Actuator Circuit (e.g., Engine Condition Responsive Electronic Circuit Actuates Injector Valve) Patents (Class 123/478)
  • Patent number: 9068519
    Abstract: An object of this invention is, even when executing WGV control, to stably control an air-fuel ratio in parallel therewith. An ECU calculates a WGV correction coefficient Kv based on a degree of opening of a waste gate valve (WGV) and calculates a wall-surface fuel adherence amount FMW that is an amount of fuel adhering to a wall surface of an intake port by adding a base wall-surface adherence amount FMWB, the WGV correction coefficient Kv, a water temperature correction coefficient Kt, and a load factor change correction coefficient Kdl. The calculated wall-surface fuel adherence amount FMW is added to a fuel injection amount ETAUout. Thus, a state of a blowback amount of exhaust gas that varies with the degree of opening of the WGV can be reflected in the fuel injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 9037386
    Abstract: A sensor signal processing device includes an AD conversion section, a filter section, a timing signal generation section, and an arithmetic section. The timing signal generation section generates a signal synchronized with a crank angle of an engine based on a signal indicating the crank angle and generates a data acquisition timing signal by compensating the signal synchronized with the crank angle with a delay time of the filter. The arithmetic section acquires a plurality of sensor signals, which is transmitted from a sensor, converted from an analog signal to a digital signal by the AD conversion section, and filtered by the filter section, in a term before and after receiving the data acquisition timing signal and generates a data synchronized with the data acquisition timing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Kawakami, Akito Itou, Ryotaro Kuno
  • Publication number: 20150128909
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is configured to operate in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition combustion mode. A method for operating the internal combustion engine includes determining a desired effective charge dilution for a cylinder charge for a cylinder firing event. A desired air/fuel ratio, a desired intake air mass and a desired intake oxygen are determined to achieve the desired effective charge dilution for a combustion event. The desired air/fuel ratio is adjusted based upon a difference between the desired intake oxygen and the actual intake oxygen, and engine operation is controlled to achieve the adjusted desired air/fuel ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: ORGUN A. GURALP, JUN-MO KANG, HANHO YUN, SAL S.V. RAJAGOPALAN, YONGJIE ZHU, CHEN-FANG CHANG, PAUL M. NAJT
  • Publication number: 20150128910
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel injection system includes detecting the pressure prevailing in a pressure accumulator using a fuel injection valve piezo actuator that includes, in addition to the active piezo region used to actuate the closing element, a passive piezo region that acts as a pressure sensor. Using this pressure sensor, the closing element force acting on the passive piezo region, and therefore the pressure prevailing in the pressure accumulator, can be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Detlev Schoeppe
  • Patent number: 9026342
    Abstract: In a method for operating an internal combustion engine in which fuel arrives in at least one combustion chamber via at least one injector configured as an electromagnetic actuating device, an opening delay time of the injector (18) is ascertained by varying a control duration of the injector and analyzing a characteristic curve of an electrical operating variable of the injector that characterizes a movement of a valve element of the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Helerson Kemmer, Holger Rapp
  • Patent number: 9008948
    Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus includes a low-side driver, arranged electrically downstream of an injector and operable to drive the injector with a changeover of an ON-OFF state thereof in response to a drive signal from a CPU; a high-side driver, arranged electrically upstream of the injector and downstream of a power source, and having an ON-OFF state thereof which may be changed in response to the drive signal from the CPU; a high-side return signal detection unit and a low-side return signal detection unit. Each of the low-side and high-side drivers includes a transistor arranged inside an ECU. The CPU diagnoses a function of a drive circuit based on the presence or non-presence of return signals received from the high-side return signal detection unit and the low-side return signal detection unit with respect to predetermined driving states of both the low-side and high-side drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Machida
  • Publication number: 20150096539
