Engine control apparatus

• US 10,352,234 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Tobe, Shota
• Primary Examiner(s): Vilakazi, Sizo B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Steckbauer, Kevin R
• Application Number:
  US15/835,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20180245536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2077/045 by flushing or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/04 Cleaning of, preventing corrosion or erosion in, or preventing unwanted deposits in, combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/04 Engine intake system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/00 Engine control related to specific problems or objectives
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/047 Taking into account fuel evaporation or wall wetting; special correction after fuel cut-off F02D41/126
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3094 the fuel injection being effected by at least two different injectors, e.g. one in the intake manifold and one in the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 2200/05 Fuel-injection apparatus having means for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/50 Arrangements or methods for preventing or reducing deposits, corrosion or wear caused by impurities arrangement or layout of EGR passages with means for cleaning or treating the recirculated gases F02M26/35; protection of EGR valves from damage F02M26/74
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10216 Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1038 for temperature or pressure

Abstract

An engine control apparatus controls includes a cleaning mode to clean a deposit generated in an intake system of an engine. The engine control apparatus includes a generation source calculator, a deposit calculator, and a mode controller. The generation source calculator is configured to calculate an attached generation source amount on the basis of a temperature of the intake system. The attached generation source amount is an amount of a generation source, of the deposit, attached to the intake system. The deposit calculator is configured to calculate an attached deposit amount that is an amount of the deposit attached to the intake system, on the basis of the attached generation source amount and the temperature of the intake system. The mode controller is configured to execute the cleaning mode, when the attached deposit amount is greater than an execution threshold.

Claims

1. An engine control apparatus that executes a cleaning mode to clean a deposit generated in an intake system of an engine, the engine control apparatus comprising:

a generation source calculator configured to perform calculation of an attached generation source amount on a basis of a temperature of the intake system, the attached generation source amount being an amount of a generation source, of the deposit, attached to the intake system;

a deposit calculator configured to perform calculation of an attached deposit amount on a basis of the attached generation source amount and the temperature of the intake system, the attached deposit amount being an amount of the deposit attached to the intake system; and

a mode controller configured to execute the cleaning mode, when the attached deposit amount is greater than an execution threshold, wherein

the generation source calculator performs addition to the attached generation source amount when the temperature of the intake system is lower than a first temperature threshold, and performs subtraction from the attached generation source amount when the temperature of the intake system is higher than the first temperature threshold,

the deposit calculator keeps the attached deposit amount constant without performing an addition or a subtraction when the temperature of the intake system is lower than the first temperature threshold, performs addition to the attached deposit amount when the temperature of the intake system is higher than the first temperature threshold and lower than a second temperature threshold that is higher than the first temperature threshold, and performs subtraction from the attached deposit amount when the temperature of the intake system is higher than the second temperature threshold, and

the deposit calculator permits addition to the attached deposit amount when the attached generation source amount is greater than an addition threshold value, and prohibits the addition to the attached deposit amount when the attached generation source amount is smaller than the addition threshold value.

2. The engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the intake system includes an intake port, and

the temperature of the intake system comprises a temperature of the intake port.

3. An engine control apparatus that executes a cleaning mode to clean a deposit generated in an intake system of an engine, the engine control apparatus comprising circuitry configured to

perform calculation of an attached generation source amount on a basis of a temperature of the intake system, the attached generation source amount being an amount of a generation source, of the deposit, attached to the intake system,

perform calculation of an attached deposit amount on a basis of the attached generation source amount and the temperature of the intake system, the attached deposit amount being an amount of the deposit attached to the intake system, and

execute the cleaning mode, when the attached deposit amount is greater than an execution threshold, wherein

the circuitry performs addition to the attached generation source amount when the temperature of the intake system is lower than a first temperature threshold, and performs subtraction from the attached generation source amount when the temperature of the intake system is higher than the first temperature threshold,

the circuitry keeps the attached deposit amount constant without performing an addition or a subtraction when the temperature of the intake system is lower than the first temperature threshold, performs addition to the attached deposit amount when the temperature of the intake system is higher than the first temperature threshold and lower than a second temperature threshold that is higher than the first temperature threshold, and performs subtraction from the attached deposit amount when the temperature of the intake system is higher than the second temperature threshold, and

the circuitry permits addition to the attached deposit amount when the attached generation source amount is greater than an addition threshold value, and prohibits the addition to the attached deposit amount when the attached generation source amount is smaller than the addition threshold value.