Including Cylinder Pressure Or Temperature Responsive Means Patents (Class 123/435)
  • Patent number: 7657359
    Abstract: Work done by an engine can be accurately calculated regardless of the part in an observation section where the cylinder internal pressure signal is detected. The apparatus for calculating the work done by an engine establishes in advance correlation of phase between the cylinder internal pressure of the engine and a reference signal composed of a predetermined frequency component as a reference phase relation. A means for detecting the cylinder internal pressure of the engine for a predetermined observation section is provided. A reference signal corresponding to the detected cylinder internal pressure of the engine is calculated so that the reference phase relation is satisfied. A correlation coefficient of the detected cylinder internal pressure of the engine and the calculated reference signal is calculated for the observation section and the work done by the engine is calculated in accordance with the correlation coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Shinozaki, Yuji Yasui, Katsura Okubo, Masahiro Sato
  • Patent number: 7650223
    Abstract: An integrative control method and device for controlling gas engines is proposed which load responsivity of the engine is improved while maintaining air fuel ratio control and stable control is performed when fuel gas of different calorific value is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Shiraishi, Yoshitaka Kakuhama, Kei Sakai, Yosuke Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7647162
    Abstract: A fuel control system for an internal combustion engine includes a first module that determines a corrected injected fuel mass based on an engine temperature and a measured burned fuel mass and a second module that determines a raw injected fuel mass based on the corrected injected fuel mass and the engine temperature. A third module regulates fueling to a cylinder of the engine based on the raw injected fuel mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Ma, Stephen Yurkovich, Kenneth P. Dudek, Stephen K. Fulcher, Robert X. Monchamp
  • Patent number: 7640915
    Abstract: Fuel management system for efficient operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. Injectors inject an anti-knock agent such as ethanol directly into a cylinder of the engine. A fuel management microprocessor system controls injection of the anti-knock agent so as to control knock and minimize that amount of the anti-knock agent that is used in a drive cycle. It is preferred that the anti-knock agent is ethanol. The use of ethanol can be further minimized by injection in a non-uniform manner within a cylinder. The ethanol injection suppresses knock so that higher compression ratio and/or engine downsizing from increased turbocharging or supercharging can be used to increase the efficiency of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Daniel R. Cohn, Leslie Bromberg, John B. Heywood
  • Patent number: 7637251
    Abstract: A method to dynamically determine a parametric value for combustion chamber deposits (CCD), e.g. in a controlled auto-ignition engine, including in-situ evaluation of thickness of CCD, based on a sensor which monitors combustion in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine. It includes a temperature sensor operative to monitor the combustion chamber, and a CCD parameter that is based upon a peak combustion temperature measured at a crank angle. A CCD parameter can also be determined utilizing an in-cylinder pressure monitor, wherein a combustion chamber deposit parameter is based upon crank angle location of a peak in-cylinder pressure parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc., University of Michigan
    Inventors: Tang-Wei Kuo, Paul M. Najt, James A. Eng, Rodney B. Rask, Orgun A. Guralp, Zoran S. Filipi, Dionissios N. Assanis, Mark A. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 7634985
    Abstract: A method of controlling a common rail fuel system for an engine is disclosed. The method includes delivering fuel to a fuel injector fluidly coupled to a common rail. The common rail is fluidly coupled to a fuel tank through a pump. The method also includes sending a signal to the fuel injector to deliver a first quantity of fuel to the engine. The first quantity being indicative of a desired power from the engine. The method further includes detecting a fuel transfer pressure upstream of the pump, and derating the engine as a function of the detected fuel transfer pressure. The derating includes decreasing the first quantity of fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Troy A. Parker, James Wallace Harris, Mitchel Ryan Deckard
  • Publication number: 20090301435
    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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Erik Weissenborn, Thomas Bossmeyer
  • Patent number: 7628137
    Abstract: A system for safe storage and efficient utilization of a variety of fuel selections that range in composition and phase from cryogenic mixtures of solids and liquids to elevated temperature gases is provided for unique applications with various types of heat engines and fuel cells including hybridized combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Inventor: Roy E. McAlister
  • Patent number: 7623955
