Device for controlling in-cylinder pressure sensor
AssigneesToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
InventorsKouseki Sugiyama, Sho Sakurai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When only smoke is generated, the sensor sensitivity is not substantially changed from the initial value. When both smoke and unburned HC are generated, the number of times the sensor sensitivity becomes lower than the initial value is increased. From these results, it can be understood that a deposit is formed in the presence of unburned HC and smoke existing simultaneously. The degree of reduction in sensor sensitivity becomes higher if the smoke concentration is increased when the unburned HC concentration condition is fixed. From this result, it can also be understood that while the coexistence of smoke and unburned HC is a prerequisite, unburned HC contributes largely to the formation of a deposit.
Claims5
A device for controlling an in-cylinder pressure sensor integrated with a glow plug for detecting the pressure in a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the sensor having a pressure receiving portion constituted by a heater incorporating a heat generating element, the device comprising:
- energization execution means for energizing the heat generating element for the purpose of decomposing and removing an accumulated deposit when the amount of accumulated deposit in the combustion chamber is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount;
- and
- deposit amount estimation means for estimating the amount of deposit by computing in each cycle of the internal combustion engine an amount of soot and an amount of unburned fuel generated by combustion in the combustion chamber, and by adjusting one of the computed amount of soot and the computed amount of unburned fuel based on a comparison between the computed amount of soot and the computed amount of unburned fuel.
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- an in-cylinder pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, the in-cylinder pressure sensor having a pressure receiving portion constituted by a rod and a sensing part, the sensing part detecting a displacement of the rod, the rod incorporating a heat generating element;
- and
- a controller controlling the in-cylinder pressure sensor, the controller programmed to:
- (i) compute in each cycle of the internal combustion engine an amount of soot and an amount of unburned fuel generated by combustion in the combustion chamber,
- (ii) compare the computed amount of soot and the computed amount of unburned fuel,
- (iii) estimate an amount of accumulated deposit in the combustion chamber by adjusting one of the computed amount of soot and the computed amount of unburned fuel based on the comparison, and
- (iv) energize the heat generating element when the estimated amount of accumulated deposit is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.