# US 2020/0400090 A1 · Engine control method and engine system

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- Number: US 2020/0400090 A1
- Document ID: US20200400090A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/960,613
- Filed: 2019-01-22
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-23
- Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation
- Applicants: Mazda Motor Corporation
- Inventors: Shinji TAKAYAMA; Takeatsu ITO; Michio ITO; Kenko UJIHARA; Daisaku OGAWA; Daisuke UMETSU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200400090A1

## CPC

- F02D 41/3017: {characterised by the mode(s) being used}
- F02D 41/3041: {with means for triggering compression ignition, e.g. spark plug}
- B62D 3/02: mechanical
- B62D 15/021: {Determination of steering angle}
- F02B 11/02: convertible from fuel-air mixture compression to air compression or vice versa
- F02D 37/02: one of the functions being ignition
- F02D 41/021: {Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine (conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18)}
- F02D 41/1454: {the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio}
- F02D 41/307: {to avoid torque shocks}
- F02D 41/3076: {with special conditions for selecting a mode of combustion, e.g. for starting, for diagnosing}
- F02P 5/045: {combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection (in general F02D37/02)}
- F02P 5/1502: {using one central computing unit}
- F02D 29/02: peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
- F02D 35/026: {using an estimation}
- F02D 41/3047: {said means being a secondary injection of fuel}
- F02D 2200/50: said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- 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)
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- 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

When an incremental amount of a steering angle exceeds a reference incremental amount, an ECU 60 executes vehicle attitude control of reducing an output torque of an engine, and, in a given operating range, drives a spark plug 16 in a manner allowing an air-fuel mixture to be self-ignited at a given timing, thereby executing SPCCI combustion. When there is a request for an additional deceleration from the vehicle attitude control (#12: YES), and the SPCCI combustion is performed (#13: YES), the ECU 60 executes fuel amount reduction control of reducing the amount of fuel to be supplied into a cylinder 2 (#14), so as to attain torque reduction for the vehicle attitude control. On the other hand, when the SPCCI combustion is not performed (#13: NO), the ECU 60 executes ignition retardation control of retarding an ignition timing of the spark plug 16 (#15).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control method for an engine which is mounted to a vehicle having steerable road wheels and mechanically coupled to drive road wheels of the vehicle, and which includes a spark plug and a fuel injector, the control method comprising:
a combustion mode setting step of selecting a combustion mode of the engine between a first combustion mode in which an entirety of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder of the engine is combusted by a propagation of a flame produced by the spark plug, and a second combustion mode in which at least a part of an air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is combusted by a self-ignition, on the basis of an operating state of the engine;
a decremental torque setting step of setting a torque reduction amount by which an output torque of the engine is to be reduced, on the basis of a steering angle of the steerable road wheels;
a first torque reduction step of controlling the spark plug based on the torque reduction amount set in the decremental torque setting step so as to retard an ignition timing, when the first combustion mode is selected in the combustion mode setting step; and
a second torque reduction step of controlling the fuel injector based on the torque reduction amount set in the decremental torque setting step so as to reduce a fuel injection amount, when the second combustion mode is selected in the combustion mode setting step.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control method according to claim 1, further comprising an air/fuel ratio mode setting step of, when the second combustion mode is selected in the combustion mode setting step, selecting an air/fuel ratio mode between a first air/fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel mixture is set to be leaner than a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, and a second air/fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel mixture is set to be equal to or richer than the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, on the basis of the operating state of the engine,
wherein the second torque reduction step includes controlling the fuel injector based on the torque reduction amount set in the decremental torque setting step so as to reduce the fuel injection amount, when the first air/fuel ratio mode is selected in the air/fuel ratio mode setting step.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:
an air/fuel ratio mode setting step of, when the second combustion mode is selected in the combustion mode setting step, selecting an air/fuel ratio mode between a first air/fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel mixture is set to be leaner than a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, and a second air/fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel mixture is set to be equal to or richer than the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, on the basis of the operating state of the engine; and
a third torque reduction step of, when the second air/fuel ratio mode is selected in the air/fuel ratio mode setting step, controlling the spark plug based on the torque reduction amount set in the decremental torque setting step so as to retard the ignition timing.

### Claim 4

An engine system, comprising:
an engine mounted to a vehicle having steerable road wheels and mechanically coupled to drive road wheels of the vehicle, the engine including a spark plug and a fuel injector;
an operating state sensor configured to detect an operating state of the engine;
a steering angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle of the steerable road wheels; and
a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to:
select a combustion mode of the engine between a first combustion mode in which an entirety of an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder of the engine is combusted by a propagation of a flame produced by the spark plug, and a second combustion mode in which at least a part of an air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is combusted by a self-ignition, on the basis of a detection result by the operating state sensor;
set a torque reduction amount by which an output torque of the engine is to be reduced, on the basis of a detection result by the steering angle sensor;
control the spark plug based on the set torque reduction amount so as to retard an ignition timing, when the first combustion mode is selected as the combustion mode of the engine; and
control the fuel injector based on the set torque reduction amount so as to reduce a fuel injection amount, when the second combustion mode is selected as the combustion mode of the engine.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The control method according to claim 2, further comprising:
an air/fuel ratio mode setting step of, when the second combustion mode is selected in the combustion mode setting step, selecting an air/fuel ratio mode between a first air/fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel mixture is set to be leaner than a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, and a second air/fuel ratio mode in which the air-fuel mixture is set to be equal to or richer than the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, on the basis of the operating state of the engine; and
a third torque reduction step of, when the second air/fuel ratio mode is selected in the air/fuel ratio mode setting step, controlling the spark plug based on the torque reduction amount set in the decremental torque setting step so as to retard the ignition timing.