Variable nozzle control apparatus of turbocharger

• US 7,137,252 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Mitsuba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Yoshiyuki, Sekine, Takaaki, Saito, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, THAI BA
• Application Number:
  US10/875,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 60600-603, 415/150
• US Class Current: 60/602
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/12 Control of the pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/24 by using pumps or turbines with adjustable guide vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/00 Component parts, details, or accessories relating to, driven charging or scavenging pumps, not provided for in groups F02B33/00 - F02B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/10 for acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

The invention provides a variable nozzle control apparatus for a turbocharger in an engine comprising: a variable nozzle having a vane; an engine ECU for identifying an operating situation of the engine by detected outputs of sensors in the engine and outputting a control signal; and an electronic control actuator for controlling an opening of the vane in response to the control signal transmitted from the engine ECU, wherein the electronic control actuator includes an electronic control circuit section for receiving an opening indication information of the vane from the engine ECU and outputting an output signal; a driving section for receiving the output signal from the electronic control circuit and driving the vane of the variable nozzle through an output shaft; and an angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the output shaft to output an actual angle signal of the output shaft to the electronic control circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic controller for a variable nozzle control apparatus comprising:

an engine electronic control unit for identifying an operating situation of an engine and outputting a vane opening signal; and

an electronic control actuator for controlling an opening of a vane in a turbocharger in response to the vane opening signal, wherein the electronic control actuator comprises;

an angle sensor that outputs an actual angle signal that corresponds to a rotation angle of an output shaft that drives said vane;

an electronic control circuit that receives said vane opening signal and that provides an output signal based upon the vane opening signal and the actual angle signal; and

a driver that drives the output shaft based upon the output signal,

wherein the electronic control circuit comprises a wiping processor that stores at least one of a first working angle of the output shaft corresponding to a vane fully closed state and a second working angle of the output shaft corresponding to a vane fully open state.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein said electronic control actuator further comprises a communication signal converting device for converting the actual angle signal to an actual vane opening signal and for sending the actual vane opening signal to the engine electronic control unit.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein said engine electronic control unit further comprises an ignition switch determination device for determining the on/off status of an ignition switch.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the electronic control circuit further comprises:

a wiping command device for outputting a command signal to execute a wiping operation for causing the vane to be stopped in a full open position via a full closing position at least once in a full operating region of the vane of the variable nozzle by a status indication information transmitted from the engine electronic control unit based on a stop of the engine by an OFF operation of an ignition switch,

wherein said wiping processor introduces the command signal of the wiping command device into the motor driving logic generating device.

8. A variable nozzle control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the wiping processing device introduces the command signal into the motor driving logic generating device through a change-over switch.

5. A variable nozzle control apparatus adapted for a turbocharger in an engine comprising:

a variable nozzle having a vane;

an engine electronic control unit for identifying an operating situation of the engine by detected outputs of sensors in the engine and outputting a control signal; and

an electronic control actuator for controlling an opening of the vane in response to the control signal transmitted from the engine electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control actuator includes

an electronic control circuit section for receiving an opening indication information of the vane from the engine electronic control unit and outputting an output signal;

a driving section for receiving the output signal from the electronic control circuit section and driving the vane of the variable nozzle through an output shaft;

an angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the output shaft to output an actual angle signal of the output shaft to the electronic control circuit; and

a communication signal converting device for converting the actual angle signal to an actual vane opening signal,

wherein the electronic control circuit section includes

an angle signal converting device for converting the opening indication information of the vane into a target angle signal of the output shaft;

a comparing device for comparing the target angle signal from the angle signal converting device with the actual angle signal from the angle sensor, and outputtng an indication signal corresponding to a difference between the target signal and the actual signal;

a calculating device for carrying out a calculation processing over the indication signal transmitted from the comparing device; and

a motor driving logic generating device for inputting the output signal to a motor driver of the driving section, and

wherein the driving section includes

the motor driver for receiving the output signal of the electronic control circuit and outputting a driving signal; and

a motor section driven by the driving signal and coupled to the output shaft through a reduction gear mechanism, and the output shaft driving the vane of the variable nozzle.