    Abstract: A method for controlling a piezoelectric actuator of a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the actuator acting on valve elements to open or close the injector, respectively enabling or stopping the injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine, includes the steps of: applying to the actuator a first nominal electric charge required to open the injector in accordance with the torque requested and the engine speed, to open the valve elements for fuel injection, instructing the closure of the injector to stop the fuel injection, by applying an electric discharge to the actuator to close the valve elements, the method applied from an on-board engine control unit during operation, and including applying to the actuator between these 2 steps at least one second electric charge to polarize the actuator during an opening phase of the injector and during fuel injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Leblon, Alain Atanasyan, Jeremie Memain
  • Patent number: 8996280
    Abstract: In a method for operating a fuel injector, a transition range of the characteristics curve of the injector is detected individually and adapted continuously, so that a monotonous characteristics curve is formed, with whose aid high metering precision of the injector is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Joos, Ruben Schlueter, Jens Neuberg, Helerson Kemmer, Holger Rapp, Haris Hamedovic, Joerg Koenig, Anh-Tuan Hoang, Bernd Wichert, Achim Hirchenhein
  • Patent number: 8989994
    Abstract: A method for fault diagnosis in a fuel injection system having first and second fuel injectors. The method includes initiating a current flow in the first and second fuel injectors. Further, a rise duration of the current flow to reach a threshold level is measured. The method further includes comparing the rise duration and a preset duration. The fuel injection system is controlled based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Love, Frank Lombardi, Daniel R. Puckett, Kiran S. Prakash, Aaron L. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20150053184
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system and method for determining an amount of fuel injected or delivered by a single fuel injector in an internal combustion engine by generating one fuel injection event after the engine has stopped operating. The fuel delivered is statistically analyzed in comparison with a commanded fuel delivery amounts to determine the suitability of fuel injector on-time calibration for the analyzed fuel injector. If the fuel delivered deviates from the commanded amount of fuel delivery by a predetermined value, the fuel injector on-time calibration for the analyzed fuel injector is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Michael J. Ruth, Michael J. Cunningham
  • Publication number: 20150053183
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electromagnetically-activated fuel injector includes, when a plurality of fuel injection events are close-spaced during an engine cycle, monitoring a respective desired injected fuel mass for each of the plurality of fuel injection events. A desired current wave form is selected from a plurality of current waveforms whereat each respective desired injected fuel mass is achieved based on at least one of the fuel injection events. The fuel injector is controlled using the desired current waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: SCOTT E. PARRISH, PAUL M. NAJT, RONALD J. ZINK
  • Patent number: 8955495
    Abstract: A method for operating a valve, in particular a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, in which an auxiliary variable is obtained as a function of at least one electrical operating variable of an electromagnetic actuator driving a component of the valve, in particular a valve needle, and in which the auxiliary variable is checked for the presence of a predefinable characteristic. A reference variable which characterizes the operating behavior of the electromagnetic actuator is ascertained, the auxiliary variable is modified as a function of the reference variable to obtain a modified auxiliary variable, and the modified auxiliary variable is checked for the presence of the predefinable characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Joos, Jens Neuberg, Traugott Degler, Helerson Kemmer, Hans-Peter Lehr, Holger Rapp, Haris Hamedovic, Bernd Wichert, Anh-Tuan Hoang, Ruben Schlueter, Joerg Koenig, Achim Hirchenhein
  • Publication number: 20150027414
    Abstract: A fuel injection controller controls a fuel injector which injects a fuel directly into a cylinder of an engine. The fuel injection controller conducts a correction to increase a fuel injection quantity injected from the fuel injector according to a fuel-adhered quantity which is an amount of the fuel adhered to an opened intake valve. Thus, even when the fuel is adhered to the intake valve, an appropriate amount of the fuel can be injected into the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Ayumi SATOU, Hiromichi KATOH, Mikio TERAMURA, Yuuta HOSAKA, Kensuke MIZUI
  • Publication number: 20150013646
    Abstract: A multifunctional fluid level and quality sensing device including a fluid level sensor and a capacitive sensor for detecting fluid level, fluid quality, errors in the sensing device, and issues in a fluid delivery system. In detecting fluid level, impedance of the capacitive sensor is used in improving sensing performance of the fluid level sensor, while in detecting fluid quality and errors in the sensing device, an expected impedance range with an upper boundary value and a lower boundary value is calculated, and a fault is generated when the measured impedance value is out of the expected impedance range. The fluid level and quality sensing device can also be used in a fluid delivery system for detecting system issues, and the results can be used for further isolating errors in the system. Operating status of higher level system provides more information for this purpose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Baohua Qi
  • Publication number: 20150013647
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine uses a piezo actuator that includes, in addition to the active piezo region used to actuate the servo valve, a passive piezo region that acts as a force sensor. A force measurement is performed using this force sensor during the injection phase or in the injection pause, and a correction variable for controlling the piezo actuator is determined from the deviation between the actual force progression and a target progression, in order to regulate the injection process in this manner. A fuel injection system configured to perform such a method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Hong Zhang, Detlev Schöppe
  • Patent number: 8905003
    Abstract: In a fuel injector, a body has formed therein a spray hole and a fuel supply passage. Fuel supplied to the fuel supply passage is delivered to the spray hole. A fuel pressure sensor produces a signal indicative of a pressure of the fuel. First terminals are attached to the fuel pressure sensor and include a terminal for outputting the signal. The fuel pressure sensor is threadedly installed in the body while the first terminals are rotated. A connector includes a housing attached to the body, and second terminals supported by the housing for external electric connection of the fuel pressure sensor. Wires are operative to establish electrical connection between the first terminals and the second terminals. A wire holder is configured to hold each of the plurality of wires at least partly around the fuel pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kouji Morita, Yutaka Miyamoto, Jun Kondo, Tomoki Fujino
  • Patent number: 8905004
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a booster, a first controller, and a second controller. The booster is configured to increase an output voltage of a battery to a drive voltage of a fuel injection unit of the internal combustion engine. The first controller has a first initialization time after boot of the first controller. The first controller is configured to control the booster to increase the output voltage to the drive voltage at start-up of the internal combustion engine. The second controller has a second initialization time after boot of the second controller. The second initialization time is longer than the first initialization time of the first controller. The second controller is configured to control the booster to increase the output voltage to the drive voltage after the start-up of the internal combustion engine is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Natsuko Kitamura, Akitsugu Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20140352667
    Abstract: A fluid injector for a combustion engine includes a central longitudinal axis, an injection valve housing with an injection valve cavity, a valve needle axially movable within the injection valve cavity, and an electromagnetic actuator unit that actuates the valve needle. The electromagnetic actuator unit includes a pole piece fixedly coupled to the injection valve housing and an armature axially movable within the injection valve cavity and operable to displace the valve needle. The pole piece has a first contact surface and the armature has a second contact surface which are directed opposite each other, wherein one of the two contact surfaces is designed to have a contact angle of less than 90° with a given fluid,and wherein the other of the two contact surfaces is designed to have a contact angle of at least 90° with the given fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Stefano Filippi, Mauro Grandi, Francesco Lenzi, Valerio Polidori
  • Patent number: 8899202
    Abstract: A fuel injection device comprising electricity-generating means generating electricity by rotation of an engine and outputting a predetermined signal, and a solenoid valve injecting fuel; the valve being opened as a result of a drive current applied to a coil, and the fuel being injected into an intake passage of the engine at a predetermined timing during the rotation of the engine; to ensure that the flow rate required during high-speed operation can be adequately provided in a fuel injection device for injecting/supplying fuel to an engine. The electricity-generating means is an alternating current generation means attached to the engine in a crank angle position at which an output is generated in synchronization with the intake timing of the engine; the signal is an injection command signal applied to the solenoid valve as an alternating-current drive current; and the applied voltage increases with increased engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Zama Japan Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takumi Nonaka, Hideki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8899210
    Abstract: A drive circuit for driving an electromagnetic fuel-injection valve, the drive circuit varying an application sequence of a drive voltage, which is supplied from a step-up power supply to a fuel-injection valve for conducting injection multiple times in a single stroke of an internal-combustion engine, between the first injection and the second and subsequent injections, and setting the application sequence such that the consumption of power from the step-up power supply in the first injection becomes smaller than the power consumption in one of the second and subsequent injections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoyuki Abe, Tohru Ishikawa, Takuya Mayuzumi, Tetsuo Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20140345571
    Abstract: A method for determining an opening behavior of a combustion engine fuel injector having a coil drive includes: applying to a coil of the coil drive an electrical test excitation that is weaker than an electrical standard excitation applied to the coil during normal operation of the engine, such that an opening position of the fuel injector is achieved at a point at which the coil drive is not in magnetic saturation; measuring the chronological progression of an electrical variable of the coil; determining a first point in time at which the fuel injector reaches its opening position under the influence of the electrical test excitation, based on the measured chronological progression of the electrical variable, and determining a second point in time at which the fuel injector would reach its opening position under the influence of the electrical standard excitation, based on the determined first point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Christian Hauser, Michael Koch, Robert Fromm, Gerd Rösel
  • Publication number: 20140345563
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to injectors with integrated igniters providing efficient injection, ignition, and complete combustion of various types of fuels. These integrated injectors/igniters can include, for example, insulators with adequate mechanical and dielectric strength to enable high-energy plasma generation by components that have very small dimensions, multifunction valving that is moved to injector multiple bursts of fuel and to induce plasma projection, a fuel control valve at the interface to the combustion chamber for the purpose of eliminating fuel drip at undesired times, and one or more components at the interface of the combustion chamber for the purpose of blocking transmission of combustion sourced pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: McAlister Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Roy Edward McAlister
  • Patent number: 8893685
    Abstract: A method is provided for estimating a hydraulic dwell time between a first injection pulse and a second injection pulse performed by a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine. The method includes, but is not limited to determining a value of an electric dwell time between the first injection pulse and the second injection pulse, estimating a value of an injector closing delay between an instant in which an electric closing command of the first injection pulse is generated and an instant in which the fuel injector closes, estimating a value of an injector opening delay between an instant in which an electric opening command of the second injection pulse is generated and an instant in which the fuel injector opens, and calculating a value of the hydraulic dwell time as a function of the electric dwell time value, of the injector closing delay value and of the injector opening delay value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Massimiliano Melis, Matteo Allasia, Vincenzo Rampino
  • Publication number: 20140338640
    Abstract: A method for learning and determining a minimum injector-specific electric actuation duration for at least one fuel injector of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. Starting with a predefined electric actuation duration which definitely does not result in an injection, the electric actuation duration is gradually increased in each engine stop and/or in each engine start in successive engine stops and/or in successive engine starts of the internal combustion engine up to an actuation duration in which an injection with a combustion occurs, and then this actuation duration may be determined as the minimum electric actuation duration. The invention also relates to a corresponding device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Brahim Baqasse, Udo Schulz, Markus Hernier, Thiebaut Beyrath
  • Publication number: 20140331973
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes first and second fuel injection valves, a valve actuating device and an ECU. The ECU sets a distribution ratio of the first fuel injection valve to 100% when an accumulation amount Spfi is larger than a predetermined value Xpfi in a predetermined case. The predetermined case is a case where the valve actuating device closes the exhaust valve on an advance side with respect to an exhaust top dead center and a state where a minus overlap is formed between the intake valve and the exhaust valve is established and a case where the distribution ratio of the second fuel injection valve is set to 100%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Matsuda, Makoto Tomimatsu