    Abstract: A method for inferring Indicated Mean Effective Pressure as total transient indicated engine torque in an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of acquiring at least one crankshaft time stamp for use in determining a cylinder-specific engine velocity; calculating an incremental change in engine kinetic energy from the previously fired cylinder (j?1st) to the currently fired (jth) cylinder using the cylinder-specific engine velocity; equating the incremental change in engine kinetic energy to a change in energy-averaged cylinder torque (IMEP) from the previously-fired (j?1st) to a currently-fired (jth) cylinder; summing a plurality of the incremental changes in engine kinetic energy over time to determine a value of the transient component of indicated torque; determining a value of the quasi-steady indicated engine torque; and adding the value of transient component of indicated torque to the value of quasi-steady indicated engine torque to yield the Indicated Mean Effective Pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles I. Rackmil, Daniel L. McKay, Gerard W. Malaczynski
  • Publication number: 20090277434
    Abstract: An engine system and a method of operation are described. As one example, the method may include: during a first operating condition, operating a cylinder of the engine in a two stroke cycle to combust a first mixture of air and fuel, and adjusting an opening overlap between an intake poppet valve and an exhaust poppet valve of the cylinder to vary a composition of exhaust gases exhausted by the cylinder via the exhaust poppet valve; and during a second operating condition, operating a cylinder of the engine in a four stroke cycle to combust a second mixture of air and fuel, and adjusting a relative amount of fuel contained in the second mixture of air and fuel to vary the composition of exhaust gases exhausted by the cylinder via the exhaust poppet valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gopichandra Surnilla
  • Patent number: 7617038
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine wherein a load applied to the engine from at least one auxiliary component and/or an air conditioner, which are both driven by the engine, is reduced when the engine is operating in a predetermined low-load operating state. A property of the fuel in use is estimated based on a combustion state of the injected fuel after the reduction of the load applied to the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Yamaguchi, Mamoru Hasegawa, Naoto Kitayama, Hideki Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20090265086
    Abstract: A diagnosis apparatus for an internal combustion engine equipped with a cold start emission reduction strategy unit, includes: a temperature measuring unit for detecting a temperature of coolant of the internal combustion engine; a temperature estimating unit for calculating an estimated temperature of the coolant in accordance with a running state of the internal combustion engine; and a cold start emission reduction strategy abnormality judging unit for judging abnormality of the cold start emission reduction strategy unit in accordance with the temperature detected with the coolant temperature measuring means and the estimated temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi IIHOSHI, Yoshikuni Kurashima, Toshio Hori, Shin Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7606651
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine includes pressure sensors used for acquiring combustion chamber pressure data for each engine cylinder, during each of a series of selection intervals respectively corresponding to that cylinder, with each selection interval corresponding to a specific angular displacement of the crankshaft and having a timing determined with respect to a reference piston position in the corresponding cylinder. The timing of the selection intervals is adjusted in accordance with current conditions of the engine, such as a fuel injection mode, to be appropriate for monitoring combustion conditions in the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Kojima, Hiroshi Haraguchi, Youhei Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7603225
    Abstract: A controller (70) controls combustion in an internal combustion engine that injects a fuel having high self-ignitability into a cylinder during a compression stroke, in which a premixed gas formed from a fuel having low self-ignitability is compressed within the cylinder, and ignites the premixed gas using the injected fuel as an ignition source. The controller (70) is programmed to detect any one of a self-ignitability of the fuel forming the premixed gas, a self-ignitability of the fuel serving as the ignition source, and an internal cylinder pressure, and set the other two in accordance with a resulting detection value. Thus, combustion conditions can be controlled appropriately, regardless of the engine operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Araki, Toru Noda
  • Patent number: 7597087
    Abstract: An engine controller performs low opening degree control during a first intake stroke period since an engine start is commenced until first intake strokes of respective cylinders end. Thus, an opening degree of an intake throttle valve is controlled to a fully closed position or proximity of the fully closed position such that intake pressure downstream of the intake throttle valve becomes equal to or lower than critical pressure with respect to intake pressure upstream of the intake throttle valve during an intake stroke of each cylinder. The controller calculates a leak air quantity at the time when the intake throttle valve is fully closed based on an intake air quantity sensed during the low opening degree control. The controller corrects a feedback gain of idle speed control in accordance with the leak air quantity of the intake throttle valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Nakano, Hideki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20090248274
