Engine misfire or roughness detection method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine;
obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine,wherein the first and second signals are derived, at least in part, from magnetostrictive sensing means; and
comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for comparing torsional stress/strain states of a power transmitting member of an internal combustion engine to detect an abnormal combustion condition, including misfire or roughness. A first signal is obtained relating to the torsional stress in the member produced by a first combustion event or series of events. A second signal is obtained which relates to the torsional stress in the member produced by a second combustion event or series of events. The first and second signals are compared to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine. A magnetostrictive sensor may preferably be used to obtain the signals relating to the torsional stress in the power transmitting member, such as the engine crankshaft.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine, wherein the first and second signals are derived, at least in part, from magnetostrictive sensing means; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for detecting a torque producing event in a power transmitting member which experiences a series of torque producing events, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one torque producing event experienced by the power transmitting member; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one torque producing event experienced by the power transmitting member, wherein the first and second signals are derived, at least in part, from magnetostrictive sensing; and comparing said first signal to said second signal to detect the torque producing event. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for detecting an abnormal combustion event, such as a misfire or roughness, in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a first signal and a second signal, said first signal being related to stress in the member produced by a first at least one combustion event, said second signal being related to stress in the member produced by a second at least one combustion event, wherein at least part of the signal obtaining means comprises a magnetostrictive sensor; and processing means for comparing said first and second signals to detect the abnormal combustion event. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event, such as a misfire or roughness, in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining at least one first pair of signals from an at least one first pair of successive combustion events, each signal related, at least in part via magnetostriction to the torsional stress in the member produced by a respective one of the combustion events; calculating a difference between each signal in the at least one first pair of signals; obtaining a second pair of signals from a second pair of successive combustion events, each signal related, at least in part via magnetostriction to the torsional stress in the member produced by a respective one of the second pair of successive combustion events; calculating a difference between each signal in the second pair of signals; and comparing the difference between the at least one first pair of signals to the difference between the second pair of signals to detect an abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A method of detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the steps of; sensing a signal produced by a peak portion of said first at least one combustion event; sensing a signal produced by a non-peak portion of said first at least one combustion event to produce a reference signal; and subtracting one of said non-peak reference signal and said peak signal from the other to produce said first signal. - View Dependent Claims (64)
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65. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the step of obtaining a series of signals produced by a series of combustion events of a first combustion chamber in the internal combustion engine, and wherein said step of comparing said first and second signals comprises the steps of; calculating a mean and a standard deviation from said first signal series, and comparing the difference between said second signal and said mean to a multiple of said standard deviation.
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66. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the step of obtaining a series of signals produced by a series of combustion events of a first combustion chamber in the internal combustion engine, and wherein said step of comparing said first and second signals comprises the steps of; calculating a mean and a variance from said first signal series, and comparing a square of a difference between said second signal and said mean to a multiple of said variance.
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67. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the step of obtaining a series of signals produced by a series of combustion events of a first combustion chamber in the internal combustion engine, and the steps of calculating a scale value from a maximum value and a minimum value of said series of combustion events, and wherein said step of comparing said first and second signals comprises the step of calculating a ratio between said second and first signals.
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68. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine, and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from a maximum value and a minimum value from a first series of combustion events for a combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress in the member produced by said combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said first signal; and
wherein said step of obtaining said second signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from a maximum value and a minimum value from a second series of combustion events for said combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress produced by said combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said second signal.
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69. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from a maximum value and a minimum value from a first series of combustion events for a first combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress in the member produced by said first combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said first signal; and
wherein said step of obtaining said second signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from a maximum value and a minimum value from a second series of combustion events for a second combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress produced by a second combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said second signal.
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70. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from a series of peak values and non-peak values obtained at predetermined times from a first series of combustion events for a combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress in the member produced by said combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said first signal; and
wherein said step of obtaining said second signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from a series of peak values and a non-peak values at predetermined times from a second series of combustion events for said combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress produced by said combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said second signal.
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71. A method for detecting an abnormal combustion event in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; obtaining a second signal related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event in the internal combustion engine; and comparing said first stress related signal to said second stress related signal to detect the abnormal combustion event in the operation of the engine, wherein said step of obtaining said first signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from peak values and non-peak values obtained at predetermined points from a first series of combustion events for a first combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress in the member produced by said first combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said first signal; and
wherein said step of obtaining said second signal comprises the steps of calculating a scale value from peak values and non-peak values at predetermined points from a second series of combustion events for a second combustion chamber, and calculating a ratio between a current signal related to the stress produced by a second combustion chamber and the scale value to generate said second signal.
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72. As apparatus for detecting an abnormal combustion event, such as a misfire or roughness, in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a first signal and a second signal from the power transmitting member, said first signal being related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event, said second signal being related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event; and processing means for comparing said first and second signals to detect the abnormal combustion event wherein said processing means comprises an electronic microprocessor operating under stored program control, wherein said processing means includes means for dividing said first and second signals to calculate a ratio value, for comparing said ratio value to a first threshold to detect misfire, and for comparing said ratio value to a second threshold to detect roughness.
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73. An apparatus for detecting an abnormal combustion event, such as a misfire or roughness, in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a first signal and a second signal from the power transmitting member, said first signal being related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event, said second signal being related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event; and processing means for comparing said first and second signals to detect the abnormal combustion event wherein said processing means comprises an electronic microprocessor operating under stored program control, wherein said processing means includes means for calculating a mean and a standard deviation from a series of said first signals, and for comparing a difference between said second signal and said mean to a multiple of said standard deviation.
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74. An apparatus for detecting an abnormal combustion event, such as a misfire or roughness, in an internal combustion engine which produces a series of combustion events and which is coupled to a power transmitting member, said apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a first signal and a second signal from the power transmitting member, said first signal being related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a first at least one combustion event, said second signal being related to stress in the power transmitting member produced by a second at least one combustion event; and processing means for comparing said first and second signals to detect the abnormal combustion event wherein said processing means comprise an electronic microprocessor operating under stored program control, wherein said processing means includes means for calculating a mean and a variance from a series of said first signals, and for comparing a square of a difference between said second signal and said mean to a multiple of said variance.
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Specification