  • Publication number: 20140326218
    Abstract: A method for determining a position of a lock element of an injection valve for an internal combustion engine includes moving the lock element in the direction of a locked position in a closing movement in order to lock the injection valve, subsequently measuring a closure time at which the lock element arrives in the locked position, determining a time difference between the closure time and a preceding starting time of the closing movement, and determining, based on the time difference, a position which the lock element has assumed at the starting time of the closing movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Peter Matthias Ruße, Robert Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20140318498
    Abstract: A system and method for compensating for, or alleviating accumulation of, coking residues on fuel injectors is disclosed. The method includes adjusting an engine operating parameter based on a shift in a fuel injector current profile during an initial current rise of injector activation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Todd Anthony Rumpsa, Joseph Norman Ulrey, Eric Krengel
  • Publication number: 20140318501
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to stabilize the fuel injection amount for each cylinder and to execute fuel injection control accurately in a single-pressure-feed dual-injection type alcohol fuel injection system. An engine includes two injection valves and and a single-pressure-feed dual-injection type fuel supply system. The fuel supply system is configured such that fuel is injected sequentially in two cylinders during the pressure-feed-interval period from the execution of one fuel pressure-feed operation to the execution of the next fuel pressure-feed operation. If the alcohol concentration in the fuel is higher than a predetermined determination value ? at a startup operation time, an ECU executes only a cylinder injection for the first of the two cylinders described above, and executes both an intake passage injection and a cylinder injection for the second cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Mitani, Eiji Murase, Takahiro Tsukagoshi, Kazuhisa Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20140318499
    Abstract: A motorcycle engine having cylinders arranged in parallel in a vehicle width direction, an air cleaner, a fuel tank arranged above the engine to cover the air cleaner, and a fuel injection device. The fuel injection device includes an electronic control throttle body unit electrically controlling a throttle body of the engine; an intake passage of down draft intake structure connecting the air cleaner and a combustion chamber of the engine in each of the cylinders; fuel injectors provided at the intake passage including a first fuel injector located on an intake downstream side and a second fuel injector located on an intake upstream side; and a drive motor of the electronic control throttle body unit arranged between the intake passage and the fuel tank and arranged on a same side as the first fuel injector and the second fuel injector and between the first and second fuel injectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20140318500
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technology with which when a gaseous fuel is supplied into a fuel tank of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine that uses gaseous fuel, properties of the supplied gaseous fuel can be determined promptly. To achieve the object, the fuel property determination system for a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine using gaseous fuel according to the present invention is adapted to calculate, when gaseous fuel is supplied to the fuel tank, the gas constant of the supplied gaseous fuel using a cross sectional area of a passage for delivering gaseous fuel to the fuel tank from a filler port and a change in the pressure in the fuel tank as parameters and to calculate the concentration of inert gases contained in the gaseous fuel using the gas constant as a parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiko Masubuchi, Satoshi Taniguchi, Koji Kitano, Hiroshi Eto
  • Publication number: 20140311457
    Abstract: A controller for an injection system having a plurality of fuel injectors includes a map controller. From a desired injection value, the map controller generates a control value for actuating a fuel injector with reference to a specified map. A determination unit determines the actual injection value for at least one injection made, and an adaption unit uses results from the determination unit in order to adapt actuation of the fuel injectors. The adaption unit determines an adaption value for injector actuation from the at least one actual injection value. In engine operation, the adaption unit receives the control values generated by the map controller as input. From this input, the adaption unit generates adapted actuation values as output by applying a mathematical function to the control values generated by the map controller. The at least one adaption value is included in the first mathematical function as parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Liebherr Machines Bulle SA
    Inventors: Konrad CHRIST, Francois MASSON, Richard PIRKL
