US4601270A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for torque control of an internal combustion engine as a function of exhaust smoke level
Assignee: Ambac Industries Inc
•
Filing: 1983-12-27
•
Granted: 1986-07-22
•
Expires: 2003-12-27
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus are provided for controlling the torque or fuel quantity limit to an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine, at least partly as a function of the sensed level of smoke in the exhaust gas stream of the engine. An open-loop preliminary fuel quantity limit signal is provided as a function of engine speed. The actual smoke level is compared with a smoke limit value for the particular operating condition, and an error signal indicates the sense and possibly the magnitude of any difference. The error signal is the basis of a compensating signal which is added to the open-loop preliminary fuel quantity limit signal such that the resulting fuel quantity limit signal provides for maximum torque without exceeding the smoke limit. The smoke level is obtained by a direct measurement of the particulate level or the like in the exhaust gas stream. An alarm may be provided for indicating when the actual smoke level exceeds some threshold relative to the smoke limit.
Inventors
- 👤 John A. Kimberley
- 👤 Robert H. Bullis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:11
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1438; F02D41/1444; F02D41/1466; F02D41/30; F02D41/38; F02D41/40; F02D41/406; F02D41/407; F02M; F02M59/00; F02M59/44; F02M59/447; F02B; F02B3/00; F02B3/06; F02D2250/00; F02D2250/18; F02D2250/38; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
Apparatus for controlling the maximum fuel supply quantity to an internal combustion engine emitting an exhaust gas stream which may contain electrically-charged particulate, including fuel supply means responsive to a fuel quantity demand input and to a fuel quantity limit signal for supplying to the engine the demanded quantity of fuel within the quantity limit, comprising: a probe adapted to be mounted in operative association with the exhaust gas stream at a sensing station downstream of the engine for inductively sensing the electrically charged particulate in the exhaust gas stream to provide an electrical signal indicative of the particulate level in the exhaust gas stream; circuit means responsive to said electrical signal indicative of the particulate level in the exhaust gas stream and to a predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal for providing a sensed smoke level signal scaled to an opacity-derived smoke value, said predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal being determined for a particular fuel and wherein said circuit means is further responsive to a predetermined set of engine operating conditions each time the engine is operated to modify said predetermined correlation as needed to compensate for variations in engine fuel characteristics; means for providing said fuel quantity demand input; and signal generating means responsive to engine operating condition signals including at least said sensed smoke level signal for providing said fuel quantity limit signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
Apparatus for controlling the maximum fuel supply quantity to an internal combustion engine emitting an exhaust gas stream which may contain electrically-charged particulate, including fuel supply means responsive to a fuel quantity demand input and to a fuel quantity limit signal for supplying to the engine the demanded quantity of fuel within the quantity limit, comprising: a probe adapted to be mounted in operative association with the exhaust gas stream at a sensing station downstream of the engine for inductively sensing the electrically charged particulate in the exhaust gas stream to provide an electrical signal indicative of the particulate level in the exhaust gas stream; circuit means responsive to said electrical signal indicative of the particulate level in the exhaust gas stream and to a predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal for providing a sensed smoke level signal scaled to an opacity-derived smoke value, said predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal being determined for a particular fuel and wherein said circuit means is further responsive to a predetermined set of engine operating conditions each time the engine is operated to modify said predetermined correlation as needed to compensate for variations in engine fuel characteristics; means for providing said fuel quantity demand input; and signal generating means responsive to engine operating condition signals including at least said sensed smoke level signal for providing said fuel quantity limit signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
222 words
In an internal combustion engine which emits an exhaust gas stream which may contain electrically-charged particulate, and including fuel supply means responsive to a fuel quantity demand input and to a fuel quantity limit signal for supplying to the engine the demanded quantity of fuel within the quantity limit, the method for controlling the maximum fuel supply quantity to the engine comprising the steps of: sensing the electrically-charged particulate in the exhaust gas stream at a sensing station downstream of the engine and providing an electrical signal indicative of the particulate level in the exhaust gas stream; scaling said electrical signal indicative of the exhaust particulate level in accordance with a predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal for providing a sensed smoke level signal scaled to an opacity-derived smoke value, said predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal being determined for a particular fuel and including the further step of modifying said predetermined correlation in response to a predetermined set of engine operating conditions each time the engine is operated to compensate for variations in engine fuel characteristics; providing said fuel quantity demand input; and generating a said fuel quantity limit signal in response to engine operating condition signals including at least said sensed smoke level signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
