US 4,493,303 A · Engine control

Abstract

Fuel flow and/or engine speed is electrically controlled in accordance with a rate-of-change (acceleration or deceleration) value computed from one or more sensed parameters such as accelerator pedal position, throttle position, engine speed, exhaust temperature, intake manifold pressure, fuel temperature, etc. as well as stored engine parameters. A difference between a desired rate-of-change and a measured actual rate-of-change in engine speed is used to correspondingly change an engine control, for example a fuel control rack in a diesel engine fuel pump, a throttle valve in a carburetor, a timer for a fuel injection valve, a fuel valve to a turbine, or other control. The desired rate of change in engine speed may be critically damped, for example by multiplying by a percent or other fraction of a difference between a desired fuel flow and a present fuel flow, so as to avoid overshoot. The control may be operated in min-max, all-speed, cruise control or other special speed control modes, as well as incorporating altitude adjustment, pollution emission control, timing advance control, excessive speed control, fuel control recalibration, counting of selective numbers of pulses from a timing wheel with extension of time for slow speeds, manually selectable low idle adjustment, recordation of operation at excessive engine speed, operating time or other event, fuel consumption economy maximizing, and/or anti-tampering features. In one particular application, the electronic control replaces a governor on a diesel engine and provides maximum power and torque control which may be changed by sensed changed operating conditions such as different transmission gear ranges. A standard computerized control can be employed for different engines with different engine parameters and manufacturing variations compensated by factors stored in ROM during final engine testing.

Claims80

Dependent claims

An electronic control for controlling an engine, comprising

engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical engine speed signal corresponding to the speed of the engine,
actual rate-of-change determining means for deriving actual rate-of-change values from the engine speed signal corresponding to both increases and deceases in engine speed,
desired rate-of-change determining means responsive to a demand factor for deriving desired rate-of-change values corresponding to both increases and decreases in the demand factor,
to-be-effected rate-of-change determining means for deriving to-be-effected rate-of-change values corresponding to subtraction of the actual rate-of-change values from the respective desired rate-of-change values,
means responsive to the to-be-effected rate-of-change values for correspondingly increasing and decreasing an engine control value, and
means responsive to the engine control value for controlling the engine.

3 more elements

An electronic control for managing an engine, comprising

engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical engine speed signal corresponding to the speed of the engine;
demand means for presenting a demand value corresponding to a desired control of the engine;
computer means for receiving said engine speed signal and said demand value;
said computer means including actual rate-of-change determinining means for deriving actual rate-of-change values corresponding to both increases and decreases in the engine speed signal, desired rate-of-change determining means for deriving desired rate of change values corresponding to both increases and decreases in the demand value, to-be-effected rate of change determining means for deriving to-be-effected rate of change values corresponding to subtraction of the actual rate of change values from the respective desired rate-of-change values, and means for increasing and decreasing an engine control value in correspondence with the to-be-effected rate of change values, and
means responsive to the engine control value for controlling the engine.

2 more elements

An electronic control for managing an engine, comprising

engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical engine speed signal corresponding to the speed of the engine;
an accelerator member;
means for detecting the position of the accelerator member to present a value corresponding to a desired control of the engine;
computer means for receiving said engine speed signal and said engine control value;
said computer means including an actual rate-of-change determining means for deriving an actual rate of change value from the engine speed signal, means responding to the accelerator member position detecting means for determining a desired fuel flow value, means containing an existing fuel flow value, desired rate of change determining means including means responsive to a difference between the desired fuel flow value and the existing fuel flow value for deriving a desired rate of change value, to be effected rate of change determining means for deriving a to-be-effected rate of change value from a difference between the desired rate of change value and the actual rate of change value;
and
means responsive to the to-be-effected rate of change value for controlling the engine.

4 more elements

An electronic control for managing fuel flow to a diesel engine which includes a fuel pump having a movable pump control member for controlling the quantity of fuel delivered by the pump to the engine, comprising

an accelerator member for being moved by an operator,
electrical means for sensing the position of the accelerator member,
electrically operated means for moving the control member of the fuel pump,
engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical engine speed signal corresponding to the speed of the engine,
computer means responsive to the accelerator member position sensing means and the electrical engine speed signal for operating the fuel pump control member moving means, said computer means including actual rate of change determining means for deriving an actual rate of change value from the engine speed signal, desired rate of change determining means for deriving a desired rate of change value from stored parameters in accordance with the engine speed signal and the detected position of the accelerator pedal, to be effected rate of change determining means for deriving a to be effected rate of change value from a difference between the desired rate of change value and the actual rate of change value, and means at least partially responsive to the to be effected rate of change value for operating the control member moving means to produce corresponding movement of the fuel pump control member, and
said desired rate of change determining means including stored maximum permissible advance rate of change parameters, stored maximum permissible retard rate of change parameters, means for determining an actual control member position value, means responsive to the accelerator member position sensing means for determining a demand control member position value, and means responsive to the demand control member position value being greater than or less than the actual control member position value for selecting a desired rate of change value from the stored maximum permissible advance rate of change parameters or stored maximum permissible retard rate of change parameters respectively.

3 more elements

An electronic control for managing fuel flow to control an engine, comprising

demand means for generating an electrical signal corresponding to a demand fuel flow;
engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical signal corresponding to engine speed;
computer means for receiving said demand fuel flow signal and said engine speed signal;
said computer means including stored memory means containing a plurality of stored parameters having maximum fuel flow parameters and rate of change in engine speed parameters corresponding to selected engine speeds, means for determining a demand fuel flow value in accordance with the demand fuel flow signal, means for determining an engine speed value from the engine speed signal, means for determining a maximum fuel flow value from said parameters in accordance with the engine speed value, and means for determining a desired rate of change in engine speed from said rate of change in engine speed parameters in accordance with the engine speed value;
electrically operated fuel control means for supplying fuel to the engine;
and
said computer means also including means for setting said fuel control means in accordance with said desired rate of change in engine speed limited by the lesser of the desired fuel flow value and the maximum fuel flow value.

4 more elements

An electronic control for controlling an engine comprising

engine speed detecting means for generating an electric engine speed signal corresponding to the speed of the engine;
computer means including means responsive to the engine speed signal for producing an engine speed value, stored memory means including parameters of positive and negative rates of change for corresponding engine speed values, means for selecting a rate of change value from the parameters corresponding to the engine speed value, and means responsive to a difference between a desired condition and a present condition for reducing the magnitude of the rate of change value by a fraction which has a numerator proportional to the difference within a predetermined range of differences;
and
means at least partly responsive to the reduced rate of change value for controlling the engine.

1 more element

An electronic control for controlling an engine comprising

a movable control member for controlling an operating condition of the engine;
stop means for engaging the control member to prevent movement of the control member in a reverse direction past the stop means to define a recalibrate position for the control member;
electrical stepping motor means for moving the control member in the forward and reverse directions in response to forward and reverse pulses;
demand means for producing demand signals for desired engine control;
means responsive to the demand means including computer means with program means for applying forward and reverse pulses to the stepping motor;
said computer means including memory means for storing a control member position value corresponding to the number of forward pulses applied to the stepping motor minus the number of reverse pulses applied to the stepping motor;
and
said program means also including means for determining when a recalibrate position is acceptable, and means for applying a number of reverse pulses to the stepping motor exceeding the control member position value and for resetting the control member position value to a recalibrate value.

5 more elements

An electronic control for managing fuel flow to an engine comprising

demand means for generating an electrical demand fuel flow signal corresponding to a demand fuel flow;
engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical engine speed signal corresponding to engine speed;
computer means for receiving the demand fuel flow signal and the engine speed signal and for converting the signals into a corresponding demand fuel flow value and a corresponding engine speed value;
said computer means including stored memory means containing a plurality of sets of stored maximum power parameters wherein each set of stored maximum power parameters corresponds to a maximum fuel flow producing a maximum permissible power output of the engine at a corresponding engine speed;
electrically operated fuel control means for supplying fuel to the engine;
said computer including means responsive to a sensed parameter for selecting one set of the plurality of sets of stored parameters and for computing maximum fuel flow values therefrom at corresponding engine speed values;
and
said computer means also including means responsive to the demand fuel flow value and the engine speed value for operating the fuel control means at least partially in response to the demand fuel flow value except that if the demand fuel flow value exceeds the corresponding maximum fuel flow value then the fuel flow means is operated in accordance with the maximum fuel flow value.

