ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20170241362A1
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Beerens, Christoph
• Application Number:
  US15/439,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20170241362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/04 for electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/085 with sensors measuring combustion processes, e.g. knocking, pressure, ionization, combustion flame
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/281 between sensors and control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/14 Power supply for engine control systems
• 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 41/28 Interface circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An engine control system for an internal combustion engine may include at least one energy harvesting module with at least one energy converter and at least one energy module for transmitting electric energy, and at least one sensor for detecting a physical or chemical measurement quantity on or in an engine component. The engine control system may also include a microcontroller connected to the sensor and the radio module and for processing the measurement quantity, a radio module for a wireless transmission of the measurement quantity to a radio receiver, and an engine control unit connected to the radio receiver and configured to evaluate incoming measurement quantities from the radio module, process the incoming measurement quantities into control signals, and transmit the control signals to the internal combustion engine for protecting the engine component. The energy module may be connected at least to the microcontroller and the radio module.

Claims

1. An engine control system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

at least one energy harvesting module with at least one energy converter and at least one energy module for transmitting electric energy;

at least one sensor for detecting one of a physical and a chemical measurement quantity one of on and in an engine component of the internal combustion engine;

a microcontroller for processing the detected measurement quantity;

a radio module for a wireless transmission of the measurement quantity processed by the microcontroller to a radio receiver; and

an engine control unit communicatingly connected to the radio receiver, the engine control unit configured to evaluate incoming measurement quantities from the radio module, process the incoming measurement quantities into control signals, and transmit the control signals to the internal combustion engine for protecting the engine component;

wherein the microcontroller is communicatingly connected to the sensor and the radio module, and the energy module.

2. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is arranged in one of a piston, a valve, an engine block, a bearing, a camshaft and a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine.

3. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is designed for detecting at least one of a temperature, a force, and a pressure.

4. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the energy module is designed for smoothing an electric voltage received from the at least one energy converter.

5. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one energy converter is designed for converting at least one of temperature, vibrations, flows, and pressure into electric energy.

6. The engine control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the at least one sensor, the at least one energy converter, the at least one energy module, the microcontroller and the radio module are wire-based in that the engine control unit and the radio receiver are wire-based; and

the engine control unit and the radio reciever are wire-based.

12. The engine control system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is designed for detecting at least one of a temperature, a force, and a pressure.

13. The engine control system according to claim 2, wherein the energy module is designed for smoothing an electric voltage received from the at least one energy converter.

14. The engine control system according to claim 3, wherein the energy module is designed for smoothing an electric voltage received from the at least one energy converter.

15. The engine control system according to 2, wherein the at least one energy converter is designed for converting at least one of temperature, vibrations, flows, and pressure into electric energy.

16. The engine control system according to 3, wherein the at least one energy converter is designed for converting at least one of temperature, vibrations, flows, and pressure into electric energy.

17. The engine control system according to 4, wherein the at least one energy converter is designed for converting at least one of temperature, vibrations, flows, and pressure into electric energy.

18. The engine control system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of:

the at least one sensor, the at least one energy converter, the at least one energy module, the microcontroller, and the radio module are wire-based; and

the engine control unit and the radio receiver are wire-based.

19. The engine control system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of:

the at least one sensor, the at least one energy converter, the at least one energy module, the microcontroller, and the radio module are wire-based; and

the engine control unit and the radio receiver are wire-based.

20. The engine control system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of:

the at least one sensor, the at least one energy converter, the at least one energy module, the microcontroller, and the radio module are wire-based; and

the engine control unit and the radio receiver are wire-based.

7. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine control system having:

at least one energy harvesting module with at least one energy converter and at least one energy module for transmitting electric energy;

at least one sensor for detecting one of a physical and a chemical measurement quantity one of on and in an engine component of the internal combustion engine;

a microcontroller for processing the detected measurement quantity;

a radio module for a wireless transmission of the measurement quantity processed by the microcontroller to a radio receiver; and

an engine control unit communicatingly connected to the radio receiver, the engine control unit configured to evaluate incoming measurement quantities from the radio module, process the incoming measurement quantities into control signals, and transmit the control signals to the internal combustion engine for protecting the engine component;

wherein the microcontroller is communicatingly connected to the sensor and the radio module, and the energy module is connected at least to the microcontroller and the radio module.

8. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having an engine control system, comprising:

converting, via at least one energy converter of an energy harvesting module of the engine control system, heat, force, vibrations, and flows of the internal combustion engine into electric energy;

transmitting, via the at least one energy converter, the electric energy into an energy module of the energy harvesting module;

supplying, via the energy module, a microcontroller and a radio module of the engine control system with the electric energy

detecting, via at least one sensor, one of a physical and a chemical measurement quantity one of on and in an engine component of the internal combustion engine;

transmitting the the detected measurement quantity to the microcontroller;

processing, via the microcontroller, the detected measurement quantity;

transmitting the processed measurement quantity to the radio module;

wirelessly transmitting, via the radial module, the processed measurement quantity to a radio receiver;

passing, via the radio receiver, the processed measurement quantity onto an engine control unit of the engine control system;

evaluating, via the engine control unit, the processed measurement quantity;

processing, via the engine control unit, the processed measurement quantity into a control signal; and

transmitting, via the engine control unit the control signal, as a function of the measurement quantity, to the internal combustion engine for protecting the engine component;

wherein the engine control unit is communicatingly connected to the radio receiver, the microcontroller is communicatingly connected to the sensor and the radio module, and the energy module is connected at least to the microcontroller and the radio module.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor detects at least one of a temperature, a force, and a pressure.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising smoothing, via the energy module, the electric energy received from the energy converter.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising smoothing, via the energy module, the electric energy received from the energy converter.