Lucas Industries Public Limited Company

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Lucas Industries Limited

Benjamin J Bradshaw

Russell Wilson Jones

Michael Holmes

David G Williams

Barry John Bridgens

Anthony C Wakeman

Michael J Howes

Stuart M Briscoe

Russel W Jones

A control method for controlling the operation of a compression ignition internal combustion engine comprising the steps of measuring the change in the engine speed which occurs during a period leading up to substantially the top-dead-center position of a cylinder of the engine, using the measured engine speed change in a delta speed change algorithm, and using the output of the delta speed change algorithm to derive a pilot fuel correction factor. The pilot fuel correction factor may be derived using a fuel balancing or correction algorithm. The method may also be used in conjunction with a fuel balancing algorithm for correcting or balancing the fuel quantities delivered in the main injections.

Control method

Method of and apparatus for calibrating rotary position transducers

Variations in the speed of an internal combustion engine are measured and the distribution of the variations is analyzed for asymmetry, which indicates engine misfire. A threshold is generated as a function of engine speed increases and compared with engine speed decreases to detect asymmetry in the distribution.

Method of and apparatus for analyzing internal combustion engine speed

A series of engine speed changes is analysed in order to detect a sequence of speed changes characteristic of a misfire having occurred. An embodiment of the invention generates a first mask in response to speed increases and a second mask in response to speed decreases. A misfire can only be signalled when both masks are at a PASS state and misfire detector detects a misfire.

Method of and apparatus for discriminating misfire

Engine speed variations following combustion events within the cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine are compared with a threshold during a predetermined number of combustion events. A distribution of speed variations exceeding the threshold with respect to the cylinders is formed. The distribution is analyzed to determine whether misfire is occurring, as indicated by speed variation following combustion occurring in half or less than half of the cylinders, or whether the vehicle is driving over a rough surface, as indicated by speed variation following combustion occurring in more than half of the cylinders.

Method of and an apparatus for misfire and rough road detection

In order to detect misfire in an internal combustion engine, engine speed is determined by measuring the time of passage of a crankshaft disc from a first position to a second position during every revolution. A detection circuit takes the reciprocal of the measured times of passage to form a series of engine speeds and forms the difference between consecutive engine speeds. These differences are compared with a threshold to signal a misfire when the threshold is exceeded.

Method of and apparatus for detecting misfire

Sensors measure the temperatures of exhaust gas upstream and downstream of a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gas. The difference between the temperatures is multiplied by the rate of mass flow of exhaust gas and the result is integrated or low pass filtered to provide a measure of converter operation. Alternatively, the multiplication is omitted and the difference between the temperatures is integrated or filtered. Thus, the performance of the catalytic converter is monitored by evaulating the difference in the heat supplied to the catalytic converter and the heat removed from the catalytic converter by the exhaust gas.

Method of and apparatus for monitoring operation of a catalytic converter

A wheel spin detector monitors the speeds of vehicle wheels and supplies a signal to an engine management system when excessive wheel spin is detected. The engine management system includes a fuel controller which, in response to the signal from the detector, reduces engine torque by inhibiting the supply of fuel to one or more cylinders of the engine such that either all cylinders are continuously fuelled or continuously unfuelled or one and only one cylinder is intermittently fuelled. When an unfuelled cylinder is fuelled again, the mixture supplied to it may be temporarily enriched.

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Solihull, United Kingdom

Benjamin J Bradshaw