  • Publication number: 20140311458
    Abstract: An engine exhaust purification device includes a filter, a burner, and a control unit. The filter is arranged in an engine exhaust pipe. The burner burns fuel injected from a fuel injection nozzle and heats exhaust to increase the temperature of the filter at an upstream side of the filter in the exhaust pipe. A period including a single fuel injection period and a single injection stop period is set as a single injection cycle. The fuel injection period is a period injecting fuel a number of times at a predetermined frequency. The injection stop period is a variable period that stops fuel injection. The control unit controls the fuel injection nozzle so that the fuel injection nozzle injects the fuel according to the injection cycle. The control unit is configured to lengthen the injection stop period as the temperature of the filter increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Ichiro Tsumagari, Ryo Shibuya
  • Publication number: 20140311459
    Abstract: When a given learning performance condition is met, a partial lift injection for opening a fuel injector is performed by an injection pulse which brings about a partial lift state in which a lift quantity of a valve body of the fuel injector does not reach a full lift position, and an integrated value of a drive current is calculated which flows through a drive coil of the fuel injector after an injection pulse of the partial lift injection is turned off. An inductance of the drive coil is calculated in consideration of a direct current superposition characteristic of the drive coil on the basis of the integrated value of the drive current, whereby the inductance of the drive coil is calculated with high accuracy. Then, the lift quantity of the valve body is estimated on the basis of the inductance, whereby the lift quantity of the valve body is estimated with high accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Katsurahara
  • Publication number: 20140311460
    Abstract: When switching the fuel to be used for engine operation from gasoline to CNG, in a state where CNG is supplied experimentally to one cylinder serving as a judgment object and gasoline is supplied to other cylinders, whether or not CNG can be supplied to the cylinder serving as a judgment object is judged based on an amount of change ?Pc in fuel pressure inside a CNG delivery pipe (Step S13 to Step S16). When it is judged that a gas fuel can be supplied to all cylinders (Step S19: YES), the fuel to be used for engine operation is switched from the liquid fuel to the gas fuel (Step S20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Daisuke Tsutsui, Akito Onishi, Takao Komoda
  • Patent number: 8863728
    Abstract: A method for controlling a direct-injection internal combustion engine includes monitoring internal combustion engine operational parameters, determining a start of injection in response to the engine operational parameters, monitoring an intake air flow comprising a residual gas component, monitoring an exhaust gas flow, monitoring a fuel flow, determining a time constant corresponding to an intake air flow reaction time based upon the intake air flow, the exhaust gas flow, and the fuel flow, modifying the start of injection with the time constant, and operating the engine subject to the modified start of injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Yue-Yun Wang
  • Patent number: 8857406
    Abstract: An electronic control means of an engine controls a system for the variable actuation of intake valves and for controlling gasoline injection into the combustion chamber. To the electronic control means there are associated memory means. The electronic means are programmed for detecting a value of a crank angle at which the intake valve is closed, controlling the end of the injection with an anticipation with respect to the closing of the intake valve controlling the start of the injection substantially according to said crank angle limit value, and regulating the injection pressure to a value which is defined as a function of the injection time to guarantee the injection of a predefined amount of gasoline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
    Inventors: Fabio Borean, Andrea Stroppiana, Sabino Luisi
  • Patent number: 8862367
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control system for an internal combustion engine capable of, in a case where fuel is injected from an injector for a plurality of times in a divided manner based on an operation status of the internal combustion engine, controlling an injection quantity of the injector accurately in light of variation in an injection quantity of the injector based on air-fuel ratio accuracy, while preventing performance deterioration of the internal combustion engine caused by the injection of fuel. An internal combustion engine control system of the present invention includes an injector for making a valve operate and injecting fuel by applying an excitation current to a coil and injecting fuel into a combustion chamber directly in a manner dividing into a plurality of times of fuel injection, the internal combustion engine control system includes means for determining invalid and valid pulse widths of the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Toyohara, Yoshihisa Fujii
