Fuel pressure control device for internal combination engine

• US 7,025,050 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Oono, Takahiko, Date, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US10/998,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20050263146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 123/294, 123/295, 123/305, 123/446, 123/447, 123/456, 123/457, 123/458, 123/459, 123/479, 123/480, 123/502, 123/690, 731/173, 731/19.A, 701/103, 701/104, 701/105
• US Class Current: 123/690
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/223 Diagnosis of fuel pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/227 Limping Home, i.e. taking specific engine control measures at abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0602 Fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0604 Estimation of fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1454 the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3836 Controlling the fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3845 by controlling the flow into the common rail, e.g. the amount of fuel pumped
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 59/366 Valves being actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 63/0225 Fuel-injection apparatus having a common rail feeding several injectors F02M63/0003 takes precedence; Means for varying pressure in common rails; Pumps feeding common rails
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 63/0265 Pumps feeding common rails

Abstract

A fuel pressure control device includes a fuel injection valve, a pressure accumulation chamber for storing a high pressure fuel, a high pressure pump, a fuel pressure control valve, a fuel pressure sensor for detecting a fuel pressure PR in the pressure accumulation chamber, an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio condition, target value calculation means for calculating a target fuel pressure and a target air-fuel ratio AFo, fuel pressure control means for performing feedback control of the fuel pressure control valve such that the fuel pressure PR matches the target fuel pressure, abnormality diagnosis means for diagnosing the fuel pressure sensor, and fuel pressure estimation means for calculating an estimated fuel pressure PRs based on the air-fuel ratio condition when an abnormal condition occurs. The fuel pressure estimation means corrects the estimated fuel pressure PRs such that the air-fuel ratio condition is guided to the target air-fuel ratio AFo.

Claims

1. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a fuel injection valve for injecting a fuel directly into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine;

a pressure accumulation chamber connected to the fuel injection valve for storing a high pressure fuel;

a high pressure pump for pressurizing a low pressure fuel supplied from a fuel tank in a pressure chamber, and supplying the high pressure fuel to the pressure accumulation chamber;

a fuel pressure control valve for controlling at least one of an amount of the fuel discharged from the high pressure pump to the pressure accumulation chamber and a fuel pressure in the pressure accumulation chamber;

a fuel pressure sensor for detecting the fuel pressure in the pressure accumulation chamber;

an air-fuel ratio sensor for detecting an air-fuel ratio condition in the internal combustion engine;

target value calculation means for calculating a target fuel pressure and a target air-fuel ratio based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine;

fuel pressure control means for performing feedback control of the fuel pressure control valve such that the fuel pressure detected by the fuel pressure sensor matches the target fuel pressure;

abnormality diagnosis means for diagnosing whether the fuel pressure sensor is in an abnormal condition or not; and

fuel pressure estimation means for calculating an estimated pressure in the pressure accumulation chamber based on the air-fuel ratio condition when the abnormality diagnosis means diagnoses that the fuel pressure sensor is in the abnormal condition,

wherein the fuel pressure estimation means corrects the estimated fuel pressure such that the air-fuel ratio condition is guided to the target air-fuel ratio.

2. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein:

the air-fuel ratio sensor comprises a lambda air-fuel ratio sensor;

the air-fuel ratio condition detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor indicates one of a lean condition and a rich condition with respect to a theoretical air-fuel ratio; and

the fuel pressure estimation means carries out a correction process of the estimated fuel pressure when the air-fuel ratio condition continues to indicate one of the lean condition and the rich condition for a predetermined period of time or more.

3. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein:

the air-fuel ratio sensor comprises a linear air-fuel ratio sensor;

the air-fuel ratio condition detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor indicates a physical amount of the air-fuel ratio; and

the fuel pressure estimation means carries out the correction process of the estimated fuel pressure based on the physical amount of the air-fuel ratio.

4. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel pressure estimation means sets the fuel pressure in the pressure accumulation chamber, which was detected immediately before the fuel pressure sensor is diagnosed as being in the abnormal condition, as an initial value of the estimated fuel pressure.

5. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel pressure control means performs feedback control of the fuel pressure control valve such that the estimated fuel pressure matches the target fuel pressure when the fuel pressure is diagnosed as being in the abnormal condition.

6. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel pressure control means switches the target fuel pressure to an abnormal condition target fuel pressure, and performs feedback control of the fuel pressure control valve such that the estimated fuel pressure matches the abnormal condition target fuel pressure when the fuel pressure sensor is diagnosed as being in the abnormal condition.

7. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein the fuel pressure control means sets the target fuel pressure immediately before the fuel pressure sensor is diagnosed as being in the abnormal condition as the abnormal condition target fuel pressure.

8. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein the fuel pressure control means sets the fuel pressure on a high pressure side excluding at least one of a maximum fuel pressure and a minimum fuel pressure in the pressure accumulation chamber as the abnormal condition target fuel pressure when the fuel pressure sensor is diagnosed as being in the abnormal condition.

9. A fuel pressure control device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electronically controlled throttle valve for adjusting an intake amount of the air supplied to the combustion chamber;

an accelerator position sensor for detecting a depression amount of an accelerator pedal; and

throttle position control means for controlling the position of the electronically controlled throttle valve in correspondence with the depression amount of the accelerator pedal,

wherein when the fuel pressure sensor is diagnosed as being in the abnormal condition, the throttle position control means performs a filtering process to a detection value of the depression amount of the accelerator pedal, and controls the position of the electronically controlled throttle valve in correspondence with the detection value after the filtering process.

10. A fuel pressure control valve for an internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein the throttle position control means controls the position of the electronically controlled throttle valve in correspondence with the detection value after the filtering process, in response to only the depression amount in the opening direction of the electronically controlled valve.