97142

PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

(Abstract Code 11 )

Ball, Indonesia, November 16 - 21, 1997

The Design of High Frequency Solenoid and Controller

for Unit Injector
Jae-Ou Chae, Sang-Man Lee, Jae-Won Hwang, l- Jin Yang, Seok-Chae Chang, H an- Joo Kal, Alexander
A.Martynchenko, Balin Andrei
Inha University
Young-Sik Jeong
Seoul National University
CJ.Park, J.K.Lee, B.C.Shin
Doowon Precision Industry Co, Ltd
Contact address
Combustion Lab. Department of Mechanical Engineering, INHA University, #253
Younghyun- Dong Nam-Gu Inchon 402-751, KOREA
TEL : 82-32-860- 7314 FAX : 82-32-865-6525
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, we meet stringent demands on low air pollution of the Diesel engines. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)
regulates the amount of NOx, Particula te, HC and CO at all driving conditions. To overcome the future emissions regulations, many
researchers submit two solutions about injection control to solve this problems. One is the common -rail type injection system. The other is
unit injection system. H owever, most researchers agree that electronically controlled unit injector has been developed to meet the future
emissions regulations realizing high injection pressure and precise control of SOI(Start Of Injection) and injection quantity. In order to
control start and end of injection, each unit injector contains a time- controlled high speed solenoid valve. Thus, the fuel injection quantity
is determined by the time interval between closing and opening of the solenoid valve. This study introduces the desi gn method of
solenoid which is installed in unit injector. As a result, it is known that there are important parameters to optimize solenoid performance.
The parameters are inductance, stroke, input voltage, coil resistance, load and switching time.
Keywords : Unit injector, Rising time, Waiting time, Optimal inductance
INTRODUCTION

a complicated mechanical/electrical system. It involves a combination of

mechanical motion, hydraulic pressure wave propagation, and the
transient magnetic and electrical processes which interact with others.
In this paper, the coupled dynamic behavior of the new system is
studied based o n a research type unit injector system developed by

To satisfy the future severe emissions regulations for diesel

engine with low particulate and .NOx levels, both the engine combustion
system and the Fuel Injection Equipment(FIE) should be improved. For
the FIE, high injection pressure and variable injection timing as a function
of engine speed, load and intake temperature are very important
parameters. BOSCH is developing two different solutions;

INHA university, Korea. A general physical model which includes other

structure type such as the electronic pump-pipe- injector system and the
distributor pump system is established. Traditional mathematical
models for conventional mechanical injection system or conventional
solenoid valves are not suitable for the new type of injection system.
An attempt is therefore made to develop

1) Electronically controlled unit injector and single cylinder

pump system.
2) High pressure inline pumps with control sleeve and
electronic control.
The new generation of electronic diesel fuel injection system
with special solenoid valves presents

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where we can easily know parameters of solenoids are connected with

solenoid operated Unit lnjector(UI : Fig. 1)for diesel engines and to inject
more exactly into the combustion chamber at high pressure. These new
injectors have the size of conv entional diesel injectors with small but are
more powerful and ultra -fast solenoids(switching time less than 3
ms)located on the nozzle. To provide fast opening and closing of the
nozzle, a multiobjective optimization method is used to select the design
variables of the injector. The mathematical model used for optimization

current, displacement, magnetic flux, traction force and inductance.

Moreover, above parameters are all function of time.
whereas magnetic flux is a function of current. The waiting
time as follows

is developed with the help of experimental results obtained from the

solenoid force measurement at transient conditions. The optimization
result did show good dynamic performance of the injector, despite the

and current rises as an exponential function below,

use of a small size solenoid actuator. The fast progress observed in

recent years in the field of electronic fuel injection(such as Unit injector
or Common -rail system)with solenoid operated injectors for internal
combustion engines, was mainly made in the gasoline supplied sparkignition engines. In ideal engines, the hydraulic control of injectors by
the high pressure fuel injection pump is still dominating. There are
attempts to introduce solenoid actuators to control the fuel injection
process, but until now there are not many of these systems available for

so

OPTIMAL INDUCTANCE FOR SWITCHING TIME

This study suggests how to design optimal solenoid. Optimal solenoid

commercial use. The reason is the requirement for very fast operation of
diesel injectors to inject a closely controlled fuel during a very short time
in hostile conditions of the engine combustion chamber. When trying to
inject gaseous fuels in the diesel engines, some researchers employed

equals optimal response time at given size. Definition of inductance is

To get optimal inductance, waiting time can be expressed

hydraulic control of injectors that required the use of a conventional

diesel fuel injection pump. A few years ago, an attempt was made at
Concordia university to develop solenoid operated injectors for direct
injection of natural gas in diesel engines. The results obtained proved
the feasibility of such concept. The injector design was modified recently
by introducing a small powerful solenoid into commercially available
diesel injector, in order to reduce its size and weight and to make it

where "d" equals

exchangeable with typical size injectors. In order to make its operation

fast enough, a special switching circuit was developed and a
multiobjective optimiza tion method was applied to select the best design
variables providing fast opening and closing of the injector.

