Electronic regulator with fuel injection control for diesel engines

Claim 2

An arrangement for controlling the injection of fuel into at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine comprising, in combination, transducer means having first and second transducer outputs and operative for generating at said outputs respective first and second electrical signals indicative of respective first and second variable engine operating conditions; fuel-quantity selecting means having first and second inputs respectively connected to said first and second transducer outputs and having a selecting means output, and operative for generating an electrical quantity signal whose magnitude depends upon said first and second signals in a predetermined manner and whose magnitude is indicative of the quantity of fuel to be injected per combustion cycle; timing means having one input connected to said first transducer output, another input connected to said selecting means output, and a timing means output, and operative for generating an electrical timing signal whose magnitude depends upon said first signal and said quantity signal in a predetermined manner and whose magnitude is indicative of the time during the combustion cycle at which the injection of fuel is to commence; and fuel-injection means having inputs respectively connected to said selecting means output and to said timing means output and being responsive to the magnitude of said electrical quantity signal and to the magnitude of said electrical timing signal and being operative for commencing fuel injection at the time indicated by the magnitude of said timing signal, and for at such time injecting the amount of fuel indicated by the magnitude of said quantity signal.

Claim 3

An arrangement for controlling fuel injection into at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine, comprising in combination transducer means for generating at least first and second electrical signals indicative of respective first and second variable engine operating conditions; fuel-quantity selecting means for generating an electrical quantity signal indicative of the quantity of fuel to be injected per combustion cycle as a predetermined function of said first and second electrical signals; timing means for generating an electrical timing signal indicative of the timing of commencement of fuel injection with respect to the combustion cycle as a predetermined function of said first and second electrical signals; and fuel-injection means for commencing fuel injection at a time with respect to the combustion cycle indicated by said timing signal, and for at such time injecting an amount of fuel indicated by said quantity signal, wherein said first variable operating condition is engine speed, and wherein said transducer means has first and second transducer outputs at which said first and second signals are respectively generated, and wherein said fuel-quantity selecting means has a selecting means output at which said quantity signal is generated, and wherein said timing means comprises an operational amplifier circuit including an operational amplifier having an output connected to said fuel-injection means and an input connected to said first transducer output, and diode-resistor network means connected to said input to said amplifier and to said selecting means output and operative for establishing a non-linear relationship between said quantity signal and the signal at said input of said operational amplifier.

Claim 4

An arrangement for controlling fuel injection into at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine, comprising in combination transducer means for generating at least first and second electrical signals indicative of respective first and second variable engine operating conditions; fuel-quantity selecting means for generating an electrical quantity signal indicative of the quantity of fuel to be injected per combustion cycle as a predetermined function of said first and second electrical signals; timing means for generating an electrical timing signal indicative of the timing of commencement of fuel injection with respect to the combustion cycle as a predetermined function of said first and second electrical signals; and fuel-injection means for commencing fuel injection at a time with respect to the combustion cycle indicated by said timing signal, and for at such time injecting an amount of fuel indicated by said quantity signal, wherein said first variable operating condition is engine speed, and wherein said transducer means has first and second transducer outputs at which said first and second signals are respectively generated, and wherein said fuel-quantity selecting means has a selecting means output at which said quantity signal is generated, and wherein said timing means comprises an operational amplifier circuit including an operational amplifier having an output connected to said fuel-injection means and an input connected to said first transducer output, and diode-resistor network means connected to said input to said amplifier and to said selecting means output and operative for establishing a non-linear relationship between said quantity signal and the signal at said input of said operational amplifier.

Claim 5

An arrangement for controlling the fuel injection into at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine compRising, in combination, transducer means for generating at least first and second electrical signal indicative of respective first and second variable engine operating conditions; fuel-quantity selecting means for generating an electrical quantity signal whose magnitude depends upon said first and second signals in a predetermined manner and whose magnitude is indicative of the quantity of fuel to be injected per combustion cycle; timing means for generating an electrical timing signal whose magnitude depends upon said first and second signals in a predetermined manner and whose magnitude is indicative of the time during the combustion cycle at which the injection of fuel is to commence; and fuel-injection means connected to said fuel-quantity selecting means and to said timing means and responsive to the magnitude of said electrical quantity signal and to the magnitude of said electrical timing signal and operative for commencing fuel injection at the time indicated by the magnitude of said timing signal, and for at such time injecting the amount of fuel indicated by the magnitude of said quantity signal, wherein said fuel-injection means includes movable injection-advancing means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective advanced and retarded fuel-injection commencement times, and a servo system for automatically moving said injection-advancing means to a position corresponding to an injection commencement time indicated by said timing signal, and wherein said fuel-injection means further includes movable fuel-quantity setting means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective quantities of fuel, and another servo system for automatically moving said fuel-quantity selecting means to a position corresponding to a quantity of fuel indicated by said quantity signal, and wherein said quantity signal and said timing signal constitute command signals, and wherein at least one of said servo systems comprises moving means for moving the respective one of said movable means, feedback transducer means for generating an electrical feedback signal corresponding to the actual setting of said movable means, and means for pulse-width-modulating the difference between the respective one of said command signals and said feedback signal and applying the pulse-width-modulated difference signal to said moving means to cause the latter to effect movement of said movable means in one direction contemporaneously with the duration of width-modulated pulses and in the opposite direction during the time intervals between such width-modulated pulses.