222 words
In an internal combustion engine which emits an exhaust gas stream which may contain electrically-charged particulate, and including fuel supply means responsive to a fuel quantity demand input and to a fuel quantity limit signal for supplying to the engine the demanded quantity of fuel within the quantity limit, the method for controlling the maximum fuel supply quantity to the engine comprising the steps of: sensing the electrically-charged particulate in the exhaust gas stream at a sensing station downstream of the engine and providing an electrical signal indicative of the particulate level in the exhaust gas stream; scaling said electrical signal indicative of the exhaust particulate level in accordance with a predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal for providing a sensed smoke level signal scaled to an opacity-derived smoke value, said predetermined correlation between a said particulate level signal and an opacity-derived smoke level signal being determined for a particular fuel and including the further step of modifying said predetermined correlation in response to a predetermined set of engine operating conditions each time the engine is operated to compensate for variations in engine fuel characteristics; providing said fuel quantity demand input; and generating a said fuel quantity limit signal in response to engine operating condition signals including at least said sensed smoke level signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including means for generating a signal proportional to engine speed and wherein said fuel quantity limit signal generating means is responsive also to said engine speed signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
129 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fuel quantity limit signal generating means includes: means for generating a preliminary fuel quantity limit signal in response to and as a function of at least said engine speed signal; means for generating a smoke limit signal representative of a predetermined smoke limit; means for comparing said sensed smoke level signal with said smoke limit signal and providing an error signal as a function of a difference therebetween; and compensating means responsive to said error signal for providing adjustment of said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal thereby to provide said fuel quantity limit signal, said adjustment of said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal by said compensating means being such as to maximize the fuel quantity limit signal within said predetermined smoke limit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for generating said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal and said means for generating said smoke limit signal comprise memory means having values of said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal and one or more values of said smoke limit signal stored therein, at least said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal values being stored as a function of engine speed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said smoke limit signal values are also stored in said memory means as a function of engine speed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 4 including means responsive to said error signal for providing a sensible alarm indication when the difference between said smoke limit signal and said sensed smoke level signal averaged for a predetermined period is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said alarm indication is provided when said difference value is either nil or of negative sense.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said internal combustion engine is of the compression-ignition type and including the step of generating a signal proportional to engine speed, said engine speed signal being a further one of said engine operating signals for generating said fuel quantity limit signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
115 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of generating said fuel quantity limit signal comprises: providing a preliminary fuel quantity limit signal in response to and as a function of at least said engine speed signal; generating a smoke limit signal representative of a predetermined smoke limit; comparing said sensed smoke level signal with said smoke limit signal and providing an error signal as a function of a difference therebetween; and adjusting said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal as a function of said error signal to provide said fuel quantity limit signal, said adjusting of said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal being toward maximizing said fuel quantity limit signal within said predetermined smoke limit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 10 including the further step of generating an alarm indication when said fuel quantity limit signal equals or is less than said preliminary fuel quantity limit signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3202161A
Cited
US3744461A
Cited
US4223654A
Cited
US4357920A
Cited
JPS55156218A
Cited
JPS56159526A
Cited
US4368705A
Cited
JPS5872634A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-07-21 | 1990-01-20 | 1990-07-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-07-21 | 1994-01-20 | 1994-07-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-07-21 | 1998-01-20 | 1998-07-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |