Patents by Inventor Masanari SUEOKA

Masanari SUEOKA has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20190360451
    Abstract: A control system of a compression-ignition engine which performs SPCCI combustion in which mixture gas is ignited with a spark plug to be partially combusted by SI combustion and the rest of mixture gas self-ignites to be combusted by CI combustion, is provided. When the engine is operated at least in a given first operating range, a controller of the device controls a variable intake mechanism so that an A/F lean environment where an air-fuel ratio in a cylinder becomes higher than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio is formed, while causing the spark plug to perform spark ignition at a given timing so that the mixture gas combusts by SPCCI combustion, and controls so that, under the same engine load condition, an intake valve close timing is more retarded as the engine speed decreases, within a range where an amount of air inside the cylinder decreases by retarding the close timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Atsushi Inoue, Keiji Maruyama, Takuya Ohura, Tomohiro Nishida, Yusuke Kawai, Tetsuya Chikada, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 10480395
    Abstract: A control device of an engine including a cylinder, a piston, a cylinder head, and a combustion chamber, is provided. The device includes intake and exhaust ports, a swirl control valve, a fuel injection valve attached to the cylinder head to be oriented into the combustion chamber and having first and second nozzle ports, and a control unit. The control unit includes a processor configured to execute a swirl opening controlling module to control the swirl control valve to have a given opening at which a swirl ratio inside the combustion chamber becomes 2 or above, and a fuel injection timing controlling module to control the fuel injection valve to inject fuel at a given timing at which the swirl ratio becomes 2 or above and a swirl flow from a lower portion to a higher portion of the combustion chamber in a side view occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Masanari Sueoka, Keiji Maruyama, Toru Miyamoto, Yudai Koshiro, Gyetae Pak
  • Publication number: 20190309699
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a compression autoignition engine includes an engine, a spark plug, a controller, and sensors. After the spark plug ignites air-fuel mixture to start combustion, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition. The controller changes an SI rate in accordance with an operation state of the engine. Furthermore, the controller adjusts the SI rate when determining that the SI rate needs to be adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20190186395
    Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes an engine having a combustion chamber formed by a cylinder, a piston and a cylinder head, an injector, a spark plug, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device configured to introduce into the combustion chamber a portion of burned gas generated inside the combustion chamber as EGR gas, an EGR controller configured to change an EGR ratio, the EGR controller changing the EGR ratio so that a compression start temperature of the combustion chamber rises as an engine load is reduced, and a controller connected to the injector and the spark plug to control them. The controller includes a processor configured to execute a combustion controlling module to output an instruction to the spark plug so as to ignite at an ignition timing after the EGR ratio adjustment so that partial compression-ignition combustion is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Takuya Ohura, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Keiji Maruyama, Tomohiro Nishida
  • Publication number: 20190186405
    Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes an engine having a combustion chamber, an injector configured to supply fuel into the combustion chamber, a spark plug, a swirl valve provided to an intake passage of the engine, and a controller connected to the injector, the spark plug and the swirl valve to control them. The controller includes a processor configured to execute a swirl adjusting module to adjust an opening of the swirl valve to generate a swirl flow inside the combustion chamber, a fuel injection timing controlling module to control a fuel injection timing and control the injector to retard the fuel injection timing as an engine speed increases, and a combustion controlling module to control the spark plug to ignite at a given ignition timing after the swirl generation and the fuel injection, so that partial compression-ignition combustion is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Takuya Ohura, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Keiji Maruyama, Tomohiro Nishida
  • Publication number: 20190186394
    Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes an engine having a combustion chamber formed by a cylinder, a piston and a cylinder head, an injector, a spark plug, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device configured to introduce into the combustion chamber a portion of burned gas generated inside the combustion chamber as EGR gas, an EGR controller to change an EGR ratio, the EGR controller changing the EGR ratio so that a compression start temperature of the combustion chamber rises as an engine speed increases, and a controller connected to the injector and the spark plug to control them. The controller includes a processor configured to execute a combustion controlling module to output an ignition instruction to the spark plug so as to ignite at an ignition timing after the EGR ratio adjustment so that partial compression-ignition combustion is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Takuya Ohura, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Keiji Maruyama, Tomohiro Nishida
  • Publication number: 20190186396
    Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes an engine having a combustion chamber, an injector, a spark plug, a swirl valve provided to an intake passage of the engine, and a controller connected to the injector, the spark plug, and the swirl valve to control them. The controller includes a processor configured to execute a swirl adjusting module to control an opening of the swirl valve so as to make the opening of the swirl valve smaller as an engine speed decreases and output a control signal to the injector to inject the fuel after the control of the swirl valve, and a combustion controlling module to output an ignition instruction to the spark plug so as to ignite at a given ignition timing after the EGR ratio adjustment, so that partial compression-ignition combustion is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Takuya Ohura, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Keiji Maruyama, Tomohiro Nishida
  • Publication number: 20190186402
    Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes an engine having a combustion chamber, an injector configured to supply fuel into the combustion chamber, a spark plug, a swirl valve provided to an intake passage of the engine, and a controller. The controller includes a processor configured to execute a swirl adjusting module to adjust a swirl valve opening to generate a swirl flow inside the combustion chamber, a fuel injection amount controlling module to control fuel injection amounts of pre-injection and post-injection so as to increase a ratio of an injection amount of the post-injection to a total fuel injection amount into the combustion chamber in one cycle as an engine speed increases, and a combustion controlling module to control the spark plug to ignite at a given ignition timing after the swirl generation and fuel injection, so that partial compression-ignition combustion is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Masanari Sueoka, Takuya Ohura, Tatsuhiro Tokunaga, Keiji Maruyama, Tomohiro Nishida
  • Publication number: 20190112989
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a compression autoignition engine includes an engine, a state quantity setting device, a spark plug, and a controller. After the spark plug ignites air-fuel mixture to start combustion, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition. The controller changes, according to an operation state of the engine, a heat amount ratio that represents an index associated with a ratio of an amount of heat generated by air-fuel mixture being combusted by flame propagation, to a total amount of heat generated by air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber being combusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20190112988
    Abstract: This control apparatus of an engine includes an engine, a state quantity setting device, an injector, a spark plug, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the spark plug at a predetermined ignition timing such that, after air-fuel mixture is ignited and combustion is started, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition, and the controller advances an ignition timing when the temperature before start of compression in a combustion chamber is to be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20190107061
    Abstract: This control apparatus for an engine includes an engine, an injector, a spark plug, an intake electric S-VT, an exhaust electric S-VT, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to at least one of the intake electric S-VT and the exhaust electric S-VT so as to perform valve control of opening an intake valve when an exhaust valve is open, and then outputs a control signal to the spark plug at predetermined ignition timing such that, after air-fuel mixture is ignited and combustion is started, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20190101046
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine includes an engine, a state quantity setting device, a spark plug, and a controller. After the spark plug ignites air-fuel mixture to start combustion, combustion of unburned air-fuel mixture is caused by autoignition. The controller outputs a control signal to the state quantity setting device such that, when a number of revolutions of the engine is high, a temperature in a combustion chamber before start of compression is higher than that when the number of revolutions of the engine is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20190101064
    Abstract: Disclosed is a control device for a multi-cylinder engine having a combustion chamber (19) to which an intake port (16) and an exhaust port (17) are connected. The control device comprises: an intake-side variable valve operating mechanism (71) for controlling a lift timing of two intake valves (21a, 21b) of the intake port (16); an exhaust-side variable valve operating mechanism (72) for controlling a lift timing of an exhaust valve (22a); and an exhaust-side valve operating mechanism (73) for driving an exhaust valve (22b) at a fixed timing. The control device is operable, when executing cylinder deactivation in a low engine load and low engine speed operating range, to cause the exhaust-side variable valve operating mechanism (72) to open the exhaust valve (22a) during downward movement of a piston (14) in a cylinder (18) being subjected to the cylinder deactivation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keitaro EZUMI, Kazuhiro TAKEMOTO, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Akitomo TAKAGI, Masanari SUEOKA, Masami NISHIDA, Kazufumi KUMAKURA, Kota MATSUMOTO, Tomohiro HASEGAWA, Tadasu HASHIGUCHI, Toshiaki TAKAHASHI, Masatoshi HIDAKA
  • Publication number: 20190101071
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an engine includes an engine, a state quantity setting device, an injector, a spark plug, and a controller. The controller sets a G/F in a range from 18 to 50. After the spark plug ignites air-fuel mixture, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: Mazada Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara
  • Publication number: 20190085772