  • Publication number: 20140299104
    Abstract: A system for estimating richness of a gaseous mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle power plant, including a mechanism injecting an additional combustible gas into a fresh air intake circuit of the engine, a mechanism measuring concentrations of the additional gas in the fresh air intake circuit and in an engine exhaust gas circuit respectively, a mechanism determining a ratio between the measured concentration of the additional gas in the intake circuit and the measured concentration of the additional gas in the exhaust circuit, and a mechanism estimating the richness of the gaseous mixture in the combustion chamber of the engine from the determined ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Nicolas Quechon, Philippe Obernesser, Vincent Dugue
  • Publication number: 20140299106
    Abstract: An engine uses gaseous fuel from an intermittent fuel source and a backup fuel source. A fuel supply and control system includes intermittent and backup fuel supply lines, a sensor, a flow control device, and an engine controller. The intermittent and backup fuel supply lines deliver gaseous fuel from the intermittent and backup fuel sources to the engine. The sensor detects fluctuations in gaseous fuel availability within the intermittent fuel supply line and outputs a signal responsive to the fluctuations. The flow control device selectively enables gaseous fuel to the engine from either the intermittent fuel source or the backup fuel source. The engine controller receives the signal from the sensor and, responsive to the received signal, operates the flow control device to select between the intermittent fuel source and the backup fuel source as the supply of gaseous fuel to the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Compression Generation Services, LLC
    Inventor: John Pauk
  • Publication number: 20140299105
    Abstract: This invention discloses a method for low temperature combustion using at least two fuels with low and high boiling points being directly injected into engine combustion chamber separately and sequentially with two different spray patterns, wherein the low boiling point fuel can be quickly vaporized to form a low temperature zone for containing fuel jet combustion of high boiling point fuels. An internal combustion engine using the disclosed low temperature combustion method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: QuantLogic Corporation
    Inventor: Deyang Hou
  • Publication number: 20140299107
    Abstract: An engine body includes a cylinder with a geometrical compression ratio of 15 or higher, and is supplied with fuel containing at least gasoline. When an operating mode of the engine body is in a high load range, a controller (i.e., a PCM 10) drives a fuel injection valve (i.e., an injector) 67 to inject the fuel at a time within a retarded period between a terminal stage of a compression stroke and an initial stage of an expansion stroke in a low speed range. The controller drives the fuel injection valve to inject the fuel in an intake stroke until an intake valve 21 is closed in a high-load high-speed range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouhei Iwai, Masahisa Yamakawa, Takashi Youso, Tatsuya Fujikawa, Tatsuya Koga
  • Patent number: 8851052
    Abstract: In a method for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine using a control device, a setpoint value of a first fuel injection quantity is specified for a first combustion cycle, and the first fuel injection quantity is injected. A combustion pressure is ascertained during the first combustion cycle, and in a further step, a setpoint value of a second fuel injection quantity is ascertained for a second combustion cycle based on the combustion pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Oliver Brox
  • Publication number: 20140290624
    Abstract: A fuel injection control system includes an engine speed detector, a throttle opening degree detector, a fuel injection device, a fuel injection controller, a fuel injection number determining device, and a fuel injection mode setting device. The engine speed detector is configured to detect an engine speed (NE). The throttle opening degree detector is configured to detect a throttle opening degree (TH). The fuel injection device is configured to inject fuel. The fuel injection controller is configured to calculate, based on an injection amount map, a fuel injection amount of the fuel to be injected from the fuel injection device and is configured to control the fuel injection device to inject the fuel according to the calculated fuel injection amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki UEMATSU, Masato MORITA
  • Publication number: 20140283792
    Abstract: A method includes determining a stored injection relationship that includes a number of fuel performance parameters. In one form the fuel performance parameters are related to a particular shape, and may be related to a particular operating condition. The method includes determining a fuel performance outcome during a fuel injection event, and updating the stored injection relationship in response to the fuel performance outcome. The fuel performance outcome can be an injected fuel quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventor: Donald J. Benson
