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Method and apparatus for optimum control of internal combustion engines

  • US 4,479,476 A
  • Filed: 01/20/1982
  • Issued: 10/30/1984
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1981
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a method for optimum control of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of changing an air-fuel ratio alternately to richer and leaner directions with respect to a basic air-fuel ratio by a dither quantity during a dither period, operating said engine by supplying said engine with a mixture of the changed air-fuel ratio, detecting a resultant change in an output of said engine, deciding the direction of a change of the air-fuel ratio toward an optimum air-fuel ratio on the basis of the result of said detection, and modifying the basic air-fuel ratio in the direction of said change toward an optimum air-fuel ratio on the basis of the result of said decision, thereby optimizing fuel consumption of said engine;

  • wherein said optimum control method further comprises the steps of detecting an operating state of said engine and producing signals associated with the operating state of said engine including a rotational speed of said engine which is used to detect the change in the output of said engine in accordance with a change therein, and changing at least one of said dither period and dither quantity in accordance with said signals, and wherein the changing of the air-fuel ratio is effected by dithering an air supply quantity to said engine, and the modifying of the basic air-fuel ratio is effected by modifying a basic fuel supply quantity to said engine in the direction of improving the output of said engine, and wherein the direction of the change in the output of said engine is decided in accordance with the relation between the engine rotational speeds detected at the dithering of the air supply quantity to said engine on a first basic fuel supply quantity to said engine and those detected at the dithering of the air supply quantity to said engine on a second basic fuel supply quantity to said engine.

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