US5067463A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for operating an engine
Assignee: Barrack Technology Ltd
•
Filing: 1990-02-26
•
Granted: 1991-11-26
•
Expires: 2010-02-26
Abstract
Abstract An internal combustion engine is provided having a luminosity detector and an arrangement for measuring certain parameters and running conditions of the engine such as air/fuel ratio in response to sensed combustion conditions within the combustion chamber based on particular gain independent parameters of the luminosity signal and selected engine parameters such as speed. The gain independent luminosity parameters can also be used in an engine control loop to ajust the various parameters of the engine like air/fuel ratio so as to obtain the desired luminosity characteristics and to obtain better running of the engine.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald J. Remboski
- 👤 Steven L. Plee
- 👤 Jialin Yang
- 👤 Robert W. Law
- 👤 Michael T. Vincent
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:52
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D35/00; F02D35/02; F02D35/028; F02D35/022; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1438; F02D41/1444; F02D41/1454; F02D41/1458; F02D41/1497; F02P; F02P5/00; F02P5/04; F02P5/145; F02P5/1455; F02D35/023; F02D35/024; F02D35/025; F02D35/026; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber during each cycle of operation of the engine from prior to initiation of combustion until after completion of combustion, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining at least the location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle and measuring at least one parameter of the engine based on at least the determined location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber during each cycle of operation of the engine from prior to initiation of combustion until after completion of combustion, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining at least the location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle and measuring at least one parameter of the engine based on at least the determined location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the location of peak pressure is measured.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein indicated mean effective pressure is measured.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein air/fuel ratio is measured.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein NO x emission is measured.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method for operating air internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein start of combustion is measured.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein end of combustion is measured.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, wherein location of peak luminosity and location of peak luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve are also determined and the location of peak pressure is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity and location of peak luminosity derivative.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein location of peak luminosity and location of peak luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve are also determined and the indicated mean effective pressure is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity and location of peak luminosity derivative.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
96 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 4, wherein location of peak luminosity, location of peak luminosity derivative, the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal and the normalized Y-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity of the luminosity curve are also determined and the air/fuel ratio is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity, location of peak luminosity derivative, the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal and the normalized Y-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
177 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 5, wherein location of peak luminosity, the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal, the normalized Y-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity, the normalized first moment of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity, the normalized second moment about the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity and the normalized third moment about the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity of the luminosity curve are also determined and the NO x emission is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity, the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal, the normalized Y-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity, the normalized first moment of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity, the normalized second moment about the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity and the normalized third moment about the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 6, wherein location of peak luminosity and the location at which the luminosity is a particular percentage of the peak luminosity of the luminosity curve are also determined and the start of combustion is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity and location at which the luminosity is a particular percentage of the peak luminosity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 7, wherein location of peak luminosity and location of peak luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve are also determined and the end of combustion is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity and location of peak luminosity derivative.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 4, further including calculating the air/fuel ratio based on signals from a zirconia sensor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, further including adjusting at least one parameter of the engine to attain a desired relationship between the determined characteristic of at least one gain independent parameter and output shaft angle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, wherein location of peak luminosity of the luminosity curve is also determined and the location of peak pressure is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein location of peak luminosity of the luminosity curve is also determined and the indicated mean effective pressure is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 4, wherein location of peak luminosity of the luminosity curve is also determined and the air/fuel ratio is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 5, wherein location of peak luminosity of the luminosity curve is also determined and the NO x emission is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 6, wherein location of peak luminosity of the luminosity curve is also determined and the start of combustion is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 7, wherein location of peak luminosity of the luminosity curve is also determined and the end of combustion is measured based also on the determined location of peak luminosity.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber during each cycle of operation of the engine from prior to initiation of combustion until after completion of combustion, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining a characteristic of at least one gain independent parameter of the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle and measuring gas temperature at exhaust valve opening based on the determined characteristic of at least one gain independent parameter.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber during each cycle of operation of the engine from prior to initiation of combustion until after completion of combustion, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining a characteristic of at least one gain independent parameter of the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle and measuring gas temperature at exhaust valve opening based on the determined characteristic of at least one gain independent parameter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 22, wherein location of peak luminosity, location of minimum luminosity derivative, the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal, the normalized Y-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity, the normalized first moment of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity, the normalized second moment about the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity and the normalized third moment about the X-coordinate of the centroid of the luminosity signal against peak luminosity are determined.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
113 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining at least the location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle, measuring at least one parameter of the engine based on at least the determined location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve and adjusting at least one parameter of the engine to attain the desired location of the determined minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve to compensate for engine aging.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
113 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining at least the location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle, measuring at least one parameter of the engine based on at least the determined location of minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve and adjusting at least one parameter of the engine to attain the desired location of the determined minimum luminosity derivative of the luminosity curve to compensate for engine aging.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 24, wherein the spark timing is adjusted.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine as recited in claim 24, wherein air/fuel ratio is adjusted.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber during each cycle of operation of the engine from prior to initiation of combustion until after completion of combustion, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining at least a derivative on the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle and measuring indicated mean effective pressure based on at least the determined derivative on the luminosity curve.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for forming a combustible air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber, means for detecting the luminosity within the combustion chamber during each cycle of operation of the engine from prior to initiation of combustion until after completion of combustion, generating a curve based on the detected luminosity, determining at least a derivative on the luminosity curve in relation to output shaft angle and measuring indicated mean effective pressure based on at least the determined derivative on the luminosity curve.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-11-25 | 1995-05-27 | 1995-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-11-25 | 1999-05-27 | 1999-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-11-25 | 2003-05-27 | 2003-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |