Compression ignition engine with pressure-based combustion control
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsHugh Fader, Christopher Warren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion cylinders configured to operate in a compression ignition mode. A pressure sensor is provided to sense pressure within a combustion cylinder of the engine. A combustion control system, including an electronic engine controller, is configured to receive electrical signals from the pressure sensor and, based on such signals, determine a maximum rate of pressure increase occurring in the combustion cylinder during a first time interval. Based on the determined maximum rate of pressure increase, the combustion control system is configured to control one or more charge inputs to the combustion cylinder during a second time interval.
Claims25
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a diesel fuel injector;
- a plurality of combustion cylinders configured to operate in a compression ignition mode, in which combustion of air and diesel fuel from the diesel fuel injector is performed via compression and without aid of a spark;
- a pressure sensor operatively coupled to one of the combustion cylinders and configured to sense pressure within such cylinder;
- an electronic engine controller;
- and
- a circuit operatively coupled between the pressure sensor and the electronic engine controller, the circuit being configured to convert electrical signals received from the pressure sensor into a pressure gradient signal indicative of a maximum rate of pressure increase within the combustion cylinder, and where, in response to the pressure gradient signal exceeding a threshold, the electronic engine controller is configured to control charge inputs to the combustion cylinder so as to reduce the maximum rate of pressure increase in the combustion cylinder for a subsequent combustion cycle.
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a diesel fuel injector;
- a plurality of combustion cylinders configured to operate in a compression ignition mode, in which combustion of air and diesel fuel is performed via compression and without aid of a spark;
- a pressure sensor operatively coupled to one of the combustion cylinders and configured to sense pressure within such combustion cylinder;
- a combustion control system, including an electronic engine controller, which is operatively coupled with the combustion cylinder and configured to:
- receive electrical signals from the pressure sensor and, based on such signals, determine a maximum rate of pressure increase occurring in the combustion cylinder during a first time interval;
- and
- based on the maximum rate of pressure increase determined in the first time interval, control one or more charge inputs to the combustion cylinder during a second time interval.
A method of operating a diesel internal combustion engine, comprising:
- operating a plurality of combustion cylinders in a compression ignition mode where charge for combustion is provided via diesel fuel and air and without aid of a spark;
- monitoring pressure in one of the combustion cylinders with a pressure cylinder;
- based on monitored pressure in the combustion cylinder, determining a maximum rate of pressure increase occurring in the combustion cylinder during a first time interval;
- and
- based on the maximum rate of pressure increase determined in the first time interval, controlling one or more charge inputs to the combustion cylinder during a second time interval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.