Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine

• US 9,797,324 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Dietl, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMAOUI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US14/966,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20160097335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 31/007 controlling fuel supply
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0097 using means for generating speed signals
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 the fuel injection being cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2438 Active learning methods
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/106 for stopping or interrupting starter actuation

Abstract

In a method and a device for operating an internal combustion engine, with at least one cylinder (Z1-Z4) having a combustion chamber (26), fuel is injected into the cylinder and a logic value (LV_FCUT) is set, in particular for stopping the injection of fuel into the cylinder, The method furthermore has the following steps: depending on a course of the highly time-resolved measurement signal of a rotational speed (N_FAST) of the internal combustion engine, a local maximum value (N_FAST_MAX) of the rotational speed is determined, a rotational speed difference (N_FAST_DIF) between the local maximum value (N_FAST_MAX) and a current measured value (N_FAST_MES) of the rotational speed is determined, and, depending on the determined rotational speed difference (N_FAST_DIF), the logic value (LV_FCUT) is set.

Claims

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine which has at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, the at least one cylinder driving a dual-mass flywheel in rotation, the method comprising:

injecting fuel into the at least one cylinder;

receiving a measurement signal of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, the measurement signal of the rotational speed defining a series of increases and decreases in the rotational speed;

determining, based on the series of increases and decreases in the rotational speed, a local maximum value and a corresponding local minimum value of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine;

determining a rotational speed difference between the local maximum value and the local minimum value of the rotational speed;

comparing the rotational speed difference to a resonance vibration frequency associated with the dual-mass flywheel; and

controlling a supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder based on the comparison of the rotational speed difference and the resonance vibration frequency.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

incrementing a counter value when the rotational speed difference is greater than or equal to a predefined threshold value of the rotational speed difference;

comparing the incremented counter value to a predefined threshold value of the counter, the predefined threshold value of the counter being greater than one; and

reducing or preventing the supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder in response to determining that the counter value is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold value of the counter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement signal of the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is detected with a temporal resolution of approximately 10 milliseconds.

4. A controller for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber into which fuel is injected, the at least one cylinder driving a dual-mass flywheel in rotation, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a measurement signal of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, the measurement signal of the rotational speed defining a series of increases and decreases in the rotational speed;

determine, based on the series of increases and decreases in the rotational speed, a local maximum value and a corresponding local minimum value of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine;

determine a rotational speed difference between the local maximum value and the local minimum value of the rotational speed;

compare the rotational speed difference to a resonance vibration frequency associated with the dual-mass flywheel; and

control a supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder based on the comparison of the rotational speed difference and the resonance vibration frequency.

5. A controller according to claim 4, further comprising a sensor detecting the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and communicating the rotational speed to the controller with a temporal resolution of approximately 10 milliseconds.

6. An internal combustion engine, comprising:

at least one cylinder having a combustion chamber into which fuel is injected;

the at least one cylinder driving a dual-mass flywheel in rotation; and

a controller configured to;

receive a measurement signal of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, the measurement signal of the rotational speed defining a series of increases and decreases in the rotational speed;

determine, based on the series of increases and decreases in the rotational speed, a local maximum value and a corresponding local minimum value of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine;

determine a rotational speed difference between the local maximum value and the local minimum value of the rotational speed;

compare the rotational speed difference to a resonance vibration frequency associated with the dual-mass flywheel; and

control a supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder based on the comparison of the rotational speed difference and the resonance vibration frequency.

7. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6, further comprising a sensor detecting the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and communicating the rotational speed to the controller with a temporal resolution of approximately 10 milliseconds.