Including Exhaust Gas Condition Responsive Means Patents (Class 123/672)
  • Patent number: 7778764
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus for a multi-fuel engine can optimize a fuel injection quantity, using only one basic injection map, irrespective of alcohol concentration of a fuel. An E-concentration determining apparatus determines alcohol concentration of a fuel, based on a measured oxygen amount in exhaust. Basic injection quantities are stored in a basic injection map. E-concentration coefficients are stored in an E-concentration coefficient table for a plurality of alcohol concentrations in the fuel. A basic injection quantity, corresponding to a current rotary engine speed and a throttle opening, is selected from the basic injection map. A concentration coefficient, corresponding to the alcohol concentration and the basic injection quantity, is selected from the E-concentration coefficient table. A fuel injection quantity calculator determines an applied fuel injection quantity by multiplying the basic injection quantity by the concentration coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ito, Yoichi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100199959
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for an engine and a method of operating that system is disclosed. The system has a conduit arrangement for conducting exhaust gas from an exhaust side of the engine to an intake side of the engine, a valve arrangement configured for controlling the amount of exhaust gas to be recirculated and a conduit arrangement for providing intake air to the intake side of the engine. A sensor arrangement is provided and is configured to sense at least one parameter indicative of the humidity of the recirculated exhaust gas and the intake air at the intake side of the engine. A control arrangement is configured to receive a signal from the first sensor arrangement and further is configured to control the valve arrangement in response to a determination by the control arrangement that the first parameter is outside a desired range for low-NOx emission during a subsequent combustion period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Cory A. Brown, Mary Lou Kesse, Adwait V. Joshi
  • Patent number: 7770566
    Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine that is to be operated either by petrol or alcohol or by a variable proportion of the two fuels and that includes an electronic control unit that can drive the engine, an admission line, and an exhaust line that includes a richness probe. The method determines the richness of the carbide mixture entering into the combustion cylinders, and increases the duration of the injection by intervals according to the richness of the carbide mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Vasco Afonso, Serge Bazoge, Alexandre Silveira, Jean-Claude Vallet, Aymeric Walrave
  • Patent number: 7769531
    Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine calculates ignition delays in lean combustion and rich combustion, standardizes the ignition delays based on ignition timing, and further standardizes the ignition delays based on injection quantity and injection timing of pilot injection respectively. The control device calculates a present ignition delay by linear interpolation of the standardized ignition delays in the lean combustion and the rich combustion. Moreover, the control device corrects the present ignition delay with the ignition timing and further corrects the present ignition delay with the injection quantity and the injection timing of the pilot injection. The control device calculates a command value of the injection timing by subtracting the corrected present ignition delay from target ignition timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Kawamura, Masakuni Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7762127
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for determining the composition of a fuel mixture from a first and at least a second fuel for operating a combustion engine, whereby the fuel mixtures of different compositions require various air/fuel ratios to achieve a stoichiometric combustion. Thereby it is provided that the air volume that has been delivered to the combustion engine, the fuel quantity that has been delivered and the oxygen content in the exhaust gas of the combustion engine are determined during one or several stationary operating phases of the combustion engine during one or several measuring phases, and in that the composition of the fuel mixture is determined from these values. The procedure allows an accurate and reliable determination of the composition of a fuel mixture for combustion engines that are operated in flex-fuel-mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Schneider, Heinz Fuchs
  • Patent number: 7743759
    Abstract: An ECU controls an A/F sensor that is provided in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine and produces current outputs corresponding to the concentration of oxygen in exhaust gas by being supplied with voltage and produces voltage outputs corresponding to the concentration of oxygen in exhaust gas according to the difference between the oxygen concentration around one of a pair of electrodes of the A/F sensor and the oxygen concentration around the other electrode. The ECU has: an energization limitation portion that, when moisture content is adhering on an inner face of an exhaust passage near the A/F sensor, energizes a heater of the A/F sensor while limiting the amount of power supplied thereto; and a specific output obtaining portion that obtains voltage outputs from the A/F sensor at least when the energization limitation portion is energizing the heater while limiting the amount of power supplied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20100126481
