Patent US4638068A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6062204A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6062204A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Engine control system and method with atmospheric humidity compensation
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
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Filing: 1998-10-15
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Granted: 2000-05-16
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Expires: 2018-10-15
Abstract
Abstract An internal combustion engine includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) mechanism for directing a controlled amount of exhaust gas generated by the engine from the exhaust manifold to an intake manifold of the engine. An electronic engine controller (EEC) controls the EGR by determining a base EGR rate as a function of a plurality of engine operating parameters. The base EGR rate is then modified by a multiplier to compensate the EGR rate for the effect of humidity. The multiplier represents the EGR percent change per grain of humidity deviation from a predetermined humidity level. The EEC further controls the borderline spark timing of the engine by determining a base spark timing as a function of a plurality of engine operating parameters at a predetermined humidity level. The spark rate is then modified by a multiplier to compensate the spark timing for the effect of humidity. The multiplier represents the degree of spark change per grains of humidity possible without incurring engine knock.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael John Cullen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 22:48
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/0025; F02D41/0047; F02D41/005; F02M; F02M26/00; F02M26/45; F02M26/46; F02M26/47; F02P; F02P5/00; F02P5/04; F02P5/145; F02P5/15; F02P5/1502; F02P5/1516; F02D2200/00; F02D2200/02; F02D2200/04; F02D2200/0418; F02M26/52; F02M26/55; F02M26/56; F02M26/57; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of controlling the rate of exhaust gas recirculation in an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: generating a rpm value which is indicative of the rotational speed of the engine; generating an air charge value which is indicative of air charge entering an intake manifold of the engine; generating a humidity value which is indicative of the ambient humidity level; determining a base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of at least the rpm value and the air charge value; modifying the base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of the generated humidity value to obtain a modified exhaust gas recirculation value; and regulating the rate of exhaust gas recirculation in response to the modified exhaust gas recirculation value.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of controlling the rate of exhaust gas recirculation in an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: generating a rpm value which is indicative of the rotational speed of the engine; generating an air charge value which is indicative of air charge entering an intake manifold of the engine; generating a humidity value which is indicative of the ambient humidity level; determining a base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of at least the rpm value and the air charge value; modifying the base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of the generated humidity value to obtain a modified exhaust gas recirculation value; and regulating the rate of exhaust gas recirculation in response to the modified exhaust gas recirculation value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of modifying the base exhaust gas recirculation value further comprises the steps of generating a multiplying factor as a function of at least the rpm value and the air charge value and modifying the base exhaust gas recirculation value by an amount equal to the product of the multiplying factor and the difference between a predetermined humidity value and the generated humidity value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of modifying the base exhaust gas recirculation value includes modifying the exhaust gas recirculation value as a non-linear function of the generated humidity value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of regulating includes the step of regulating a duty cycle of an electronic vacuum regulation exhaust gas recirculation system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of regulating includes the step of regulating a stepper motor of a stepper motor driver exhaust gas recirculation system.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of regulating includes the step of regulating the amount of power delivered to an electronically driven exhaust gas recirculation system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of regulating includes the step of regulating the rate of exhaust gas recirculation as a function of a model of the exhaust gas recirculation system.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of determining a base exhaust gas recirculation value further comprises the steps of: generating the base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of the rpm value, the air charge value, an engine temperature value indicative of the temperature of the engine, and a percent load value indicative of the current air charge to peak air charge available.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
95 words
The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said step of generating a base exhaust gas recirculation value comprises the steps of: retrieving a first value from a first table containing a plurality of values indexed by engine temperature; retrieving a second value from a second table containing a plurality of values indexed by air charge and engine speed; retrieving a third value from a third table containing a plurality of values indexed by percent load; and generating the base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of the first, second, and third values.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
165 words
In an internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas recirculation passage for transporting a portion of exhaust gas produced by the engine into an intake manifold of the engine, an exhaust gas recirculation mechanism, responsive to an exhaust gas recirculation signal, for regulating the rate at which exhaust gas is recirculated into the intake manifold, an electronic engine controller for generating the exhaust gas recirculation signal comprising: a microprocessor programmed to, determine a base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of a rpm value indicative of the rotational speed of the engine, an air charge value indicative of the air charge entering an intake manifold of the engine, an engine temperature value indicative of the temperature of the engine and a percent load value indicative of the current air charge to peak air charge available; generate the exhaust gas recirculation signal as a function of the base exhaust gas recirculation value; and transmit the exhaust gas recirculation signal to the exhaust gas recirculation mechanism.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
