# US 10,119,486 B2 · Engine control device and engine control method

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- Number: US 10,119,486 B2
- Document ID: US10119486B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/565,211
- Filed: 2015-04-14
- Published: 2018-03-22
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-04-14
- Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yoshihiro Imaoka; Takeshi Tsuyuki; Takao Inoue
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119486B2

## CPC

- F02D 41/024: {to increase temperature of the exhaust gas treating apparatus}
- F02D 35/025: {by determining temperatures inside the cylinder, e.g. combustion temperatures}
- F02D 35/026: {using an estimation}
- F02D 41/0245: {by increasing temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the engine}
- F02D 41/047: {Taking into account fuel evaporation or wall wetting; (special correction after fuel cut-off F02D41/126)}
- F02D 41/06: for engine starting or warming up {(F02D41/0255 takes precedence)}
- F02D 41/064: {at cold start (F02D41/067 takes precedence)}
- F02D 41/1466: {the characteristics being a soot concentration or content}
- F02D 41/3029: {further comprising a homogeneous charge spark-ignited mode}
- F02D 41/34: with means for controlling injection timing or duration
- F02D 41/345: {Controlling injection timing (F02D41/365 takes precedence)}
- F02D 41/401: {Controlling injection timing (F02D41/402 takes precedence)}
- F02D 41/402: {Multiple injections}
- F02D 43/04: using only digital means
- F02P 5/15: Digital data processing
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02P: IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES ({anti-pollution means for internal-combustion engines F02B17/00}; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; {ignition of gas turbine plants F02C7/26; ignition of jet propulsion plants F02K9/95; starting of combustion engines F02N9/00}; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; {ignition coils H01F38/12}; sparking plugs H01T13/00)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An engine control device controls a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine provided with a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel to a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder. In a case where it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage, the engine control device executes a catalyst warm-up operation in which a fuel is injected at a timing during the compression stroke, and at a timing when the fuel spray colliding with the piston crown surface moves toward the ignition plug along the shape of the piston crown surface, and in which the ignition timing is after compression top dead center. The engine control device advances the fuel injection timing in accordance with an increase in an estimation amount of a liquid fuel remaining on the top surface of the piston during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An engine control device for controlling a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine, the engine comprising a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel into a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder,
wherein, the engine control device is programmed to execute a catalyst warm-up operation in which an ignition timing is retarded and a fuel injection timing is within a compression stroke when it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage, and to advance the fuel injection timing within the compression stroke according to an estimation amount of a liquid fuel remaining on a piston crown surface during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein, the engine control device is programmed to advance the fuel injection timing from a timing at which the fuel spray moves toward the spark plug to a timing during the intake stroke when the estimation amount of the liquid fuel remaining on the piston crown surface is larger than a threshold value set on the basis of an emission regulation value of an exhaust gas particulate matter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The engine control device according to claim 2, wherein the fuel injection timing gradually approaches the intake stroke in accordance with the increase of the estimation amount of the liquid fuel remaining on the piston crown surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein an advancement angle of the fuel injection timing is set to be larger as the temperature of the piston crown surface is lower.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The engine control device according to claim 1, wherein a part of the fuel is also injected in an intake stroke at least during execution of the warm-up operation.

### Claim 6

An engine control method for controlling a cylinder direct fuel injection type spark ignition engine, the engine comprising a fuel injection valve configured to directly inject fuel into a cylinder and an ignition plug configured to perform spark ignition for a gas mixture inside the cylinder, comprising:
executing a catalyst warm-up operation in which an ignition timing is retarded and a fuel injection timing is within a compression stroke when it is necessary to warm up an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage, and
advancing the fuel injection timing within the compression stroke according to an estimation amount of a liquid fuel remaining on a piston crown surface during execution of the catalyst warm-up operation.