INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20190032589A1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INNIO Jenbacher GmbH & Co.,OG.
• Original Assignee: GE Jenbacher GmbH & Company OHG (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: FROHLICH, Moritz, HUBER, Johannes, SCHAUMBERGER, Herbert, ZOGGELER, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 10,570,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 19/1004 details of combustion chamber, e.g. mounting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/224 Diagnosis of the fuel system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/021 using an ionic current sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/027 using knock sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0027 the fuel being gaseous non-electrical control F02D19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/008 Controlling each cylinder individually
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1446 the characteristics being exhaust temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1454 the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/12 Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 2017/125 Measuring ionisation of combustion gas, e.g. by using ignition circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Internal combustion engine (1) with a controller (2) and at least one combustion chamber (3) and an at least one ignition amplifier (4) associated with the combustion chamber (3), whereby the at least one combustion chamber (3), on the one hand via a feeding device (5) for a fuel-air mixture, can be supplied with energy, and on the other hand can be supplied with energy by the associated ignition amplifier (4), whereby the controller (2) is designed to change the excess-air ratio (λ) of the fuel-air mixture in a detection mode for the at least one combustion chamber (3), and at least one sensor (6) is provided, whose signals can be supplied to the controller (2) and whose signals are characteristic of the combustion event in at least one combustion chamber (3) and that the controller (2) is designed such that, depending on the signals supplied by at least one sensor (6), a representative detection signal is generated associated with a status of the at least one ignition amplifier (4) associated with at least one combustion chamber (3).

Claims

1. Internal combustion engine comprising:

a controller;

at least one combustion chamber;

at least one sensor operable to produce signals supplied to the controller; and

at least one ignition amplifier associated with the combustion chamber;

wherein the at least one combustion chamber via a feeding device for a fuel-air mixture is supplied with energy, or is supplied with energy by the at least one ignition amplifier;

wherein the controller changes an excess-air ratio of the fuel-air mixture in a detection mode for the at least one combustion chamber;

wherein the at least one sensor produces signals characteristic of a combustion event in the at least one combustion chamber; and

wherein the controller, depending on the signals supplied by at least one sensor, generates a representative detection signal associated with a status of the at least one ignition amplifier associated with the at least one combustion chamber.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ignition amplifier is designed as a spark plug.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ignition amplifier has an insertion device for fuel or a fuel-air mixture and is operable as a prechamber or injector for a liquid fuel.

4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the controller controls the at least one ignition amplifier in detection mode for introducing an unchanged quantity of energy into the at least one combustion chamber.

5. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the controller changes a charge-air pressure of the at least one combustion chamber via the fuel-air mixture supplied to a feeding device, to effect compensation the changed excess-air ratio of the fuel-air mixture on the at least one combustion chamber via the energy supplied to the feeding device.

6. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the controller increases the excess-air ratio in detection mode.

7. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, whereby the controller is designed to reduce the excess-air ratio in detection mode.

8. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the controller detects, in detection mode, whether a change in a combustion event caused by the fuel-air mixture with a changed excess-air ratio reaches or exceeds a threshold value.

9. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the controller detects, in detection mode, whether a gradient of a change in a combustion event caused by the fuel-air mixture with a changed excess-air ratio reaches or exceeds a threshold value.

10. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein at least two combustion chambers are provided, each of which is associated with an ignition amplifier, wherein each of the at least two combustion chambers is associated with the sensor generating signals fed to the controller and which signals are characteristic of a combustion event in the associated combustion chamber.

11. The internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the controller compares the signals of the at least two combustion chambers in detection mode and determines in which of the at least two combustion chambers a greater change has occurred in response to the change in the excess-air ratio.

12. The internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein at least three combustion chambers are provided, each of which is associated with an ignition amplifier, wherein each of the at least two combustion chambers is associated with the sensor generating signals fed to the controller and which signals are characteristic of a combustion event in the associated combustion chamber, and wherein the controller detects in which of the at least three combustion chambers a greatest change has occurred relative to a predetermined statistical characteristic value.

13. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine has a plurality of combustion chambers with associated ignition amplifiers and the controller selectively changes, in detection mode for one or more combustion chambers, the excess-air ratio and generates the detection signal.

14. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the sensor generates signals characteristic of a combustion event in the at least one combustion chamber, and detects a lowering of an exhaust-gas temperature of the at least one combustion chamber or a deterioration in running smoothness.

15. A method for checking a status of an ignition amplifier associated with at least one combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

for the at least one combustion chamber, changing the excess-air ratio of a fuel-air mixture; and

inferring as a function of a characteristic signal for a combustion event in the at least one combustion chamber, the status of the ignition amplifier associated with the at least one combustion chamber.