Air/Fuel Ratio Control (AFRC) Correction of Acceleration (Air/ Fuel Ratio Control)

1. This unit controls the fuel pump delivery to the engine in proportion to the mass air flow during acceleration and prevents engine surge and excessive jet pipe temperature which would result from over fuelling. To satisfy these requirements at all altitudes and atmospheric conditions, the controlling function used by this control is independent of barometric variations. The function is to maintain the compression ratio P2/P0, where P2 is the absolute pressure at the compressor outlet and P0 is the pressure in the engine bay. For all practical purposes, the mass airflow to the compressor is taken as directly proportional to the P2 pressure and a value of P2 is used to control the fuel flow. Units in the control comprises: (a) A metering unit, the plunger of which is positioned by the function of P2 pressure acting on the metering unit control capsule. (b) A servo pressure control unit incorporating a pressure drop mechanism which senses pressure differential across the profiled metering plunger of the metering unit and which operates the AFRC pump servo spill valve to limit fuel pump delivery during an acceleration, there by preventing overfuelling with consequent engine surge and compressor stalling. (c) A pressure ratio switch of the double orifice type which modifies the operating pressuse P2 applied to the metering unit control capsule during low engine speeds, in order to match as closely as possible, the complex overfuel corve incountered at these speeds . The modified P2 pressure is referred to as KP2 pressure and is achieved by using an intermediate value between P0 and P2 pressures to close progressively a pressure ratio valve within the switch. 2. When an acceleration commences at low engine speed, the pressure ratio valve is opened and spills P2 pressure into the interior of the pressure ratio switch differential bellows, which is open to atmosphere (P0 pressure). 3. The resultant KP2 pressure is sensed by the control capsule in the metering unit and the air/fuel ratio is maintained low enough to prevent overfuelling due to too rapid an initial acceleration. The P2 pressure is also directed through an orifice into the capsule and bellows chamber of the switch. As the P2 pressure increases, the rising differential pressure in the capsule chamber contracts the bellows to close the pressure ratio valve progressively so that, when the P2 reaches pre-determined value, the valve closes completely, thereby changing KP2 pressure to full P2 pressure and allowing the fuel flow to increase at a higher r.p.m.end of the acceleration curve. 4. During the acceleration, the increase in P2 pressure results in contraction of the control capsule in the metering unit; the resultant rocker arm movement lifts the half-ball servo valve, causing servo spillage from the under side of the metering plunger piston to increase. The metering plunger is thus withdrawn further from its orifice and fuel supply to the engine is increased. As the metering plunger is withdrawn from its seating, the loading on the sensing spring connected to the rocker arm increases to cause the half-ball valve to close. This action is continuous and maintains fuel delivery in constant ratio to P2 pressure. 5. During the acceleration, the fuel delivery from the barometric flow control unit tends to rise considerably above the flow limit set by the metering unit and an unbalanced pressure deferential is created across the metering plunger orifice. This is immediately sensed by the operating piston of the pressure drop mechanism (servo pressure control unit), which moves against its spring to allow the spring loaded rocker lever to pivot and open the pump servo system spill valve. This reduces the fuel pump delivery until the pressure differential across the pressure drop mechanism is restored to its desired value and the fuel flow is reduced to the proportion demanded by the mass airflow.