    Abstract: A control system for an engine having a first cylinder and a second cylinder is disclosed including an air/fuel ratio control device configured to affect an air/fuel ratio within the first and second cylinders. The control system also has a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a combustion pressure within the first cylinder and a second sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a combustion pressure within the second cylinder. The control system further has a controller in communication with the air/fuel ratio control device and the first and second sensors. The controller is configured to determine a NOx production within the first cylinder based on the first signal and determine a NOx production within the second cylinder based on the second signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: Martin L. Willi, Scott B. Fiveland, David T. Montgomery, Weidong Gong
  • Patent number: 7715975
    Abstract: An engine that re-circulates its exhaust gas suffers decreased accuracy in estimating an EGR rate real-time especially while the operating state of the engine is in a transitional state, which often results in torque fluctuations and deteriorated exhaust gas. A sensor for directly detecting an EGR flow rate is disposed in an EGR path. An EGR rate and in-cylinder oxygen concentration are calculated from the output value of that sensor. In addition, when this EGR rate calculation method is used, the calculation is properly switched between a steady operation state characterized by a low load and small rotational fluctuations and a transitional operating state including the acceleration and deceleration. This makes it possible to correctly estimate the EGR rate and the in-cylinder oxygen concentration under a wide range of engine operation conditions, and thereby to avoid the fluctuation of torque and the deterioration of exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiro Yamaoka, Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Noboru Tokuyasu, Hiroaki Hoshika, Kaori Kashio
  • Patent number: 7707999
    Abstract: Fuel efficient devices and methods for protecting an exhaust system, and components thereof, when the exhaust gas temperature increases excessively are provided. The exhaust gas temperature is estimated in response to an internal resistance of an Air/Fuel ratio sensor element. The estimated temperature is corrected in a transition time based on the exhaust gas flow rate and the engine's operating region. When the exhaust gas temperature reaches an upper limit (Tmax), a delay period is set in response to the change ratio of the exhaust gas temperature. The delay period is based on the margin of time before an exhaust system component reaches the allowable heat resistance temperature Tem. The delay period can be corrected based on the outside air temperature and the vehicle speed. After the delay time has elapsed, a fuel increment is started in order to decrease the exhaust temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100078000
    Abstract: When an output of a downstream sensor provided downstream of a catalyst for exhaust gas purification becomes a leaner value than a leanness determination value, an air-fuel ratio control device supplies a rich component to the catalyst by performing rich input processing, in which increase correction for increasing fuel injection quantity stepwise is performed and then increase correction quantity of the fuel injection quantity is decreased gradually. When the increase correction quantity of the fuel injection quantity defined by the rich input processing becomes zero or when oxygen occlusion quantity of the catalyst becomes zero, the control device supplies a lean component to the catalyst by performing lean input processing, in which decrease correction for decreasing the fuel injection quantity stepwise is performed and then decrease correction quantity of the fuel injection quantity is decreased gradually.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuri SAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 7677223
    Abstract: The air-fuel-ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine obtains a composite air-fuel ratio abyfs from a downstream-side correction value Vafsfb(k) based upon an output value Voxs from a downstream air-fuel-ratio sensor 67 and an output value Vabyfs from an upstream air-fuel-ratio sensor 66, and obtains an upstream-side feedback correction value DFi on the basis of the composite air-fuel ratio abyfs. A fuel injection quantity Fi is determined to a value obtained by adding the upstream-side correction value DFi to a control-use base fuel injection quantity Fbasec (=base fuel injection quantity Fbase·coefficient Ksub).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuntaro Okazaki, Naoto Kato
  • Publication number: 20100059019
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine in which controls can be simplified, and being capable of performing high-performance control by appropriately mediating a plurality of requirements. The device includes an emission control unit, a fuel consumption control unit and an idle stability control unit. Those units output requirements for the internal combustion engine on the basis of their respective aims. An efficiency mediation unit that mediates requirements from those units is provided. Furthermore, an actuator instruction value calculation unit, which determines instruction values for the plurality of actuators installed in the internal combustion engine on the basis of a result of mediation performed by the efficiency mediation unit, is also provided. The requirement is a requirement concerning torque efficiency, which indicates a ratio of a required torque to a reference torque that is obtained when operating points of the plurality of actuators are optimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7658184
