Motor vehicle magagement and control system including solenoid actuated fuel injection timing control

• US 5,121,324 A
• Filed: 12/21/1989
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MACK Trucks Incorporated (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: MACK Trucks Incorporated (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Marsden, James E., Rini, Guy T., Younessi, Ramin, Kolarik, Oldrich S., Ruffner, Dolyn P., Warner, June M., Heffner, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US07/454,269
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 364/431.01, 364/431.03, 364/431.04, 364/431.05, 364/431.07, 364/424.1, 364/424.01, 364/426.04, 123/500-503, 123/357, 123/349, 123/350, 123/351
• US Class Current: 701/105
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 1/183 hydraulic
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/226 Fail safe control for fuel injection pump
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/401 Controlling injection timing F02D41/402 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/408 of the distributing type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

An electronic integrated engine and vehicle management and control system includes an electronic vehicle control module and a fuel injection control module, in communication with each other, which together control the total vehicle and engine operation functions of a heavy duty vehicle. A novel fuel injection timing device is utilized with the control module to allow precise and sophisticated control of engine timing based on a number of engine and vehicle operating parameters as determined by the control modules. Functions such as engine speed control, vehicle road speed control, engine protection shutdown, fuel economy, braking control and diagnostics are performed by the system.

Claims

1. A management and control system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

electronic vehicle control means for controlling operations of the vehicle and an engine mounted within said vehicle, including

means for receiving a timing event signal representing the injection of fuel into a specific cylinder of said engine from a fuel injection pump,

means for receiving an engine position signal representing a predetermined position of a piston of said specific cylinder relative to Top Dead Center (TDC) occurring after the detection of said timing event signal,

means for calculating engine timing as a function of the time difference between said engine position signal and said timing event signal,

means for calculating engine angular velocity as a function of the frequency of said engine position signals,

means for receiving a fuel quantity signal representing the amount of fuel being injected into the cylinders of said engine,

means for determining a desired engine timing as a function of said engine angular velocity and said received fuel quantity signal,

means for calculating the difference between said desired engine timing and said calculated engine timing,

means for developing a timing advance/retard signal proportional to said calculated difference for advancing or retarding the engine timing to reduce the difference between said desired and calculated engine timings to zero,

means for receiving an oil pressure signal representing the amount of engine oil pressure in said engine,

means for receiving a coolant level signal representing the amount of engine coolant in said engine,

means for receiving a coolant temperature signal representing the temperature of said engine coolant,

means for comparing said oil pressure, coolant level and coolant temperature signals with stored signal values indicating engine malfunction, generating an alarm signal warning an operator of possible engine damage at a first level of malfunction, and generating an engine shutdown signal for stopping operation of said engine at a second level of malfunction,

means for receiving a signal proportional to vehicle road speed and calculating the road speed of said vehicle,

means for storing a maximum vehicle road speed,

means for storing minimum and maximum engine speeds,

means for comparing said calculated road speed and engine angular velocity with said stored road and engine speeds,

means for developing a fuel quantity request signal for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to said engine to keep said road and engine speeds within said stored ranges,

means for calculating the deceleration rate of said vehicle,

means for receiving a service brake signal representing application of vehicle service brakes,

means for comparing said deceleration rate with said fuel quantity signal in the absence of said service brake signal and disengaging a cruise control function when the rate of deceleration exceeds a first value when fueling, and when the rate of deceleration exceeds a second value higher than said first value when not fueling,

means for calculating a ratio of engine speed-to-road speed,

means for storing a minimum engine speed-to road speed ratio, and

means for comparing said calculated ratio with said stored ratio, determining that the transmission of said vehicle has jumped out of gear when said calculated ratio is less than said stored ratio, and overriding said fuel quantity request signal, when said road speed is higher than said stored maximum road speed;

electronic fuel injection control means for controlling the injection of fuel into the cylinders of said engine, including

means for receiving an accelerator pedal position signal representing the position of an accelerator pedal of said vehicle indicating the road speed desired by an operator,

means for receiving an engine speed signal representing the angular velocity of said engine,

means for receiving a fuel rack position signal representing the position of a fuel rack on a fuel injection pump of said engine,

means for receiving said fuel quantity request signal from said electronic vehicle control means, and

means for developing a fuel rack actuation signal for controlling the position of said fuel rack to adjust the amount of fuel being injected into said cylinders, in response to the values of said accelerator pedal position signal, engine speed signal, fuel rack position signal, and fuel quantity request signal;

fuel injection timing means responsive to said timing advance/retard signal for modifying the timing of fuel injection into said cylinders relative to piston position from TDC; and

a serial data communication line interconnecting said electronic vehicle control means and said electronic fuel injection control means for transmitting digital data therebetween.

2. A management and control system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said serial data communication line conforms to SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) standards for such communication lines, said system further comprising:

a detection circuit for detecting the transmission of data on said serial data communication line, including

means for generating a clock pulse signal,

counter means for counting said clock pulse signals up to a predetermined count,

logic means connected to outputs of said counter means for providing a transmission enable signal and disabling clock pulse signal input when said counter means has reached said predetermined count, and

means for resetting said counter means when said serial data communication line is transmitting data.

3. A management and control system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a serial data connector coupled to said serial data communication line for interconnecting said serial data communication line with an external data processor to enable imputing of said maximum road speed, said minimum and maximum engine speeds, and values of other parameters used in calculations performed by said electronic vehicle control means.

4. A management and control system for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said fuel injection timing means comprises:

a cylindrical housing;

an annular outer shaft within said housing being driven by said engine;

a cylindrical inner shaft within said outer shaft being coupled to a camshaft of said fuel injection pump;

a splined sleeve coupling said outer shaft to said inner shaft and movable in an axial direction to change the phase angle of rotation between said outer and inner shafts; and

sleeve driving means responsive to said timing advance/retard signal for driving said splined sleeve in said axial direction for modifying the timing of fuel injection to correspond to said desired engine timing.

5. A management and control system for a motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said sleeve driving means comprises a solenoid valve assembly including a solenoid for receiving said timing advance/retard signal, a spool valve selectively movable by said solenoid when energized by said timing advance/retard signal, said spool valve controlling the amount of oil pressure applied to said splined sleeve which in turn controls the axial position of said splined sleeve relative to said outer and inner shafts.

6. A management and control system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

electronic vehicle control means for controlling operations of the vehicle and an engine mounted within said vehicle, including

means for receiving a signal proportional to vehicle road speed and calculating the road speed of said vehicle,

means for calculating the deceleration rate of said vehicle,

means for receiving a service brake signal representing application of vehicle service brakes, with a fuel quantity signal in the absence of said service brake signal and disengaging a cruise control function when the rate of deceleration exceeds a first value when fueling, and when the rate of deceleration exceeds a second value higher than said first value when not fueling,

means for calculating a ratio of engine speed-to-road speed,

means for storing a minimum engine speed-to road speed ratio, and

means for comparing said calculated ratio with said stored ratio, determining that the transmission of said vehicle has jumped out of gear when said calculated ratio is less than said stored ratio, and overriding a fuel quantity request signal, when said road speed is higher than said stored maximum road speed.

7. A fuel injection timing device for a fuel injection pump of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a cylindrical housing;

an annular outer shaft within said housing being driven by said engine;

a cylindrical inner shaft within said outer shaft being coupled to a camshaft of said fuel injection pump;

a splined sleeve coupling said outer shaft to said inner shaft and movable in an axial direction to change the phase angle of rotation between said outer and inner shafts; and

sleeve driving means responsive to a timing advance/retard signal for driving said splined sleeve in said axial direction for modifying the timing of fuel injection to correspond to a desired engine timing represented by said timing advance/retard signal.

8. A fuel injection timing device according to claim 7, wherein said sleeve driving means comprises a solenoid valve assembly including a solenoid for receiving said timing advance/retard signal, a spool valve selectively movable by said solenoid when energized by said timing advance/retard signal, said spool valve controlling the amount of oil pressure applied to said splined sleeve which in turn controls the axial position of said splined sleeve relative to said outer and inner shafts.