Micro Fuel Pumps for Small, Heavy Fuel Engines

Kinetic BEI is developing a very compact and simple self-regulating, heavy fuel micro pump. This SBIR Phase II will provide the opportunity to advance this emerging technology for use on multiple small/micro engine development programs, in both the military and commercial worlds. The Phase I effort resulted in a functioning prototype that met target specifications, and proved that the micro components could be manufactured to the tight tolerances required. The Phase II effort will expand on these efforts, making design improvements, exploring higher volume manufacturing options, and conducting both durability and performance testing on second generation hardware and a test engine. Pumps with two different displacements will be built and tested, one for engine applications 3-30 Hp and a larger version for 20-100 Hp applications. The advantages of this pump design include small size, light-weight, low part count, and elimination of the rail pressure sensor, rail pressure control actuator, and the rail. In addition, the electronic control circuitry is simplified because the pump control loop is not necessary. The pumps are designed to provide high pressure supply to common rail type injectors on a 16mm3 and 50mm3/injection fuel flow rate, and to be paired with a new Micro Injector.