Method and device for integrative control of gas engine

• US 7,650,223 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger, Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakai, Kei, Shiraishi, Masataka, Kakuhama, Yoshitaka, Kitamura, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon; John T
• Application Number:
  US12/230,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 701/103, 701/110, 701/114, 701/115, 123/361, 123/376, 123/391, 123/295, 123/674, 123/434, 123/435
• US Class Current: 701/103
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/14 Direct injection into combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/00 Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/022 to adjust the fuel pressure, temperature or composition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/023 to adjust the fuel mass or volume flow
• 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 31/007 controlling fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0027 the fuel being gaseous non-electrical control F02D19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1446 the characteristics being exhaust temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0236 Multi-way valves; Multiple valves forming a multi-way valve system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0275 for in-cylinder direct injection, e.g. injector combined with spark plug
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0284 Arrangement of multiple injectors or fuel-air mixers per combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/047 Venturi mixer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

An integrative control method and device for controlling gas engines is proposed which load responsivity of the engine is improved while maintaining air fuel ratio control and stable control is performed when fuel gas of different calorific value is used. The control method comprises a speed control process for controlling engine rotation speed by controlling the fuel gas flow control valve based on deviation of actual engine rotation speed from a target command value of rotation speed, and an air fuel ratio control process for controlling air fuel ratio of fuel-air mixture by controlling throttle valve opening based on deviation of the actual mixture flow rate from the command value of mixture flow rate, whereby correction of theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature is performed in the air fuel ratio control process, the correction being done to correct the theoretical air fuel ratio used to calculate the command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate in accordance with exhaust temperature based on deviation of actual exhaust temperature from target exhaust temperature prescribed for various engine rotation speeds and load factors.

Claims

1. An integrative control method of a gas engine in which fuel gas is introduced via a fuel gas flow control valve to a charging air supply pipe to be mixed with the air and the mixture is controlled in its flow rate by a throttle valve and supplied to combustion chambers and the gas burnt in the combustion chamber is exhausted through an exhaust pipe of the engine, comprising

a speed control process for controlling engine rotation speed by calculating a command value of fuel gas flow rate based on deviation of a detected engine rotation speed from a target command value of engine rotation speed and controlling fuel gas flow rate flowing through the fuel gas flow control valve to coincide with the calculated command value of fuel gas flow rate, and

an air fuel ratio control process for controlling air fuel ratio of fuel-air mixture supplied to the combustion chamber of the engine through performing feedback control in which such a command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate is calculated that air fuel ratio of the mixture coincides with an adequate value prescribed for each of detected values of operating conditions of the gas engine with the fuel gas flow flowing at the commanded fuel gas flow rate and a target opening of the throttle valve is determined based on deviation of the actual mixture flow rate calculated based on detected values of operating conditions of the gas engine from the calculated command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate,

wherein correction of theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature is performed in the air fuel ratio control process, the correction being done to correct the theoretical air fuel ratio used to calculate the command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate in accordance with exhaust temperature based on deviation of actual exhaust temperature from target exhaust temperature prescribed for various engine rotation speeds and load factors.

2. An integrative control method of a gas engine according to claim 1, wherein limit ranges of fuel gas flow rates including at least upper limit of fuel gas flow rates are prescribed based on permissible endurance of the gas engine or limit ranges of excess air ratios including at least lower limit of excess air ratios are prescribed based on permissible air fuel ratio for preventing abnormal combustion for various engine speed and load, and limit control is performed so that the command value of fuel gas flow rate does not exceed the limit range for concerned engine speed and load in the speed control section.

3. An integrative control method of a gas engine according to claim 1, wherein the target exhaust temperature is corrected based on other temperatures such as temperature of cooling water, mixture inlet, and lube oil in the correction process of theoretical fuel air ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature.

4. An integrative control method of a gas engine according to claim 1, wherein average exhaust temperature of all cylinders is calculated, detected temperature of exhaust gas from each cylinder is compared with the average temperature respectively to obtain deviation from the average temperature, and when there is(are) a cylinder(s) of which the deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold value, partial average exhaust temperature is calculated excluding the exhaust temperature(s) from the concerned cylinder(s) to obtain exhaust temperature to be used as the actual exhaust temperature in the correction process of theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature.

5. An integrative control device of a gas engine in which fuel gas is introduced via a fuel gas flow control valve to a charging air supply pipe to be mixed with the air and the mixture is controlled in its flow rate by a throttle valve and supplied to combustion chambers of the engine, the engine being equipped with a rotation speed sensor for detecting engine rotation speed, a inlet pressure sensor for detecting inlet mixture pressure, an inlet temperature sensor for detecting inlet mixture temperature, an exhaust temperature sensor for detecting temperature of exhaust gas from the cylinder, and a control device which performs engine control based on input signals from the sensors, wherein the control device comprises

a speed control section for controlling engine rotation speed by calculating a command value of fuel gas flow rate based on deviation of a detected engine rotation speed from a target command value of engine rotation speed and controlling fuel gas flow rate flowing through the fuel gas flow control valve to coincide with the calculated command value of fuel gas flow rate, and

an air fuel ratio control section for controlling air fuel ratio of fuel-air mixture supplied to the combustion chamber of the engine through performing feedback control in which such a command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate is calculated that air fuel ratio of the mixture coincides with an adequate value prescribed for each of detected values of operating conditions of the gas engine with the fuel gas flow flowing at the commanded fuel gas flow rate and a target opening of the throttle valve is determined based on deviation of the actual mixture flow rate calculated based on detected engine rotation speed, inlet manifold pressure, and inlet manifold temperature from the calculated command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate,

wherein a means for correcting theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature is provided in the air fuel ratio control section, the correction being done to correct the theoretical air fuel ratio used to calculate the command value of fuel-air mixture flow rate in accordance with exhaust temperature based on deviation of actual exhaust temperature from target exhaust temperature prescribed for various engine rotation speeds and load factors.

6. An integrative control device of a gas engine according to claim 5, wherein the means for correcting theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature is provided with a map in which target temperatures are prescribed for various engine rotation speeds and load factors, and target exhaust temperature is obtained from the map in accordance with the detected engine rotation speed and load factor calculated based on the engine rotation speed and command value of fuel gas flow calculated in the speed control section.

7. An integrative control device of a gas engine according to claim 5, wherein limit ranges of fuel gas flow rates including at least upper limit of fuel gas flow rates are prescribed based on permissible endurance of the gas engine or limit ranges of excess air ratios including at least lower limit of excess air ratios are prescribed based on permissible air fuel ratio for preventing abnormal combustion for various engine speed and load, and limit control is performed so that the command value of fuel gas flow rate does not exceed the limit range for concerned engine speed and load in the speed control section.

8. An integrative control device of a gas engine according to claim 5, wherein the means for correcting theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature is provided with a means for correcting the target exhaust temperature based on other temperatures such as temperature of cooling water, mixture inlet, and lube oil.

9. An integrative control device of a gas engine according to claim 5, wherein the means for correcting theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature is provided with a means for calculating average exhaust temperature of all cylinders, comparing detected temperature of exhaust gas from each cylinder with the average temperature respectively to obtain deviation from the average temperature, and calculating partial average exhaust temperature excluding the exhaust temperature(s) of which the deviation from the average exhaust temperature of all cylinders exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the partial average exhaust temperature being used as the actual exhaust temperature to correct theoretical air fuel ratio in accordance with exhaust temperature.