A control oriented model of a common-rail system for gasoline direct injection engine

Electronics has greatly contributed to the development of internal combustion engine. This progress has resulted in reducing environmental degradation, and yet continuing to support improvements in performance. Regarding gasoline engine, a considerable step forward has been achieved by Common Rail (CR) technology able to exactly regulate the injection pressure during whole engine speed range. As a consequence, the injection of a fixed amount of fuel is more precise and it is possible to perform multiple injections for combustion cycle. In this paper, the authors present a mean value model aimed at the control of a CR system for a Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine. The model is based on the descriptions of electrovalve, including the actuator circuit, and the fuel pressure in the rail. The performances of the proposed model are finally depicted through comparisons with experimental data collected by a CR system mounted on a 2.0 liters spark ignition engine, showing a good accuracy and reliability.