METHOD TO DETERMINE THE COMPOSITION OF A FUEL MIXTURE

• US 20080289405A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Heimgaertner, Corren, Ries-Mueller, Klaus, SCHENCK ZU SCHWEINSBERG, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.52
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/061 by controlling fuel injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/084 Blends of gasoline and alcohols, e.g. E85
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/088 by estimation, i.e. without using direct measurements of a corresponding sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0612 determined by estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1002 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2852 Alcohol in fuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

The invention concerns a method to determine the composition of a fuel mixture from a first and at least a second fuel for the operation of an internal combustion engine with at least one combustion chamber, wherein the first and the second fuel have different boiling points and/or different enthalpies of evaporation. Provision is thereby made for the composition of the fuel mixture to be ascertained from the pressure in the combustion chamber and/or a parameter associated with the pressure and/or the time history of the pressure and/or the time history of a parameter associated with the pressure during and/or after an injection of fuel during a compression phase of the fuel-air mixture. An advantage of the method according to the invention is that when initially starting the engine after filling the tank (fueling), the fuel mixture ratio, which resulted from the filling of the tank (fueling), can already hereby be determined.

Claims

1. A method of determining a composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and at least a second fuel for operation of an internal combustion engine having at least a combustion chamber, wherein the first fuel and at least the second fuel have different boiling points or different enthalpies of evaporation, the method comprising:

determining a pressure in the combustion chamber;

determining a parameter associated with the pressure in the combustion chamber;

determining a time history of the pressure in the combustion chamber;

determining a time history of a parameter associated with the pressure in the combustion chamber;

whereby the pressure and the parameter associated with the pressure and the time history of the pressure and the time history of a parameter associated with the pressure in the combustion chamber are determined during an injection of the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber or after an injection of the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber, wherein an injection of the fuel mixture occurs during a compression phase of a fuel-air mixture.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the composition of the fuel mixture from a torque of the internal combustion engine, a time history of the torque of the internal combustion engine, a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, the time history of the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising ascertaining the composition of the fuel mixture from a signal of a combustion chamber pressure sensor, a signal from a torque sensor, a signal from a knock sensor, from an engine rotational speed.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture composition is determined after a detected filing of a tank or when starting the internal combustion engine.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising dividing the injection of the fuel mixture into a plurality of injection pulses when determining the composition of the fuel mixture.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising injecting the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber containing pre-compressed air.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the composition of the fuel mixture during a pilot injection of the fuel mixture occurring during the compression phase, after a pilot injection of the fuel mixture occurring during the compression phase, after a main injection of the fuel mixture.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising igniting the fuel-air mixture resulting from the pilot injection, wherein the determination of the composition of the fuel mixture results from a pressure curve during a combustion cycle.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the composition of an unknown fuel mixture utilizing a plurality of reference parameters determined from a known fuel mixture, wherein the plurality of reference parameters include a pressure and a pressure curve and a parameter associated with the pressure of the known fuel mixture.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising determining the composition of the unknown fuel mixture with the aid of a signal of a lambda probe disposed in an exhaust duct of the internal combustion engine or by utilization of a fuel adaptation, wherein the fuel adaptation fittingly modifies a fuel quantity metered to the internal combustion engine.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing at least one parameter for a known fuel mixture composition during a defined operating condition of the internal combustion engine, wherein the at least one parameter includes a pressure or a pressure curve or a parameter associated with the pressure or a curve of the parameter associated with the pressure of the known fuel composition, whereby the at least one parameter is compared with an at least one parameter of an unknown fuel mixture for determination of a composition of the unknown fuel mixture.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising ascertaining the at least one stored parameter of the known fuel mixture and the unknown fuel mixture as a function of an angle of a crankshaft rotation or an engine rotational speed or an engine temperature or a fuel composition or an injected fuel quantity.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising initiating a detection of the composition of the fuel mixture during a start-up of the internal combustion engine after filling a tank, wherein a correction of a fuel quantity supplied to the internal combustion engine occurs during the initial start-up of the internal combustion engine.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein a detection of the composition of the fuel mixture occurs during an overrun phase of the internal combustion engine.

15. A method of using an internal combustion engine having at least a combustion chamber to determine a composition of a gasoline/ethanol fuel mixture, to distinguish between a diesel fuel and a biodiesel fuel, to distinguish between a winter fuel and a summer fuel, to determine a water content in ethanol, or to detect a filling of a tank with a wrong fuel added to a tank by the implementation of a method of determining a composition of a fuel mixture from a first fuel and at least a second fuel for the operation of an internal combustion engine having at least a combustion chamber, wherein the first fuel and at least a second fuel have different boiling points or different enthalpies of evaporation, the method comprising:

determining a pressure in the combustion chamber;

determining a parameter associated with the pressure in the combustion chamber;

determining a time history of the pressure in the combustion chamber;

determining a time history of a parameter associated with the pressure in the combustion chamber;

whereby the pressure and the parameter associated with the pressure and the time history of the pressure and the time history of a parameter associated with the pressure in the combustion chamber are determined during an injection of the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber or after an injection of the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber, wherein an injection of the fuel mixture occurs during a compression phase of a fuel-air mixture.