Signal Detection For Balancing Cylinders In A Motor Vehicle

• US 20160201585A1
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Reisinger, Martin, Eser, Gerhard, Heinitz, Dirk, Moser, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 10,047,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/288 for performing a transformation into the frequency domain, e.g. Fourier transformation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1012 Engine speed gradient
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0085 Balancing of cylinder outputs, e.g. speed, torque or air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness

Abstract

The present disclosure teaches method for balancing cylinders in a motor vehicle including an engine which has at least two cylinders. The method may include: determining a cycle period of a cycle of the engine and a number of cycles of the engine, determining a cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle indicative of acceleration of a crankshaft of the engine caused by the corresponding cylinder, carrying out a signal analysis for each cylinder value function, detecting an amplitude for each signal, forming an amplitude mean value for each cylinder, detecting irregular running of the engine on the basis of the amplitude mean values, and compensating for the detected irregular running of the engine.

Claims

1. A method for balancing cylinders in a motor vehicle

including an engine which has at least two cylinders, the method comprising:

determining a cycle period of a cycle of the engine and a number of cycles of the engine,

determining a cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle, wherein the cylinder value function is indicative of acceleration of a crankshaft of the engine, which is caused by the corresponding cylinder,

carrying out a signal analysis for each determined cylinder value function,

detecting an amplitude for each signal analysis which is carried out,

forming an amplitude mean value for each cylinder on the basis of the detected amplitudes of the respective cylinder,

detecting irregular running of the engine, on the basis of the amplitude mean values which are formed, and

compensating for the detected irregular running of the engine.

2. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determination of the cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle is carried out on the basis of an engine value function, wherein the engine value function is indicative of the acceleration of a crankshaft of the engine which is caused by all the cylinders.

3. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 2, wherein the engine value function is formed on the basis of the detection of values relating to an engine variable of the engine over a cycle time period.

4. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cylinder time period corresponds to a total duration of the number of cycles.

5. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the determination of the cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle is carried out on the basis of a corresponding subdivision of the engine value function.

6. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the signal analysis has a frequency analysis, preferably the spectral analysis of a Fourier transformation, preferably a Fast Fourier transformation.

7. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the cycle period is that time period which corresponds to a working cycle of the engine.

8. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the determination of the number of cycles is carried out on the basis of a prediction.

9. The method for balancing cylinders as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the compensation of the detected irregular running of the engine is carried out on the basis of an algorithm, preferably on the basis of a cylinder balancing algorithm, particularly preferably on the basis of

a cylinder balancing via engine roughness algorithm and/or a closed loop combustion control algorithm.

10. An internal combustion engine, comprising:

at least two cylinders driving a crankshaft, one rotation of the crankshaft defining a cycle of the engine;

a controller programmed to;

determine a cycle period of the cycle of the engine and a number of cycles of the engine,

determine a cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle, wherein the cylinder value function is indicative of acceleration of the crankshaft caused by the corresponding cylinder,

carry out a signal analysis for each determined cylinder value function,

detect an amplitude for each signal analysis which is carried out,

form an amplitude mean value for each cylinder on the basis of the detected amplitudes of the respective cylinder,

detect irregular running of the engine, on the basis of the amplitude mean values which are formed, and

compensate for the detected irregular running of the engine.

11. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the determination of the cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle is carried out on the basis of an engine value function, wherein the engine value function is indicative of the acceleration of a crankshaft of the engine which is caused by all the cylinders.

12. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the engine value function is formed on the basis of the detection of values relating to an engine variable of the engine over a cycle time period.

13. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cylinder time period corresponds to a total duration of the number of cycles.

14. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the determination of the cylinder value function for each cylinder of the engine for each cycle is carried out on the basis of a corresponding subdivision of the engine value function.

15. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal analysis has a frequency analysis, preferably the spectral analysis of a Fourier transformation, preferably a Fast Fourier transformation.

16. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cycle period is that time period which corresponds to a working cycle of the engine.

17. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the determination of the number of cycles is carried out on the basis of a prediction.

18. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the compensation of the detected irregular running of the engine is carried out on the basis of an algorithm, on the basis of a cylinder balancing algorithm, or on the basis of a cylinder balancing via engine roughness algorithm and/or a closed loop combustion control algorithm.