System and method for controlling the fuel injection event in an internal combustion engine

• US 8,527,183 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gallagher, Shawn M., Primus, Roy, Tamma, Bhaskar, Topinka, Jennifer, Mischler, Robert, Boddu, Rajani
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US12/605,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20100043753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 701/104, 701/105
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0402 the parameter being determined by using a model of the engine intake or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0602 Fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/703 Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/36 Control for minimising NOx emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/024 using an estimation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3845 by controlling the flow into the common rail, e.g. the amount of fuel pumped
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/40 with means for controlling injection timing or duration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A controller, in electrical communication with the one or more of the injectors and a high-pressure fuel pump, generates a first signal responsive to which the valve in the injector opens or closes and a second signal responsive to which the high-pressure fuel pump increases or decreases the pressure level in the fuel accumulator. The system may also include one or more sensors to detect a pressure within the air manifold and to detect the pressure within the fuel accumulator. The controller is programmed to calculate an in-cylinder gas pressure. When the engine is operating at a maximum engine load and the in-cylinder gas pressure reaches or exceeds a maximum pressure limit, the controller transmits one or more signals to adjust the fuel injection timing and/or adjust the pressure in the fuel accumulator to maintain NO_x and fuel consumption within acceptable limits.

Claims

1. A fuel injection system for controlling fuel injection in an internal combustion engine having an engine block with one or more cylinders within which fuel is injected, the fuel injection system comprising:

a controller for controlling one or more fuel injectors in the engine and for controlling a pressure level in a fuel accumulator in the engine;

one or more sensors for detecting operating parameters of the engine;

wherein the controller calculates an in-cylinder pressure based on the detected operating parameters;

a database that includes data relative to a predetermined maximum in-cylinder gas pressure, wherein the database further includes respective data relative to a plurality of fuel injection strategies, the respective data relative to each fuel injection strategy including data indicative of at least one timing of a fuel injection relative to a top-dead center position of a piston and/or data relating to at least one pressure in the fuel accumulator; and

the controller is programmed to select a fuel injection strategy from the database responsive to the calculated in-cylinder pressure being at or above the predetermined maximum in-cylinder gas pressure, wherein according to the selected fuel injection strategy a selected timing of a fuel injection is adjusted relative to a previously selected fuel injection timing and/or a selected pressure in the fuel accumulator is adjusted relative to a previously selected pressure.

2. A fuel injection system for controlling fuel injection in an internal combustion engine having an engine block with one or more cylinders within which fuel is injected, the fuel injection system comprising:

a fuel pump in fluid communication with a fuel reservoir;

a fuel accumulator, in fluid communication with the fuel pump;

one or more injectors that are in fluid communication with the fuel accumulator and each of the fuel injectors are in fluid communication with a corresponding cylinder in which a piston is supported;

the one or more injectors each having a valve that opens or closes responsive to electrical pulses;

one or more air manifolds in fluid communication with the cylinders for delivery of air to the cylinders;

a controller, in electrical communication with the one or more of the injectors and the fuel pump that, during operation of the engine, generates one or more first signals responsive to which the valve in the injector opens or closes and one or more second signals responsive to which the fuel pump increases or decreases a pressure level in the fuel accumulator;

one or more sensors for detecting operating parameters including an air pressure within the air manifold and a pressure within the fuel accumulator, wherein the one or more sensors send data, indicative of the air pressure within the air manifold and pressure within the fuel accumulator, to the controller;

wherein the controller calculates an in-cylinder pressure based on the detected pressure within the air manifold and the detected pressure within the fuel accumulator;

a database that includes data relative to a predetermined maximum in-cylinder gas pressure, wherein the database further includes data relative to a fuel injection strategy, the data relative to the fuel injection strategy including data indicative of a plurality of different timings of a fuel injection relative to a top-dead center position of a piston and/or data relative to a plurality of different pressures in the fuel accumulator; and

,

the controller is programmed to select a fuel injection strategy from the database responsive to a calculated in-cylinder pressure that reaches or exceeds the predetermined maximum in-cylinder gas pressure, wherein according to the selected fuel injection strategy a selected timing of a fuel injection is adjusted relative to a previously selected fuel injection timing and/or a selected pressure in the fuel accumulator is adjusted relative to a previously selected pressure, whereby NO_x emissions of the engine and/or fuel consumption are maintained within designated limits.