    Abstract: A engine control device includes an variable exhaust valve mechanism 72 which varies an opening and closing timing of an exhaust valve 22, and a PCM 10 which controls the variable exhaust valve mechanism 72 such that the opening and closing timing of the exhaust valve 22 is varied, wherein the variable exhaust valve mechanism 72 is configured such that a lift amount of the exhaust valve 22 becomes smaller as a retarded degree of the valve opening timing increases, and the PCM 10 is configured to set a maximum retarded valve opening timing in an exhaust stroke based on the lift amount at an exhaust top dead center, and to control the variable exhaust valve mechanism 72 so as to open the exhaust valve 22 in advance of the maximum retarded valve opening timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanari SUEOKA, Toshiaki TAKAHASHI, Masatoshi HIDAKA, Tadasu HASHIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190063344
    Abstract: A control device for an engine is provided, which includes a fuel injector attached to the engine, a spark plug disposed to be oriented into a combustion chamber, a swirl control valve provided in an intake passage, and a controller connected to the fuel injector, the spark plug, and the swirl control valve and configured to control the fuel injector, the spark plug, and the swirl control valve. The swirl control valve closes in a given operating state of the engine. The fuel injector injects fuel after the swirl control valve is closed, between intake stroke and an intermediate stage of compression stroke. The fuel injector injects the fuel after the first fuel injection. The spark plug performs the ignition after the second fuel injection so that the mixture gas starts combustion by flame propagation and then unburned mixture gas self-ignites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Masanari Sueoka, Keiji Maruyama, Toru Miyamoto, Yudai Koshiro, Gyetae Pak
  • Publication number: 20190063337
    Abstract: A control device for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes an engine having a plurality of cylinders, spark plug, a fuel injector, and a control unit connected to the spark plug and the fuel injector. The control unit causes the engine to perform an all-cylinder operation when the engine operates at a load above a given load, and perform a reduced-cylinder operation at a load below the given load. In the reduced-cylinder operation, the fuel injector injects fuel to one or some of the cylinders to generate mixture gas, the spark plug ignites the mixture gas, and the engine starts, at an air-fuel ratio larger than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio and a large compression ratio, SI combustion in which the mixture gas is ignited to combust by flame propagation, and then perform CI combustion in which unburned mixture gas ignites by self-ignition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Keiji Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20190063338
    Abstract: A control device of an engine including a cylinder, a piston, a cylinder head, and a combustion chamber is provided, which includes intake and exhaust ports, a swirl control valve provided in an intake passage connected to the intake port, a fuel injection valve attached to the cylinder head to be oriented into the center of the combustion chamber in a plan view thereof, and having first and second nozzle ports, and a control unit. The control unit includes a processor configured to execute a swirl opening controlling module to output the control signal to the swirl control valve to have a given opening at which a swirl ratio inside the combustion chamber becomes 2 or above, and a fuel injection timing controlling module to output the control signal to the fuel injector to inject fuel at a given timing at which the swirl ratio becomes 2 or above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Masanari Sueoka, Keiji Maruyama, Toru Miyamoto, Yudai Koshiro, Gyetae Pak
  • Publication number: 20190063303
    Abstract: A control device of an engine including a cylinder, a piston, a cylinder head, and a combustion chamber, is provided. The device includes intake and exhaust ports, a swirl control valve, a fuel injection valve attached to the cylinder head to be oriented into the combustion chamber and having first and second nozzle ports, and a control unit. The control unit includes a processor configured to execute a swirl opening controlling module to control the swirl control valve to have a given opening at which a swirl ratio inside the combustion chamber becomes 2 or above, and a fuel injection timing controlling module to control the fuel injection valve to inject fuel at a given timing at which the swirl ratio becomes 2 or above and a swirl flow from a lower portion to a higher portion of the combustion chamber in a side view occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kota Matsumoto, Tomonori Urushihara, Masanari Sueoka, Keiji Maruyama, Toru Miyamoto, Yudai Koshiro, Gyetae Pak
  • Publication number: 20190063360
    Abstract: A control system for a compression-ignition engine is provided, which includes the engine, a spark plug, a fuel injection valve, an air-fuel ratio control valve, and a control unit. A geometric compression ratio of the engine is 14:1 or above. The control unit includes a processor configured to execute an air-fuel ratio controlling module for, when the engine being in a given operating state is detected, controlling the air-fuel ratio control valve to bring the air-fuel ratio of the entire mixture gas to a given lean air-fuel ratio that is larger than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and an spark plug controlling module for, after this control, outputting the control signal to the spark plug to perform the ignition at a given ignition timing so that the mixture gas starts combustion by flame propagation and then unburned mixture gas self-ignites. The given ignition timing is stored in a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi Inoue, Masanari Sueoka, Kota Matsumoto, Keiji Maruyama