US 5,682,860 AGranted

Device and method for ignition detection

AssigneeVogt Electronic AG

InventorsEkkehard Kollmann, Udo Mai, Roman Schichl

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Abstract

The process for ignition detection for an ignition system in a combustion engine wherein a first ignition pulse is generated in a cycle for generating a first ignition spark and at least a second ignition pulse for generating a second ignition spark provides that the alternating voltage for generating at least the second ignition pulse has one or more periods with half-waves having different amplitudes. The first half-wave has an amplitude between the maximum voltage required in the presence of ionization between the electrodes of a spark plug in the ignition system, and between the minimum voltage required in the absence of ionization. The second half-wave has an amplitude exceeding the maximum voltage required. The criterion measured for an ignition of the fuel-air mixture having taken place is whether or not the second ignition spark was generated with the first half-wave of the alternating voltage.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A process for reliably detecting the occurrence of an ignition of a fuel-air mixture by sparks generated by an ignition system for a combustion engine, the ignition system including a chamber and a spark plug disposed within the chamber and having a pair of electrodes for generating therebetween sparks, the ignition system characterized that the maximum amplitude of the voltage required to be applied across the electrodes to generate a spark therebetween in the presence of ionization between the electrodes is a first amplitude, the minimum amplitude of the voltage required to be applied across the electrodes to generate a spark therebetween in the absence of ionization between the electrodes is a second amplitude and the maximum amplitude of the voltage required to be applied across the electrode to generate a spark therebetween in the absence of ionization between the electrodes is a third amplitude, said process comprising the steps of:

a) generating and applying an alternating voltage to the ignition system to apply across the electrodes within a single cycle of the combustion engine first and second voltage pulses for generating respectively first and second sparks therebetween, said alternating voltage having one or more alternating voltage cycles, each alternating voltage cycle including first- and second-half waves of selected amplitude, said first half-wave having an amplitude selected between the first and second amplitudes, said second half-wave having an amplitude selected between the second and third amplitudes;
and
b) sensing whether or not the second spark was generated with said first half-wave to in turn reliably determine the occurrence of an ignition of the fuel-air mixture within the chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.