Including Cylinder Pressure Or Temperature Responsive Means Patents (Class 123/435)
  • Patent number: 7957889
    Abstract: The invention relates to balancing the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The invention comprises cylinder-specific pressure sensors (1) installed in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine for measuring the cylinder pressures as well as an adjustment unit (2). The adjustment unit is arranged to determine the maximum pressure and knock value of each cylinder as well as the mean maximum pressure of the cylinders as a response to the measurements of cylinder pressures and to determine the differences between the maximum pressure of each cylinder and the mean maximum pressure. The differences are compared to a certain deviation range of the mean maximum pressure and the knock value to a certain knock limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Wartsila Finland Oy
    Inventors: Kaj Portin, Jenny Hellén
  • Patent number: 7950370
    Abstract: A high pressure common rail fuel system is provided including a fuel supply, a high pressure pump assembly fluidly connected to receive fuel from the fuel supply, and a gas supply system fluidly connected to provide gas to the high pressure pump assembly to create a high pressure gas fuel mixture. A common rail fuel system is fluidly connected to the high pressure pump assembly to receive the high pressure gas fuel mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Lucas, Lars Tegnelius, Donald J. Benson
  • Patent number: 7950369
    Abstract: In a predetermined low-temperature startup state (in a rich atmosphere), in principle, over-advanced ignition control for advancing ignition timing beyond MBT and intake-synchronized injection control for causing the entire amount of to-be-injected fuel to undergo intake-synchronized injection are executed. Thus, the peak of intra-cylinder temperature increases, and the amount of port-adhering fuel decreases, whereby the emission amount of unburnt HC can be reduced. However, when the PM emission amount exceeds a PM permissible amount, instead of the intake-synchronized injection control, there is performed processing for causing a portion of the to-be-injected fuel to undergo intake-unsynchronized injection and causing the remaining fuel to undergo intake-synchronized injection. Thus, the amount of intra-cylinder-adhering fuel decreases, and the partial oxidation reaction of the intra-cylinder-adhering fuel, which is a cause of generation of PM, is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Morita, Yusuke Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20110100340
    Abstract: A method for controlling engine temperature of an engine with a wide dynamic range is disclosed. In one example, the derivative of an engine temperature is assessed by a controller. The controller may adjust engine actuators to limit engine temperature in response to the derivative.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Carl Mukkala, Nathanael David Shaw, Jason Eugene Devries, Brian Michael O'Neil, Michael Joseph Guinta
  • Patent number: 7934487
    Abstract: A control system for an engine having N cylinders in first and second banks includes a catalyst heat module and a fuel control module. N is an integer greater than two. The catalyst heat module selectively operates the engine in a catalyst heat mode to heat a catalyst. The fuel control module, throughout a fuel injection sequence for each of the N cylinders, adjusts a first air/fuel (A/F) ratio for the first bank to a rich value and adjusts a second A/F ratio for the second bank to a lean value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Inventors: Halim G. Santoso, Eugene V. Gonze, Bryan Nathaniel Roos, Brian Spohn
  • Patent number: 7937206
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling autoignition of a fuel mixture, notably for a diesel type internal-combustion engine, according to which a fuel mixture is made in at least one combustion chamber (14) of the engine with a fuel and at least one fluid in order to obtain a homogeneous type combustion by autoignition. The method includes defining a desired combustion progress by autoignition of the fuel mixture, and adjusting the cetane number of the fuel used for the mixture to that of the fuel providing the desired combustion progress is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Laurent Forti, Nicolas Jeuland, Bertrand Lecointe, Xavier Montagne
  • Patent number: 7934371
    Abstract: Under the condition that a catalyst temperature Tc of a purification catalyst reaches or exceeds a preset reference temperature Tcref, when a cooling water temperature Tw of an engine is not lower than a preset reference temperature Twref, the internal combustion engine system of the invention sets a target exhaust recirculation rate EGR* based on a given rotation speed Ne of the engine and a given load factor KL and performs exhaust recirculation control to open an EGR valve at a specific angle or opening corresponding to the set target exhaust recirculation rate EGR*.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 7931012
    Abstract: A method for identifying the fuel quality and for operating an internal combustion engine, as well as an engine control unit, in which the temperature of at least one sheathed-element glow plug of the engine is controlled, an engine response after a temperature change is compared to an engine response before the temperature change, and from the result of this comparison, the fuel quality is derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Herbert Schumacher
  • Publication number: 20110083642
