50 years of Bosch electric fuel pumps

Concomitant with the world’s first electronic manifold-pressure-controlled gasoline injection system – Bosch D-Jetronic – launched in 1967, the newly developed electric gasoline pump was first used as well. Accordingly, this year marks the 50th anniversary of both the D-Jetronic system and the electric gasoline pump. VW 1600 LE/TLE (Type 3) was the first car featuring a D-Jetronic system for four-stroke gasoline engines as integral part of its standard equipment. Prior to the era of electronic injection systems, mechanical fuel pumps were used to supply the engine with fuel. As early as 1954, the legendary Mercedes 300 SL was already equipped with a Bosch injection system. In 1959, Bosch started developing an electronically controlled injection systems. At the same time, the electric gasoline pump based on a rollercell pump with five cells combined with a permanent-magnet electric motor was developed.

Starting in 1985, the peripheral pump substituted the rollercell pump

Further improvement of electric fuel pumps was running in parallel with the improvement of gasoline and diesel injection systems. In 1979, Bosch thus launched a fuel pump onto the aftermarket, that allowed generating high pressures and providing delivery qualities of air-flow-controlled L-Jetronic and mechanical/hydraulic K-Jetronic gasoline injection systems. In 1985, the start of the series production of the first peripheral pump marked yet another milestone regarding the development of Bosch fuel-pump technologies. It completely substituted the rollercell pump throughout the following years.

The first electric fuel pumps reliably supplying the injection system with fuel were installed afar from the tank within the fuel lining (“in-line” fuel pumps). Today, however, most of the pumps are installed inside the fuel tank (“in-tank” pumps). Besides electric fuel pumps, modern fuel supply modules also include fuel filters, fuel pressure regulators and fuel-level sensors as an integral parts of in-tank units. Having prevailed at diesel engines as well by now, electric fuel pumps have become state of the art for all combustion engines.

Repair kits for straightforward and value-based maintenance

Bosch constantly continues improving fuel pumps even further turning them into even more robust, more powerful and smaller components. Today, the company offers a wide product range comprising more than 450 in-tank modules, 60 fuel-pump kit solutions and 120 fuel pumps. Stringent test routines and quality checks ensure the high performance and reliability as well as the long service life of Bosch fuel pumps. In addition to the original equipment, perfectly fitting repair kits for value-based, quick and easy maintenance tasks are also available for automotive workshops.

Irrespective of their operating conditions, electric fuel pumps are to supply the engine with sufficient fuel for the required injection pressure. Apart from this, the pump is also used more and more often as a pre-supply pump in modern direct-injection systems of gasoline and diesel engines. Bosch also provides solutions for fuel supply units with sophisticated types of tanks – e.g. saddle tanks and with fuel tanks featuring large surface geometries. These fuel pumps provide fuel flow rates between 60 and 200 l/h at rated voltage and fuel-system pressure between 300 and 450 kPa (3 - 4.5 bar). In addition, the design of Bosch pumps and fuel modules guarantees driver a high level of safety through a variety of safety devices such as rollover valve and pressure dampeners.