Air/fuel control with on-board emission measurement

• US 5,452,576 A
• Filed: 08/09/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Cook, Jeffrey A., Soltis, Richard E., Visser, Jacobus H., Logothetis, Eleftherios M., Hamburg, Douglas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US08/288,093
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 60/274, 60/276, 60/285
• US Class Current: 60/274
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1441 Plural sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1453 the characteristics being a CO content or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1456 with sensor output signal being linear or quasi-linear with the concentration of oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/146 the characteristics being an NOx content or concentration

Abstract

An engine air/fuel control system (8) and method for controlling an engine (28) coupled to a catalytic converter (50) and for providing a measurement of engine emissions (202-296). Nitrogen oxides concentration, hydrocarbon concentration, and carbon monoxide concentration of exhaust gases downstream of the converter are measured (46, 54, and 52). Each concentration measurement is averaged for the speed load cell in which such measurement occurred (244-256). Each concentration average measurement is converted to a measurement of mass emissions emitted during a test cycle (268-284). Fuel delivered to the engine is corrected by a feedback variable (104-134, 158-178) derived from both an exhaust gas oxygen sensor (44) positioned upstream of the converter and the three sensors positioned downstream of the converter (46, 52, 54). A measurement of emissions in response to the averaged mass measurements of emission concentration downstream of the converter is also provided (278-296).

Claims

1. An air/fuel control system for an engine having an exhaust coupled to a catalytic converter, comprising:

a first sensor positioned downstream of the converter for providing a first electrical signal related to concentration of nitrogen oxide in the exhaust;

a second sensor positioned downstream of the converter for providing a second electrical signal related to concentration of at least one exhaust by-product other than nitrogen oxides;

a fuel controller delivering fuel to the engine in relation to a feedback variable derived from said first and second electrical signals; and

said fuel controller providing a measurement of engine emissions in response to a conversion of said first signal from concentration of nitrogen oxides to mass of nitrogen oxides emitted and a conversion of said second signal from concentration of said exhaust by-product to mass of said exhaust by-product emitted.

2. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 1 wherein said second sensor detects concentration of hydrocarbons.

3. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 1 wherein said second sensor detects concentration of carbon monoxide.

4. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 1 wherein said second sensor detects concentration of hydrocarbons and further comprising a third sensor positioned downstream of the converter providing a third signal related to concentration of carbon monoxide and wherein said fuel controller is also responsive to said third signal for providing said emissions measurement.

5. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 4 wherein said fuel controller is further responsive to said third signal for said fuel delivery.

6. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a measurement of mass airflow inducted into the engine and wherein said fuel controller converts said first signal from an indication of nitrogen oxide concentration to mass of nitrogen oxide emitted in response to said mass airflow measurement.

7. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 2 further comprising means for providing an indication of airflow inducted into the engine and wherein said fuel controller converts said second signal from an indication of hydrocarbon concentration to mass of hydrocarbon emitted in response to said mass airflow measurement.

8. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 3 further comprising means for providing an indication of airflow inducted into the engine and wherein said fuel controller converts said third signal from an indication of carbon monoxide concentration to mass of carbon monoxide emitted in response to said mass airflow measurement.

9. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 6 wherein said fuel controller is further responsive to said mass airflow measurement for said fuel delivery.

10. The air/fuel control system recited in claim 6 wherein said controller provides said emission measurement during a test cycle generated when the engine has completed operation in a predetermined number of load ranges.

11. An engine air/fuel control method for controlling an engine coupled to a catalytic converter and for providing a measurement of engine emissions, comprising the steps of:

measuring nitrogen oxide concentration of exhaust gases downstream of the converter;

converting said nitrogen oxide concentration measurement to a measurement of mass of nitrogen oxide emitted to generate a first measurement signal;

measuring hydrocarbon concentration of exhaust gases downstream of the converter;

converting said hydrocarbon concentration measurement to a measurement of mass of hydrocarbon emitted to generate a second measurement signal; and

correcting fuel delivered to the engine by a feedback variable derived from both said first measurement signal and said second measurement signal to maintain the engine air/fuel ratio at optimal converter efficiency and providing a measurement of emissions in response to said first measurement signal and said second measurement signal.

12. The method recited in claim 11 further comprising a step of measuring carbon monoxide concentration of exhaust gases downstream of the converter to generate a third measurement signal and wherein said step of providing a measurement of emissions is further responsive to said third measurement signal.

13. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said step of converting nitrogen concentration to mass is responsive to a measurement of mass airflow inducted into the engine.

14. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said step of measuring emissions further comprises a step of converting said second measurement signal to a measurement of carbon monoxide mass in the exhaust gases.

15. An engine air/fuel control method for controlling an engine coupled to a catalytic converter and for providing a measurement of engine emissions, comprising the steps of:

averaging samples of nitrogen oxide concentration measurements of exhaust gases downstream of the converter for each of a plurality of engine speed and load operating ranges;

averaging samples of hydrocarbon concentration measurements of exhaust gases downstream of the converter for each of a plurality of engine speed and load operating ranges.

converting said nitrogen oxide concentration averages to nitrogen oxide mass averages;

converting said hydrocarbon concentration averages to hydrocarbon mass averages; and

correcting fuel delivered to the engine by a feedback variable derived from said nitrogen oxide measurements and said hydrocarbon measurements to maintain engine air/fuel ratio at optimal converter efficiency and providing a measurement of mass emissions in response to said nitrogen oxide mass averages and said hydrocarbon mass averages.

16. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising a step of determining mass airflow inducted into the engine and wherein said nitrogen oxide conversion step comprises a step of multiplying each of said nitrogen oxide concentration samples by both said mass airflow determination and a determination of fuel inducted into the engine.

17. The method recited in claim 16 wherein said hydrocarbon conversion step is responsive to said mass airflow determination.

18. The method recited in claim 16 wherein said fuel delivery correction step is responsive to said mass airflow determination.

19. The method recited in claim 16 further comprising a step of delaying said mass airflow determination to align said mass airflow determination in time with said nitrogen oxide samples.

20. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising the steps of averaging samples of carbon monoxide concentration measurements of exhaust gases downstream of the converter for each of a plurality of engine speed and load operating ranges and converting said carbon monoxide concentration averages to carbon monoxide mass averages and wherein said step of providing an indication of measuring mass emissions is responsive to said carbon monoxide mass averages.