Method for energizing an HF resonant circuit which has an igniter as a component for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber
First Claim
1. A method for energizing an HF resonant circuit, which contains an igniter as a component for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, wherein the igniter comprises an ignition electrode and an insulator surrounding the ignition electrode, by means of a DC-AC inverter which is excited by successive current pulses that each last while a switch controlled by a control circuit is in its conducting state, the method comprising:
- observing an instantaneous value of an alternating current or of an alternating current voltage in the HF resonant circuit;
actuating the switch when it is detected that the instantaneous value of the alternating current or the alternating current voltage excited in the HF resonant circuit falls below a first switching threshold and actuating the switch when it is detected that the instantaneous value of the alternating current or the alternating current voltage excited in the HF resonant circuit exceeds a second switching threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for energizing an HF resonant circuit which contains an igniter as a component for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, wherein the igniter comprises an ignition electrode and an insulator surrounding the ignition electrode, by means of a DC-AC inverter which is excited by successive current pulses which each last while a switch controlled by a control circuit is in its conducting switching state. It is provided according to the invention that the switch is actuated when an instantaneous value of an alternating current or an alternating current voltage excited in the HF resonant circuit falls below a first switching threshold (A−, B−, C−) and the switch s actuated when the instantaneous value of the alternating current or the alternating current voltage excited in the HF resonant circuit exceeds a second switching threshold (A+, B+, C+).
16 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for energizing an HF resonant circuit, which contains an igniter as a component for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, wherein the igniter comprises an ignition electrode and an insulator surrounding the ignition electrode, by means of a DC-AC inverter which is excited by successive current pulses that each last while a switch controlled by a control circuit is in its conducting state, the method comprising:
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observing an instantaneous value of an alternating current or of an alternating current voltage in the HF resonant circuit; actuating the switch when it is detected that the instantaneous value of the alternating current or the alternating current voltage excited in the HF resonant circuit falls below a first switching threshold and actuating the switch when it is detected that the instantaneous value of the alternating current or the alternating current voltage excited in the HF resonant circuit exceeds a second switching threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for energizing an HF resonant circuit, which contains an igniter as a component for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine by means of a corona discharge, wherein the igniter comprises an ignition electrode and an insulator surrounding the ignition electrode, the method comprising:
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providing a DC-AC inverter having at least one primary winding side and at least one secondary winding side, wherein the DC-AC inverter is configured to be excited on the primary winding side by successive current pulses that each last while a switch controlled by a control circuit is in its conducting state; providing a detector circuit between the HF resonant circuit and the secondary winding side of the DC-AC inverter, the detector circuit configured to determine a falling below of a positive current threshold and a surpassing of a negative current threshold of a current intensity of a current signal in the HF resonant circuit; detecting the falling below of the positive current threshold and the surpassing of the negative current threshold of the current intensity of the current signal in HF resonant circuit; and actuating the switch by the control circuit when the falling below of the positive current threshold or the surpassing of the negative current threshold is detected.
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Specification