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller for an engine that injects fuel to an inlet passage in an upstream side of an inlet valve from a fuel injection unit, includes: a first calculator, configured to calculate a basic fuel injection quantity from the fuel injection unit based on an operating condition of the engine; a second calculator, configured to calculate a first direct transport rate of fuel directly transported into a cylinder of the fuel injected from the fuel injection unit when the inlet valve is closed; a third calculator, configured to calculate a second direct transport rate of fuel directly transported into a cylinder of the fuel injected from the fuel injection unit when the inlet valve is opened; and a corrector, configured to correct the basic fuel injection quantity based on the first direct transport rate and the second direct transport rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Koji KAWAKITA, Katsunori Ueda, Toshiyuki Miyata, Hiroki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7594493
    Abstract: A method for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine operating lean of stoichiometry is described. The engine is a multi-cylinder direct-injection engine operative in repetitive cycles each cycle including intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust strokes. The method includes adapting a plurality of fuel injectors to directly inject a first and a second mass of fuel into the cylinders during each cycle. Pressure sensing devices monitor in-cylinder pressure in the cylinders during ongoing operation. The first mass of fuel is injected into one of the cylinders. A cylinder pressure ratio is determined in the cylinder subsequent to injecting the first mass of fuel based upon the monitored pressure. The first mass of fuel injected is adjusted during a subsequent cycle based upon the cylinder pressure ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic Anton Matekunas, Paul Anthony Battiston, Patrick G. Szymkowicz, Anupam Gangopadhyay
  • Publication number: 20090223485
    Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure for determining the composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and a second fuel or for determining the quality of a fuel for operating a combustion engine with at least one cylinder pressure sensor in at least one cylinder of the combustion engine for determining the pressure history during a combustion process and a cylinder pressure based motor regulation for regulating the load and the combustion situation of the combustion engine. It is thereby provided that the determination of the composition of the fuel mixture or the quality of the fuel takes place with the aid of regulator information of the cylinder-pressure-based motor regulation. The procedure enables the continuing determination of the composition of the fuel mixture and the quality of the fuel at cylinder-pressure-based motor regulations without additional components as for example an ethanol sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Haris HAMEDOVIC, Axel Loeffler, Wolfgang Fischer, Roland Karrelmeyer, Gerald Graf
  • Publication number: 20090211554
    Abstract: An engine comprises an intake control valve disposed in an intake passage at an upstream side of an intake valve in each cylinder for individually opening/closing the intake passage, an actuator for opening/closing the intake control valve, and a control device for controlling an operation of the actuator, wherein the control device controls the actuator to delay opening of the intake control valve in relation to opening of the intake valve, thus performing the supercharge. Supercharge correction is further performed for correcting operating timing of the actuator so that unbalance in a supercharge air quantity between the cylinders in the engine is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Masakazu Tabata, Tomohiro Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20090210135
    Abstract: A controller of an internal combustion engine operable by an alcohol-containing fuel includes: an alcohol concentration detecting unit, operable to detect an alcohol concentration of the alcohol-containing fuel; and a suppressing unit, operable to suppress a degree of change of an intake air amount of the internal combustion engine when the alcohol concentration, detected by the alcohol concentration detecting unit, is higher than a concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Toshiyuki MIYATA, Katsunori Ueda, Koji Kawakita
  • Publication number: 20090199819
    Abstract: Digital fuel injector, injection and hydraulic valve actuation module and engine and high pressure pump methods and apparatus primarily for diesel engines. The digital fuel injectors have a plurality of intensifier actuation pistons allowing a selection of up to seven intensified fuel pressures. The disclosed engine operating methods include using at least one cylinder for a compression cylinder for providing compressed intake air to at least one combustion cylinder. A pressure sensor in each combustion cylinder may be used to indicate temperature in the combustion cylinder to limit combustion temperatures to below temperatures at which substantial NOX is generated. A re-burn cycle may be used to complete the burning of hydrocarbons, providing a very low emission engine. A compression cylinder may be provided with a pump actuated by the piston in the compression cylinder. Various aspects and embellishments of the invention are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: STURMAN DIGITAL SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Oded Eddie Sturman
  • Patent number: 7568467
    Abstract: A method of correcting a crankshaft position may include determining first, second, and third crankshaft positions, determining first, second, and third cylinder pressures, determining first, second, and third cylinder volumes, determining the logarithm of the first, second, and third cylinder pressures and cylinder volumes, and determining a relationship between the third cylinder volume and the first and second cylinder volumes. The first, second, and third crankshaft positions may be provided during one of a piston expansion stroke and a piston compression stroke within a cylinder. The logarithm of the third cylinder pressure and cylinder volume may be evaluated with respect to a predetermined limit of a line defined by the logarithm of the first and second cylinder pressures and first and second cylinder volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Buslepp, Douglas R. Verner
  • Publication number: 20090177372
    Abstract: An engine ECU stores a map in which a region at high temperature and high pressure, a region at low temperature and low pressure, and a region provided therebetween are defined by the relationship between the temperature and pressure of fuel and the saturation fuel vapor pressure of the fuel. The engine ECU executes a program including the following steps: when start-up of the engine is requested, detecting the engine cooling water temperature and the fuel pressure; if the detection results fall into the region, setting a pre-feed time; pre-feeding until the fuel pressure reaches a desired fuel pressure threshold; and when the fuel pressure reaches the fuel pressure threshold, starting cranking. In this way, start-up failure due to fuel vapor can be avoided without unnecessarily actuating a fuel pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Akita, Mitsuto Sakai, Naoki Kurata
  • Publication number: 20090164098
    Abstract: A computer computes the permissible energizing period of a motor based on the motor initial temperature which is computed based on an output signal from a coolant temperature sensor. As the motor initial temperature is lower, the permissible energizing period is set longer Therefore, even if a responsiveness of an intake flow control valves or the motor deteriorates due to extremely low temperature, a situation in which a motor voltage and the driving duty ratio applied to the motor are maximum continues for a long period. The energizing period of the motor is prolonged. An actual valve position of the valve can be controlled to a target valve position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiaki UDA
  • Publication number: 20090159046
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes an in-cylinder pressure sensor for detecting in-cylinder pressure. A combustion start time and combustion end time, which are parameters serving as control indexes for an internal combustion engine, are determined in accordance with ignition timing. Information about a heat release amount is acquired in accordance with the in-cylinder pressures that are measured at two points by the in-cylinder pressure sensor. The in-cylinder pressure is estimated in accordance with a relationship among the heat release amount information, control index parameters, and in-cylinder pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Moriya
  • Publication number: 20090159047
    Abstract: A control device 10 for an internal combustion engine 80 includes an injector drive circuit 90 that drives an injector 30 that injects fuel and a temperature detection device that at least detects timing when a temperature condition that the temperature of the injector drive circuit 90 exceeds predetermined temperature is satisfied. The control device 10 includes a heat-generation-suppression control means 104 that performs control for suppressing the heat generation of the injector drive circuit 90. The heat-generation-suppression control means 104 selects, on the basis of a driving state of a vehicle, at least one parameter among an electric current applied to the injector, fuel pressure supplied to the injector 30, the number of revolutions of the internal combustion engine, and voltage from a battery to be boosted and performs control for limiting a value of the selected parameter on the basis of the timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke ETO, Mitsuhiko Watanabe, Ryoichi Oura, Takuya Mayuzumi, Masahiro Toyohara
  • Patent number: 7549414
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine (1), which generates power by burning a mixture of fuel and air in each combustion chamber (3), is provided with an in-cylinder pressure sensor (15) that is located in the combustion chamber (3) for detecting an in-cylinder pressure, and an ECU (20). ECU (20) calculates a heat quantity of air Qair in the combustion chamber (3) and a heat generation quantity of fuel Qfuel provided into the combustion chamber (3), based upon the in-cylinder pressure detected by the in-cylinder pressure sensor (15) and calculates an air-fuel ratio AF in the combustion chamber (3) based upon the heat generation quantity Qfuel of the fuel and the heat quantity of the air Qair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Moriya
  • Publication number: 20090151697
