Method and apparatus to determine magnitude of combustion chamber deposits

• US 20070107695A1
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust), University of Michigan
• Inventors: Kuo, Tang-Wei, Eng, James, Rask, Rodney, Najt, Paul, Hoffman, Mark, Filipi, Zoran, Assanis, Dionissios, Guralp, Orgun
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/435
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 23/0672 Omega-piston bowl, i.e. the combustion space having a central projection pointing towards the cylinder head and the surrounding wall being inclined towards the cylinder center axis the surrounding wall being exactly vertical F02B23/0696
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0234 changing the valve timing only
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/02 on interior conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/025 by determining temperatures inside the cylinder, e.g. combustion temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/028 by determining the combustion timing or phasing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A control system and method to dynamically determine a parametric value for combustion chamber deposits (CCD), e.g. in a controlled auto-ignition engine, including in-situ evaluation of thickness of CCD, based on a sensor which monitors combustion. It includes a temperature sensor operative to monitor the combustion chamber, and a CCD parameter that is based upon a peak combustion temperature measured at a crank angle. A CCD parameter can also be determined utilizing an in-cylinder pressure monitor, wherein a combustion chamber deposit parameter is based upon crank angle location of a peak in-cylinder pressure parameter.

Claims

1. Control system for an internal combustion engine, said engine comprising a spark-ignition, four-stroke, internal combustion engine including a variable volume combustion chamber defined by a piston reciprocating within a cylinder between top-dead-center and bottom-dead-center points and a cylinder head, said piston operably connected to a rotating crankshaft, said control system adapted to:

monitor a combustion parameter; and

,

determine a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control system adapted to monitor a combustion parameter comprises the control system signally connected to a temperature sensing device operative to monitor temperature of the combustion chamber.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the temperature sensing device operative to monitor temperature of the combustion chamber comprises a temperature sensing device operative to monitor temperature of a surface of the combustion chamber.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the control system adapted to determine a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter further comprises:

the control system signally connected to a crank sensor; and

,

the control system operable to determine the combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon an engine crank angle at which a peak combustion chamber temperature occurs during an engine cycle.

5. The control system of claim 2, wherein the control system adapted to determine a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter further comprises:

the control system signally connected to a pressure sensing device operative to determine an in-cylinder pressure parameter; and

,

the control system operable to determine the combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon a peak in-cylinder pressure parameter.

6. The control system of claim 5, further comprising:

the control system signally connected to a crank sensor; and

,

the control system operable to determine the combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon an engine crank angle at which the peak in-cylinder pressure parameter occurs during an engine cycle.

7. The control system of claim 5, wherein the pressure sensing device operative to determine an in-cylinder pressure parameter comprises an in-cylinder pressure sensor.

8. The control system of claim 5, wherein the pressure sensing device operative to determine an in-cylinder pressure parameter comprises a pressure sensor operatively connected to a spark-plug device.

9. The control system of claim 5, wherein the pressure sensing device operative to determine an in-cylinder pressure parameter comprises a spark-ionization sensing device.

10. Method for determining a combustion chamber deposit parameter for an engine, said engine comprising a spark-ignition, four-stroke, internal combustion engine including a variable volume combustion chamber defined by a piston reciprocating within a cylinder between top-dead-center and bottom-dead-center points and a cylinder head, said piston operably connected to a rotating crankshaft monitored by a crank sensor, the method comprising:

monitoring a combustion parameter; and

,

determining a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring the combustion parameter comprises monitoring a combustion chamber surface temperature and a related engine crank angle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter comprises:

determining magnitude of combustion chamber deposits based upon an engine crank angle at which a peak combustion chamber surface temperature occurs during an engine cycle.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring the combustion parameter further comprises:

monitoring a related engine crank angle;

determining an in-cylinder combustion pressure parameter during each engine cycle; and

,

determining the combustion pressure parameter based upon a peak in-cylinder pressure and the crank angle location of the peak in-cylinder pressure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the in-cylinder combustion pressure parameter comprises monitoring output of an in-cylinder pressure sensing device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the in-cylinder combustion pressure parameter comprises monitoring an in-cylinder spark ionization signal.

16. Method for determining a parameter for combustion chamber deposits of an internal combustion engine adapted to be operative in a controlled auto-ignition combustion mode, said engine comprising a spark-ignition, direct-injection, four-stroke, internal combustion engine including a variable volume combustion chamber defined by a piston reciprocating within a cylinder between top-dead-center and bottom-dead-center points and a cylinder head, said piston operably connected to a rotating crankshaft, the method comprising:

monitoring a combustion parameter; and

,

determining a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring the combustion parameter comprises monitoring a combustion chamber surface temperature and a related engine crank angle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining a combustion chamber deposit parameter based upon the combustion parameter comprises:

determining magnitude of combustion chamber deposits based upon an engine crank angle at which a peak combustion chamber surface temperature occurs during an engine cycle.

19. A method for operating a multi-cylinder direct-injection, four-stroke internal combustion engine capable of operating with a controlled auto-ignition process, comprising:

determining a parametric measure of combustion chamber deposits; and

,

controlling engine operation based upon the combustion chamber deposit parameter.