Development of a Fuel Injector Driver for Accelerated Testing

This paper presents the design and development of a cost-effective fuel injector driver for accelerated testing of injectors. The driver accurately simulates injection patterns across various vehicle operating conditions. It can be programmed with injection maps for different engines, test cycles as per part drawings, predefined engine running cycles, and manual control where the frequency and duty cycle of PWM pulses are user-defined. The device can also be operated remotely via a Wi-Fi access point. This setup played a pivotal role for rapid comparative analyses among different suppliers, aiding in the final product selection. Accelerated testing was performed under various operating cycles, with performance evaluations done periodically. Conducting such tests at the vehicle level or on engine test benches would involve significant time and cost. However, the rapid development of the microcontroller-based test setup enabled quick initiation and completion of testing in a short span of time. The setup can also be utilized for performance evaluating and durability testing of new features and technologies introduced in injectors. The hardware architecture comprises Power MOSFETs, MOSFET drivers, transient protection components, a microcontroller, an OLED display, and a toggle switch for user interaction. The innovative fuel injector driver enabled rapid testing of injectors, significantly reducing setup preparation time and overall testing expenses. Its flexibility and remote operability make it a valuable tool for future developments in injector design and evaluation.