Fuel pump operated by means of a shape memory material

摘要

A fuel pump (1) for an internal combustion engine; the fuel pump (1) is equipped with at least one pumping chamber (2) with variable volume; with at least one inlet valve (3) communicating with the pumping chamber (2); with at least one outlet valve (4) communicating with the pumping chamber (2); with at least one flexible membrane (6) that delimits the pumping chamber (2); and with an actuating device (7) that acts on the flexible membrane (6) to cyclically vary the volume of the pumping chamber (2); the actuating device (7) presents at least one shape memory material (8) that modifies its geometry upon application of an external influence of a physical nature and is mechanically coupled with the flexible membrane (6), and a piloting device (9) to cyclically apply an external influence of a physical nature to the shape memory material (8).