Air-fuel ratio control apparatus for internal combustion engine

• US 7,273,040 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Tani, Hideaki, Enoki, Keiichi, Shouda, Tomohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, HAI H
• Application Number:
  US11/326,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20070023021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 123/685, 123435-436, 123/491
• US Class Current: 123/491
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1454 the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/148 Using a plurality of comparators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1482 Integrator, i.e. variable slope

Abstract

At the time of start-up, fuel supply is made excessive. When air-fuel ratio feedback control is started while the fuel is excessive, the control is put into a state of overshoot or hunting, and it takes a long time to converge to the target air-fuel ratio. In an air-fuel ratio control apparatus, a selection switch is provided at the output of an integration calculation circuit to perform air-fuel ratio feedback control, and immediately after start-up of the engine, an upper/lower limit clip value for use immediately after start-up, which is smaller than a normal one, is selected to perform the air-fuel ratio feedback control. Even if the air-fuel ratio feedback control is started immediately after the start-up in a state where the fuel is excessive, the actual air-fuel ratio does not overshoot with respect to the target air-fuel ratio and is quickly converged to the target air-fuel ratio.

Claims

1. An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

an air-fuel ratio sensor to detect an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine having a fuel injection unit;

an air-fuel ratio feedback control unit that has a calculation unit to calculate a fuel injection amount of the fuel injection unit to make a detection value of the air-fuel ratio sensor coincident with a previously given target air-fuel ratio and controls the fuel injection unit based on the fuel injection amount;

a start-up completion judgment unit to judge whether the internal combustion engine is in a state where start-up has been completed;

an engine condition judgment unit to judge whether the internal combustion engine enters a normal condition after the start-up has been completed; and

an upper/lower limit clipping unit that limits a maximum output of the calculation unit to an arbitrary first output range until the time when the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition from the time when the start-up completion judgment unit judges that the start-up has been completed.

2. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the first output range is within a range of 10% to 50% of an output range at a time when the limitation of the first output range is released.

3. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein after the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition, the upper/lower limit clipping unit releases the limitation of the first output range.

4. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising an air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit to judge whether a difference between the air-fuel ratio detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor and the target air-fuel ratio is controlled within a previously determined deviation range,

wherein the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition when the air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit judges that the difference between the air-fuel ratio and the target air-fuel ratio is controlled within the specified deviation range.

5. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein the air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit reads the detection value of the air-fuel ratio sensor repeatedly at specified time intervals, and when a state in which a deviation from the target air-fuel ratio is within a previously determined range is continuously detected a specified number of times, the air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit judges that the air-fuel ratio is controlled within the deviation range previously determined with respect to the target air-fuel ratio.

6. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising a timer that is activated when the start-up completion judgment unit judges that the start-up has been completed,

wherein the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition when the timer exceeds a previously determined time.

7. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 6, further comprising:

a water temperature sensor to measure water temperature of cooling water of the internal combustion engine; and

a timer time adjustment unit to control the specified time of the timer based on the measured water temperature of the water temperature sensor.

8. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising an accelerator opening detection unit to detect an accelerator opening of the internal combustion engine,

wherein the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition when the accelerator opening exceeds a previously determined accelerator opening after the start-up completion judgment unit judges that the start-up has been completed.

9. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit includes an integration calculation circuit to integrate a difference between the target air-fuel ratio and an actual air-fuel ratio, and the upper/lower limit clip setting unit limits output of the integration calculation circuit.

10. An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

an air-fuel ratio sensor to detect an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine having a fuel injection unit;

an air-fuel ratio feedback control unit that has a calculation unit to calculate a fuel injection amount to make a detection value of the air-fuel ratio sensor coincident with a previously given target air-fuel ratio and controls the fuel injection unit based on the calculated fuel injection amount;

a start-up completion judgment unit to judge whether the internal combustion engine is in a state where start-up has been completed;

an engine condition judgment unit to judge whether the internal combustion engine enters a normal condition after the start-up has been completed; and

an upper/lower limit clipping unit that limit a maximum output of the calculation unit to an arbitrary first output range until the time when the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition from the time when the start-up completion judgment unit judges that the start-up has been completed, and limits the changing range within a second output range larger than the first output range after the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition.

11. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the first output range is within a range of 10% to 50% of the second output range.

12. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further comprising an air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit to judge whether a difference between the air-fuel ratio detected by the air-fuel ratio sensor and the target air-fuel ratio is controlled within a previously determined deviation range,

wherein the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition when the air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit judges that the difference between the air-fuel ratio and the target air-fuel ratio is controlled within the specified deviation range.

13. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit reads the detection value of the air-fuel ratio sensor repeatedly at specified time intervals, and when a state in which a deviation from the target air-fuel ratio is within a previously determined range is continuously detected a specified number of times, the air-fuel ratio control state judgment unit judges that the air-fuel ratio is controlled within the deviation range previously determined with respect to the target air-fuel ratio.

14. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further comprising a timer that is activated when the start-up completion judgment unit judges that the start-up has been completed,

wherein the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition when the timer exceeds a previously determined time.

15. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 14, further comprising:

a water temperature sensor to measure water temperature of cooling water of the internal combustion engine; and

a timer time adjustment unit to control the specified time of the timer based on the measured water temperature of the water temperature sensor.

16. The air-fuel ratio control apparatus for the internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further comprising an accelerator opening detection unit to detect an accelerator opening of the internal combustion engine,

wherein the engine condition judgment unit judges that the internal combustion engine enters the normal condition when the accelerator opening exceeds a previously determined accelerator opening after the start-up completion judgment unit judges that the start-up has been completed.