# US 2014/0190452 A1 · Control device for internal combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190452 A1 - Document ID: US20140190452A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/129,434 - Filed: 2012-06-29 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-30 - Assignees: Imagineering, Inc. - Inventors: Yuji Ikeda; Naoki Toda; Shigeo Nomura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190452A1 ## CPC - F02M 69/46: Details, component parts or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus covered by groups F02M69/02 - F02M69/44 - F02B 23/101: {the injector being placed on or close to the cylinder centre axis, e.g. with mixture formation using spray guided concepts} - F02D 41/1497: {With detection of the mechanical response of the engine} - F02D 41/403: {with pilot injections} - F02M 45/04: with a small initial part {, e.g. initial part for partial load and initial and main part for full load} - F02M 61/1813: {Discharge orifices having different orientations with respect to valve member direction of movement, e.g. orientations being such that fuel jets emerging from discharge orifices collide with each other} - F02P 5/045: {combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection (in general F02D37/02)} - F02B 31/085: {having two inlet valves} - F02B 2023/103: {the injector having a multi-hole nozzle for generating multiple sprays} - F02B 2023/108: {Swirl flow, i.e. the axis of rotation of the main charge flow motion is vertical} - F02D 41/402: {Multiple injections} - F02D 2200/101: Engine speed - F02M 26/13: Arrangement or layout of EGR passages, e.g. in relation to specific engine parts or for incorporation of accessories - F02P 3/04: Layout of circuits - F02P 23/045: {using electromagnetic microwaves} - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - 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) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An internal combustion engine has an ignition promotion unit that has a function of promoting ignition of fuel sprays formed by the small quantity injections by supplying the fuel sprays with electric energy. The engine is provided with a control device which has a combustion control unit that carries out processing of causing the fuel injection valve to perform the plurality of times of small quantity injections so that fuel sprays formed by the first-time small quantity injection from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections are connected with one another by the fuel sprays formed by the subsequent small quantity injections from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control device for an internal combustion engine that causes a fuel injection valve formed with a plurality of injection holes to perform a main injection and a plurality of times of small quantity injections preceding the main injection for one cylinder of a compression ignition type internal combustion engine during one combustion cycle of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including an ignition promotion unit that has a function of promoting ignition of fuel sprays formed by the small quantity injections by supplying the fuel sprays with electric energy, wherein the control device comprises a combustion control unit that carries out processing of causing the fuel injection valve to perform the plurality of times of small quantity injections so that fuel sprays formed by the first-time small quantity injection from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections are connected with one another by the fuel sprays formed by the subsequent small quantity injections from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the combustion control unit carries out processing of setting the number of times of the small quantity injections and a time interval between the small quantity injections based on at least one of a gas density in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, a fuel injection pressure of the fuel injection valve, a fuel injection quantity allocated to the small quantity injection, and a rotation speed of a swirl created in the combustion chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the combustion control unit carries out processing of adjusting a rotation speed of a swirl created in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine so that fuel sprays formed by the first-time small quantity injection from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections are connected with one another by the fuel sprays formed by the subsequent small quantity injections from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections. ### Claim 4 A control device for an internal combustion engine that causes a fuel injection valve formed with a plurality of injection holes to perform a main injection and a plurality of times of small quantity injections preceding the main injection for one cylinder of the internal combustion engine during one combustion cycle of a compression ignition type internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine including an ignition promotion unit that has a function of promoting ignition of fuel sprays formed by the small quantity injections by supplying the fuel sprays with electric energy, wherein the control device comprises a combustion control unit that carries out processing of adjusting a rotation speed of a swirl created in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine so that fuel sprays formed by the first-time small quantity injection from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections are connected with one another by the fuel sprays formed by the subsequent small quantity injections from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the ignition promotion unit is constituted by a plasma generation unit that generates plasma in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the plasma generation unit includes electrodes protruding toward the combustion chamber and is adapted to generate plasma in the combustion chamber by way of a discharge between the electrodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the plasma generation unit generates plasma in the combustion chamber by emitting an electromagnetic wave toward the combustion chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the control device further comprises a unit for supplying the fuel sprays with electric energy by means of the ignition promotion unit during a period starting from the time of the first-time small quantity injection from among the plurality of times of small quantity injections until the time of the main injection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the injection holes are formed on a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the fuel injection valve and spaced apart from one another at intervals on a periphery of the fuel injection valve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the plasma generation unit is caused to generate plasma prior to the plurality of times of small quantity injections so that active species comes into a diffusion state owing to a swirl created in the combustion chamber at a start time of the plurality of times of small quantity injections. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The control device for the internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the plasma generation unit is caused to generate plasma a plurality of times during a period while the fuel sprays of the plurality of times of small quantity injections are present.