    Abstract: A method for closed-loop combustion control within an internal combustion engine, that includes, but is not limited to individual calculation of actual Start of Combustion (SoC) information for all cylinders of said internal combustion engine using information from a combustion sensor applied to the engine, calculation of 50% Mass Fraction Burned (MFB50) and SoC information using cylinder pressure sensor information available from at least one leading cylinder of the engine, using pressure-based MFB50 information from the at least one leading cylinder to control it in closed loop, and using pressure-based SoC information from said at least one leading cylinder as a reference value for comparison with the combustion sensor based value of SoC from the same cylinder in order to calculate the desired SoC for the other cylinders of the engine which are then controlled relative to said at least one leading cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Gerhard LANDSMANN, Alessandro CATANESE
  • Publication number: 20110083641
    Abstract: A method includes substantially reducing specific fuel consumption and exhaust emissions of an engine by adjusting an exhaust flow from a set of predetermined cylinders among a plurality of cylinders of the engine through an exhaust gas recirculation system to an intake manifold, by adjusting a temperature of a cooler of the exhaust gas recirculation system, and by adjusting a fuel injection timing, in response to variance in a plurality of parameters of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Manoj Prakash Gokhale, Nilesh Vinayak Deshpande
  • Publication number: 20110079193
    Abstract: An engine control system for a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine includes a fuel injector temperature determination module and a fuel injector control module. The fuel injector temperature determination module determines a temperature of a tip of a fuel injector based on a first temperature model when the HCCI engine is operating in an HCCI combustion mode, and determines the temperature of the tip of the fuel injector based on a second temperature model when the HCCI engine is operating in a spark ignition (SI) combustion mode. The fuel injector control module controls a fuel injector pulse width based on the determined temperature and a predetermined temperature threshold, wherein the fuel injector pulse width increases when the determined temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan T. Shibata, Vijay Ramappan, Andrew P. Bagnasco
  • Patent number: 7920956
    Abstract: A method of controlling the combustion of a compression ignition engine is disclosed having applications for diesel engine combustion control for CAI. The method comprises determining setpoint values for physical parameters linked with the intake of gaseous oxidizer in the combustion chamber, and a setpoint value (?inj)ref for the crank angle at which a fuel has to be injected into the combustion chamber. While the engine control system controls actuators so that the values of the physical parameters are equal to the setpoint values, setpoint value (?inj)ref is corrected before the physical parameters reach their setpoint values. Angle CAy is controlled to be equal to a reference value for an optimized combustion while accounting for differences between the real values of the physical parameters and the setpoint values of these parameters and keeps the optimum combustion by fuel injection with the corrected setpoint value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: IFP
    Inventors: Mathieu Hillion, Jonathan Chauvin
  • Patent number: 7908858
    Abstract: A turbocharger control system is disclosed. The control system may have an engine and a fuel system configured to regulate fuel flow into the engine. The control system may further have an air induction system configured to regulate air flow into the engine and a sensor situated to sense a speed value of the air induction system. The controller may also have a controller configured to receive the speed value and regulate fuel flow into the engine as a function of the speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Ronald Gehrke, James Harris Mutti, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20110061629
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an engine including a first and a second bank of cylinders. One example method comprises, adjusting engine injection timing based on a first temperature of a first intake of the first bank and a second temperature of a second intake of the second bank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ryan John Goes, Shawn Gallagher, Eric Dillen, Rajani Boddu
  • Patent number: 7905214
    Abstract: To determine the gas work WK from the areas formed by the cylinder pressure curve over the associated stroke volume V?, a cylinder-pressure-proportional integrator is started integrating the signals of the cylinder pressure sensor in multiple integrator runs depending on a settable integrator capacitance. A lower and an upper threshold value are predefined, whose difference corresponds to the integrator capacitance. Upon reaching one of the threshold values, respective new integrator runs are started, at the beginning and end of which the current crankshaft angle ? (is detected, respectively. For each integrator run, the associated individual work is determined depending on the product of the integrator capacitance and the particular covered stroke volume and the gas work resulting from the cylinder pressure curve is determined by summation of the individual works. The gas work may be used in particular for determining the internal mean pressure of the cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Bauer, Dietmar Ellmer
  • Patent number: 7900601
    Abstract: An engine system comprises a temperature determination module, a temperature comparison module, and a fuel injection control module. The temperature determination module determines an engine temperature. The temperature comparison module compares the engine temperature and a temperature threshold. The fuel injection control module adjusts a timing of fuel injection from a first range of an intake stroke to a second range of the intake stroke based on the comparison. The first range and the second range do not overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Inventors: Jesse M. Gwidt, Jonathan T. Shibata, Michael Simon, Karen Margaret-Bell Gwidt
  • Patent number: 7904231
    Abstract: Combustion noise in a compression-ignition engine is controlled by measuring in-cylinder pressure of a cylinder of the compression-ignition engine, determining a combustion noise level based on the in-cylinder pressure measurement, and modifying a combustion control parameter based on the combustion noise level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Yue-Yun Wang, Chol-Bum M Kweon, Frederic Anton Matekunas, Paul Anthony Battiston
  • Patent number: 7899603
    Abstract: In a fuel injection controller for a fuel injection system that executes an injection quantity learning operation for a fuel injection valve, a drive signal is outputted when the diagnosis condition is satisfied. An actual injection quantity of fuel that is actually injected by the fuel injection valve is computed. The fuel injection controller computes a correction amount based on a difference between the actual injection quantity and the command injection quantity. The fuel injection controller determines whether the correction amount exceeds a limit value. An injection deviation amount between the command injection quantity and the actual injection quantity of fuel, which is injected based on the drive signal corrected by the limit value, is computed when the correction amount exceeds the limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takenobu Yamamoto, Takayoshi Inaba
  • Patent number: 7899601
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine including extended operation in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode at high loads includes operating the engine in the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode including spark-assisted ignition, monitoring an engine load, monitoring an engine speed, determining the engine to be in a high ringing range based upon the engine load and the engine speed, and when the engine load is in the high ringing range, operating the engine in a reduced ringing mode. The reduced ringing mode includes modulating a fuel injection timing according to a calibrated maximum combustion chamber cooling fuel injection timing, determining a preferred combustion phasing value, and modulating a spark timing based upon the modulated fuel injection timing and the preferred combustion phasing value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Hanho Yun, Nicole Wermuth, Paul M. Najt, Jun-Mo Kang, Gunter Gräwert
  • Patent number: 7894975
    Abstract: A combustion control device is configured to control combustion in a combustion chamber of a compression ignition engine. An index detection unit is configured to detect multiple combustion state indices each indicating a combustion state in the combustion chamber. The multiple combustion state indices may include an ignition time point and an MFB50 time point, at which a combustion mass rate becomes 50% of total. A determination unit is configured to select a combustion state index from the multiple combustion state indices based on a determination condition such as an operation state of the engine. A control unit is configured to manipulate a parameter of the combustion state such as a fuel injection time point, at which a fuel injection valve injects fuel, so as to control the combustion state index at a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Youhei Morimoto, Akikazu Kojima
  • Patent number: 7894977
    Abstract: The resolution of output signals from at least one measuring sensor on an internal combustion engine can be increased by: the working level range of the sensor is divided into at least two range sections, each section is provided with the same given output level range limited with relation to the working level range, for the output signal from the sensor and the switching from one to the other section is carried out independently by the sensor, when a range boundary between two adjacent sections is reached, exceeded or fallen below, the operating point of the internal combustion engine is determined by an engine management based on at least one parameter, the time curve for the raw sensor signal is predicted from at least one set of performance characteristics for the current operating point and the engine management determines which section is current from the predicted raw sensor signal time curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Erwin Bauer, Dietmar Ellmer
  • Patent number: 7894976
    Abstract: A method for controlling a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition capable engine, operating with spray-guided spark ignition stratified combustion at low load, includes monitoring a speed of the engine, monitoring a load of the engine, determining a desired fuel pressure based upon the speed of the engine and the load of the engine, and utilizing the desired fuel pressure to control fuel injection into the engine, wherein the desired fuel pressure is calibrated to the speed and the load based upon increased stability of the engine at lower fuel pressures and lower soot emissions from the engine at higher fuel pressures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Hanho Yun, Nicole Wermuth, Barry L. Brown, Jun-Mo Kang, Paul M. Najt
  • Patent number: 7890244
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a plurality of banks; each having a cylinder provided to said banks comprising: an intake valve provided between said cylinder and an intake manifold a camshaft opening and closing said intake valve by means of mechanical power of said internal combustion engine; and a changing unit changing, according to an operating state of said internal combustion engine a phase angle of said camshaft said phase angle corresponding to a closing timing of said intake valve said banks differing from each other in most retarded phase angle changed by said changing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taichi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7890242
    Abstract: Immediately after startup of the engine, secondary air is supplied by an air pump into each exhaust branch passage via a secondary-air supply passage. A pressure sensor is disposed in the secondary-air supply passage. An output voltage of the pressure sensor decreases as the battery voltage decreases. When the battery voltage is lower than a permissible voltage, the output value of the pressure sensor is inhibited from being used as an output value representing the pressure. Thus, atmospheric pressure can be accurately detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinya Kondou, Yasuhiro Oi
  • Patent number: 7885755
    Abstract: A fuel injection amount control apparatus controlling an amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine is disclosed. An intake passage extends from the engine, and the intake passage is branched into a plurality of branch passages in an upstream section. The apparatus includes a plurality of intake air temperature sensors and an ECU. Each of the intake air temperature sensors is provided in one of the intake passages and detects an intake air temperature in the corresponding intake passage. The ECU selects an intake air temperature that most directly expresses the engine state or the environment from the intake air temperatures detected by the intake air temperature sensors. The ECU controls the amount of the fuel supplied to the engine by using the selected intake air temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Kobayashi, Satoshi Masuda
  • Publication number: 20110023826
    Abstract: The invention relates to supplying pilot fuel to the cylinders of a combustion engine. The invention comprises cylinder-specific pressure sensors (1) that are installed in the cylinders of the combustion engine, as well as a control unit (2). The control unit determines each cylinder's crankshaft angle at maximum pressure and the cylinders' average crankshaft angle at maximum pressure, and verifies whether the average crankshaft angle at maximum pressure is within a certain range of crankshaft angle variation. If the average crankshaft angle at maximum pressure is outside the range of variation, the duration of total pilot fuel injection into the engine is controlled. Furthermore, the differences between each cylinder's crankshaft angle at maximum pressure and the average crankshaft angle at maximum pressure are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Kaj Portin, Jenny Hellén
  • Patent number: 7881855
    Abstract: A method and control unit for metering fuel into at least one combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine comprising at least one pilot injection and one main injection per combustion cycle, combustion features being detected and an effect of a fuel quantity injected prior to the main injection being ascertained from the combustion features. An actual value of a combined effect of at least two pilot injections per combustion cycle is ascertained and the actual value is regulated to a setpoint value via an intervention on at least one of the pilot injections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Damitz, Matthias Schueler, Christian Mader, Michael Kessler, Vincent Dautel, Arvid Sievert
  • Patent number: 7878177
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having fuel injectors and an ionization current sensor include a high-voltage power supply connectable to, and supplying substantially the same nominal boosted voltage relative to nominal battery voltage to, the fuel injectors and ionization sensor during at least a portion of the engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Damian Czekala, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
  • Publication number: 20110017173
    Abstract: The invention relates to balancing the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The invention comprises cylinder-specific pressure sensors (1) installed in the cylinders of an internal combustion engine for measuring the cylinder pressures as well as an adjustment unit (2). The adjustment unit is arranged to determine the maximum pressure and knock value of each cylinder as well as the mean maximum pressure of the cylinders as a response to the measurements of cylinder pressures and to determine the differences between the maximum pressure of each cylinder and the mean maximum pressure. The differences are compared to a certain deviation range of the mean maximum pressure and the knock value to a certain knock limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Inventors: Kaj Portin, Jenny Hellén
  • Patent number: 7870846