Therefore optimal Inductance of waiting time is

SOLENOID DESIGN

with equation(7)
also optimal waiting time and optimal winding number can be

Response time consists of waiting time between voltage

occurring in wire and armature beginning to move and rising time
between beginning to move and end of move of armature. Input voltage
is described as follows

expressed with equation[10],[11]

We can easily get the relationship at optimal situati on

This equation shows that in case of optimal operating condition of rising
current it is approximately seventy percent of maximum current at
given wire diameter. General solution of differential equation of
dynamic can be obtained if we take into accou nt all main parameters
of the solenoid. If we consider dynamics, we could get the exact value

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surge voltage is 120 - 360V which is value of 10 - 30 times of input

voltage(12V). Furthermore bias voltage gives rise to current at the
neighbor wire through the conducting wire. And the chip which
r ecognizes surge voltage as a input signal misbehaves, as a result it
is impossible to control.
initial conditions are defined as follows
EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

where

TEST BED - Fig. 2, 3 is solenoid test bed and solenoid for

measuring the dynamic characteristic of solenoid. This picture

and inductance is

shows that the solenoid attached strongly on the test bed. Size of
solenoid is 28mm x20mm, silicon steel thickness is 0.35mm, length
of core is 17mm, projected area which piled up 8mm x 20mm and
bobbin is made by the epoxy for better operation at the high
temperature. Spring supports armature and its force can be set as
wish. At the end of armature, lift sensor and permanent magnetic
were installed for measuring the lift of solenoid. Data which is
received from the lift sensor can be read on the oscilloscope directly

Therefore we can get easily rising time:

and saved in the diskette. Solenoid supporter and sensor supporter

are made of nonmagnetic material. Armature is made of pure iron
for piling up problem. Solenoid stroke is adjusted by dial gauge.

and we can get optimal inductance for rising time using above equations:

,
so minimum rising time is

electricity energy changes to the magnetic energy and magnetic

energy is accumulated in the wire. At that time if current switches off,
accumulated magnetic energy damages the wire
CIRCUIT - In this study, pulse width modulation method was used
for control the current of solenoid. Fig. 4 shows solenoid controller
and stable 12 or 24voltage source which was used after two high
pass filters. To protect the solenoid surge diode was connected
positive direction. Then it decreased 40% solenoid surge.
SOLENOID SURGE - If the solenoid is excited by the current, the

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In the figure, traction force at armature starting point indicates 90N

as a preforce. Power consumption can be calculated easily by
integration of square current times resistance. As armatur e almost
reaches core, the traction force decrease under the preforce. This
phenomenon is caused by reduction of current due to rising
inductance but in spite of reduced current armature continues to
move under the influence of inertia force.
SWITCHING TIM E OF SOLENOID WITH DIFFERENT
WIRE DIAMETER AND WINDING NUMBER - Fig. 8 shows
stroke, current and switching time with different wire diameters and
winding numbers. In this figure, wire diameter has a little affect on
current but little on the switching time of the solenoid for a given
winding number. But winding number do affect switching time and
also size of solenoid for a same wire diameter, if we ignore other
factors this relation has great meaning about the design of
solenoid.
EFFICIENCY OF SOLENOID AND INSTANT
ACCELERATION - Fig. 9 shows efficiency and instant acceleration
with switching time. This figure can be used to determine optimum

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND
SIMULATION DATA FOR RISING CURRENT AND LIFT - Fig. 5
shows experiment and simulation results of relationship between rising
current and armature movement. Both results are relatively well

solenoid for each case. All electronic energy can not be converted
to kinetic energy of solenoid when electronic field excite magnetic
field. Here define efficiency of solenoid as follows.

matched in case of neglecting electrical noise. Also experimental data

shows that the last period of movement is little different with simulation
result. Because simulation program neglects mechanical counterforce.
In program current saturation of solenoid is consid ered for precise

Both cases 0.8mm x 48 and 0.6mm x 80 are good in

efficiency. But comparing of efficiency between two the former is
better if consider switching time. In real situation case 0.8mm
x48type shows higher current than simulation result due to current
saturation. So despite slow switching time we can conclude that
case 0.6mm x 80 which current saturation do not occur has better
efficiency in view of solenoid efficiency.

simulation result. The reason of current difference between simulation

and experiment is that program neglects all chips which were used in
circuit had natural inner resistance and PWM control is used as soon as
armature moves for power consumption reduction.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STROKE AND RISING
CURRENT ACCORDING TO THE TIME VARIATION - Fig. 6 shows
the stroke, current and magnetic flux according to wire diameter and
winding number. In this figure, high current means fast moving of
armatu re and fast operated solenoid means high power requirement to
move.
STROKE AND TRACTION FORCE ACCORDING TO
TIME VARIATION - Fig. 7 shows stroke, current and traction force
according to the time with 12V and 24V. As is seen in the figure,
applying 24V reduc ed rising time about 0.15ms compared with 12V.
About the traction force, only magnetic filed was considered in the
calculation. But usually in the real case, the inertia of armature and
spring force which vary according to the position should be taken into
consideration. The armature movement equation is described by

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CONCLUSIONS
1. The simulated result are well matched with experimental result if
neglect the PWM control.
2. Rising time increased according to increase of winding number
at the same wire diameter and rising current decreased according
to increasing of inductance.
3. Waiting time and rising current increased according to preforce
increasing but rising time decreased.
4. Generally, fast solenoid mean high rising current and high power
need to operate.
5. Response time is affected by winding number of wire rather than
wire diameter
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910489, 1989
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SAE 940897, 1994
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10. Ronald K. Jurgen (Editor in Chief), Automotive Electronics

Handbook, McGraw - Hill, Inc., (1995, pp. 10.1 -10.34.Figure
1. Various solenoids

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