Methods and system for adjusting cylinder air charge of an engine

• US 10,408,152 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2018
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Surnilla, Gopichandra, Glugla, Christopher, Huberts, Garlan, Ranga, Adithya Pravarun Re
• Primary Examiner(s): Mo, Xiao En
• Application Number:
  US15/902,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20190257261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0092 Synchronisation of the cylinders at engine start
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0095 Synchronisation of the cylinders during engine shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/389 for injecting directly into the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0402 the parameter being determined by using a model of the engine intake or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/009 using means for generating position or synchronisation signals
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/182 for the control of a fuel injection device
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/402 Multiple injections
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/045 combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection in general F02D37/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1506 with particular means during starting
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1512 with particular means concerning an individual cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/88 with differential-pressure measurement to determine the volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating an internal combustion engine based on output of an intake manifold pressure sensor and output of an in cylinder pressure sensor are described. The systems and methods provide a way of determining cylinder air charge so that a fuel injector has sufficient time to provide a desired amount of fuel to a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder.

Claims

1. An engine operating method, comprising:

injecting a first amount of fuel to a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder in response to an open loop estimate of a cylinder air charge, wherein the open loop estimate of the cylinder air charge is a function of a first cylinder to fire since a most recent engine stop and an actual total number of combustion events since the most recent engine stop.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising injecting a second amount of fuel to the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder in response to a cylinder pressure.

3. The method of claim 2, where the first amount of fuel is injected during an intake stroke of the cylinder.

4. The method of claim 3, where the second amount of fuel is injected during a compression stroke of the cylinder.

5. The method of claim 1, where the open loop estimate of cylinder air charge is further based on intake manifold pressure.

6. The method of claim 1, where an engine rotational speed is zero during the most recent engine stop.

7. The method of claim 1, where the first amount of fuel is injected via a direct fuel injector.

8. An engine operating method, comprising:

injecting a first amount of fuel to a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder in response to a first cylinder air charge estimate, the first cylinder air charge estimate based on a scalar, wherein the scalar is a function of a first cylinder to fire since a most recent engine stop and an actual total number of combustion events since the most recent engine stop; and

adjusting the scalar in response to a second cylinder air charge estimate for the cylinder.

9. The method of claim 8, where the second cylinder air charge estimate is further based on a pressure in the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the adjusted scalar to controller memory based on the first cylinder to fire since the most recent engine stop and the actual total number of combustion events since the most recent engine stop.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising injecting a second amount of fuel to the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder in response to the pressure in the cylinder.

12. The method of claim 11, where the first cylinder air charge estimate is further based on intake manifold pressure.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting spark timing in response to the pressure in the cylinder.

14. The method of claim 8, where the cylinder is a second cylinder to fire since the most recent engine stop, and further comprising:

adjusting a second amount of fuel injected to the cylinder during the cycle of the cylinder based on exhaust pressure.