    Abstract: An aircraft engine includes an aircraft engine controller configured to detect an actual peak exhaust gas temperature of a cylinder assembly. The aircraft engine controller detects an intersection between a first function representing a relationship between a set of rich exhaust gas temperature signals and a corresponding set of rich fuel-air ratio values and a second function representing a relationship between a set of lean exhaust gas temperature signals and a set of lean fuel-air ratio values. Based upon the intersection between the first and second functions, the engine controller detects an actual peak fuel-air ratio value for the cylinder assembly and can determine if a correction in the fuel-air ratio of a fuel-air mixture provided to the cylinder assembly is required. Accordingly, the engine controller provides each cylinder assembly of the aircraft engine with an accurate fuel-air mixture to allow for operation of the engine with optimal fuel economy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lycoming Engines, a division of Avco Corportion
    Inventors: Scott Matas, Charles Schneider, Allan Watson
  • Publication number: 20100024789
    Abstract: An engine system and corresponding control method are described. As one example, the control method includes: combusting fuel from a first fuel tank during a first engine operating condition; combusting fuel from a second fuel tank during a second engine operating condition; transferring fuel from the first fuel tank to the second fuel tank when a fuel level of the second fuel tank falls below a predetermined level; delivering air to the engine from an air compressor; and adjusting the compressor based on a combustion characteristic of fuel from the second tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Allan J. Lippa, Donald J. Lewis
  • Patent number: 7654252
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system includes: a catalyst; an A/F sensor provided upstream of the catalyst; an oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of the catalyst; an output value estimation portion that estimates the output value of the oxygen concentration sensor using a model related to the catalyst and the oxygen concentration sensor; an integral value calculation portion that calculates an integral value of deviation being updated by integrating the difference between the actual oxygen concentration output value and the estimated output value; a correction value calculation portion that calculates a feedback correction value for the output value of the A/F sensor and a target air-fuel ratio at least based on the integral value of deviation; and an air-fuel ratio control portion that zeros a first deviation that is obtained by correcting the difference between the detected air-fuel ratio and the target air-fuel ratio, using the feedback correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Kato, Shuntaro Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20100019506
    Abstract: A power system is disclosed. The power system may include an output device and a combustion engine configured to combust ammonia as a primary fuel to generate mechanical power directed to the output device. The power system may also include an electrical unit configured to supplement the mechanical power directed to the output device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Weidong Gong, Martin Leo Willi
  • Publication number: 20090320813
    Abstract: A first cylinder and a second cylinder are provided. A first exhaust pipe is connected to the first cylinder and a second exhaust pipe is connected to the second cylinder. A communicating pipe connects together an intermediate portion of the first exhaust pipe with an intermediate portion of the second exhaust pipe. An exhaust gas control catalyst is arranged in the second exhaust pipe downstream of the portion to which the communicating pipe is connected. Exhaust gas amount reducing devices are provided which reduce the amount of exhaust gas that flows from the first exhaust pipe into the second exhaust pipe through the communicating pipe during execution of rich/lean burn control which performs combustion with an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture that is richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in one of the first cylinder and second cylinder and performs combustion with an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture that is leaner than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in the other cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Harima, Shigeki Miyashita
  • Publication number: 20090306879
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided which, even when a starting time of an alcohol concentration change varies, can accurately detect a starting time of an alcohol concentration estimation, and set a concentration estimation time matched to the behavior of the concentration change after determination of the start of the concentration change. An air fuel ratio correction amount calculation unit calculates an air fuel ratio correction amount based on an air fuel ratio detected by a sensor. An estimation permission determination unit determines that a starting condition for concentration estimation holds, when the correction amount becomes out of a predetermined range, and sets a permission time for concentration estimation in accordance with an accumulated amount of fuel injected after the starting condition for concentration estimation holds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki TAKUBO
  • Patent number: 7620489
    Abstract: Control method for the mixture ratio in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, the control method providing for the following: reading a first real value of the mixture ratio via a master lambda sensor associated with a first cylinder group, reading a second real value of the mixture ratio via a slave lambda sensor associated with a second cylinder group, calculating a first amount of fuel to inject into the cylinders of the first cylinder group to track a mixture ratio target value by using the first real value of the mixture ratio as a feedback variable, calculating the mean of the second real value of the mixture ratio in the detection window, calculating a correction value for the amount of fuel to inject based on the difference between a target value and the mean of the second real value of the mixture ratio, and calculating a second amount of fuel to inject into the cylinders of the second cylinder group by applying the correction value to the first amount of fuel to inject into the cylinders of t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Alessandri, Fabio Sensi, Loris Lambertini, Maurizio Fiorentini
  • Patent number: 7620488
    Abstract: A control apparatus of an engine that includes an intake passage fuel injector and an in-cylinder fuel injector according to the invention is characterized by further including correcting means for selectively increase-correcting or decrease-correcting a fuel injection quantity to bring an air-fuel ratio close to a predetermined target air-fuel ratio; and switching means for dividing an increase amount or decrease amount of the fuel injection quantity into a distribution ratio that is to be divided between the two fuel injectors, and when executing a correction by the correcting means, making one of the fuel injectors responsible for the larger part of a ratio, making the other fuel injector responsible for the smaller part of the ratio, and switching the fuel injector responsible fore the larger part of the ratio according to the operating state of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoya Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7607422
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for converting and optimizing the fuel system of an internal combustion engine in a pre-existing (used) vehicle to be fuel flexible and thus to operate on a mixture of fuels (like ethanol and gasoline) from a single fuel tank. The conversion includes adding a fuel composition sensor installed in the fuel line and/or adding an exhaust gas oxygen sensor installed in the engine's exhaust in addition to adding an electronic control unit with at least one fuel injector driver circuit for controlling an output signal to at least one fuel injector for controlling the air to fuel ratio of the engine. The electronic control unit can control both engine ignition timing and the air to fuel ratio of the engine based upon the composition of fuel mixture in the fuel tank. The electronic control unit can also control other aspects of engine operation like intake manifold boost for those engines that have turbo or superchargers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventors: Grant B Carlson, Karl Heise
  • Publication number: 20090223499
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas catalyst, a first exhaust gas sensor that is arranged for use in lambda control, and a second sensor that is arranged for trim control. The measuring signal of the second sensor is used to determine a NOx quality value depending on the HC quality value and the NOx correction factor. A lambda quality value is determined depending on an actual value and a basic set value of the air/fuel ratio. An error indicator is determined depending on the lambda quality value and the NOx quality value, the error indicator being representative of a mixture component error in a first range and being representative of an exhaust gas catalyst error in a second range. At least one control parameter of a trim control and/or the trim set value of the trim control is adapted depending on the NOx correction factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventor: Gerd Rösel
  • Patent number: 7581535
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of estimating the fuel/air ratio in each cylinder of an injection internal-combustion engine comprising an exhaust circuit on which a detector measures the fuel/air ratio of the exhaust gas. An estimator based on a Kalman filter is coupled with a physical model representing the expulsion of the gases from the cylinders and their travel in the exhaust circuit to the detector. The method has application to engine controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Jonathan Chauvin, Philippe Moulin, Gilles Corde, Nicolas Petit, Pierre Rouchon
  • Publication number: 20090211825
    Abstract: A method for operating a combustion engine, in which at least one electric motor for providing drive assistance is activated at least intermittently in a normal driving mode having a requested drive power. It is provided that the combustion engine is operated selectively in steady-state or dynamic fashion as a function of a selected combustion process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Karsten Mann, Markus Hernier
  • Publication number: 20090205622
    Abstract: A controller of an internal combustion engine includes: a purge controller, operable to control a purge amount of the vaporized fuel purged to an air intake system; an exhaust air-fuel ratio detector; an air-fuel ratio feedback controller; a period determiner, operable to determine whether it is an estimation enabling period; and an alcohol concentration estimator, operable to estimate the alcohol concentration. When the purge of the vaporized fuel is cut during the estimation enabling period, the purge controller: performs control so that the purge is cut with a large degree of tailing, in an operation region where a load of the internal combustion engine is high and a rotation speed is high; and performs control so that the purge is cut with a smaller degree of tailing than the large degree of tailing, in an operation region where the load of the internal combustion engine is low and the rotation speed is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Koji Kawakita, Katsunori Ueda, Toshiyuki Miyata, Hiroki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7556016
    Abstract: In order to operate an internal combustion engine, a value of an operating variable of the internal combustion engine is determined depending on at least one measured quantity of the internal combustion engine. A test is carried out to determine whether or not the value of the operating variable is plausible depending on at least one second measured quantity of the internal combustion engine. If the value of the operating variable is implausible, a test is carried out to determine whether or not the internal combustion engine is currently being operated in lean operation. If the internal combustion engine is currently being operated in lean operation, a changeover to the quasi-stoichiometric operation of the internal combustion engine is implemented. After the changeover to the quasi-stoichiometric operation, the value of the operating variable is determined anew and tested anew. A changeover to lean operation is carried out anew if the newly determined value of the operating variable is plausible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Markus Kraus, Kai Wollenschläger
  • Patent number: 7533662
    Abstract: A technique of controlling an air-fuel ration for an engine, in which an air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient ? to correct an amount of fuel injection into the engine is computed based on an output from an air-fuel ratio sensor disposed on an upstream side of a catalytic converter. A gain of the air-fuel ratio feedback correction coefficient ? in respect to a detection result of the air-fuel ratio sensor is decreased as a delay in a transient response of the air-fuel ratio sensor occurs. Thus, an excessive increase in the amount of fuel injection immediately after fuel cuts is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kiyomura, Hisanori Ozaki
  • Patent number: 7536244
    Abstract: A failure diagnostic apparatus is provided with an offset power source for offsetting a ground-side voltage of an air-fuel ratio sensor, an activation state judging unit for judging whether the air-fuel ratio sensor is active, a failure diagnosing unit for judging for a failure from an offset-added output signal of the air-fuel ratio sensor in a period when the activation state judging unit judges that the air-fuel ratio sensor is active, an input resistance switching unit for switching the level of an input signal from the air-fuel ratio sensor when the failure diagnosing unit has detected a failure in the air-fuel ratio sensor, and a failure state judging unit for determining a type of failure of the air-fuel ratio sensor on the basis of a voltage level obtained when the input resistance switching unit has switched the input signal level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Kunihiro, Koji Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 7526914
    Abstract: An oxygen concentration sensor including the sensor element for detecting oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas and the heater for heating the sensor element is installed at the location downstream of a DPF. An ECU controls power supply to the heater to make the sensor element at a predetermined active state. The ECU calculates heat data corresponding to a heat budget in the exhaust pipe in close proximity to the sensor location part after the engine startup, based upon an operating condition of the engine and a driving condition of a vehicle and also makes a determination as to dryness inside the exhaust pipe based upon the heat data. In addition, the power supply to the heater is controlled based upon the result of the dryness determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Shuichi Nakano
  • Patent number: 7520274
    Abstract: In a compression ignition internal combustion engine provided with an NOx storage-reduction catalyst on an exhaust system, when the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas being in a lean state is controlled to a rich state, a response time (ResS) from a time point an air fuel ratio sensor detects a first air fuel ratio (AF1), which is leaner than a stoichiometric air fuel ratio (AFS), to a time point the air fuel ratio sensor detects a second air fuel ratio (AF2), which is equal to or leaner than the stoichiometric air fuel ratio (AFS) and richer than the first air fuel ratio (AF1). When the response time (ResS) exceeds a stoichiometric air fuel ratio shift reference time (StdS), a determination is made that the air fuel ratio sensor is degraded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sawada, Daisuke Shibata
  • Patent number: 7516618
    Abstract: An engine air supply control method relating to a turbocharged engine including an intake manifold (20) which is disposed downstream of the compressor of the turbocharger (14) and an exhaust manifold (22) which is disposed upstream of the turbine of the turbocharger (14). The method includes determining the mass air flow supplying the engine and/or the pressure in the intake manifold (20) and the temperature in the exhaust manifold. The pressure in the exhaust manifold (22) is determined as a function of the pressure in the intake manifold (20), the engine speed, the temperatures in the cylinders (4) and in the exhaust manifold (22), the pressure in the intake manifold (20) being optionally determined from the mass air flow. Inversely, the pressure in the intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Continental Automotive France
    Inventor: Roger Rouphael
  • Publication number: 20090093945
    Abstract: An alcohol sensor detects alcohol concentration of a fuel stored in a fuel tank. When an internal combustion engine is started, a start timing of heating a sensor element by a heater is variably set based on the alcohol concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 7513105
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying system includes a catalyst arranged on an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine; a sensor detecting a state of the exhaust gas passed through the catalyst; and an ECU functioning as an abnormality determining apparatus determining abnormality by monitoring an output of said sensor in an operation under forced air-fuel ratio. When the operation under forced air-fuel control is interrupted before completion of the determination of system abnormality, the abnormality determining apparatus once stores a parameter accumulated during the operation under forced air-fuel ratio control by the time of interruption, and when the internal combustion engine comes to satisfy the prescribed condition again, resumes the operation under forced air-fuel ratio control, and completes determination of system abnormality using the stored parameter and the parameter accumulated after resumption of the forced air-fuel ratio control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazunori Kato
  • Publication number: 20090088943
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for regulating the lambda value of an internal combustion engine with a catalytic converter for subsequently treating the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine, with a binary lambda probe, which is mounted upstream from the catalytic converter and which senses the composition of the exhaust gases. According to the invention, the lambda set value is superimposed with a lean/rich amplitude. This lean/rich amplitude has an integral component and a discontinuous component leading back to the lambda set value. When a change that differs from the change in the exhaust gas composition caused by the lean/rich amplitude is detected, the coefficient of the integral component is modified and/or a discontinuous component is added to the integral component or subtracted therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bejoy Mathews, Gerd Rosel, Hong Zhang
  • Publication number: 20090078241
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for adjusting a displacement pump that has a variable volume flow rate in an internal combustion engine. Said method comprises the following steps: the displacement pump is driven; the fluid is conveyed to the consumption points in the internal combustion engine; at least one characteristic value is determined from the exhaust gas flow of the internal combustion engine; said characteristic value is forwarded to a control device as an actual value signal; the actual value signal is compared to a given target value; a control signal is preprocessed from the deviation between the actual value signal and the target value; the control signal is fed to an actuator; the volume flow rate of the displacement pump is modified by means of the actuator in accordance with the control signal; the steps of the method are repeated until the actual value signal is identical to the target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: Joma-Hydromechanic GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Schneider, Torsten Helle
  • Patent number: 7497198
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle propulsion system, comprising of an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to selectively operate in one of a plurality of combustion modes, wherein a first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and a second combustion mode is a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode, an energy storage device configured to store energy, a motor configured to absorb at least a portion of an output produced by the engine and convert said absorbed engine output to energy storable by the energy storage device and wherein the motor is further configured to produce a motor output, a fuel tank vapor purging system coupled to the engine, and a controller configured to vary fuel vapors supplied to the engine during different combustion modes of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Leone, Gopichandra Surnilla, Tony Phillips
  • Publication number: 20090048759
    Abstract: A fuel control system of an engine system comprising a pre-catalyst exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) sensor and a control module. The pre-catalyst EGO sensor determines a pre-catalyst EGO signal based on an oxygen concentration of an exhaust gas. The control module determines a dither signal. The control module determines a fuel command based on the pre-catalyst EGO signal and the dither signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Sharon Liu, Kenneth P. Dudek, Robert Douglas Shafto
  • Publication number: 20090044518
    Abstract: This system for the elimination of SOx (Sulphur Oxide) stored in a NOx (24) (Nitrogen Oxide) trap associated with an oxidation catalyst and placed upstream of a particle filter (26) in an exhaust line of a motor vehicle engine comprises a feed supervisor (32) able only to trigger the execution of an operation to flush out the NOx trap and cancel the execution of an operation to regenerate the particle filter, when the flushing out operation is to be performed immediately before or after the regeneration operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA
    Inventors: Benoit Frouvelle, Arnaud Audouin
  • Patent number: 7484504
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system includes: a catalyst; an oxygen concentration sensor; an integral value calculation portion that calculates an integral value of a deviation updated by integrating the deviation between an output value from the oxygen concentration sensor and a reference value; an air-fuel ratio control portion that controls an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas entering the catalyst to be equal to a target air-fuel ratio; a target air-fuel ratio switching portion that sets a rich target air-fuel ratio when the output value has been inverted from rich to lean while sets a lean target air-fuel ratio when the output value has been inverted from lean to rich; and an integral value correction portion that corrects the integral value of the deviation when the air-fuel ratio is being controlled to a switched target air-fuel ratio, based on whether the next inversion takes place within a predetermined time period from the last inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Kato, Shuntaro Okazaki
  • Patent number: 7483781
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus feedback-controls a mixture air-fuel ratio of air-fuel mixture supplied to each cylinder of the engine based on an exhaust air-fuel ratio detected by an air-fuel ratio sensor. The control apparatus further calculates an exhaust air-fuel ratio change rate at every predetermined interval and integrates an absolute value of the exhaust air-fuel ratio change rate. The control apparatus determines an abnormality in any one of engine cylinders when an integration value of the exhaust air-fuel ratio change rate exceeds a predetermined reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Wakahara, Takeshi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 7475683
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus, for a variable-fuel engine, includes a plurality of stored maps for determining a basic fuel injection time corresponding to a state of an engine and alcohol concentration in the fuel. The apparatus includes a memory storage region which stores the fuel injection control maps. The apparatus also includes an oxygen sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe for detecting oxygen concentration in an exhaust gas; a basic fuel injection time calculator which determines the basic fuel injection time using the currently selected fuel injection control map; a correction coefficient calculator which determines an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient for correcting the basic fuel injection time; a fuel injection quantity calculator; and a map changeover part which selects the fuel injection control map of the concentration of alcohol close to the concentration of alcohol of the fuel based on the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shiro Kokubu
  • Patent number: 7469685
    Abstract: The control apparatus for the internal combustion engine increases a fuel injection amount under predetermined conditions, such as after the start of the internal combustion engine, at cold time, at acceleration requiring time, at gear shifting time from a neutral to a D-range, for example. When the fuel injection amount is increased during execution of air/fuel ratio feedback control, the feedback control follows the increase amount, and executes correction corresponding to the increase amount. Then, at the point of time when the correction corresponding to the increase amount is completed, the increase of the fuel injection amount is stopped quickly. Thereby, the increase of the fuel injection amount is not continued unnecessarily, and therefore useless consumption of the fuel can be suppressed. Also, it becomes possible to start other controls early by finishing increase quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akinori Osanai
  • Patent number: 7455058
    Abstract: A method and system is disclosed which relates to controlling a stationary gaseous-fueled internal combustion engine. The method may include measuring an air to fuel ratio of the engine, calculating a difference between the measured air to fuel ratio and a desired air to fuel ratio for the engine, and automatically controlling an air to fuel mixture supplied to the engine in accordance with the calculated difference to enable the engine to run at substantially the desired air to fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Inventor: Raymond A. Raffesberger
  • Publication number: 20080257325
    Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, including fuel cut state detection means for detecting the state of fuel cut in which the feed of fuel into the internal combustion engine is stopped, and catalyst deterioration decision means for deciding the deterioration of a catalyst on the basis of a period which is expended since the detection of the release of the state of the fuel cut by the fuel cut state detection means, until the output value of a second air-fuel ratio sensor agrees with a predetermined reset decision value near a target value, and the manipulation quantity of an average air-fuel ratio on the upstream side of the catalyst as is based on second air-fuel ratio feedback control means. Thus, the deterioration of the catalyst can be decided at a high precision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki TAKUBO
  • Publication number: 20080249697
    Abstract: A system for controlling fuel to an engine to minimize emissions in an exhaust of the engine. There may be a controller connected to an actuator, for example a fuel control actuator, of the engine and to emissions sensors, such as an NOx and/or PM sensor, proximate to an exhaust output of the engine. The controller, for example a speed controller, may have an input connected to an output of a pedal or desired speed setting mechanism. A speed sensor at a power output of the engine may be connected to an input of the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Gregory E. Stewart, Michael L. Rhodes
  • Publication number: 20080236554
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine is proposed. The fuel injection system has a high pressure part and a low pressure part. In the high pressure part, fuel is fed from at least one high pressure accumulator/reservoir to at least one fuel injector. In the low pressure part, the at least one fuel injector is connected to at least one low pressure accumulator/reservoir, wherein a pressure is maintained in the at least one low pressure accumulator by at least one pressure holding valve. Furthermore, the fuel injection system has at least one device for the after-treatment of exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine in an exhaust gas section. Furthermore, the fuel injection system has at least one metering device for the metered introduction of fuel into the exhaust gas section. Said at least one metering device is connected hydraulically to the at least one low pressure accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Holger Rapp, Udo Schulz
  • Publication number: 20080223344
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine using hydrocarbon fuel and hydrogen gas as fuels and including a fuel injection device that injects liquid fuel, a hydrogen-blended fuel in which hydrogen gas is contained in the form of minute bubbles in a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, that is supplied to the fuel injection device. The hydrogen-blended fuel is stored in a fuel tank. Hydrogen gas that has escaped from the hydrogen-blended fuel in the fuel tank is fed to a minute-bubble producing device, which forms the fuel gas into minute bubbles and mixes the minute bubbles back into the hydrogen-blended fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Suzuki, Tomohiro Shinagawa, Masahiko Masubuchi
  • Publication number: 20080190400
    Abstract: A fuel supply assembly providing vaporized fuel to an engine wherein a quantity of liquid gasoline fuel is controllably heated for a desired vapor emission from the liquid fuel, and a conduit arrangement conducts the vapor, intermixes it with ambient air and conveys the intermixture to the engine's combustion chamber. A sensor in the engine exhaust monitors the hydrocarbon content of the exhaust and control valving controls the vapor to air intermixture in response to the monitor for maintaining a desired intermixture that produces the desired hydrocarbon content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Raymond Bryce Bushnell, Danny Robert Lewis
  • Patent number: 7404397
    Abstract: A fuel injector control modification module is configured to modify primary fuel injector control signals provided by an engine control unit of an internal combustion engine. The module is particularly adapted to modifying fuel injector control signals based upon detected variations in fuel provided to the engine. Information indicative of fuel type is obtained by the module from an onboard diagnostic port associated with the engine control unit. The information may comprise fuel trim information which is generated, at least in part, from exhaust gas oxygen content information provided to the engine control unit. The module may modify or completely replace the primary fuel injector control signals at one or more times with secondary signal, such as to accommodate changes in fuel type. The module is particularly suited to addition to an existing engine to adapt the engine to run upon alternative fuels not contemplated by the original engine manufacturer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Total Fuel Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Michael V. Dobeck
  • Publication number: 20080155964
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having a particulate filter is disclosed. The control system may have a sensor configured to detect a performance parameter of the particulate filter and generate a corresponding signal. The control system may also have a controller in communication with the sensor and the internal combustion engine. The control system may be configured to receive the signal and determine a soot loading status of the particulate filter based on the signal. The control system may be further configured to modify operation of the internal combustion engine based on the soot loading status during normal operation of the particulate filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Jonathan Patrick Kilkenny