Diesel engine system and method of controlling diesel engine

• US 7,706,961 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Tetsuno, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US12/204,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 123/179.4, 123/179.16, 123/179.17, 123/179.21, 123/491, 701/113
• US Class Current: 701/113
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/08 for rendering engine inoperative or idling
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/02 Cutting-out cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2009/0245 Shutting down engine, e.g. working together with fuel cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2009/0247 Opening the throttle a little on engine shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0022 for diesel engines by throttle control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0092 Synchronisation of the cylinders at engine start
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0095 Synchronisation of the cylinders during engine shutdown
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/389 for injecting directly into the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/026 using an estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/065 at hot start or restart F02D41/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3827 for diesel engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/005 Aiding engine start by starting from a predetermined position, e.g. pre-positioning or reverse rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2019/008 the engine being stopped in a particular position
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 99/006 Providing a combustible mixture inside the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 19/023 Individual control of the glow plugs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

In a process of automatically stopping a diesel engine upon fulfillment of automatic engine stop conditions, an ECU cuts off fuel injection when the engine speed equals a preset first engine speed N1. The ECU limits the amount of intake air at the first engine speed N1 and, then, increases the amount of intake air at a point in time when the engine speed equals a second engine speed N2, at which point a piston in a cylinder which will be on a compression stroke at engine stop is expected to transfer to a last intake stroke, so that the piston in the compression stroke cylinder at engine stop stops at a point within a specified range closer to the bottom dead center than a piston in a cylinder which will be on an expansion stroke at engine stop.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a diesel engine, comprising:

stopping fueling said engine upon fulfillment of an engine stop condition while said engine is running;

positioning a piston of a first cylinder, which is in a compression stroke of a cylinder cycle when the engine completely stops, at a first stop position that is closer to the bottom dead center than to the top dead center; and

cranking said engine and starting fueling said engine by first injecting fuel into said first cylinder upon fulfillment of an engine restart condition while said engine is at rest.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said positioning the piston in said first cylinder is performed by controlling an engine running resistance while said engine is being brought to a complete stop.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said controlling the engine running resistance includes:

temporarily increasingly throttling intake airflow to said engine after the engine stop condition is met; and

decreasingly throttling the intake airflow when engine speed reaches a first predetermined speed after increasingly throttling the intake airflow.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said temporarily increasingly throttling intake airflow to said engine is performed when the engine speed reaches a second predetermined speed that is grater than said first predetermined speed.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first stop position is 100 degrees or more away from the top dead center.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said first stop position is 100 degrees or more away from the top dead center.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first stop position is between 100 and 120 degrees before the top dead center.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said positioning the piston of said first cylinder is performed by heating air in said first cylinder.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising stopping heating the air in said first cylinder when said piston of said first cylinder reaches said first stop position.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the air in said first cylinder is heated by electrical heating.

11. A method of controlling a diesel engine, comprising:

stopping fueling said engine upon fulfillment of an engine stop condition while said engine is running;

cranking said engine and starting fueling said engine by first injecting fuel into a first cylinder which is in a compression stroke of a cylinder cycle when said engine completely stops if a piston of the first cylinder is positioned at a first position closer to the bottom dead center than to the top dead center; and

cranking said engine and starting fueling said engine by first injecting the fuel into a second cylinder which is in an intake stroke of a cylinder cycle when the engine completely stops if the piston of said first cylinder is positioned between the top dead center and the first stop position.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising temporarily increasingly throttling intake airflow to said engine upon fulfillment of the engine stop condition and decreasingly throttling the intake airflow when the engine speed reaches a first predetermined speed after increasingly throttling the intake airflow.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said first stop position is 100 degrees or more away from the top dead center.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said first stop position is 100 degrees or more away from the top dead center.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising heating air in said first cylinder before said engine restart condition is met if the piston of said first cylinder is positioned between the top dead center and said first stop position.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising stopping heating the air in said first cylinder when the piston of said first cylinder reaches said first stop position.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the air in said first cylinder is heated by electrical heating.

18. A diesel engine system comprising:

a diesel engine having cylinders including a first cylinder, pistons, a crankshaft linked to said pistons for reciprocally moving said pistons in said cylinders, and fuel injectors capable of directly injecting fuel into said respective cylinders;

a throttle valve arranged in an intake air passage of said diesel engine for throttling intake air into said cylinders;

a starter motor capable of rotating said crankshaft; and

a controller which controls;

said fuel injectors to stop fueling said cylinders upon fulfillment of an engine stop condition;

said throttle valve to close upon fulfillment of the engine stop condition and open when the engine speed reaches a predetermined speed so that the piston of said first cylinder, which is in a compression stroke of a cylinder cycle when the engine completely stops, stops at a first stop position that is closer to the bottom dead center than to the top dead center; and

said starter motor to crank said engine and said fuel injectors to start fueling said engine by first injecting the fuel into said first cylinder upon fulfillment of an engine restart condition.

19. The diesel engine system according to claim 18, further comprising an electric heater arranged in said cylinders, wherein said controller activates the heater of said first cylinder when the piston of said first cylinder is positioned between the top dead center and said first stop position.

20. The diesel engine system according to claim 18, wherein said first stop position is between 100 and 120 degrees before the top dead center.