A fuel injector for delivering fuel to an internal combustion engine. The
fuel injector includes a fuel injector housing, a system for metering
vaporized fuel to the internal combustion engine, the system positioned
within the fuel injector housing, and a system for delivering an atomized
stream of liquid fuel to an internal combustion engine, the system
positioned within the fuel injector housing, wherein the fuel injector is
operable to transition from metering vaporized fuel to delivering an
atomized stream of liquid fuel to an internal combustion engine. The
system for metering vaporized fuel includes at least one capillary flow
passage, the at least one capillary flow passage having an inlet end and
an outlet end; a heat source arranged along the at least one capillary
flow passage, the heat source operable to heat the liquid fuel in the at
least one capillary flow passage to a level sufficient to change from the
liquid state to a vapor state and deliver a stream of vaporized fuel from
the outlet end of the at least one capillary flow passage. The system for
metering vaporized fuel further includes a valve for metering vaporized
fuel located downstream to the outlet end of the at least one capillary
flow passage. The fuel injector is effective in reducing cold-start and
warm-up emissions of an internal combustion engine.