    Abstract: A method for determining a point in time of a start of combustion in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine includes: providing a base compression pressure model which gives a curve of a compression pressure in the cylinder as a function of the operating point; adjusting the base compression pressure model using measured cylinder pressures of at least one operating state of the internal combustion engine at points in time at which no combustion is taking place in the cylinder, in order to obtain an adjusted compression pressure model; and determining a point in time of a start of combustion with the aid of a pressure curve determined by the adjusted compression pressure model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Erik Weissenborn, Thomas Bossmeyer
  • Patent number: 7870845
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device controls an operation of an injector such that fuel to be injected into a combustion chamber per combustion cycle is divided and injected at least through a first injection and a second injection, which is performed with a larger fuel quantity than the first injection after the first injection. The fuel injection control device includes an acquiring section and a first combustion state estimating section. The acquiring section acquires a sensing value of cylinder pressure in the combustion chamber sensed with a cylinder pressure sensor. The first combustion state estimating section estimates an actual combustion state of the fuel injected by the first injection based upon a second combustion timing cylinder pressure sensing value attributable to combustion of the fuel injected by the second injection out of the cylinder pressure sensing values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Sasaki, Tokuji Kuronita, Youhei Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7873464
    Abstract: A control system for an engine includes a block heater determination module, an adjustment module, and an engine control module. The block heater determination module generates a block heater usage signal based on ambient temperature, measured engine coolant temperature, and a length of time of the engine being off prior to engine startup. The adjustment module generates a temperature signal based on the ambient temperature. The engine control module determines a desired fuel mass for fuel injection at engine startup based on the temperature signal when the block heater usage signal has a first state. The engine control module determines the desired fuel mass at engine startup based on the measured engine coolant temperature when the block heater usage signal has a second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Inventors: Samuel Bryan Shartzer, Wajdi B. Hamama, Roberto De Paula, Jaehak Jung, Igor Anilovich, John W. Siekkinen
  • Patent number: 7861686
    Abstract: According to an internal combustion engine fuel injection control apparatus and control method, when an operating region of the engine shifts from a fuel cut region in which no fuel is injected to a low load region in which a small amount of fuel is injected, or visa versa, at least one pilot injection is executed ahead of a main injection in the low load region, and the number of pilot injections is determined according to the engine coolant temperature. This injection control makes it possible to ensure drivability while suppressing the amount of HC produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Ogura, Hisashi Ohki, Takashi Koyama
  • Patent number: 7861690
    Abstract: The internal combustion engine has a valve driving mechanism (VM) capable of changing the valve-opening characteristic of at least one of an intake valve (Vi) and an exhaust valve (Ve), an in-cylinder pressure sensor for detecting the in-cylinder pressure in a combustion chamber and ECU. ECU calculates the variation amount of the in-cylinder pressure caused by the valve-overlap of the intake valve (Vi) and the exhaust valve (Ve), and based on this variation amount of the in-cylinder pressure and the in-cylinder pressure detected at a predetermined timing in the compression stroke, calculates an amount of air sucked in the combustion chamber, as well as, based on this calculated intake air amount, determines the ignition timing. The amount of air sucked in the combustion chamber is accurately and costlessly calculated, and the ignition timing is optimally determined by using the calculated air amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidenori Moriya, Masahiro Wanibe, Hiromichi Yasuda, Ryusuke Ogino, Ryo Tadokoro
  • Patent number: 7856959
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to detect combustion conditions using ion signals for use in a feedback control of a reciprocation engine is presented. The ion signals are used as a feedback signal to control EGR and diesel injection timing. The apparatus is an ignition system with a spark plug type of sensor. The ignition system is used to provide a cold start mechanism for diesel engines and start of combustion for spark ignition engines. The ignition is combined with ion sensing feedback that can control the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Woodward Governor Company
    Inventors: Ed VanDyne, Mark R. Woolston
  • Patent number: 7854218
    Abstract: A method for recognizing and avoiding premature combustion events includes the steps of: providing at least one sensor and/or an electronic evaluation circuit for recognizing premature combustion; directly recognizing premature combustion; and performing at least one measure for avoiding premature combustion when premature combustion is recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Kapus, Mario Ninaus
