Method for the automatic adjustment of the ignition initiation control time in an internal combustion engine

• US 4,549,513 A
• Filed: 09/20/1982
• Issued: 10/29/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1978
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole (IFP Energies Nouvelles)
• Original Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole (IFP Energies Nouvelles)
• Inventors: Rialan, Joseph, Douaud, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Cox, Ronald B.
• Application Number:
  US06/420,553
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 123/425, 123/435, 123/488, 123/426
• US Class Current: 123/406.22
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1455 by using a second control of the closed loop type dependent on pinking F02P5/152
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method is provided for the automatic control of the ignition time in a spark ignition engine or the injection time in a compression-ignition engine wherein at least one typical phenomenon of the running conditions of the engine, such as the occurrence of the peak pressure in the cylinder within a certain angular interval of the crankshaft, or the passage of the flame front through a reference position of the combustion chamber is detected, and the detected measurements have an aleatory character. This method comprises the determination of a statistical value representative of at least P validated measurements, of said phenomenon occurring during at most Q cycles, and the use of said statistical value to modify the control time of the combustion initiation so that said statistical value takes a predetermined value corresponding to the desired running conditions.

Claims

1. An improved method for the automatic control and regulation of the time of combustion initiation in an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft and comprising at least one cylinder provided with means for identifying the angular positions of the drive shaft corresponding to the occurrence of at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions when said event and its detection has an aleatory character, the improvement comprising, for said at least one cylinder, measuring the angular position of the drive shaft at the moment at which said event occurs to obtain a number P of validated measurements, then, when at least a number P of validated measurements has been obtained during a number of cycles at most equal to a predetermined value Q, determining a statistical angular value representative of the validated measurements and, from said statistical value, generating and transmitting to the control means a signal representative of a modified value of the time of combustion initiation, so that said statistical value is equal to a predetermined value V, and wherein the value of P, Q and V is a value determined from at least one parameter having an effect on the engine running conditions.

12. A method according to claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 applied to a spark-ignition engine provided with knock sensing means, and comprising, upon occurrence of the knock, imperatively modifying the ignition advance, at least in the cylinder where the knock has been detected, in order to eliminate the knock.

16. A method according to claim 12 characterized in that the event characteristic of the running conditions of the engine is the passage of the flame front through a reference position of the combustion chamber.

2. An improved method for the automatic control and regulation of the time of combustion initiation in an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft and comprising several cylinders at least one of which being provided with means for identifying the angular positions of the drive shaft corresponding to the occurrence of at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions when said event and its detection has an aleatory character, the improvement comprising, for said at least one cylinder, measuring the angular position of the drive shaft at the moment at which said event occurs, to obtain a number P of validated measurements, then, when at least a number P of validated measurements has been obtained during a number of cycles at most equal to a predetermined value Q, determining a statistical angular value representative of the validated measurements, and, from said statistical value, generating and transmitting to the control means a signal representative of a modified value of the time of combustion initiation, so that said statistical value is equal to a predetermined value V, and wherein the values of P, Q and V are one of a fixed value, or a value determined from at least one parameter having an effect on the engine running conditions, and further comprising using the statistical value generated from the measurements effected on said cylinder to determine the modified value of the time of combustion initiation in at least another cylinder not equipped with the means for detecting said event or for which the number of validated measurements of said event has been lower than P during Q cycles.

3. An improved method for the automatic control and regulation of the time of combustion initiation in an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft and comprising several cylinders, at least two of which are equipped with detection means for identifying the angular positions of the drive shaft corresponding to the occurrence of at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions when said event and its detection has an aleatory character, the improvement comprising, for each cylinder equipped with the detection means, measuring the angular position of the drive shaft at the moment at which said event occurs to obtain a number P of validated measurements, then, when at least a number P of validated measurements has been obtained during a number of cycles at most equal to a predetermined value Q, determining a statistical angular value representative of the validated measurements, and, from said statistical value, generating and transmitting to the control means a signal representative of a modified value of the time of combustion initiation, so that said statistical value is equal to a predetermined value V, and wherein the values of P, Q and V are one of a fixed value, or a value determined from at least one parameter having an effect on the engine running conditions, and further comprising using one of the said statistical values to determine the modified value of the time of the combustion initiation in the cylinders not equipped with the means for detecting said event or for which the number of validated measurements of said event has been lower than P during Q cycles, and still further comprising when, in each of the cylinders equipped with detection means, the number of validated measurements of said event characteristic of the running conditions of the engine is lower than P during Q cycles, the time of the combustion initiation is given a preselected value or a value determined in relation with the value taken by at least one parameter affecting the operation of the engine, comprising the running speed of the engine, the charge of the engine, a temperature or a pressure measurable on the engine, the nature of the fuel or an external parameter comprising the position of the accelerator.

4. An improved method for the automatic control and regulation of the time of combustion initiation in an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft and comprising at least one cylinder provided with means for identifying the angular positions of the drive shaft corresponding to the occurrence of at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions when said event and its detection has an aleatory character, and comprising, for said at least one cylinder, measuring the angular position of the drive shaft at the moment at which said event occurs to obtain a number P of validated measurements, then, when at least a number P of validated measurements has been obtained during a number of cycles at most equal to a predetermined value Q, determining a statistical angular value representative of the validated measurements, and, from said statistical value, generating and transmitting to the control means a signal representative of a modified value of the time of combustion initiation, so that said statistical value is equal to a predetermined value V, and wherein said predetermined value V, the number P or the number Q are values depending on at least one parameter having an effect on the engine running conditions, said parameter being one of the running speed, the charge, the noise, the pollutant content of the exhaust gases, the nature of the fuel, and the temperature of the engine.

9. A method according to claim 4, applied to an engine comprising several cylinders, at least two of which are equipped with detection means, comprising using the statistical value elaborated for at least one of the cylinders equipped with the detection means for controlling the combustion initiation time in another cylinder, said another cylinder being one of a cylinder not equipped with detection means or for which the number of validated measurements of said phenomenon has been lower than P during Q cycles.

13. A method according to claim 4, applied to a spark-ignition engine provided with knock sensing means and comprising, upon occurrence of the knock, imperatively modifying the ignition advance, at least in the cylinder where the knock has been detected, in order to eliminate the knock.

15. A method according to claim 4 wherein said at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions is one of the maximum pressure in the cylinder or the passage of the flame front through a reference position in the combustion chamber.

5. An improved method for the automatic control and regulation of the time of combustion initiation in an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft and comprising at least one cylinder provided with means for identifying the angular positions of the drive shaft corresponding to the occurrence of at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions when said event and its detection has an aleatory character, and comprising, for said at least one cylinder, measuring the angular position of the drive shaft at the moment at which said event occurs to obtain a number P of validated measurements, then, when at least a number P of validated measurements has been obtained during a number of cycles at most equal to a predetermined value Q, determining a statistical angular value representative of the validated measurements, and, from said statistical value, generating and transmitting to the control means a signal representative of a modified value of the time of combustion initiation, so that said statistical value is equal to a predetermined value V, and when, in each of the cylinders equipped with detection means, the number of validated measurements of said event characteristic of the running conditions of the engine is lower than P during Q cycles, the time of combustion initiation is given a preselected value.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said preselected value of the time of combustion initiation is determined in relation with the value taken by at least one parameter affecting the operation of the engine, said at least one parameter being the running speed of the engine, the charge of the engine, a temperature or a pressure measurable on the engine, the nature of the fuel or an external parameter comprising the position of the accelerator.

8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the phenomenon characteristic of the running conditions of the engine is the maximum pressure in the cylinders.

10. A method according to claim 5, applied to an engine comprising several cylinders, at least two of which are equipped with detection means, comprising using the statistical value elaborated for at least one of the cylinders equipped with the detection means for controlling the combustion initiation time in another cylinder, said another cylinder being one of a cylinder not equipped with detection means or for which the number of validated measurements of said phenomenon has been lower than P during Q cycles.

11. A method according to claims 4, 5, 9 or 10, characterized in that the phenomenon characteristic of the running conditions of the engine is the passage of the flame front through a reference position of the combustion chamber.

14. A method according to claim 5, applied to a spark-ignition engine provided with knock sensing means and comprising, upon occurrence of the knock, imperatively modifying the ignition advance, at least in the cylinder where the knock has been detected, in order to eliminate the knock.

6. An improved method for the automatic control and regulation of the time of combustion initiation in an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft and comprising at least one cylinder provided with means for identifying the angular position of the drive shaft corresponding to the occurrence of at least one event characteristic of the engine running conditions when said event and its detection has an aleatory character, and comprising, for said at least one cylinder, measuring the angular position of the drive shaft at the moment at which said event occurs to obtain a number P of validated measurements, then, when at least a number P of validated measurements has been obtained during a number of cycles at most equal to a predetermined value Q, determining a statistical angular value representative of the validated measurements, and, from said statistical value, generating and transmitting to the control means a signal representative of a modified value of the time of combustion initiation, so that said statistical value is equal to a predetermined value V, and wherein said value V, the number P or the number Q is a fixed value, and said method being applied to an engine comprising several cylinders, at least two of which are equipped with detection means, and comprising using the statistical value elaborated for at least one of the cylinders equipped with the detection means for controlling the combustion initiation time in another cylinder, said another cylinder being one of a cylinder not equipped with detection means or for which the number of validated measurements of said event has been lower than P during Q cycles.