6. A variable nozzle control apparatus adapted for a turbocharger in an engine comprising:

a variable nozzle having a vane;

an engine electronic control unit for identifying an operating situation of the engine by detected outputs of sensors in the engine and outputting a control signal; and

an electronic control actuator for controlling an opening of the vane in response to the control signal transmitted from the engine electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control actuator includes

an electronic control circuit section for receiving an opening indication information of the vane from the engine electronic control unit and outputting an output signal;

a driving section for receiving the output signal from the electronic control circuit section and driving the vane of the variable nozzle through an output shaft;

an angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the output shaft to output an actual angle signal of the output shaft to the electronic control circuit; and

a communication signal converting device for converting the actual angle signal to an actual vane opening signal,

wherein the electronic control circuit section includes

an angle signal converting device for converting the opening indication information of the vane into a target angle signal of the output shaft;

a comparing device for comparing the target angle signal from the angle signal converting device with the actual angle signal from the angle sensor, and outputting an indication signal corresponding to a difference between the target signal and the actual signal;

a calculating device for carrying out a calculation processing over the indication signal transmitted from the comparing device; and

a motor driving logic generating device for inputting the output signal to a motor driver of the driving section, and

wherein the electronic control circuit section further comprises;

a wiping command device for outputting a command signal to execute a wiping operation for causing the vane to be stopped in a full open position via a full closing position at least once in a full operating region of the vane of the variable nozzle by a status indication information transmitted from the engine electronic control unit based on a stop of the engine by an OFF operation of an ignition switch; and

a wiping processing device for introducing the command signal of the wiping command device into the motor driving logic generating device.

7. The variable nozzle control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said communication signal converting device sends the actual vane opening signal to the engine electronic control unit.

9. A variable nozzle control apparatus adapted for a turbocharger in an engine comprising:

a variable nozzle having a vane;

an engine electronic control unit for identifying an operating situation of the engine by detected outputs of sensors in the engine and outputting a control signal; and

an electronic control actuator for controlling an opening of the vane in response to the control signal transmitted from the engine electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control actuator includes

an electronic control circuit section for receiving an opening indication information of the vane from the engine electronic control unit and outputting an output signal;

a driving section for receiving the output signal from the electronic control circuit section and driving the vane of the variable nozzle through an output shaft;

an angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the output shaft to output an actual angle signal of the output shaft to the electronic control circuit; and

a communication signal converting device for converting the actual angle signal to an actual vane opening signal, wherein the electronic control circuit section comprises;

an angle signal converter that converts the opening indication information of the vane from the engine electronic control unit into a target angle signal of the output shaft; and

a comparing device that compares the target angle signal with the actual angle signal and that outputs an indication signal corresponding to a difference between the target signal and the actual signal.

10. A variable nozzle control apparatus adapted for a turbocharger in an engine comprising:

a variable nozzle having a vane;

an engine electronic control unit for identifying an operating situation of the engine by detected outputs of sensors in the engine and outputting a control signal; and

an electronic control actuator for controlling an opening of the vane in response to the control signal transmitted from the engine electronic control unit,

wherein the electronic control actuator includes

an electronic control circuit section for receiving an opening indication information of the vane from the engine electronic control unit and outputting an output signal;

a driving section for receiving the output signal from the electronic control circuit section and driving the vane of the variable nozzle through an output shaft;

an angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the output shaft to output an actual angle signal of the output shaft to the electronic control circuit; and

a communication signal converting device for converting the actual angle signal to an actual vane opening signal, wherein the electronic control circuit section comprises a wiping command device that outputs a command signal to execute a wiping operation.

11. The variable nozzle control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronic control circuit section further comprises a wiping processing device that introduces the command signal from the wiping command device into the driving section.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said wiping processing device stores at least one of a first working angle of the output shaft corresponding to a vane fully closed state and a second working angle of the output shaft corresponding to a vane fully open state.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said wiping processing device calculates an actual working angle of the output shaft based upon said first working angle and said second working angle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said wiping processing device compares said actual working angle of said output shaft to a predetermined total mechanical working angle of said vane.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said wiping processing device transmits a fail signal to the engine electronic control unit if the actual working angle is greater than said predetermined total mechanical working angle.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said wiping processing device transmits a normal signal to the engine electronic control unit if the actual working angle is less than or equal to said predetermined total mechanical working angle.