# US 2009/0260419 A1 · Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

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- Number: US 2009/0260419 A1
- Document ID: US20090260419A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/357,855
- Filed: 2009-01-22
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2008-04-18
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Osamu Maeda; Hideki Takubo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260419A1

## CPC

- F02D 41/0025: {Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures}
- F02D 19/0623: {Failure diagnosis or prevention; Safety measures; Testing}
- F02D 19/0655: {at least one fuel being an alcohol, e.g. ethanol (F02D19/084 takes precedence)}
- F02D 19/084: {Blends of gasoline and alcohols, e.g. E85}
- F02D 41/0085: {Balancing of cylinder outputs, e.g. speed, torque or air-fuel ratio}
- F02D 41/1454: {the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio}
- F02D 41/1458: {with determination means using an estimation}
- F02D 41/1443: {with one sensor per cylinder or group of cylinders}
- F02D 2200/0611: Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality
- Y02T 10/30: Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
- 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)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

The control apparatus for the internal combustion engine includes: a unit for detecting the change in the alcohol concentration of a fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders; a unit for detecting an air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders; a unit for making the failure diagnosis when the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a unit for inhibiting the failure diagnosis executed based on the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders when the change in the alcohol concentration is detected.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
means for detecting a change in an alcohol concentration of a fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders;
means for detecting an air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders;
means for making a failure diagnosis when the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and
means for inhibiting the failure diagnosis executed based on the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders when the change in the alcohol concentration is detected.

### Claim 2

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
means for detecting a change in an alcohol concentration of a fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders; and
means for correcting a fuel injection amount for each of the plurality of cylinders according to the change in the alcohol concentration so as to reduce an air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders, which is caused by the change in the alcohol concentration, when the change in the alcohol concentration is detected.

### Claim 3

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
means for detecting an alcohol concentration of a fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders; and
means for detecting an air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders,
wherein the alcohol concentration of the fuel is detected when the air-fuel ratio variation between the plurality of cylinders exceeds a predetermined threshold value.