  • Patent number: 7853399
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus executes an exhaust-valve-early-closing valve timing control in which an exhaust valve is closed before the intake stroke top dead center. The fuel injection timing mode is normally set to an intake-stroke non-synchronized fuel injection mode. However, if the internal combustion engine is idling and the combustion gas temperature is relatively high, the fuel injection timing mode is switched from the intake-stroke non-synchronized fuel injection mode to an intake-stroke synchronized fuel injection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Hoshi, Makoto Tomimatsu
  • Patent number: 7853393
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with several cylinders, at least one cylinder is configured as a reference cylinder to which an active cylinder pressure sensor is allocated. A passive cylinder pressure sensor is allocated to each of the remaining cylinders. At least one actuating member is assigned to the cylinders. A crankshaft angle sensor is provided. During the quasi-stationary operating mode, the cylinder segment durations are equated, by an actuating member engaging in at least one actuating signal allocated to the respective cylinder. Furthermore, during the quasi-stationary operating mode, the measuring signal of the active sensor is allocated to the respective measuring signals of the passive sensors. As a result, the signal processing of the measuring signals of the passive sensors is adjusted depending on the respective measuring signals of the passive sensors captured during the quasi-stationary operating mode and on the allocated measuring signal of the active sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Kettl, Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7853400
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus includes: a knock sensor for detecting knock of an internal combustion engine; a signal processing section for calculating a knock intensity; and knock determination level setting sections: for calculating an average value of the knock intensity; for calculating, based on the average value, an overall variance of the knock intensity of an entirety of a frequency distribution, a higher variance of the knock intensity above the average value, and a lower variance of the knock intensity below the average value; for calculating a standard deviation of the knock intensity from the overall variance; for presetting a value allowing the frequency distribution of the knock intensity to be a predetermined confidence interval as a confidence coefficient; and for setting a sum of the average value and a value obtained by multiplying the standard deviation by the corrected confidence coefficient as a knock determination level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Matsushima, Hideki Hagari, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20100307453
    Abstract: A method and a control module that includes a filter coefficient determination module that generates filter coefficients based upon an engine operating conditions. The control module includes a filter module that filters the in-cylinder pressure signal with a filter having the filter coefficients to form a filtered pressure signal and an engine control module that controls the engine using the filtered pressure signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Doughlas R. Verner
  • Patent number: 7845335
    Abstract: An engine operating in a spark-assisted homogeneous charge compression ignition mode during warm-up cycle is controlled using settings determined by interpolating between cold engine temperature settings fully warmed-up engine temperature settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Hanho Yun, Nicole Wermuth, Paul M. Najt, Jun-Mo Kang
  • Publication number: 20100300405
    Abstract: A method of operating a vehicle including an engine is provided The engine may include at least one cylinder, a boosting device to boost intake air to the at least one cylinder, a fuel tank, a fuel vapor canister to store fuel vapors vented from the fuel tank, and an emission control device to treat exhaust gas from the engine. The boosting device includes a compressor at least partially driven by an electric motor. The method includes during an engine cold start condition, operating the electric motor of the boost device to boost intake air, directing the boosted intake air through the fuel vapor canister to release a fuel vapor stored in the fuel vapor canister, directing the fuel vapor from the fuel vapor canister to the engine, and performing combustion in the at least one cylinder using the fuel vapor during the engine starting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael James Uhrich, James Michael Kerns, Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 7836865
    Abstract: A method for starting an internal combustion engine that is operated with a fuel mixture made of at least two types of fuel. An injection of the fuel into combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine occurs starting at a predefined pressure threshold of the fuel in a fuel supply according to a high-pressure starting mode, and also according to a low-pressure starting mode if the predefined pressure threshold is no longer met. The pressure threshold is selected as a function of the mixture ratio of the fuel types in the fuel mixture. In this way it can be achieved that differences can be taken into consideration in the optimal mixture formation of the fuel types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Joos, Jens Wolber, Ruediger Weiss, Timm Hollmann, Manfred Dietrich, Peter Schenk, Erkan Danisman
