Fuel system having variable waveform based on operator objective

• US 20070199545A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: McGee, Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/647,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199545A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/480
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/402 Multiple injections
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/403 with pilot injections
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/405 with post injections
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 63/0225 Fuel-injection apparatus having a common rail feeding several injectors F02M63/0003 takes precedence; Means for varying pressure in common rails; Pumps feeding common rails
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A fuel control system for an engine having at least one combustion chamber is disclosed. The fuel control system has a source of pressurized fluid, a fuel injecting device, and a controller in communication with the fuel injecting device. The fuel injecting device receives the pressurized fluid and injects fuel into the combustion chamber of the engine in response to a fuel injection command signal. The controller receives an input indicative of an operator desired objective and selects a set of data corresponding to the operator desired objective from a plurality of sets of data stored within a memory of the controller. The controller then determines the fuel injection command signal from the selected set of data and at least one current operating condition of the engine.

Claims

1. A fuel control system for an engine having a combustion chamber, the fuel control system comprising:

a source of pressurized fluid;

a fuel injecting device configured to receive the pressurized fluid and inject fuel into the combustion chamber of the engine in response to a fuel injection command signal; and

a controller in communication with the fuel injecting device, the controller being configured to;

receive an input indicative of an operator desired objective;

select a set of data corresponding to the operator desired objective from a plurality of sets of data stored within a memory of the controller; and

determine the fuel injection command signal from the selected set of data and at least one current operating condition of the engine.

2. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the input includes a manually selectable software configuration.

3. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the input is received via an input device manually movable between a plurality of positions, each of the plurality of positions corresponding to a predetermined operator desired objective.

4. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sets of data corresponds with a different predetermined operator desired objective.

5. The fuel control system of claim 4, wherein:

one of the plurality of sets of data corresponds with a low exhaust emission objective;

one of the plurality of sets of data corresponds with a noise abatement objective; and

one of the plurality of sets of data corresponds with a fuel economy objective.

6. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the fuel delivery signal by determining a number of injection pulses during a single injection event.

7. The fuel control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine the fuel delivery signal by also determining the duration of each fuel injection pulse during a multi-pulse injection event, and a delay between each of the injection pulses.

8. The fuel control system of claim 1, wherein each set of data includes at least one of a fuel timing map, a torque limit map, and a smoke limit map.

9. The fuel control system of claim 8, wherein each set of data also includes a relationship map relating at least a pressure of fluid delivered to the fuel injecting device, a total fuel quantity delivered during a single injection event, and a main injection pulse duration.

10. A method of operating a fuel control system, comprising:

pressurizing a fluid and directing the pressurized fluid to a fuel injecting device;

receiving an input indicative of an operator desired objective;

selecting a set of data corresponding to the operator desired objective from a plurality of sets of data;

determining a fuel delivery characteristic from the selected set of data and at least one current operating condition of an engine;

generating an injection command signal indicative of the fuel delivery characteristic; and

sending the injection command signal to the fuel injecting device.