Claim 6

An arrangement for controlling the fuel injection into at least one cylinder of an internal combustion engine compRising, in combination, transducer means for generating at least first and second electrical signal indicative of respective first and second variable engine operating conditions; fuel-quantity selecting means for generating an electrical quantity signal whose magnitude depends upon said first and second signals in a predetermined manner and whose magnitude is indicative of the quantity of fuel to be injected per combustion cycle; timing means for generating an electrical timing signal whose magnitude depends upon said first and second signals in a predetermined manner and whose magnitude is indicative of the time during the combustion cycle at which the injection of fuel is to commence; and fuel-injection means connected to said fuel-quantity selecting means and to said timing means and responsive to the magnitude of said electrical quantity signal and to the magnitude of said electrical timing signal and operative for commencing fuel injection at the time indicated by the magnitude of said timing signal, and for at such time injecting the amount of fuel indicated by the magnitude of said quantity signal, wherein said fuel-injection means includes movable injection-advancing means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective advanced and retarded fuel-injection commencement times, and a servo system for automatically moving said injection-advancing means to a position corresponding to an injection commencement time indicated by said timing signal, and wherein said fuel-injection means further includes movable fuel-quantity setting means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective quantities of fuel, and another servo system for automatically moving said fuel-quantity selecting means to a position corresponding to a quantity of fuel indicated by said quantity signal, and wherein said quantity signal and said timing signal constitute command signals, and wherein at least one of said servo systems comprises moving means for moving the respective one of said movable means, feedback transducer means for generating an electrical feedback signal corresponding to the actual setting of said movable means, and means for pulse-width-modulating the difference between the respective one of said command signals and said feedback signal and applying the pulse-width-modulated difference signal to said moving means to cause the latter to effect movement of said movable means in one direction contemporaneously with the duration of width-modulated pulses and in the opposite direction during the time intervals between such width-modulated pulses.

Claim 7

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said fuel-injection means includes movable injection-advancing means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective advanced and retarded fuel-injection commencement times, and a servo system for automatically moving said injection-advancing means to a position corresponding to an injection commencement time indicated by said timing signal.

Claim 8

An arrangement as defined in claim 4, wherein said fuel-injection means further includes movable fuel-quantity setting means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective quantities of fuel, and another servo system for automatically moving said fuel-quantity setting means to a position corresponding to a quantity of fuel indicated by said quantity signal.

Claim 9

An arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said operational amplifier circuit further includes a pair of voltage supply lines for connection to a source of biasing voltage, an input resistor connected between said first transducer output and said operational amplifier input, and a pair of series-connected input resistors connected between said operational amplifier input and said selecting means output, a first voltage divider connected between one of said supply lines and the junction between said series-connected input resistors and including a diode and a pair of series-connected first voltage-divider resistors, a second voltage divider connected across said supply lines, and a diode connected between the tap of said second voltage divider and the junction between said first voltage-divider resistors.

Claim 10

An arrangement as defined in claim 2, wherein said operational amplifier has an output circuit comprising the output circuit of a transistor, a two-tap voltage divider connected across said supply lines and having a first tap connected to the output of said operational amplifier and another tap constituting the output of said operational amplifier circuit, and wherein said first signal varies inversely to engine speed, and wherein said quantity signal varies inversely to the quantity of fuel to be injected.

Claim 11

An arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein said moving means comprises hydraulic moving means.

Claim 12

An arrangement as defined in claim 8, wherein said hydraulic moving means comprises a cylinder, a piston movable in said cylinder and dividing said cylinder into two chambers, a source of pressurized fluid, a fluid reservoir, a fluid conduit connecting said source of fluid to one of said chambers, and electromagnetically operated hydraulic switch means for alternatively connecting the other of said chambers to said source of fluid and to said fluid reservoir.

Claim 13

An arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein the keying ratio of said pulse-width-modulated signal is 1:1 when said difference is null.

Claim 14

An arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein said pulse-width-modulating means comprises a differential-input operational amplifier having a first input arranged to receive one of said command signals and a second input arranged to receive said feedback signal, a feedback resistor connecting said output to said first input, another feedback resistor connecting said output to said second input, supply lines for connection to a source of biasing voltage, and a capacitor connected between said second input and one of said supply lines.

Claim 15

An arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein said modulating means further includes emitter-follower means for receiving said feedback signal and applying the same to said second input.

Claim 16

An arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein said modulating means includes a magnetic relay connected across said supply lines and directly connected to one of said supply lines, and a compensating resistor connected between said first input of said operational amplifier and said one of said supply lines.

Claim 17

An arrangement as defined in claim 12, wherein said pulse-width-modulating means further includes fail-safe means for effecting movement by said servo system of said movable means to the null position of said movable means in response to loss of said feedback signal.

Claim 18

An arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein said pulse-width-modulating means further includes time-delay means connected to said second input of said amplifier and operative for introducing a time delay in the application of said feedback signal to said second input.

Claim 19

An arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein said time-delay means comprises an emitter-follower transistor connected to said input and operative for applying thereto said feedback signal, and a capacitor connected between the base of said emitter-follower transistor and one of said supply lines.

Claim 20

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said first variable engine operating condition is engine speed, and wherein said variable engine condition is the setting of an operator-activated control.

Claim 21

An arrangement as defined in claim 17, wherein said second engine operating condition is the setting of the engine accelerator.

Claim 22

An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said fuel-injection means includes movable injection-advancing means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective advanced and retarded fuel-injection commencement times, and a sero system for automatically moving said injection-advancing means to a position corresponding to An injection commencement time indicated by said timing signal.

Claim 23

An arrangement as defined in claim 19, wherein said fuel-injection means further includes movable fuel-quantity setting means movable to a plurality of settings corresponding to respective quantities of fuel, and another servo system for automatically moving said fuel-quantity setting means to a setting corresponding to a quantity of fuel indicated by said quantity signal.

Claim 24

An arrangement as defined in claim 20, wherein said first variable engine operating condition is engine speed, and wherein said second variable engine operating condition is the setting of an operator-activated control.

Claim 25

An arrangement as defined in claim 21, wherein said second engine operating condition is the setting of an operator-activated accelerator.