Abstract: A sensor that detects a fuel property of a mixed fuel of a biofuel and a hydrocarbon fuel includes: a light emitting device that emits light with a wavelength of 250 nm to 400 nm onto the mixed fuel; and a light receiving device that receives light emitted by the mixed fuel under the effect of light from the light emitting device and generates an output corresponding to the received light. When the fuel property is determined, in a case where the mixed fuel is irradiated by light with a predetermined wavelength generated due to voltage application to the light emitting device, the light emitted by the mixed fuel is detected by the light receiving device. The fuel property of the mixed fuel is detected according to the detected light.

Abstract: A fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine includes: a pressure adjustment device provided on a fuel flow path that connects a fuel pump and an injector; a return flow path for returning a fuel discharged from the pressure adjustment device to a fuel tank; a fuel property sensor disposed in the return flow path; a fuel pump control portion that actuates the fuel pump at a predetermined programmed timing, when the internal combustion engine is in a stopped state; and a fuel property determination portion that determines a fuel property of the fuel in the fuel tank by using an output value of the fuel property sensor, when the fuel pump is actuated during the stopped state of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: An abnormality detection device for an internal combustion engine is controlled according to properties of employed fuel, and capable of accurately detecting an abnormality in a fuel property sensor, and more particularly, a stuck fuel property sensor. A measurement section of the sensor is housed in a fuel container, which is not disposed in a main flow path of a fuel flow path connecting a fuel pump to an injector, but is disposed apart from the main flow path. Fuel drawn from a fuel tank is introduced into the fuel container. The resulting output value of the sensor is acquired as a first sensor output value. Further, the fuel is discharged from the fuel container. The resulting output value of the sensor is acquired as a second output value. The first and second sensor output values are then used to check for an abnormality in the sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting abnormality for a fuel property detecting apparatus according to the present invention includes the fuel property detecting apparatus having a sensor part provided on a fuel channel, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the fuel in the vicinity of said sensor part, a heater capable of raising the temperature of the fuel in the vicinity of the sensor part, and abnormality determining means for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the fuel property detecting apparatus based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means when the heater is activated. The abnormality determining means includes fuel flow abnormality determining means for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the flow of the fuel in the vicinity of the sensor part and failure determining means for determining whether there is a failure of said fuel property detecting apparatus itself.

Abstract: A rationality diagnostic device for an alcohol concentration sensor includes a capacitance-type remaining fuel amount sensor as a remaining fuel amount sensor disposed in a fuel tank. The capacitance-type remaining fuel amount sensor has such output characteristics that its output value is determined by the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank and the alcohol concentration of the fuel. The rationality diagnostic device corrects the output value of the remaining fuel amount sensor in accordance with the output value of the alcohol concentration sensor to eliminate an alcohol-concentration-dependent component from the output value of the remaining fuel amount sensor. The rationality diagnostic device then verifies the accuracy of the corrected output value of the remaining fuel amount sensor to judge whether the rationality of the alcohol concentration sensor is maintained.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a fuel property sensor which is provided between a fuel tank and a delivery pipe and which detects a component ratio of fuel; a fuel property value calculator that calculates an injector fuel property value for each cylinder using the component ratio detected by the fuel property sensor a period of time ago, which is equal to an amount of time required for the fuel to travel from the fuel property sensor to each fuel injector, as a value corresponding to the present component ratio of the fuel near the corresponding injector; and an engine-restart-time fuel injection amount calculator that calculates a fuel injection amount for each cylinder based on an engine-off duration in a case where the internal combustion engine is restarted after the internal combustion engine is stopped when the injector fuel property value varies from cylinder to cylinder.

Abstract: A fuel property determining apparatus is provided that can reduce power consumption in energization of a fuel property sensor by efficiently determining a fuel property as determined by activating the fuel property sensor. Upon starting an internal combustion engine, it is determined whether or not determination is made of the fuel property in a preceding trip. When the fuel property is determined in the preceding trip, a switch is turned ON to activate the fuel property sensor after waiting for a short period of time after the start of the internal combustion engine. When the fuel property is not determined in the preceding trip, the switch is turned ON to activate the fuel property sensor immediately after the start of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A rationality diagnostic device for an alcohol concentration sensor includes a capacitance-type remaining fuel amount sensor as a remaining fuel amount sensor disposed in a fuel tank. The capacitance-type remaining fuel amount sensor has such output characteristics that its output value is determined by the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank and the alcohol concentration of the fuel. The rationality diagnostic device corrects the output value of the remaining fuel amount sensor in accordance with the output value of the alcohol concentration sensor to eliminate an alcohol-concentration-dependent component from the output value of the remaining fuel amount sensor. The rationality diagnostic device then verifies the accuracy of the corrected output value of the remaining fuel amount sensor to judge whether the rationality of the alcohol concentration sensor is maintained.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an abnormality detection device that is used for an internal combustion engine whose operation is controlled in accordance with the properties of employed fuel, and capable of accurately detecting an abnormality in a fuel property sensor used to determine the fuel properties, and more particularly, a stuck fuel property sensor. The abnormality detection device is configured so that a measurement section of the fuel property sensor is housed in a fuel container, which is not disposed in a main flow path of a fuel flow path connecting a fuel pump to an injector, but is disposed apart from the main flow path. The fuel drawn from a fuel tank is introduced into the fuel container. The resulting output value of the fuel property sensor is acquired as a first sensor output value. Further, the fuel is discharged from the fuel container. The resulting output value of the fuel property sensor is acquired as a second sensor output value.

Abstract: A sensor that detects a fuel property of a mixed fuel of a biofuel and a hydrocarbon fuel includes: a light emitting device that emits light with a wavelength of 250 nm to 400 nm onto the mixed fuel; and a light receiving device that receives light emitted by the mixed fuel under the effect of light from the light emitting device and generates an output corresponding to the received light. When the fuel property is determined, in a case where the mixed fuel is irradiated by light with a predetermined wavelength generated due to voltage application to the light emitting device, the light emitted by the mixed fuel is detected by the light receiving device. The fuel property of the mixed fuel is detected according to the detected light.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing an apparatus for detecting abnormality capable of accurately detecting whether or not there is an abnormality in a fuel property detecting apparatus. An apparatus for detecting abnormality for a fuel property detecting apparatus according to the present invention includes the fuel property detecting apparatus having a sensor part provided on a fuel channel, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the fuel in the vicinity of said sensor part, a heater capable of raising the temperature of the fuel in the vicinity of the sensor part, and abnormality determining means for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the fuel property detecting apparatus based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means when the heater is activated.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to accurately diagnose an abnormality of a fuel property detection apparatus that detects a fuel property based on a capacitance between electrodes. The abnormality detection apparatus for a fuel property detection apparatus of the present invention detects an abnormality of a fuel property detection apparatus that detects a fuel property based on a measurement value of a capacitance between a pair of electrodes installed on a fuel supply channel of an internal combustion engine that can use a fuel that includes a predetermined fuel component that has a characteristic such that a permittivity thereof changes according to a frequency of an electric field.

Abstract: A fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine includes: a pressure adjustment device provided on a fuel flow path that connects a fuel pump and an injector; a return flow path for returning a fuel discharged from the pressure adjustment device to a fuel tank; a fuel property sensor disposed in the return flow path; a fuel pump control portion that actuates the fuel pump at a predetermined programmed timing, when the internal combustion engine is in a stopped state; and a fuel property determination portion that determines a fuel property of the fuel in the fuel tank by using an output value of the fuel property sensor, when the fuel pump is actuated during the stopped state of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to avoid an air-fuel ratio difference between cylinders upon recovery from a cylinder deactivation in a situation where some of a plurality of cylinders of an internal combustion engine capable of using a plurality of types of fuels having different properties are to be deactivated upon the halt of fuel injection from an injector. To accomplish the object, a control device to which the present invention is applied includes a fuel property sensor that is installed in a fuel line between a fuel tank and a delivery pipe, and detects a fuel property change from a change in a signal of the fuel property sensor. Upon detection of a fuel property change, the control device prohibits the deactivation of a cylinder before the completion of a fuel property change in the delivery pipe.

Abstract: A fuel property determining apparatus is provided that can reduce power consumption in energization of a fuel property sensor by efficiently determining a fuel property as determined by activating the fuel property sensor. Upon starting an internal combustion engine, it is determined whether or not determination is made of the fuel property in a preceding trip. When the fuel property is determined in the preceding trip, a switch is turned ON to activate the fuel property sensor after waiting for a short period of time after the start of the internal combustion engine. When the fuel property is not determined in the preceding trip, the switch is turned ON to activate the fuel property sensor immediately after the start of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a fuel property sensor which is provided between a fuel tank and a delivery pipe and which detects a component ratio of fuel; a fuel property value calculator that calculates an injector fuel property value for each cylinder using the component ratio detected by the fuel property sensor a period of time ago, which is equal to an amount of time required for the fuel to travel from the fuel property sensor to each fuel injector, as a value corresponding to the present component ratio of the fuel near the corresponding injector; and an engine-restart-time fuel injection amount calculator that calculates a fuel injection amount for each cylinder based on an engine-off duration in a case where the internal combustion engine is restarted after the internal combustion engine is stopped when the injector fuel property value varies from cylinder to cylinder.

Abstract: A plurality of capacitance values at different obtained fuel temperatures are obtained. Ethanol concentrations of fuel to be measured are obtained from these capacitance values after correcting for an amount of change in the capacitance values due to a temperature characteristic. The correction according to the temperature characteristic is realized according to a map stored in a control apparatus. It is determined that there is an abnormality in an alcohol concentration sensor if the difference among the obtained ethanol concentrations is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an abnormal air-fuel ratio variation among cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes: a catalyst that is arranged in an exhaust passage of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine; a catalyst temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of the catalyst; and an abnormality detecting unit that detects an abnormal air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders on the basis of the detected catalyst temperature, wherein the abnormality detecting unit calculates a temperature parameter on the basis of the detected catalyst temperature, and the abnormality detecting unit detects the abnormal air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders on the basis of the temperature parameter at the time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after a cold start of the internal combustion engine.