3. The fuel injection system of claim 2, wherein the engine operates at a plurality of different engine loads and for each engine load the database includes data relative to a fuel injection timing and data relative to a pressure in the fuel accumulator.

4. The fuel injection system of claim 3, wherein the data relative to the different engine loads includes a maximum engine load, and the maximum in-cylinder pressure limit is associated with the maximum engine load, and the controller adjusts the fuel injection timing and/or the pressure in the fuel accumulator when the calculated in-cylinder pressure reaches or exceeds the maximum in-cylinder pressure limit at the maximum engine load.

5. The fuel injection system of claim 4, wherein the fuel injection timing data associated with the maximum engine load includes a plurality of different fuel injection timings that set at predetermined incremental changes in timing.

6. The fuel injection system of claim 4, wherein the fuel accumulator pressure data associated with the maximum engine load includes a plurality of different pressure settings that set at predetermined incremental changes in pressure.

7. A method for controlling fuel injection in an internal combustion engine mounted in a vehicle and having an engine block with one or more cylinders within which fuel is injected and provided from a fuel accumulator under pressure, wherein the engine further includes an air manifold for providing air to cylinders associated with the injectors, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring, from one or more sensors, an air pressure in the air manifold and a pressure within the fuel accumulator;

transmitting, from the one or more sensors, one or more signals indicative of the air pressure in the air manifold and the pressure within the fuel accumulator to a fuel injection controller;

calculating, at the fuel injection controller, an in-cylinder gas pressure using the data relative to the pressure within the air manifold and the pressure within the fuel accumulator; and

,

transmitting, in response to the calculated in-cylinder gas pressure, from the controller, one or more commands relative to a fuel injection strategy for each cylinder including commands associated with a timing of a fuel injection during a piston cycle, the number of injections, and the duration of each injection made during a piston cycle; and

,

wherein in response to the one or more commands from the controller, adjusting the timing of a fuel injection relative to a top-dead center position of the piston and relative to a previously selected fuel injection timing and/or adjusting the pressure in the fuel accumulator relative to a previously selected pressure, when the calculated in-cylinder gas pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum pressure limit, whereby NO_x emissions of the engine and/or fuel consumption are maintained within designated limits.

8. The method for controlling fuel injection of claim 7, wherein the engine operates at a plurality of different engine loads including a maximum engine load, and the step of adjusting the timing of the fuel injection is performed when the engine is operating at the maximum engine load.

9. The method for controlling fuel injection of claim 8, wherein for each engine load the controller transmits one or more signals indicative of a fuel injection strategy including data relative to a fuel injection timing relative to a top dead center position of a piston and a fuel accumulator pressure.

10. The method for controlling fuel injection of claim 7, wherein the fuel injection timing is adjusted in predetermined increments each time the in-cylinder pressure reaches or exceeds the maximum pressure limit.

11. The method for controlling fuel injection of claim 10, wherein the engine operates at a plurality of different engine loads including a maximum engine load, and the step of adjusting the fuel accumulator pressure is performed when the engine is operating at the maximum engine load.

12. The method for controlling fuel injection of claim 11, wherein the fuel accumulator pressure is adjusted in predetermined increments each time the in-cylinder pressure reaches or exceeds the maximum pressure limit.

13. The method for controlling fuel injection of claim 11, wherein for each engine load the controller transmits one or more signals indicative of a fuel injection strategy including data relative to a fuel injection timing relative to a top dead center position of a piston and a fuel accumulator pressure.