# US 8,543,315 B2 · Method and system for pre-ignition control

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- Number: US 8,543,315 B2
- Document ID: US8543315B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/714,074
- Filed: 2012-12-13
- Published: 2013-04-25
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2011-08-03
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Christopher P. Glugla; Michael A. Mancini
- Inventors: Christopher P. Glugla; Michael A. Mancini
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543315B2

## CPC

- F02P 5/1528: {for turbocompressed engine}
- F02D 35/02: on interior conditions
- F02D 35/027: {using knock sensors}
- F02D 41/0007: {for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12)}
- F02D 41/10: for acceleration
- F02D 41/402: {Multiple injections}
- F02M 69/46: Details, component parts or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus covered by groups F02M69/02 - F02M69/44
- F02D 35/021: {using an ionic current sensor}
- F02D 35/023: {by determining the cylinder pressure}
- F02D 41/0025: {Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures}
- F02D 41/182: {for the control of a fuel injection device}
- F02D 41/403: {with pilot injections}
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- F02P: IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES ({anti-pollution means for internal-combustion engines F02B17/00}; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; {ignition of gas turbine plants F02C7/26; ignition of jet propulsion plants F02K9/95; starting of combustion engines F02N9/00}; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; {ignition coils H01F38/12}; sparking plugs H01T13/00)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Methods are provided for controlling an engine in response to a pre-ignition event. A pre-ignition threshold and a pre-ignition mitigating action are adjusted based on a rate of change of cylinder aircharge. As a result, pre-ignition events occurring during transient engine operating conditions are detected and addressed different from pre-ignition events occurring during steady-state engine operating conditions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for an engine cylinder, comprising:
in response to transient pre-ignition, injecting a first amount of fuel over a first number of injections, the first number and a duration between the injections based on rate of change in cylinder aircharge;
in response to intermittent pre-ignition, injecting a second, larger amount of fuel over a second number of injections, the second number and a duration between the injections based on a cylinder pre-ignition count; and
in response to persistent pre-ignition, injecting a third amount of fuel over a third number of injections, the third amount larger than each of the first and second amounts, the third number and a duration between the injections based on the cylinder pre-ignition count.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the injection in response to transient pre-ignition is continued for a first, smaller number of combustion events since an indication of transient pre-ignition, wherein the injection in response to intermittent pre-ignition is continued for a second, larger number of combustion events since an indication of intermittent pre-ignition, and wherein the injection in response to persistent pre-ignition is continued for a third number of combustion events since an indication of persistent pre-ignition.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the cylinder is a first cylinder in a first cylinder group, the engine further including a second cylinder group, the method further comprising:
in response to transient pre-ignition in the first cylinder, enriching only the first cylinder while maintaining an engine load;
in response to intermittent pre-ignition in the first cylinder, enriching and limiting an engine load of the first cylinder group; and
in response to persistent pre-ignition in the first cylinder, enriching and limiting an engine load of each of the first and second cylinder group.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the intermittent pre-ignition includes a number of consecutive pre-ignition events in the first cylinder being lower than a threshold while the engine is in a steady-state, wherein the persistent pre-ignition includes a number of consecutive pre-ignition events in the first cylinder being higher than the threshold while the engine is in the steady-state, and wherein the transient pre-ignition includes a number of consecutive pre-ignition events in the first cylinder being higher than the threshold while the engine is in a transient state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the steady-state includes a rate of change of a parameter indicative of cylinder aircharge being lower than a threshold, and wherein the transient state includes a rate of change of a parameter indicative of cylinder aircharge being higher than a threshold.