165 words
In an internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas recirculation passage for transporting a portion of exhaust gas produced by the engine into an intake manifold of the engine, an exhaust gas recirculation mechanism, responsive to an exhaust gas recirculation signal, for regulating the rate at which exhaust gas is recirculated into the intake manifold, an electronic engine controller for generating the exhaust gas recirculation signal comprising: a microprocessor programmed to, determine a base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of a rpm value indicative of the rotational speed of the engine, an air charge value indicative of the air charge entering an intake manifold of the engine, an engine temperature value indicative of the temperature of the engine and a percent load value indicative of the current air charge to peak air charge available; generate the exhaust gas recirculation signal as a function of the base exhaust gas recirculation value; and transmit the exhaust gas recirculation signal to the exhaust gas recirculation mechanism.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
93 words
An electronic engine controller as set forth in claim 10 wherein the microprocessor determines a base exhaust gas recirculation value by: retrieving a first value from a first table containing a plurality of values indexed by engine temperature; retrieving a second value from a second table containing a plurality of values indexed by air charge and engine speed; retrieving a third value from a third table containing a plurality of values indexed by percent load; and generating the base exhaust gas recirculation value as a function of the first, second, and third values.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the engine temperature is determined by measuring the temperature of engine coolant circulating within said engine.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the engine temperature is determined by measuring the temperature of the cylinder head of said engine.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of controlling the ignition timing in an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: generating a rpm value which is indicative of the rotational speed of the engine; generating an air charge value which is indicative of air charge entering an intake manifold of the engine; generating a humidity value which is indicative of the ambient humidity level; determining a borderline spark timing value as a function of at least the rpm value, the air charge value, and a predetermined humidity value; modifying the borderline spark timing value as a function of the generated humidity value to obtain a modified borderline spark timing value; and regulating the ignition timing of the engine in response to the modified borderline spark timing value.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of controlling the ignition timing in an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: generating a rpm value which is indicative of the rotational speed of the engine; generating an air charge value which is indicative of air charge entering an intake manifold of the engine; generating a humidity value which is indicative of the ambient humidity level; determining a borderline spark timing value as a function of at least the rpm value, the air charge value, and a predetermined humidity value; modifying the borderline spark timing value as a function of the generated humidity value to obtain a modified borderline spark timing value; and regulating the ignition timing of the engine in response to the modified borderline spark timing value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said step of modifying the borderline spark timing value further comprises the steps of generating a multiplying factor as a function of at least the rpm value and the air charge value and modifying the borderline spark timing value by an amount equal to the product of the multiplying factor and the difference between the predetermined humidity value and the generated humidity value.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said step of modifying the borderline spark timing value includes modifying the borderline spark timing value as a non-linear function of the generated humidity value.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
98 words
The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said step of determining a borderline spark timing value further comprises the steps of: generating the borderline spark timing value as a function of the rpm value, the air charge value, an air charge temperature value indicative of the temperature of the air charge entering the intake manifold of the engine, an engine temperature value indicative of the temperature of the engine, an exhaust gas recirculation value indicative of the exhaust gas recirculation rate of the engine, and an air/fuel value indicative of the air/fuel ratio of the engine.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
133 words
The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein said step of generating a borderline spark timing value comprises the steps of: retrieving a first value from a first table containing a plurality of values indexed by air charge and engine speed; retrieving a second value from a second table containing a plurality of values indexed by air charge temperature; retrieving a third value from a third table containing a plurality of values indexed by engine temperature; retrieving a fourth value from a fourth table containing a plurality of values indexed by exhaust gas recirculation rates; retrieving a fifth value from a fifth table containing a plurality of values indexed by engine air/fuel ratio; and generating the borderline spark timing value as a function of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth values.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the engine temperature is determined by measuring the temperature of engine coolant circulating within said engine.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the engine temperature is determined by measuring the temperature of the cylinder head of said engine.
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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) | 2003-05-16 | 2003-11-15 | 2004-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-05-16 | 2007-11-15 | 2008-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-05-16 | 2011-11-15 | 2012-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |