Engine management system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for generating an output signal for controlling an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, a rotating crankshaft, the engine being of the type which has alternating nonpower cycle and power cycle revolutions, wherein fuel is fed to and ignited in the combustion chamber engine during the power cycle revolutions, said apparatus comprising:
- means for determining the cyclic engine speed of selected engine revolutions;
means for determining a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of one of said nonpower cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive power cycle revolution and a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of the said power cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive nonpower cycle revolution; and
,means for generating the output signal that is a function of the larger of said determined difference values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An engine management system for 4-cycle engines includes a processing means and utilizes various inputs from sensors operatively connected to the engine for the purpose of providing the correct fuel/air ratio or spark ignition angle for the engine in a manner whereby the transient response is fast. The engine management system utilizes the rotational speed information that is obtained from a magneto or speed sensor to determine the speed of each engine revolution. The system effectively solves many of the fuel/air ratio problems that are caused by load transients occurring on the engine. By comparing such high pass filtered speeds of selected revolutions, the system is able to determine the inferred engine intake air flow. By using measured system rotational inertia compensation factors for the engine together with the inferred intake air flow, the system can accurately determine the amount of fuel to be fed to the engine for proper operation.
60 Citations
26 Claims
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1. Apparatus for generating an output signal for controlling an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, a rotating crankshaft, the engine being of the type which has alternating nonpower cycle and power cycle revolutions, wherein fuel is fed to and ignited in the combustion chamber engine during the power cycle revolutions, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining the cyclic engine speed of selected engine revolutions; means for determining a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of one of said nonpower cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive power cycle revolution and a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of the said power cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive nonpower cycle revolution; and
,means for generating the output signal that is a function of the larger of said determined difference values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for generating an output signal for controlling the engine intake air flow of an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, a rotating crankshaft, the engine being of the type which has alternating nonpower cycle and power cycle revolutions, wherein the engine has a fuel injection system for feeding fuel to the combustion chamber and the operating parameter is engine intake air flow, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining the cyclic engine speed of selected engine revolutions; means for determining a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of one of said nonpower cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive power cycle revolution and a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of the said power cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive nonpower cycle revolution; means for generating the output signal that is a function of the larger of said determined difference values; and
,means for determining the amount of fuel to be fed to the combustion chamber that is at least partially a function of said output signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for generating an output signal for controlling an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, a rotating crankshaft, the engine being of the type which has an electronically variable carburetor for feeding fuel to the combustion chamber and which has alternating nonpower cycle and power cycle revolutions, wherein fuel is fed to and ignited in the combustion chamber engine during the power cycle revolutions, said output signal being proportional to the magnitude of the air flow into the engine, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining the cyclic engine speed of selected engine revolutions; means for determining a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of one of said nonpower cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive power cycle revolution and a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of the said power cycle revolutions and the cyclic engine speed of a successive nonpower cycle revolution, said difference value determining means comprises a microprocessor, said microprocessor having a memory means adapted to store values of a lookup table for determining the value of a fuel system signal that controls the amount of fuel that is fed to the engine by said electronically variable carburetor; and
,means for generating the output signal that is a function of the larger of said determined difference values. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. Apparatus for generating an output signal for controlling an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine having a rotating crankshaft, the engine being of the type which has alternating power cycle and nonpower cycle revolutions, wherein fuel is injected by a fuel injection system into a combustion chamber for ignition during the power cycle revolution, said apparatus comprising:
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means for determining the cyclic engine speed of three successive engine revolutions of which one is a power cycle revolution; means for determining a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of said power cycle revolution and the cyclic engine speed of each of said nonpower cycle revolutions; means for determining a system inertia value that is indicative of the rotational inertia of the engine; and
,means for generating the output signal as a function of the larger of said determined difference values and of the determined system inertia of the engine. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of generating an output signal that controls an operating parameter of an internal combustion engine of the type which has an engine operating system that includes a processing means having a memory means, an engine speed sensing means, the engine being of the type which has alternating power cycle and nonpower cycle revolutions, wherein fuel is fed to a combustion chamber for ignition during the power cycle revolution, comprising the steps of:
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determining the cyclic engine speed of selected engine revolutions; determining a difference value between the cyclic engine speed of a power cycle revolution and the cyclic engine speeds of the prior and succeeding of said nonpower cycle revolutions; determining the larger of the foregoing determined difference values; determining a system inertia value that is indicative of the rotational inertia of the engine; generating a first signal as a function of said larger determined difference, value; and
,generating said output signal by varying said first signal by a factor that is a function of said system inertia value.
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Specification