5 more elements

An electronic control for controlling an engine comprising

demand means for generating an electrical engine control signal;
engine speed detecting means including a rotating member with angularly spaced indicating means driven by the engine, and sensing means for sensing the passing of the indicating means past a sensing point to produce an electrical engine speed signal having pulses with a frequency corresponding to engine speed;
electrically operated engine control means for controlling operation of the engine;
and
computer means for receiving the engine control signal and the engine speed signal, timing means, means for counting pulses in the engine speed signal, first means responsive to a previously recorded engine speed value being less than a predetermined value for terminating the counting after a first predetermined number of counts, second means responsive to the previously recorded engine speed value being greater than the predetermined value for terminating the counting after a second predetermined number of counts greater than the first predetermined number, means for computing an engine speed value from the number of pulses counted and the difference between the value of the timing means at the beginning of the counting and a value of the timing means at the termination of the counting, means containing stored engine operating parameters, and means responsive to the engine control signal, the engine speed value, and the stored engine operating parameters for operating the engine control means.

2 more elements

An electronic control for controlling an engine comprising

demand means for generating an electrical engine control signal;
engine speed detecting means including a rotating member with angularly spaced indicating means driven by the engine, and sensing means for sensing the passing of the indicating means past a sensing point to produce an electrical engine speed signal having pulses with a frequency corresponding to engine speed;
electrically operated engine control means for controlling operation of the engine;
computer means including means for receiving the engine control signal and the engine speed signal, timing means, interrupt means initiated after expiration of a selected duration of the timing means for counting a selected number of pulses in the engine speed signal and for computing an engine speed value from the time elapsed during counting of the pulses, means containing stored engine operating parameters, and means responsive to the engine control signal, the engine speed value and the stored engine operating parameters for operating the engine control means;
and
said interrupt means including means to restart the timing means after an interrupt, means for extending the elapsed counting time and for continuing the count if a second interrupt occurs prior to completion of the count of the selected number of pulses, and means for computing an engine speed value from a number of pulse edges counted if a third interrupt occurs prior to completion of the counting of the selected number of pulses.

3 more elements

An electronic control for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders which are successively fired, comprising

demand means for generating an electrical engine control siganl;
engine speed detecting means including a rotating member with angularly spaced indicating means driven by the engine, and sensing means for sensing the passing of the indicating means past a sensing point to produce an electrical engine speed signal having pulses with a frequency corresponding to engine speed, said rotating member and indicating means being such that the same integer number of indicating means pass the sensing point between each successive pair of cylinder firings;
electrically operated engine control means for controlling operation of the engine;
computer means including means for receiving the engine control signal and the engine speed signal, means for counting a predetermined number of pulses in the engine speed signal, said predetermined number of pulses being selected to correspond to an integer number of intervals between successive cylinder firings, timing means, means for computing an engine speed value from the number of pulses counted and the difference between a value of the timing means at the beginning of the counting and a value of the timing means at the termination of the counting, means containing stored engine operating parameters, and means responsive to the engine control signal, the engine speed value and the stored engine operating parameters for operating the engine control means.

1 more element

An electronic control for an engine comprising

accelerator means for generating an electrical engine control signal;
engine speed detecting means for generating an electrical engine speed signal corresponding to engine speed;
electrically operated engine control means for controlling operation of the engine;
means for selecting a low idle engine speed value;
computer means including means for receiving the engine control signal and the engine speed signal, means containing stored engine operating parameters including a high idle engine operating speed value, and means responsive to the engine control signal for operating the engine control means to correspondingly increase and decrease engine speed between the low idle and high idle engine speed values in accordance with the engine control signals and the stored engine operating parameters;
and
said low idle selecting means including a plurality of settings corresponding to different low idle speeds which may be selected.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Engine control

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Engine control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims80