EP0115907A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Combustion roughness servo control to control fuel/air metering or EGR metering to an internal combustion engine
Assignee: Automotive Engine Associates LP
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Filing: 1984-01-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-01-05
Abstract
Abstract A servo control which adjusts the supply of combustion diluent (either excess air or EGR) upwards until the statistical variation of flame speed achieves a set limit. The system is intended as a control coefficient input to an automatic control system capable of more rapid dynamic response than the roughness controller itself. For engines characterized by exceptional homogeneity and in-cylinder flow control, control of flame speed variablility up to set limit nearly minimizes NO X emissions and very nearly optimizes fuel efficiency at all engine speeds and loads. Two «measures» of flame speed are disclosed, first peak blowdown pressure in the exhaust, and second, the ionization breakdown voltage of an additional spark fired a specified number of crank angles after the ignition spark.
Inventors
- 👤 Merle Robert Showalter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 08:12
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02P; F02P15/00; F02P15/08; F02D; F02D35/00; F02D35/02; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1497; F02D41/1498; F02P17/00; F02P17/12; F02D2200/00; F02D2200/02; F02D2200/025; F02D2200/10; F02D2200/1015; F02D35/021; F02P2017/121; F02P2017/123
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
Claim 1: Control apparatus for obtaining a measure of flame speed in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine and based on said measure adjusting air/fuel ratio apparatus so that the variation of flame speed falls within a specified degree of statistical variation, said apparatus comprising means for obtaining said measure of flame speed on each burn cycle of the engine and producing an electric signal representative thereof, means for storing in succession the peaks of said electric signals, means for converting the signal peaks to a plurality of numbers corresponding respectively to said signal peaks, computer means for averaging the said numbers for a given quantity of successive cycles and comparing said average with the last received signal peak number and means for comparing the number average and that of the last received signal peak to produce a difference and acting on the air/fuel ratio apparatus to enlean the mixture if the difference is within designated limits and acting to enrich the mixture if the difference is outside the designated limits whereby the air/fuel mixture is adjusted so that the flame speeds of the burn cycles will fall within a specified degree of statistical variation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
29 words
Claim 2: The invention as set forth in Claim 1 and wherein the measure of flame speed of each burn cycle comprises means for sensing peak exhaust blowdown pressure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
Claim 3: The invention as set forth in Claim 1 and wherein the measure of flame speed of each burn cycle comprises means for measuring the ionization resistance of the combustion gases at a specified time after ignition by refiring the spark plug.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
Claim 4: The invention as set forth in Claim 1 and wherein the measure of flame speed is not obtained for each burn cycle, but only for a selected sequence of burn cycles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
173 words
Claim 5: ' A method of adjusting air/fuel ratio apparatus so that the statistical variation of flame speed in an internal combustion engine from cycle-to-cycle will fall within a specified degree of statistical variation, said method comprising the steps of: 1. Obtaining a measure of flame speed of each successive burn cycle in the combustion chamber of the engine, 2. Producing an electric signal representative of this measure of flame speed of each cycle. 3. Storing in'succession the peak of the electric signals, 4. Converting the signal peaks to numbers corresponding respectively to said signal peaks, 5. Averaging the numbers representing the signal peaks for a specified number of successive cycles, 6. Comparing said average number with that of the last received signal peak number to determine a difference, 7. Enleaning the air/fuel mixture if the difference is within specified limits and enriching the air/fuel mixture if the difference is outside specified limits whereby the air/fuel mixture is adjusted so that the statistical variation in cycle-to-cycle burn rates falls within a specified range.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
177 words
Claim 6: A method of adjusting an engine EGR control apparatus so that the statistical variation of flame speed in an internal combustion engine from cycle-to-cycle will fall within a specified degree of statistical variation, said method comprising the steps of: 1. Obtaining a measure of flame speed of each successive burn cycle in the combustion chamber of the engine, 2. Producing an electric signal representative of this measure of flame speed of each cycle. 3. Storing in succession the peak of the electric signals, 4. Converting the signal peaks to numbers corresponding respectively to said signal peaks, 5. Averaging the numbers representing the signal peaks for a specified number of successive cycles, 6. Comparing said average number with that of the last received signal peak number to determine a difference, 7. Increasing the EGR supply rate if the difference is within specified limits and decreasing the EGR supply rate if the difference is outside specified limits whereby the air-fuel-EGR mixture is adjusted so that the statistical variation in cycle-to-cycle burn rates falls within a specified range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Claim 7: The invention as set forth in Claim 1 and wherein the measure of flame speed of each burn cycle comprises means for sensing peak exhaust blowdown pressure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
Claim 8: The invention as set forth in Claim 1 and wherein the measure of flame speed of each burn cycle comprises means for measuring the ionization resistance of the combustion gases at a specified time after ignition by refiring the spark plug.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
Claim 9: The invention as set forth in Claim 1 and wherein the measure of flame speed is not obtained for each burn cycle, but only for a selected sequence of burn cycles.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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