems.

The automaker found pressure pulsations in the engine's low-pressure fuel line, upstream of the single-piston high-pressure pump that pressurizes the GDI injectors. Under certain driving conditions these pulsations created noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) issues for the customer and fatigue-wear issues in the low-pressure fuel system. The problems - identified 10 months prior to the planned vehicle launch - could lead to significant schedule delays.