Engine fuelling rate control
AssigneeOrbital Engine Company (Australia) Pty. Limited
InventorsRichard William Hurley, Martin David Hughes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling the fuelling rate for an internal combustion engine including: a) controlling the fuelling rate in a fuel led control mode whereby the fuelling rate is controlled as a function of the operator demand on the engine during at least a portion of low engine load operation; b) controlling the fuel rate in an air led control mode whereby the fuelling rate is controlled as a function of the air flow rate to the engine during at least a portion of medium-to-high engine load operation; and c) providing a point of transition between the two control modes wherein each control mode provides substantially the same predetermined fuelling rate.
Claims18
An electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling operation of an internal combustion engine over a range of operating conditions between low engine load operating conditions and high engine load operating conditions, the ECU programmed to:
- (a) provide for operation of said engine according to a fuel led control mode wherein fuelling rates for said engine are selected by said ECU as a function of operator demand and air flow to said engine is adjusted by said ECU according to said fuelling rate;
- (b) provide for operation of said engine according to an air led control mode wherein fuelling rates for said engine are selected by said ECU as a function air flow to the engine, said air flow adjusted in accordance with operator demand;
- (c) operate said engine in said fuel led mode during at least part of a low engine load portion of said range of operating conditions;
- (d) operate said engine in said air led mode during at least part of a medium to high engine load portion of said range of operating conditions;
- (e) provide at least one transition point between the two control modes such that at said transition point each control mode provides substantially the same predetermined fuelling rate.
A method of controlling the fuelling rate for an internal combustion engine over a range of operating conditions between low engine load operating conditions and high engine load operating conditions, the method including:
- (a) a fuel led control mode wherein fuelling rate is selected as a function of operator demand and air flow to said engine is adjusted according to said fuelling rate;
- (b) an air led control mode wherein fuelling rate is controlled as a function of air flow to the engine and wherein air flow to the engine is adjusted in accordance with operator demand;
- (c) operating said engine in said fuel led mode during at least part of a low engine load portion of said range of operating conditions;
- (d) operating said engine in said air led mode during at least part of a medium to high engine load portion of said range of operating conditions;
- and
- (e) providing at least one transition point between the two control modes such that at said transition point each control mode provides substantially the same predetermined fuelling rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.