# US 2013/0152902 A1 · Method for Adapting the Injection Characteristic of an Injection Valve

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- Number: US 2013/0152902 A1
- Document ID: US20130152902A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/819,017
- Filed: 2011-08-16
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-26
- Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH
- Inventors: Martin Brandt; Janos Radeczky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152902A1

## CPC

- F02D 41/40: with means for controlling injection timing or duration
- F02D 41/2432: {Methods of calibration}
- F02D 41/2467: {for injectors}
- F02M 61/168: {Assembling; Disassembling; Manufacturing; Adjusting}
- F02M 65/001: {Measuring fuel delivery of a fuel injector}
- F02M 65/005: {Measuring or detecting injection-valve lift, e.g. to determine injection timing}
- F02D 41/2435: {characterised by the writing medium, e.g. bar code}
- F02D 41/2441: {characterised by the learning conditions}
- F02D 41/2477: {characterised by the method used for learning}
- F02D 2200/0614: Actual fuel mass or fuel injection amount
- F02D 2200/063: Lift of the valve needle
- F02M 2200/8007: Storing data on fuel injection apparatus, e.g. by printing, by using bar codes or EPROMs
- F02M 2200/8092: adjusting or calibration
- 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)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF

## Abstract

A method for adapting the injection characteristic of a fuel injection valve of an internal combustion engine to production-related tolerances is described. In the method, an injection quantity correction value is determined from the deviation of the idle travel and the deviation of the injection quantity of the injection valve before the operating phase of the injector. This injection quantity correction value is used to determine the injection-specific deviation of the injection quantity during the operating phase at the start of the operating phase of the injector in conjunction with the current deviation of the idle travel which is determined in the system. The injector-specific deviation of the injection quantity which is determined is used to correct the injection characteristic. As a result, changes in the injection quantity of an injector can be detected and corrected particularly precisely on the basis of production tolerances.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for adapting the injection characteristic to production-related tolerances, the injection characteristic representing a setpoint injection behavior of an injector arranged in an injection system of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
before an operating phase of the injector:
determining an ACTUAL idle stroke of the injector;
determining a deviation of the ACTUAL idle stroke from a nominal idle stroke;
determining an ACTUAL injection quantity of the injector;
determining a deviation of the ACTUAL injection quantity from a nominal injection quantity;
determining an injection quantity correction value based on the idle stroke deviation and the injection quantity deviation; and
at the start of the operating phase of the injector:
using the determined injection quantity correction value and the current idle stroke deviation to determine an injector-specific injection quantity deviation during the operating phase; and
using the determined injector-specific injection quantity deviation to correct the injection characteristic.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising performing the determination of the ACTUAL idle stroke of the injector and the determination of the ACTUAL injection quantity of the injector in parallel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising performing the determination of the ACTUAL idle stroke and the correction of the injection characteristic continuously.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising using the determined injection quantity correction value to individually characterize the injector with respect to idle-stroke-dependent and idle-stroke-independent quantity tolerance.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, comprising performing the individual characterization of the injector during a function test.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, comprising generating an injector code from the individual characterization of the injector.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, comprising reading the produced injector code into the injection system initialize the injection quantity correction and idle stroke correction.

### Claim 8

A control system for adapting an injection characteristic of an injector of an injection system of an internal combustion engine, the control system including computer instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable media and executable by a processor to:
before an operating phase of the injector:
determine an ACTUAL idle stroke of the injector;
determine a deviation of the ACTUAL idle stroke from a nominal idle stroke;
determine an ACTUAL injection quantity of the injector;
determine a deviation of the ACTUAL injection quantity from a nominal injection quantity;
determine an injection quantity correction value based on the idle stroke deviation and the injection quantity deviation; and
at the start of the operating phase of the injector:
use the determined injection quantity correction value and the current idle stroke deviation to determine an injector-specific injection quantity deviation during the operating phase; and
use the determined injector-specific injection quantity deviation to correct the injection characteristic.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The control system of claim 8, configured to perform the determination of the ACTUAL idle stroke of the injector and the determination of the ACTUAL injection quantity of the injector in parallel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The control system of claim 8, configured to perform the determination of the ACTUAL idle stroke and the correction of the injection characteristic continuously.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The control system of claim 8, configured to use the determined injection quantity correction value to individually characterize the injector with respect to idle-stroke-dependent and idle-stroke-independent quantity tolerance.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The control system of claim 11, configured to perform the individual characterization of the injector during a function test.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The control system of claim 11, configured to generate an injector code from the individual characterization of the injector.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The control system of claim 13, configured to read the produced injector code into the injection system to initialize the injection quantity correction and idle stroke correction.