Stuck-open failure detection system for gas-fuel injection valve

• US 7,322,345 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Hiroyasu, Saito, Tomoaki, Fujikawa, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin; Stephen K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benton; Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/338,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 123/529, 123/525, 123/198.D, 123/3, 123/27.GE
• US Class Current: 123/529
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/023 to adjust the fuel mass or volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/025 Failure diagnosis or prevention; Safety measures; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/027 Determining the fuel pressure, temperature or volume flow, the fuel tank fill level or a valve position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3836 Controlling the fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0206 Non-hydrocarbon fuels, e.g. hydrogen, ammonia or carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0242 Shut-off valves; Check valves; Safety valves; Pressure relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0275 for in-cylinder direct injection, e.g. injector combined with spark plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

Disclosed is a stuck-open failure detection system for a gas-fuel injection valve adapted to inject or supply gas fuel into/to a combustion chamber of an engine, which comprises: a shutoff value interposed in a fuel supply passage fluidically connected to the gas-fuel injection valve, at a position upstream of the gas-fuel injection valve, and adapted to supply gas fuel to the gas-fuel injection valve in its open state; an open/close controller for controllably opening and closing the shutoff value; a pressure detector for detecting a pressure in a region of the fuel supply passage between the gas-fuel injection valve and the shutoff value; and a stuck-open failure detector for detecting a stuck-open failure that the gas-fuel injection valve is stuck in the open state, based on a pressure change detected by the pressure detector. In this stuck-open failure detection system, the open/close controller is operable, in response to an operation for starting the engine, to open the shutoff valve and then close the shutoff valve after a lapse of a given time, and the stuck-open failure detector is operable to detect the stuck-open failure, based on a pressure change detected after the open/close controller closes the shutoff valve.

Claims

1. A stuck-open failure detection system for a gas-fuel injection valve adapted to inject fuel into a combustion chamber of an engine or to inject gas-fuel into an intake passage, comprising:

a shutoff valve interposed in a fuel supply passage fluidically connected to said gas-fuel injection valve, at a position upstream of said gas-fuel injection valve, and adapted to supply gas fuel to said gas-fuel injection valve in its open state;

an open/close controller for controllably opening and closing said shutoff valve;

a pressure detector for detecting a pressure in a region of said fuel supply passage between said gas-fuel injection valve and said shutoff valve; and

a stuck-open failure detector for detecting a stuck-open failure that said gas-fuel injection valve is stuck in the open state, based on a pressure change detected by said pressure detector,

wherein;

said open/close controller is operable, in response to an operation for starting the engine, to open and said shutoff valve immediately after an ignition switch has been turned ON and then close said shut off valve after a lapse of a first given time, and

said stuck-open failure detector is operable to detect said stuck-open failure of said gas-fuel injection valve disposed at a position downstream of said shutoff valve, if a pressure change, which is produced between a first moment that said shutoff valve is closed and a second moment that a second given time has lapsed from said first moment, is larger than a predetermined value.

2. The stuck-open failure detection system according to claim 1, wherein said engine is adapted to use both gas fuel and gasoline, said engine being provided with a fuel-supply-mode switch for switching between a gasoline supply mode and a gas-fuel supply mode, and an ignition controller for controlling an operation of a spark plug for igniting fuel in said combustion chamber, wherein:

said ignition controller is operable, when the stuck-open failure is detected by said stuck-open failure detector, to stop the ignition operation of said spark plug for a given time-period after said detection so as to facilitate scavenging; and

said fuel-supply-mode switch is operable, after the scavenging under the stop of the ignition operation, to switch from the gas-fuel supply mode to the gasoline supply mode.

3. The stuck-open failure detection system according to claim 2, further comprising an oxygen concentration sensor attached to an exhaust passage, wherein said fuel-supply-mode switch performs the switching operation to the gasoline supply mode in a state of the stuck-open failure of said gas-fuel injection valve, if an oxygen concentration detected by said oxygen concentration sensor is larger than or equal to a predetermined value.

4. A stuck-open failure detection system for a gas-fuel injection valve adapted to inject fuel into a combustion chamber of an engine or to inject gas-fuel into an intake passage, comprising:

a shutoff valve interposed in a fuel supply passage fluidically connected to said gas-fuel injection valve, at a position upstream of said gas-fuel injection valve, and adapted to supply gas fuel to said gas-fuel injection valve in its open state;

an open/close controller for controllably opening and closing said shutoff valve;

a pressure detector for detecting a pressure in a region of said fuel supply passage between said gas-fuel injection valve and said shutoff valve; and

a stuck-open failure detector for detecting a stuck-open failure that said gas-fuel injection valve is stuck in the open state, based on a pressure change detected by said pressure detector,

wherein,

said open/close controller is operable, in response to an operation for stopping the engine from the running state thereof, to close said shutoff valve after holding said shutoff valve in the open state for a first given time after an ignition switch has been turned OFF, and

said stuck-open failure detector is operable to detect said stuck-open failure of said gas-fuel injection valve disposed at a position downstream of said shutoff valve, if a pressure change, which is produced between a first moment that said shutoff valve is closed and a second moment that a second given time has lapsed from said first moment, is larger than a predetermined value.

5. The stuck-open failure detection system according to claim 4, further comprising an alarm unit for generating an alarm when the stuck-open failure is detected by said stuck-open failure detector.