Method and apparatus to control an ignition system
AssigneeDelphi Automotive Systems Luxembourg SA
InventorsFrank Lorenz, Peter Weyand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-charge ignition system includes a spark plug control unit adapted to control at least two coil stages so as to successively energise and de-energise the coil stages to provide a current to a spark plug. The two stages include a first transformer including a first primary winding inductively coupled to a first secondary winding; a second transformer including a second primary winding inductively coupled to a second secondary winding. An auxiliary primary winding is connected from the common high side of the primary winding in series to an auxiliary secondary winding, the other end of said auxiliary secondary winding is electrically connected to ground/low side, and includes a switch which selectively allows current to pass through the auxiliary windings.
Claims7
A multi-charge ignition system comprising:
- at least two coil stages comprising a first transformer including a first primary winding inductively coupled to a first secondary winding and a second transformer including a second primary winding inductively coupled to a second secondary winding;
- a first auxiliary primary winding connected from a common high side of the first primary winding and of the second primary winding in series to one end of a second auxiliary primary winding, another end of the second auxiliary primary winding electrically connected to ground/low side;
- a switch which selectively allows current to pass through the auxiliary primary winding and the auxiliary secondary winding;
- and
- a spark plug control unit which controls the at least two coil stages so as to successively energise and de-energise the at least two coil stages to provide a current to a spark plug.
A method of controlling a multi-charge ignition system having at least two coil stages comprising a first transformer including a first primary winding inductively coupled to a first secondary winding and a second transformer including a second primary winding inductively coupled to a second secondary winding;
- a first auxiliary primary winding connected from a common high side of the first primary winding and of the second primary winding in series to one end of a second auxiliary primary winding, another end of the second auxiliary primary winding electrically connected to ground/low side;
- a switch Q3 which selectively allows current to pass through the auxiliary primary winding and the auxiliary secondary winding;
- and a spark plug control unit which controls the at least two coil stages so as to successively energise and de-energise the at least two coil stages to provide a current to a spark plug, the method comprising:
- during an initial energisation/ramp-up phase of the first primary winding in a multi-charge ignition cycle, allowing current to flow through the first auxiliary primary winding and through the second auxiliary primary winding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.