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injection valve for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine. A compression end temperature in the combustion chamber is estimated. A target compression end temperature is calculated according to an operating condition of the engine. A main injection and a plurality of pilot injections before the main injection are performed by at least one fuel injection valve. A fuel injection amount in a first-performed pilot injection of the plurality of pilot injections is controlled so that the estimated compression end temperature coincides with the target compression end temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Hatano, Satoshi Yamaguchi, Katsuji Wada, Kensuke Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090151696
    Abstract: In a method for regulating a combustion process of an internal combustion engine with exhaust-gas recirculation, which can be operated with a variable air/fuel ratio, and a fresh-air flow and a recirculated exhaust-gas flow, both the fresh air and the recirculated exhaust-gas flow are metered. The combustion process of an internal combustion engine with exhaust-gas recirculation is regulated, wherein the method makes precise determination of the exhaust-gas recirculating rate possible with a low fault tolerance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Olaf Graupner, Hong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7543565
    Abstract: Optical system for detecting the concentration of combustion products operating in situ and at high temperature based on measurement of the optical absorption of a gaseous mixture of combustion products through a photodetecting sensor based on gallium nitride (GaN), aluminium nitride (AlN), indium nitride (InN) and corresponding alloys. The operating temperature of the sensor preferably lies between 500° C. and 700° C., but the resistance of the active material permits use at even higher temperatures. This system can be used to measure the concentration of chemical species present in combustion products directly at their outlet, where the high operating temperature makes it possible to avoid fouling of the sensor caused by carbonaceous and non-carbonaceous deposits. The rate of response of the system is less than or equal to 1 millisecond and makes it possible to adjust the parameters of an associated combustion process control system in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche - INFM
    Inventors: Domenico La Forgia, Arturo Antonio De Risi, Massimo De Vittorio, Roberto Cingolani, Adriana Passaseo, Mauro Lomascolo
  • Patent number: 7542841
    Abstract: A method and a device for controlling an internal combustion engine in which a combustion chamber quantity characterizing the combustion process is ascertained on the basis of input quantities. This takes place using a polytropic exponent. The polytropic exponent is ascertained on the basis of performance characteristics of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Khaled Ben Yahia, Dara Torkzadeh, Katharina Michalik, Anton Siemens
  • Patent number: 7542865
    Abstract: An abnormality determination device of a cylinder pressure sensor calculates a gain (sensing sensitivity coefficient) and an offset (bias) indicating an output characteristic of the cylinder pressure sensor. The device determines existence or nonexistence of an abnormality in the gain and the offset respectively. When the device determines that the abnormality exists, the device performs failsafe processing set in modes different from each other between the case of the abnormality in the gain and the case of the abnormality in the offset. As the failsafe processing in the case of the abnormality in the gain, the device performs processing for substantially prohibiting usage of a sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor in control (fuel injection timing control) by using an alternative value (specified value) instead of the sensor value of the cylinder pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Hoshi, Hiroshi Haraguchi, Youhei Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7536996
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller (engine control ECU) controls a fuel injection mode of an engine having cylinder pressure sensors in all of four cylinders for measuring pressures in the cylinders. The controller measures a pressure (cylinder pressure) in the cylinder as an object cylinder (each of the four cylinders) based on an output of the corresponding cylinder pressure sensor when the fuel combustion is in progress in the object cylinder and the fuel to be used in the combustion is additionally injected and supplied to the same cylinder (e.g., when an after-injection is performed). The controller variably controls a command signal (i.e., pulse width) sent to the injector in relation to the target injection (the after-injection) on the basis of the measured cylinder pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Nagai
  • Patent number: 7533650
    Abstract: An internal combustion cylinder assembly includes a cylinder having a cylinder head at an end thereof, a combustion chamber disposed in the cylinder head, a piston disposed slidably within the cylinder, the piston having a bottom dead center position distal from the combustion chamber and a top dead center position proximate to the combustion chamber, a pilot quantity of fuel disposed substantially dispersably within the cylinder, a working fluid disposed compressably within the cylinder, the piston compressing the working fluid and the pilot quantity of fuel as it slides from the bottom dead center position to the top dead center position, and wherein the pilot quantity of fuel is substantially a maximum quantity that will not support auto-ignition when the working fluid and the pilot quantity of fuel have been compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Mack Trucks, Inc.
    Inventor: Charlie Chang-Won Kim
  • Patent number: 7529637
    Abstract: An article of manufacture and method are provided to determine pressure in an unfired cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The cylinder comprises a variable volume combustion chamber defined by a piston reciprocating within a cylinder between top-dead center and bottom-dead center points and an intake valve and an exhaust valve controlled during repetitive, sequential exhaust, intake, compression and expansion strokes of said piston. The code is executed to determine volume of the combustion chamber, and determine positions of the intake and exhaust valves. A parametric value for cylinder pressure is determined at each valve transition. Cylinder pressure is estimated based upon the combustion chamber volume, positions of the intake and exhaust valves, and the cylinder pressure at the most recently occurring valve transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Bryan R. Snyder
  • Patent number: 7520265
    Abstract: A fuel injection device calculates a variation correction value by incorporating in-cylinder pressure into injector individual data based on an injection rate of an injector measured outside a cylinder of an engine. The fuel injection device corrects a target injection amount and generation timing of a command signal of the injector based on the variation correction value. Thus, accurate injection characteristics substantially conforming to designed median values can be obtained inside the cylinder, and highly accurate injection control can be performed. Thus, the fuel injection device can perform accurate multi-injection, which requires extremely high accuracy, to simultaneously achieve reduction of engine vibration and engine noise, purification of exhaust gas and improvement of engine output and fuel consumption at high levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Ishizuka
  • Publication number: 20090097525
    Abstract: In a gas mixture temperature estimation method for an internal combustion engine, before a forefront portion of a gas mixture reaches an inner wall surface of the combustion chamber, the gas mixture temperature is calculated in accordance with a predetermined equation which is based on the assumption that no head exchange occurs between the gas mixture and cylinder interior gas which exists around the gas mixture without mixing with fuel. After the gas mixture forefront portion reaches the inner wall surface of the combustion chamber, the gas mixture temperature calculated in accordance with the equation is corrected in consideration of the quantity of heat transfer between the gas mixture and the cylinder interior gas and the quantity of heat transfer between the gas mixture and the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taku Ibuki, Shigeki Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20090099754
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for optimizing combustion of diesel fuels with different cetane numbers in a diesel internal combustion engine. It is provided that cylinder pressures are measured in at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine during the combustion period, that at least one part of the measured cylinder pressures is evaluated in order to derive a characteristic value for the diesel fuel that is fed into the cylinder of the internal combustion engine, and that the characteristic value is used to change parameters that determine the combustion in the cylinders of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Reuss, Axel Macher
  • Publication number: 20090095256
    Abstract: In order to control an internal combustion engine according to the invention, a polytropic exponent is determined in accordance with at least two measured values of the pressure in the combustion chamber of the cylinder, said measured values being detected after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve. An exhaust gas mass which is located in the cylinder after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve is determined according to the polytropic exponent at an estimated value of the pressure after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve as well as at a certain temperature of the exhaust gas located in the cylinder after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve. An actuation signal for controlling an actuating member of the internal combustion engine is generated in accordance with the determined exhaust gas mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Dietmar Ellmer, Rudiger Herweg, Thorsten Lauer, Michael Mladek, Mayk Stelter
  • Publication number: 20090084348
    Abstract: For gaseous fuels that are injected directly into a combustion chamber the mass flow rate through an injection valve can be influenced by changes in the in-cylinder pressure. A method and apparatus are provided for accurately metering a gaseous into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The method comprises inputting a fueling command; determining from said fueling command a baseline pulse width of an injection event, based upon a baseline pressure differential across a fuel injection valve; estimating the difference between said baseline pressure differential and an actual pressure differential; calculating a corrected pulse width by applying at least one correction factor to said baseline pulse width, wherein said correction factor is a function of the estimated difference between said baseline pressure differential and said actual pressure differential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Greg Batenburg, Richard Ancimer, Mark Edward Dunn, Dale Goudie
  • Patent number: 7509938
    Abstract: The internal combustion engine control apparatus includes a calculation function of calculating an energy generation rate of an energy generated by combustion of fuel injected into a combustion chamber of a compression-ignition internal combustion engine, and an ignition detection function of detecting an ignition timing of the fuel in the combustion chamber on the basis of a timing at which the energy generation rate exceeds a first threshold value. When the energy generation rate due to a main injection, which is an object of ignition timing detection by the ignition detection function, exceeds the first threshold value at a plurality of timings, the ignition detection function determines an earliest one of the plurality of the timings as the ignition timing of the main injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Youhei Morimoto, Akikazu Kojima, Hiroshi Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 7512478