  • Publication number: 20140250869
    Abstract: Fuel in a fuel tank is supplied by a low-pressure pump to intake passage injectors mounted on an intake manifold via a low-pressure fuel supply pipe and a low-pressure fuel distribution pipe. A high-pressure pump is provided on the low-pressure fuel supply pipe. The pressure of the fuel is boosted by the high-pressure pump, and then is supplied to in-cylinder injectors via a high-pressure fuel distribution pipe. In an intake passage injection (MPI) mode, excitation of a solenoid is stopped and operation of an electromagnetic spill valve is stopped so as reduce vibration and noise caused by the seating of the electromagnetic spill valve in a valve seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kawabe, Fumiaki Hiraishi
  • Publication number: 20140251280
    Abstract: A control apparatus that controls a fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the fuel supply system including a low-pressure fuel supply mechanism that injects low-pressure fuel into an intake port of the internal combustion engine, and a high-pressure fuel supply mechanism that injects high-pressure fuel into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, includes a control portion that controls a supply of fuel to the internal combustion engine from the fuel supply system. Immediately after the vehicle stops, when the internal combustion engine satisfies a predetermined condition, the controller idles the internal combustion engine by supplying the high-pressure fuel to the internal combustion engine by the high-pressure fuel supply mechanism, and after stopping the supply of fuel by the high-pressure fuel supply mechanism, idles the internal combustion engine by supplying the low-pressure fuel to the internal combustion engine by the low-pressure fuel supply mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Ikoma, Ryoji Tachibana, Zenichiro Mashiki, Ryoji Abe, Kenichi Saito, Tatsuhiko Akita, Tomoaki Honda, Yoshiaki Hamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140251279
    Abstract: A method for controlling injection of fuel upon start-up of a combustion engine including determining a set point quantity of fuel on start up, which is dependent on a difference between a set point acceleration of the engine and an instantaneous acceleration of the engine. An electronic control unit and a motor vehicle can execute the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Sylvain Hourlier, Patrick Perennes, Franck Breuille-Martin
  • Publication number: 20140251281
    Abstract: When injecting fuel from a direct injector and a port injector such that a requested fuel injection amount for an internal combustion engine is reached, the direct injector is driven in the following manner. That is, target fuel injection amounts are set on the basis of the engine operating state in order from the fuel injection with the highest priority among fuel injection in a compression stroke, fuel injection in the late stage of an intake stroke, and fuel injection in the early stage of the intake stroke in the direct injector, and the abovementioned setting continues until the total value of the target fuel injection amounts reaches the requested fuel injection amount. Moreover, the direct injector is driven in such a manner that the target fuel injection amounts for each of the abovementioned fuel injections set in this manner are obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 8827175
    Abstract: In a method and a device for the calibration of internal combustion engines, in each fuel injector, at least one actuator element (1) may be activated by an electric signal interacts with at least one injection valve (3) having an injection rate for the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber (5) via injection holes, and in the case of a flow characteristic curve (12, 23, 35) of the fuel flowing through the injection holes deviating from a target characteristic curve (11, 22, 34) in a flow-time diagram, a signal characteristic curve (14a, 27, 42) of the electric signal applied to the actuator element (1) is altered in a voltage-time diagram relative to a target characteristic curve (13, 26, 41) by a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Fritsch, Johann Görzen
  • Patent number: 8825343
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device provided with: a standard fuel injection timing setting unit 41 which previously sets a standard fuel injection timing with respect to engine speed and fuel injection quantity; an injection penetration judging unit 45 which judges whether or not the penetration of the fuel atomization in a cylinder is in an increasing condition, by use of at least one out of a detected ambient pressure from an ambient pressure sensor, an estimated cylinder pressure at an injection start timing, and an estimated ignition delay from an injection start timing to a combustion start timing; and a fuel injection timing correction unit 43 which corrects the fuel injection timing toward an advanced timing angle and constrains the penetration of the fuel atomization, in a case where the penetration judging unit judges that the penetration of the fuel atomization is in an increasing condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Yamada