In situ valuation of auto-ignition quality of fuel in compression ignition engines
AssigneeWayne State University
InventorsNaeim A. Henein, Prasad D. Raut, Omkar A. Atre, Joseph Stempnik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for an engine to determine in situ under specified conditions the auto-ignition quality of the fuel used in a compression ignition engine is provided. The system may include an ion current sensor. The ion current sensor may access an engine cylinder for obtaining ion current data. A control unit may be in communication with the ion current sensor for receiving the ion current data. The control unit being configured to determine the auto-ignition quality of the fuel based on features of the ion current data.
Claims20
A system for an engine to determine in situ under specified conditions an auto-ignition quality of fuel used in a compression ignition engine, the system comprising:
- an ion current sensor accessing an engine cylinder for obtaining ion current data from an ion current signal;
- a control unit in communication with the ion current sensor for receiving the ion current data, the control unit being configured to determine the auto-ignition quality of the fuel based on features of the ion current data, wherein the auto-ignition quality includes a cetane number or a derived cetane number of the fuel;
- and
- wherein the control unit determines the auto-ignition quality of the fuel based on a slope of the ion current data including a rate of second peak rise and a rate of second peak decay.
A system for determining in situ under specified conditions an auto-ignition quality of a fuel used in a compression ignition engine, the system comprising:
- an ion current sensor accessing an engine cylinder for obtaining ion current data of an ion current signal;
- a control unit in communication with the ion current sensor for receiving the ion current data, the control unit being configured to determine the auto-ignition quality of the fuel based on a slope of the ion current signal and one or more of a start of the ion current signal and/or an area under a curve of the ion current signal and/or ion current amplitude and/or ion current delay and/or a function of any combination of the above or related parameters, wherein the slope of the ion current signal includes a rate of second peak rise and a rate of second peak decay;
- and
- wherein the auto-ignition quality includes a cetane number or a derived cetane number of the fuel.
A system for determining in situ under specified conditions an auto-ignition quality of fuel used in a compression ignition engine, the system comprising:
- an ion current sensor integrated into a glow plug of an engine cylinder for obtaining ion current data of an ion current signal, the glow plug being electrically insulated from the engine cylinder by a dielectric isolation material;
- and
- a control unit in communication with the ion current sensor for receiving the ion current data, the control unit being configured to determine the auto-ignition quality of the fuel based on at least one ion current parameter from a list of ion current parameters consisting of:
- a start of the ion current signal, a slope of the ion current signal, an area under a curve of the ion current signal, an ion current amplitude, an ion current delay, wherein the slope of the ion current signal includes a rate of second peak rise and a rate of second peak decay;
- and
- wherein the auto-ignition quality includes a cetane number or a derived cetane number of the fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.