Closed loop timing and fuel distribution controls

A method for generating timing signals for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber means for delivering a combustible mixture of air and fuel in response to engine operation parameters, and a rotating element receiving rotational torque impulses generated in response to the combustion of the air/fuel mixture in the at least one combustion chamber, comprising the steps of:

• detecting at least one operational parameter of the engine to generate a parameter signal;
• generating from said parameter signal intermediate angle signals indicative of the rotating elements angle, measured from a fixed reference, at which the delivery of the fuel to the combustion chamber would cause the rotating element to have a maximum rotational velocity in response to torque impulses generated by the combustion of the air/fuel mixture in said at least one combustion chamber;
• detecting the rotation of the rotating element to generate a velocity signal indicative of the rotating element's instantaneous rotational velocity as a function of the rotating element's rotational position;
• generating from said velocity signal, a first signal indicative of the angle at which the rotating element has a maximum rotational velocity in response to each torque impulse generated by the combustion of said air/fuel mixture in said at least one combustion chamber;
• comparing said first signal with a second signal indicative of a predetermined angle to generate a correction signal indicative of the difference between said first signal and said second signal;
• summing said correction signal with said intermediate angle signal to generate a sum angle signal;
• and
• converting said sum signal to a timing signal, said timing signal modified by said correction signal activating the means for delivering a combustible air/fuel mixture to the combustion chamber at a time operative to cause the rotating element to have a maximum rotational velocity at said predetermined angle.

A closed loop ignition timing control for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber, means for delivering a combustible mixture of air and fuel to the at least one chamber in a ratio which is a function of predetermined engine operational parameters, ignition means associated with the at least one engine chamber to ignite the delivered air/fuel mixture, and a rotable element receiving torque impulses generated in response to the burning of the air/fuel mixture comprising:

• first sensor means for sensing at least one engine operating parameter and generating signals representing a characteristic of said at least one engine operating parameter;
• second sensor means for generating signals indicative of a characteristic of the instantaneous velocity of the engine's rotable element;
• means for generating a correction signal in response to said second sensor means signals;
• and
• ignition signal generating means for generating ignition signals in response to said first sensor means signal and said correction signal adapted to energize the ignition means at a time operative to cause the burning of the air/fuel mixture in said at least one chamber to impart a maximum rotational velocity to the rotable member at a predetermined angle with respect to a reference position of the movable member.

A method for generating ignition signals for the spark plugs of an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder in response to engine operational parameters, at least one spark plug associated with each engine cylinder to ignite the air/fuel mixture in response to the ignition signals, and a rotating element receiving rotational torque impulses generated by the reciprocation of the piston in response to the combustion of the air/fuel mixture, comprising the steps of:

• generating from at least one engine operational parameter an advance angle signal indicative of a rotational angle of the rotating element, measured from a fixed reference, at which a generated ignition signal would cause a desired conversion of the energy produced by the combustion of the air/fuel mixture in said at least one cylinder to crankshaft torque as a function of said at least one engine parameter;
• generating from the instantaneous rotational velocity of the engine's crankshaft a first signal indicative of the angle at which the rotating element has a maximum rotational velocity in response to each torque impulse generated by the combustion of said air/fuel mixture;
• generating a second signal indicative of a predetermined rotational angle of the rotating element;
• comparing said first signal with said second signal and generating a correction signal indicative of the difference between said first signal and said second signal;
• summing said correction signal with said advance angle signal to generate a sum angle signal;
• and
• converting said sum signal to an ignition signal, said ignition signal energizing the spark plugs to ignite the air/fuel mixture at a time operative to cause the engine to maximize the conversion of combustion energy to rotational torque.

