Method and arrangement for controlling a self-igniting internal combustion engine

• US 5,131,371 A
• Filed: 09/07/1990
• Issued: 07/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Birk, Manfred, Zimmermann, Werner, Piwonka, Fridolin, Engel, Gerhard, Locher, Johannes, Polach, Wilhelm, Laufer, Helmut, Eblen, Ewald, Wahl, Josef, Grieshaber, Hermann, Schmitt, Alfred, Tauscher, Joachim, Karle, Anton, Lauvin, Pierre, Flaig, Ulrich, Loffler, Alf, Kull, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US07/578,620
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 123/436, 123/435, 123/458, 123/489
• US Class Current: 123/436
• 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 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/32 Air-fuel ratio control in a diesel engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0085 Balancing of cylinder outputs, e.g. speed, torque or air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2432 Methods of calibration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2438 Active learning methods
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2441 characterised by the learning conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2451 characterised by what is learned or calibrated
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2467 for injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/38 of the high pressure type

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method and arrangement for controlling a self-igniting internal combustion engine. The arrangement includes at least one measured-value sensor, electronic control unit for forming a quantity signal for metering fuel, and a control unit for driving individual actuators for each cylinder. The actuators determine the quantity of fuel injected by the pump elements into the cylinders. Under specific conditions, a corrective unit is activated which determines corrective values specific to the cylinders for making the cylinders equal. The open-loop control unit applies the metering signal to the actuators in dependence upon the quantity signal and the corrective values.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a self-igniting internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and sensor means for measuring at least one of the variables including exhaust gas temperature, lambda value, engine speed and engine torque, an electronic closed-loop control unit for forming a quantity signal for metering fuel and an open-loop control unit for driving an actuator for a specific cylinder, the actuator determining the quantity of fuel injected by a pump element into a cylinder, the method comprising the steps of:

activating corrective means under specific conditions to make ready corrective vales specific to the cylinders for equalizing the cylinders;

sequentially reducing or interrupting the fuel metered to each one of the cylinders and measuring the reaction on the one variable measured by said sensor means to determine the amount by which the measured variable is reduced;

utilizing said corrective means to compute a corrective value for each one of said cylinders in dependence upon the amount determined for the cylinder;

permanently storing the corrective values; and

,

causing said open-loop control unit to charge said actuators with metering signals in dependence upon said quantity signal and said corrective values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said corrective means are activated at the end of the assembly line of the engine manufacturer in specific intervals and/or at selected steady-state operating points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective values are computed in dependence upon at least one of the variables exhaust gas temperature, lambda value, engine speed and engine torque.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective value for each cylinder is computed from an increase of the time duration DZ of the metering signals of the remaining cylinders which is necessary in order to obtain the measured value which is given ahead of the reduction of the fuel metered to each cylinder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective values are determined at different operating points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective values are stored in dependence upon load and engine speed.

7. An arrangement for controlling a self-igniting internal combustion engine, the arrangement comprising:

sensor means for measuring at least one of the variables including exhaust gas temperature, lambda value, engine speed and engine torque;

an electronic closed-loop control unit for forming a quantity signal for metering fuel to the engine;

a plurality of pump elements for pumping the fuel to be metered to said cylinders;

a plurality of actuators for determining the quantity of fuel to be injected into respective ones of said cylinders by corresponding ones of said pump elements;

an open-loop control for sequentially cylinder-specifically driving individual ones of said actuators for sequentially reducing or interrupting the fuel metered to each one of the cylinders;

corrective means for making available cylinder-specific corrective values;

said corrective means being adapted to measure the reaction on said one variable to determine the amount by which the measured variable is reduced for each one of said cylinders and then determine the corrective value for each one of said cylinders in dependence upon said amount;

said corrective means including torque means for permanently storing said values;

activating means for activating said corrective means under specific conditions; and

,

said open-loop control unit being adapted to charge said actuators with respective metering signals in dependence upon said quantity signal and said corrective values.