# US 10,502,147 B2 · Control apparatus for engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,147 B2 - Document ID: US10502147B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/086,299 - Filed: 2017-08-25 - Published: 2019-04-11 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-22 - Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation - Applicants: Mazda Motor Corporation - Inventors: Atsushi Inoue; Masanari Sueoka; Kota Matsumoto; Tomonori Urushihara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502147B2 ## CPC - F02D 13/0261: {Controlling the valve overlap} - F02D 13/02: during engine operation - F02D 13/0203: {Variable control of intake and exhaust valves} - F02D 13/0265: {Negative valve overlap for temporarily storing residual gas in the cylinder} - F02D 41/0007: {for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12)} - F02D 41/04: Introducing corrections for particular operating conditions (F02D41/14 takes precedence) - F02D 41/3041: {with means for triggering compression ignition, e.g. spark plug} - F02D 41/401: {Controlling injection timing (F02D41/402 takes precedence)} - F02D 45/00: Electrical control not provided for in groups F02D41/00 - F02D43/00 - F02P 5/045: {combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection (in general F02D37/02)} - F02P 5/145: using electrical means - F01L 1/34: characterised by the provision of means for changing the timing of the valves without changing the duration of opening {and without affecting the magnitude of the valve lift} - F02D 35/023: {by determining the cylinder pressure} - 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) - F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract This control apparatus for an engine includes an engine, an injector, a spark plug, an intake electric S-VT, an exhaust electric S-VT, and a controller. The controller outputs a control signal to at least one of the intake electric S-VT and the exhaust electric S-VT so as to perform valve control of opening an intake valve when an exhaust valve is open, and then outputs a control signal to the spark plug at predetermined ignition timing such that, after air-fuel mixture is ignited and combustion is started, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control apparatus for an engine, the control apparatus comprising: an engine having a combustion chamber; an injector mounted to the engine, the injector configured to inject fuel; a spark plug disposed so as to face an inside of the combustion chamber; a variable valve mechanism configured to change valve timing of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve; and a controller connected to each of the injector, the spark plug, and the variable valve mechanism, the controller configured to output control signals to the injector, the spark plug, and the variable valve mechanism, wherein the controller outputs a control signal to the variable valve mechanism so as to perform valve control of opening the intake valve when the exhaust valve is open, and then outputs a control signal to the spark plug at predetermined ignition timing such that, after air-fuel mixture is ignited and combustion is started, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 1, wherein when performing the valve control, the controller outputs a control signal to the variable valve mechanism such that an overlap period in which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both open is changed according to load on the engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 2, wherein the controller makes the overlap period longer when load on the engine is high, than that when load on the engine is low. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 2, comprising a supercharging system provided to the engine, the supercharging system configured to supercharge the combustion chamber with gas to be introduced thereinto, wherein in a case where the controller performs the valve control while the supercharging system is performing supercharging, the controller makes the overlap period constant regardless of change of load on the engine. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 1, wherein in order to form almost homogeneous air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, the injector performs, upon receiving a control signal from the controller, succeeding injection in which fuel is injected at timing before the predetermined ignition timing and close to the predetermined ignition timing, and preceding injection in which fuel is injected at timing before the succeeding injection and not close to the predetermined ignition timing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 1, comprising a state quantity setting device mounted to the engine, the state quantity setting device configured to adjust introduction of fresh air and burned gas into the combustion chamber, wherein the controller sets a G/F that represents an index associated with a weight ratio between total gas, containing burned gas, in the combustion chamber, and fuel such that the G/F is in a range from 18 to 50 by the controller outputting control signals to the state quantity setting device and the injector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 6, wherein the controller sets an excess air ratio λ of the air-fuel mixture to 1.0±0.2 by outputting control signals to the state quantity setting device and the injector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 6, wherein a state inside the combustion chamber at the ignition timing satisfies at least one of a condition that a temperature is in a range from 570 K to 800 K, and a condition that a pressure is in a range from 400 kPa to 920 kPa. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 6, wherein a state inside the combustion chamber at the ignition timing satisfies a condition that a swirl ratio is 4 or greater. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The control apparatus for the engine of claim 6, wherein a geometrical compression ratio of the engine is 13 or greater. ### Claim 11 A control apparatus for an engine, the control apparatus comprising: an engine having a combustion chamber; an injector mounted to the engine, the injector configured to inject fuel; a spark plug disposed so as to face an inside of the combustion chamber; and a controller connected to each of the injector and the spark plug, the controller configured to output control signals to the injector and the spark plug, wherein the controller outputs a control signal to the spark plug at predetermined ignition timing such that, after gas in the combustion chamber is scavenged, and then air-fuel mixture is ignited and combustion is started, unburned air-fuel mixture is combusted by autoignition.