A method of generating ignition signals for an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion chamber means for delivering a combustible mixture of air and fuel to said at least one chamber in a ratio which is a function of certain engine operational parameters, mixture ignition means associated with the at least one chamber to ignite the delivered air/fuel mixture, and a movable element receiving torque impulses generated in response to the burning of the air/fuel mixture comprising:

• sensing at least one engine operating parameter and generating signals representing a characteristic of said at least one engine operating parameter;
• generating signals indicative of the instantaneous velocity of the engine movable element;
• generating a correction signal which is a function of the instantaneous signal relative to the reference signal in response to said second sensor means signal;
• and
• generating ignition signals in response to said first sensor means signal and said correction signal adapted to energize the ignition means at a time operative to cause said torque impulse resulting from the burning of the air/fuel mixture to impart a peak rotational velocity to the rotable element at a predetermined angle of the rotable member.

A closed loop fuel distribution control to equalize the torque impulses applied to an output shaft of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers receiving and burning fuel therein in a predetermined sequence, said fuel distribution control comprising:

• first sensor means for sensing combustion chamber reference positions at predetermined rotational positions of the output shaft, each of said reference positions being associated with different ones of said combustion chambers and having a predetermined relationship to the sequence in which the fuel is burned in each of said combustion chambers and generating a reference signal for each such reference position;
• second sensor means for sensing the rotational velocity of the output shaft and generating signals indicative of the instantaneous rotational velocity thereof;
• torque correction signal generator means for generating a plurality of torque correction signals one for each of said combustion chambers in response to said reference signals and said velocity signal;
• third sensor means sensing at least one other operational parameter of the engine and generating a parameter signal;
• and
• fuel control means responsive to each of said reference signals and said torque correction signals and said parameter signal for controlling the fuel delivered to each combustion chamber for equalizing the torque impulses applied to the output shaft by each such combustion chamber.

A method for equalizing the torque impulse from each combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine having an output shaft receiving torque impulses in response to the burning of fuel in each combustion chamber, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing a plurality of rotational positions of the engine's output shaft to generate reference signals wherein at least one reference signal is associated with each combustion chamber and its torque impulse;
• sensing the rotation of the output shaft to generate velocity signals indicative of the instantaneous rotational velocity of the output shaft;
• combining said reference and velocity signals to generate for each combustion chamber a torque correction signal;
• sensing at least one other operational parameter of the engine to generate parameter signal;
• and then
• combining said parameter, reference and torque correction signal to generate a fuel delivery signal for each combustion chamber for delivering fuel to each combustion chamber to equalize the torque impulse from each combustion chamber.

A signal generator for generating a signal indicative of the value of an applied force imparting a torque impulse to a rotary member comprising:

• first sensor means detecting at least one predetermined rotational position of the rotary member for generating reference signals;
• second means detecting the rotation of the rotary member for generating rotational velocity signals indicative of the rotary members instantaneous rotational velocity;
• first means responsive to said rotational velocity and reference signals associated with each torque impulse for generating for each torque impulse a signal f.sub.1 (.phi.) indicative of the rotational angle at which the rotary member has a maximum rotational velocity with respect to said reference signals;
• second means responsive to said velocity and reference signals associated with each torque impulse for generating a signal f.sub.2 (M) indicative of the magnitude of each torque impulse;
• third means responsive to said velocity and reference signals associated with each torque impulse for generating a signal f.sub.3 (RPM) indicative of the average rotational speed of the rotary member;
• and
• means for combining said f.sub.1 (.phi.), f.sub.2 (M), and f.sub.3 (RPM) signals to generate a torque signal indicative of the applied force.

A phase angle generator for generating a signal indicative of the phase angle of torque impulses imparted to a rotary member comprising:

• first sensor means for sensing the rotation of the rotary member and generating reference signals indicative of at least one predetermined angular position of the rotary member with respect to the torque impulse;
• second sensor means detecting the rotation of the rotary member for generating velocity signals indicative of the instantaneous rotational velocity of the rotary member;
• means responsive to said first and second sensor means for generating function signals A sin .phi. and A cos .phi. having values indicative of the sin and cos Fourier coefficients of each torque impulse where .phi. is the phase angle of the torque impulse measured from said reference signals and A is a constant indicative of the amplitude of the torque impulse;
• means for dividing said function signals, one by the other, to generate said phase signal having a value .phi.=arctangent (A sin .phi./A cos .phi.).