  • Patent number: 7836862
    Abstract: An engine control system comprises a coolant temperature weighting module that generates a weighting signal based on coolant temperature. A composite temperature generating module generates a composite temperature based on the coolant temperature, an oil temperature and the weighting signal. A delta friction torque module calculates delta friction torque of an engine based on the composite temperature. An engine operating parameter module that adjusts an engine operating parameter based on the delta friction torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Inventors: Fanghui Shi, Chandrashekar Joshi, Annette Cusenza, Rohit S. Paranjpe
  • Patent number: 7826960
    Abstract: The invention is directed toward a device for controlling an internal combustion engine. An aspect of the invention is determining a polytropic exponent according to at least two measured values of the pressure in a combustion chamber of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine during the working stroke of the cylinder once an air/fuel mixture of a cylinder has been burned and before the gas discharge valve is opened. A first exhaust gas temperature is determined and a second temperature of the exhaust gas is determined in accordance with the first exhaust gas temperature. The pressure associated in the combustion chamber, the pressure prevailing in the combustion chamber after closing the gas discharge valve, and the polytropic exponent are determined. An actuation signal for controlling an actuating member of the internal combustion engine is generated according to the second temperature of the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Ellmer, Rüdiger Herweg, Thorsten Lauer, Michael Mladek, Mayk Stelter
  • Patent number: 7822529
    Abstract: Operation of an internal combustion engine selectively operative in a controlled auto-ignition combustion mode is monitored. The engine is equipped with a pressure sensing device operative to monitor in-cylinder pressure. An analog signal output from the pressure sensing device is monitored during a combustion cycle. A peak cylinder pressure and a corresponding crank angle are detected and captured during the combustion cycle. A state for a combustion parameter for the cylinder for the combustion cycle is determined based upon the peak cylinder pressure and the corresponding crank angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Oguz H. Dagci, Alan W. Brown, Jun-Mo Kang
  • Patent number: 7813863
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, gasoline is injected directly into a combustion chamber and ignited by auto-ignition. The characteristics map range within which fuel is ignited by auto-ignition is enlarged by supercharging the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christina Sauer, Andre F Casal Kulzer
  • Patent number: 7806100
    Abstract: In order to improve a combustion process of a motor vehicle, in particular with regard to emissions and/or the development of noise, a method for regulating an injection profile is provided, in which method a fuel is injected directly into a combustion chamber, wherein the regulation brings about a change in the injection profile (23) at least during a first work cycle on the basis of at least one parameter which is recorded during the first work cycle. Furthermore, a corresponding direct-injection internal combustion engine is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Fev Motorentechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Schnorbus, Matthias Lamping
  • Patent number: 7809489
    Abstract: A method for estimating the cylinder interior pressure of an internal combustion engine from a cylinder pressure model having at least the input variables load, speed of rotation, and crank angle (Ppressure model), which forms the cylinder interior pressure (Pgas) to be determined, corrected by a pressure correction value (?Pgas). The pressure correction value (?Pgas) is determined from an observation of the alternating moments at the crankshaft. The modeled value of the cylinder interior pressure from the pressure model is obtained as a pre-control value, and corrected with a correction value formed from the measured value of the non-uniformity of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: IAV GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr
    Inventors: Malte Koeller, Ulf Lezius, Olaf Magnor, Michael Schnaubelt, Matthias Schultalbers
  • Publication number: 20100242913
    Abstract: A method of operating a compression ignition engine, which includes at least one combustion chamber containing a piston, and a mechanically operated fuel injection pump apparatus. The method includes sensing the engine operating temperature with a first sensor, and providing input to a controller. The controller operates the fuel injection pump apparatus to deliver fuel to each of the combustion chambers according to a first timing regime when the engine operating temperature is above a threshold temperature, and according to a second, advanced timing, regime when the engine operating temperature is below the threshold temperature. The method further includes sensing the pressure in the combustion chambers with a second sensor. When the controller is operating the fuel injection pump apparatus according to the second timing regime and the combustion chamber pressure exceeds a desired pressure, the method includes changing operation from the second timing regime to the first timing regime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited
    Inventor: Robert WOMERSLEY