    Abstract: To enable operation of an internal combustion engine even without the signals of a phase sensor while nonetheless enabling an emergency driving function in the case of a disturbance of a crankshaft signal acquired by a crankshaft sensor, a cylinder pressure is acquired using a cylinder pressure sensor and it is checked whether the cylinder pressure reaches a prespecifiable threshold value. When the threshold value is reached or exceeded, an angular position associated with the threshold value is inferred. The angular position is then made available for an operation of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Kessler, Thomas Bossmeyer, Michael Kolbe
  • Publication number: 20090070008
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine that can burn two fuels, the main fuel may become unavailable, either temporarily or until the main fuel is replenished. The present apparatus determines when to fuel an engine with main fuel and secondary fuel, or secondary fuel alone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Greg Batenburg, Jeff Thompson, Douglas Chambers
  • Patent number: 7497199
    Abstract: Described herein is a closed-loop electronic control system for controlling combustion in a diesel engine operating with highly premixed combustion, in which an injection system is designed to obtain at least two injections of fuel per engine cycle, the injections comprising at least one pilot injection and a subsequent main injection. The system is provided with sensors designed for measuring or calculating quantities characteristic of the process of fuel combustion, and a closed-loop control block, which provides a control of the modality of fuel injection based upon the measured or calculated value of the quantities by regulating at least one of the following parameters: the distance in time elapsing between the execution of the pilot injection and the main injection; and the amount of fuel injected by means of the pilot injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Silvio Canale, Michele Pelassa
  • Patent number: 7497201
    Abstract: A control system is provided for controlling the fueling system (402) of a combustion engine. The control system includes a sensing arrangement for measuring a plurality of engine and vehicle conditions (404, 406, 408, 410, 412) in real time. The control system also includes a fuel map that defines engine fueling parameters corresponding to engine operating conditions. The control system also includes a control module (102) that determines engine load from the sensed conditions, and controls the fueling parameters of the fueling system for optimized fuel consumption by selecting fueling parameters from the fuel map based on current engine load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Mack Trucks, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce Phelps Hollenbeck
  • Patent number: 7489998
    Abstract: According to the invention, prior to or during an intermediate compression around the upper dead center of a piston of an internal combustion engine during a change in charge a predetermined first fuel mixture is metered into the combustion chamber of the respective cylinder. During the intermediate compression, measured values of pressure in the combustion chamber are measured in a predetermined first crankshaft angle window using cylinder pressure sensor. A measurement for a conversion rate of the first fuel mixture is determined based on the detected measured values of the pressure and reference values of the pressure, which characterize the corresponding pressure curve in the combustion chamber when no fuel is metered. A control signal for at least one actuator of the internal combustion engine is determined based on the conversion rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Erwin Bauer, Dietmar Ellmer, Thorsten Lauer
  • Patent number: 7487750
    Abstract: A method for a hydrogen fueled internal combustion engine to reduce backfiring, pre-ignition, and/or backflash, the engine also including a combustion chamber, an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, at least one intake valve, at least one exhaust valve, a hydrogen injector, a compression device, and a variable valve timing system coupled to the intake valves. The method comprises compressing air using the compression device; injecting hydrogen and mixing at least said hydrogen with air discharged from the compression device; and opening the intake valve to induct at least air into the combustion chamber, wherein the intake valve opening time varies with an operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Leone, Brad Boyer, William Stockhausen
  • Patent number: 7478620
    Abstract: A method to operate a multi-cylinder direct-injection engine in one of a controlled auto-ignition and a spark-ignition combustion mode is described. Engine operation and an operator torque request are monitored. Fuel delivery to a portion of the cylinders is selectively deactivated and torque output from non-deactivated cylinders is selectively increased to achieve the operator torque request when the monitored engine operation is above a predetermined threshold. An engine operating point at which an engine load demand exceeds an operating capability of the engine in a stoichiometric HCCI mode is identified. The engine is selectively operated in an unthrottled spark-ignition mode with at least one cylinder unfueled and torque output from the remaining cylinders is selectively increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Tang-Wei Kuo, Paul M. Najt, Nicole Wermuth, James A. Eng
  • Patent number: 7478623
    Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of detecting an opening degree of an accelerator pedal and a state of a power generation command to MG, if a KCS feedback execution condition is met, and a step of detecting a KCS feedback correction amount eakcs, if the accelerator is off and if during power generation load operation, and then substituting a constant AKCSI for eakcs, if eakcs is larger than a threshold value and the ignition timing is on the advance side. Since the KCS feedback correction amount eakcs is adjusted not to be excessively on the advance side, the ignition timing can be retarded promptly at the time of accelerator on, thereby avoiding occurrence of knocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoki Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20090018749
    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: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Christina Sauer, Andre F. Casal Kulzer