Electrostatic capacity type fuel concentration monitoring unit with temperature dependent fluctuation compensating feature

Claim 2

An electrostatic capacity type fuel concentration monitoring unit comprising: a first sensor disposed within a mixture fuel containing a specific type of fuel in a variable mixture rate, said first sensor producing a first sensor signal indicative of concentration of said specific type of fuel; a second sensor disposed within said mixture fuel for monitoring temperature thereof, said second sensor generating a second sensor signal indicative of temperature of said mixture fuel; a circuit incorporated in said unit for generating a fuel concentration indicative signal which varies in a given rate across a predetermined reference value set at a predetermined fuel concentration, said circuit being responsive to said second sensor signal to correct said fuel concentration indicative signal value by varying said given rate depending upon said second sensor signal value.

Claim 3

An electrostatic capacity type fuel concentration monitoring unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circuit includes a frequency generator for generating a frequency signal variable of frequency depending upon fuel concentration of said specific type fuel in said mixture fuel, a frequency-to-voltage converter responsive to said frequency signal to produce a voltage signal as said fuel concentration indicative signal.

Claim 4

An electrostatic capacity type fuel concentration monitoring unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein said reference value is set at a fuel concentration, at which said fuel concentration indicative signal value contain minimum error depending upon fuel temperature represented by said second sensor signal.

Claim 5

An electrostatic capacity type fuel concentration monitoring unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein said circuit further includes an operational amplifier which receives said fuel concentration indicative signal at a first input terminal and a reference signal representative of said reference value at a second input terminal, and said second sensor is connected in a feedback circuit connecting an output terminal of said operational amplifier and said second input terminal.

Claim 6

An electrostatic capacity type fuel concentration monitoring unit as set forth in claim 1, which monitors an alcohol concentration in said mixture fuel which contains gasoline and alcohol in a variable rate.

Claim 7

A fuel injection control system for an automotive internal combustion engine which is designed to be driven by a mixture fuel of at least two mutually different type of fuels, comprising: a fuel injection valve disposed for injecting fuel into an induction system of said engine for forming an air/fuel mixture to be combustioned within a combustion chamber; an engine operation monitoring means for monitoring preselected engine operating parameters to produce engine control parameter signal representative of an engine driving condition; a fuel concentration monitoring unit for monitoring concentration of specific one of said fuels in said mixture fuel, said fuel concentration monitoring unit including a first sensor disposed within a mixture fuel containing a specific type of fuel in a variable mixture rate, said first sensor producing a first sensor signal indicative of concentration of said specific type of fuel; a second sensor disposed within said mixture fuel for monitoring temperature thereof, said second sensor generating a second sensor signal indicative of temperature of said mixture fuel; a circuit incorporated in said unit for generating a fuel concentration indicative signal which varies in a given rate across a predetermined reference value set at a predetermined fuel concentration, said circuit being responsive to said second sensor signal to correct said fuel concentration indicative signal value by varying said given rate depending upon said second sensor signal value; and a control unit receiving said engine control parameter signal for deriving a fuel injection amount on the basis thereof and correcting the fuel injection amount with a correction factor derived on the basis of the corrected fuel concentration indicative signal.

Claim 8

A fuel injection control system for an automotive internal combustion engine which is designed to be driven by a mixture fuel of at least two mutually different type of fuels, comprising: a fuel injection valve disposed for injecting fuel into an induction system of said engine for forming an air/fuel mixture to be combustioned within a combustion chamber; an engine operation monitoring means for monitoring preselected engine operating parameters to produce engine control parameter signal representative of an engine driving condition; a fuel concentration monitoring unit for monitoring concentration of specific one of said fuels in said mixture fuel, said fuel concentration monitoring unit including a first sensor disposed within a mixture fuel containing a specific type of fuel in a variable mixture rate, said first sensor producing a first sensor signal indicative of concentration of said specific type of fuel; a second sensor disposed within said mixture fuel for monitoring temperature thereof, said second sensor generating a second sensor signal indicative of temperature of said mixture fuel; a circuit incorporated in said unit for generating a fuel concentration indicative signal which varies in a given rate across a predetermined reference value set at a predetermined fuel concentration, said circuit being responsive to said second sensor signal to correct said fuel concentration indicative signal value by varying said given rate depending upon said second sensor signal value; and a control unit receiving said engine control parameter signal for deriving a fuel injection amount on the basis thereof and correcting the fuel injection amount with a correction factor derived on the basis of the corrected fuel concentration indicative signal.

Claim 9

A fuel injection control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said circuit includes a frequency generator for generating a frequency signal variable of frequency depending upon fuel concentration of said specific type fuel in said mixture fuel, a frequency-to-voltage converter responsive to said frequency signal to produce a voltage signal as said fuel concentration indicative signal.

Claim 10

A fuel injection control system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said reference value is set at a fuel concentration, at which said fuel concentration indicative signal value contain minimum error depending upon fuel temperature represented by said second sensor signal.

Claim 11

A fuel injection control system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said circuit further includes an operational amplifier which receives said fuel concentration indicative signal at a first input terminal and a reference signal representative of said reference value at a second input terminal, and said second sensor is connected in a feedback circuit connecting an output terminal of said operational amplifier and said second input terminal.

Claim 12

A fuel injection control system as set forth in claim 6, which monitors an alcohol concentration in said mixture fuel which contains gasoline and alcohol in a variable rate.