Internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus

• US 7,066,149 B1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• 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): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US11/211,634
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 123/456, 123/457, 123/447, 123/458, 123/511, 123/446, 123/459, 123/463
• US Class Current: 123/457
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1409 using at least a proportional, integral or derivative controller
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1419 the control loops being cascaded, i.e. being placed in series or nested
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2048 said control involving a limitation, e.g. applying current or voltage limits
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/006 depending on engine operating conditions, e.g. start, stop or ambient conditions
• 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 37/0029 Pressure regulator in the low pressure fuel system pressure regulator in low-pressure injection apparatus F02M69/54
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0047 Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel fuel injection apparatus characterised by their conduits and venting means F02M55/00; fuel injection apparatus having a common rail F02M63/0225; arrangement of fuel conduits of low pressure fuel injection apparatus F02M69/462
• 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: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus includes: fuel pressure control means including a spill valve and a high-pressure fuel pump that pressure-feeds fuel to an accumulation chamber; and control means that calculates a control quantity of the fuel pressure control means on the basis of pressure information of fuel supplied to an injector and variably sets the pressure of the fuel supplied to the injector, wherein the control quantity calculated by the control means is configured by a first feedback quantity that feeds back the fuel quantity that the high-pressure fuel pump pressure-feeds to the accumulation chamber and a second feedback quantity that feeds back the timing at which the spill valve opens or closes a fuel relief path.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus comprising:

an accumulation chamber that accumulates fuel at a high pressure;

fuel pressure control means including a high-pressure fuel pump that intakes fuel and pressure-feeds the fuel to the accumulation chamber and a spill valve that opens/closes a fuel relief path that communicates a booster chamber of the high-pressure fuel pump and a low pressure side;

an injector that injects/supplies the high-pressure fuel accumulated in the accumulation chamber to cylinders of the internal combustion engine;

a fuel pressure sensor that detects, as fuel pressure, the pressure of the fuel supplied to the injector; and

control means that calculates a control quantity of the fuel pressure control means on the basis of fuel pressure information detected by the fuel pressure sensor and which variably sets the pressure of the fuel supplied to the injector by driving/controlling said fuel pressure control means,

wherein the control quantity calculated by the control means is configured by a first feedback quantity that feeds back the fuel quantity that the high-pressure fuel pump pressure-feeds to the accumulation chamber and a second feedback quantity that feeds back the timing at which the spill valve opens or closes the fuel relief path.

2. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control quantity calculated by the control means comprises only the first feedback quantity when the control quantity is within a predetermined range and comprises both the first feedback quantity and the second feedback quantity when the control quantity is outside the predetermined range.

3. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the first feedback quantity is outside a predetermined range, it is converted to the second feedback quantity by only a predetermined quantity of the first feedback quantity.

4. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the predetermined range is changed on the basis of at least one of the group consisting of the engine rotation speed, the discharge quantity of the high-pressure pump, and the fuel pressure.

5. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined range is changed on the basis of at least one of the group consisting of the engine rotation speed, the discharge quantity of the high-pressure pump, and the fuel pressure.

6. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means includes at least an integral term of PID control having a proportional term (P), an integral term (I) and a differential term (D), and the first feedback quantity and the second feedback quantity are quantities corresponding to the integral term.

7. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means includes a battery backup memory that can always store/retain by electrical power supplied by a battery, and at least the second feedback quantity is stored in the battery backup memory.

8. The internal combustion engine fuel pressure control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means includes abnormality determining means that determines that the fuel system is abnormal when the second feedback quantity deviates from a pre-assumed predetermined range.