Abstract
GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engines are considered as one of the candidates for next generation engines of passenger cars, which reduce exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. In GOI engines, a high-pressure gasoline supply system is required to directly inject the fuel to combustion chambers. Because of low lubricity of gasoline fuel, the clearance between a plunger and a barrel in GDI fuel pumps is too wide to achieve smooth hydrodynamic lubrication. Thus, it is difficult to generate high-pressure condition in GDI fuel pump since large amount of leakage flow occurs between the plunger and the barrel In this study, an optimum plunger design is presented to minimize leakage in the aspect of flow control. This paper analyzes leakage flow characteristics in the clearance to improve pumping performance of GDI fuel pumps. Effects of groove in the plunger are studied according to variations of depth and width. Evaluations of pumping performance are determined by the amount of pressure drop in the leakage path assuming a constant leakage flows. Both of turbulence and incompressible models are introduced in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis. Design parameters have been introduced to minimize leakage in limited space, and a methodological study on geometrical optimization has been conducted. As results of CFD analysis in various geometrical cases, optimum groove depths have been found to generate maximum sealing effects on gasoline fuel between the plunger and the barrel. This procedure offers a methodological way of an enhancement of plunger design for high-pressure GDI fuel pumps.
