Closed loop MBT timing control using ionization feedback

• US 7,013,871 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Guoming G., Daniels, Chao F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Argenbright, Tony M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Johnny H.
• Application Number:
  US10/458,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20040084019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 123/406.21, 123/406.27, 123/406.39, 123/406.33, 123/406.34, 123/406.37, 123/406.38, 701/111, 701/102
• US Class Current: 123/406.21
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2430/00 Influencing exhaust purification, e.g. starting of catalytic reaction, filter regeneration, or the like, by controlling engine operating characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2006 Periodically heating or cooling catalytic reactors, e.g. at cold starting or overheating by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/141 using a feed-forward control element
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/285 the sensor having a signal processing unit external to the engine control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/18 Control of the engine output torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/02 on interior conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/021 using an ionic current sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/027 using knock sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/005 according to engine operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0255 to accelerate the warming-up of the exhaust gas treating apparatus at engine start
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1408 Dithering techniques
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1482 Integrator, i.e. variable slope
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2483 restricting learned values
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/01 Internal exhaust gas recirculation, i.e. wherein the residual exhaust gases are trapped in the cylinder or pushed back from the intake or the exhaust manifold into the combustion chamber without the use of additional passages
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/02 Checking or adjusting ignition timing
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/10 Measuring dwell or antidwell time
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/12 Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 2017/125 : Measuring ionisation of combustion gas, e.g. by using ignition circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 2017/128 : for knock detection
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 3/045 : for control of the dwell or anti dwell time
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 3/0453 : Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 3/051 : Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1506 : with particular means during starting
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1514 : with means for optimising the use of registers or of memories, e.g. interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/152 : dependent on pinking detecting or indicating knocks in internal-combustion engines G01L23/22
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1523 : with particular laws of return to advance, e.g. step by step, differing from the laws of retard
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1526 : with means for taking into account incorrect functioning of the pinking sensor or of the electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/153 : dependent on combustion pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

This feature of the present invention comprises a closed loop which uses estimated MBT timing criteria and ignition diagnostics (knock, partial-burn, and misfire) to control engine ignition. When the engine is not knock limited, it operates at its MBT timing. When the engine is knock limited, the engine runs at its inaudible knock limit. When the engine is misfire/partial-burn limited, the engine is maintained at its misfire/partial-burn limit. Three different embodiments of the closed loop MBT timing control architecture are disclosed: a cylinder-by-cylinder control, an average control and a mixed control.

Claims

1. A method of controlling engine ignition timing, comprising using estimated MBT timing criterion and ignition diagnostics to control the engine ignition timing, wherein said ignition diagnostics comprises knock and misfire information, wherein said step of using estimated MET timing criterion and ignition diagnostics to control engine ignition timing, comprises the following steps:

calculating said MBT timing criterion, said knock information and said misfire information;

generating an error signal by comparing said MBT criterion with a reference signal;

outputting said error signal to a controller;

producing a proportional error signal by multiplying said error signal by a proportional gain;

producing an integrated error signal by integrating said error signal with an integral gain;

resetting said integrated error signal if an engine is knock or misfire limited;

outputting a feedforward signal; and

outputting a timing signal by summing said proportional error signal, said integrated error signal and said feedforward signal.

2. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

modifying open loop MBT timing over an engine operation map; and

compensating said engine for engine-to-engine variations.

3. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 wherein said integrated error signal is reset by a knock limit manager if said engine is knock limited.

4. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 wherein said integrated error signal is reset by a misfire limit manager if said engine is misfire limited.

5. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 wherein each cylinder is controlled individually and wherein said MBT timing criteria, said knock information and said misfire information is calculated for each cylinder.

6. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 wherein the engine ignition timing is controlled using an averaged approach, comprising the step of:

controlling all cylinders globally by using a single MBT timing control parameter, worst case knock information and worst case misfire information.

7. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 wherein the engine ignition timing is controlled using a mixed approach, comprising the steps of:

using one MBT timing control parameter for all cylinders;

using individual cylinder knock information; and

using individual cylinder misfire information.

8. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 1 wherein said integrated error signal is reset by a knock limit manager if said engine is knock limited and wherein said integrated error signal is reset by a misfire limit manager if said engine is misfire limited.

9. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

moving an advance limit signal in an advance direction when there is no knock;

leaving said advance limit signal unchanged when there is a inaudible knock; and

moving said advance limit signal in the retard direction when said engine is knocking.

10. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

moving a retard limit signal in a retard direction when said engine is not at partial burn;

moving said retard limit signal in an advance direction when said engine is at partial burn; and

moving said retard limit signal in an advance direction by adding a correction when said engine misfires.

11. The method of controlling engine ignition timing according to claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

moving an advance limit signal in an advance direction when there is no knock;

leaving said advance limit signal unchanged when there is a inaudible knock;

moving said advance limit signal in the retard direction when said engine is knocking;

moving a retard limit signal in a retard direction when said engine is not at partial burn;

moving said retard limit signal in an advance direction when said engine is at partial burn; and

moving said retard limit signal in an advance direction by adding a correction when said engine misfires.

12. A closed loop MBT timing controller, comprising:

a proportional and integral controller,

a knock limit manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller,

a misfire limit manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, and

a saturation manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, wherein said proportional and integral controller comprises;

a proportional controller;

an integral controller operably connected to said proportional controller;

a feedforward controller operably connected to said proportional controller; and

a reset manager operably connected to said integral controller.

13. The closed loop MBT timing controller according to claim 12 wherein said proportional and integral controller further comprises an adaptive learning controller operably connected to said feedforward controller.

14. A closed loop MBT timing controller, comprising:

a plurality of knock limit managers, wherein each of said plurality of knock limit managers corresponds to one of a plurality of cylinders;

a plurality of misfire limit managers, wherein each of said plurality of knock limit managers corresponds to one of said plurality of cylinders;

a plurality of proportional and integral controllers, wherein each of said proportional and integral controllers corresponds to one of said plurality of cylinders, and

a saturation manager operably connected to said plurality of proportional and integral controllers.

15. A closed loop MBT timing controller, comprising:

a proportional and integral controller;

a saturation manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller;

a plurality of knock limit managers operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, wherein each of said plurality of knock limit managers corresponds to one of a plurality of cylinders;

a plurality of misfire limit managers operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, wherein each of said plurality of misfire limit managers corresponds to one of said plurality of cylinders; and

wherein said proportional and integral controller controls all of said plurality of cylinders.

16. A closed loop MBT timing controller, comprising:

a single proportional and integral controller,

a single knock limit manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, and

a single misfire limit manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, and

a saturation manager operably connected to said proportional and integral controller, wherein said single proportional and integral controller uses a single MBT timing control parameter, said knock limit manager uses worst case knock information and said misfire limit manager uses worst case misfire information, whereby all cylinders are controlled globally.

17. A closed loop MBT timing controller, comprising:

a plurality of proportional and integral controllers, wherein each of said proportional and integral controllers corresponds to one of a plurality of cylinders, wherein each of said plurality of proportional and integral controllers comprises;

(i) a proportional controller,

(ii) an integral controller operably connected to said proportional controller,

(ii) a feedforward controller operably connected to said proportional controller, and

(iv) a reset manager operably connected to said integral controller;

a plurality of knock limit managers operably connected to said plurality of proportional and integral controllers, wherein each of said plurality of knock limit managers corresponds to one of said plurality of cylinders;

a plurality of misfire limit managers operably connected to said plurality of proportional and integral controller, wherein each of said plurality of misfire limit managers corresponds to one of said plurality of cylinders; and

a saturation manager operably connected to said plurality of proportional and integral controllers.