High temperature and high pressure fuel injection apparatus for internal combustion engines

Claim 1

Fuel injection apparatus in an internal combustion engine, comprising, in combination: cylinder means in which fuel is combusted; a supply of fuel; manifold means for distributing fuel from the supply of fuel to the cylinder means; pump means for pressurizing fuel in the manifold means to a pressure of between about 450 psi and about 600 psi to prevent the fuel from vaporizing; heat exchanger means for heating the pressurized fuel to its vapor point and for maintaining the temperature of the fuel at its vapor point until injected into the cylinder means; fuel injection means connected to the manifold means and to the cylinder means for receiving the heated and pressurized fuel, and including valve means opening in response to a signal for allowing the heated and pressurized fuel to flow out of the injector means and into the cylinder means in the form of vapor as the result of the pressure and temperature of the fuel; signal means for providing a signal to the valve means for opening the valve means to meter a flow of heated and pressurized fuel; a plurality of sensors connected to the engine for monitoring a plurality of engine functions for providing information to the signal means; and a plurality of predetermined parameters for comparing with the information provided by the plurality of sensors and connected to the signal means for determining the length of time of opening of the valve means and providing the signal to the valve means in accordance with the determined length of time.