Autotronic Controls Corporation

General Dynamics Corporation

Del Norte Technology, Inc.

Automatic Controls, Corp.

James W Merrick

Leonard Lee Chapin

An electronic controller for an internal combustion engine provides a ratio control signal corresponding to a respective air/fuel ratio, and responds to an air flow signal, a fuel flow signal and the ratio control signal to control fuel flow as to make the ratio of air flow to fuel flow substantially equal to said respective air/fuel ratio. The ratio control signal is developed from a base run ratio control signal as modified in response to various parameters such as engine temperature, manifold pressure, idle, manifold vacuum, fuel temperature, wide open throttle, engine speed, and start. The controller also provides speed-up circuit for promptly responding to change in air flow and dynamic braking for the fuel metering pump. The pump speed circuit includes a range extender. The controller further provides a timing advance control signal in response to air/fuel ratio and various engine parameters such as engine speed, manifold pressure, throttle position, engine temperature, air temperature, air/fuel ratio, and start.

Electronic engine control

An electronic controller for an internal combustion engine provides a ratio control signal corresponding to a respective air/fuel ratio, and responds to an air flow signal, a fuel flow signal and the ratio control signal to control fuel flow as to make the ratio of air flow to fuel flow substantially equal to said respective air/fuel ratio. The ratio control signal is developed from a base run ratio control signal as modified in response to various parameters such as engine temperature, manifold pressure, idle, manifold vacuum, fuel temperature, wide open throttle, engine speed, and start. The controller also provides a speed-up circuit for promptly responding to change in air flow and dynamic braking for the fuel metering pump. The pump speed circuit includes a range extender. The controller further provides a timing advance control signal in response to air/fuel ratio and various engine parameters such as engine speed, manifold pressure, throttle position, engine temperature, air temperature, air/fuel ratio, and start.

A programmed timing control controls the occurrence of timing signals relative to engine position in systematic relation to engine speed to provide such spark at a time appropriate for a first fuel at each engine speed. An alternative fuel timing control produces a controlled timing interval systematically related to engine speed and changes the timing of such spark by the controlled timing interval to provide such spark at a time appropriate for a second fuel at each respective engine speed. A variable dwell control provides a dwell control signal for controlling the application of current to the ignition coil. A signal generator coupled to the timing means generates a time varying signal rising in magnitude substantially monotonically and preferrably lineraly with time following each interruption of such current until a later time corresponding to the next succeeding interruption of such current. A reference signal generator responds to the magnitude of the time varying signal at each interruption of the current to produce a dwell reference signal of magnitude a predetermined differential less than the magnitude of said time varying signal at such interruption. The differential is preferably constant at moderate engine speeds and varies inversely with speed at high and low speeds. A comparator compares the time varying signal with the dwell reference signal and produces the dwell control signal when the time varying signal substantially reaches the magnitude of the dwell reference signal. The dwell control signal is advanced upon misfire.

Ignition timing control

In an ignition system for an internal combustion engine, current from a d.c. power supply is applied through an input inductor alternately through an ignition coil and through a circuit path in shunt of the ignition coil. The current through the ignition coil is made of substantially constant predetermined magnitude while flowing through the shunt circuit, preferably by means of a fixed ballast resistor in the shunt circuit. Switching of the current into the ignition coil is enabled during a predetermined fraction of the engine cycle, with no current applied to the ignition coil between predetermined periods. The current is switched back and forth between the two paths a plurality of times during each predetermined period.

Multiple spark discharge ignition system

A multi-strike spark discharge system which is combined with an internal combustion engine to produce a plurality of high voltage discharges across the spark gap of the engine. A timing signal associated with the engine is treated and used to actuate a duration control circuit which in turn actuates a repetition rate control circuit thereby controlling the duration and frequency of the discharges across the spark gap. At low rpm the repetition rate control apparatus provides several multi-discharges which enhances the combustion process and improves the operation of the combination.

Multiple spark discharge circuitry

A fuel supply system supplies volatile fuel at a controlled rate to an air-fuel mixing chamber leading to a subatmospheric intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. Fuel is metered out by a metering gear pump supplied with fuel under pressure sufficient to maintain the fuel in its liquid state. An equalizer valve maintains the pressures on the two sides of the gear pump equal. This assures linearity of fuel rate as a function of pump speed. Pump speed is measured to provide a feedback signal to a controller. The controller compares the feedback with a control signal indicative of desired rate of fuel to develop driving power for application to the gear pump to drive the latter at the speed that supplies fuel at the desired rate.

Fuel system with metering pump for internal combustion engines

An auxiliary air control system controls the flow of air into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. The system controls flow through a valve bypassing the main throttle valve to maintain an appropriate rate of air flow. A manifold pressure signal is fed back to a control circuit for comparison with a manifold pressure reference and development of a manifold pressure control signal for positioning the bypass valve to admit air at a rate maintaining the manifold pressure at the reference pressure and thus avoid low manifold pressures as cause excessive emissions of pollutants. A signal indicative of rate of air flow is fed back to the controller for comparison with an air flow reference and development of an air flow control signal for positioning the bypass valve to admit air at a rate maintaining total air flow at the reference rate, as for engine idle. The control signals are applied to admit air at the greater of the two rates. The air flow reference may be controlled as a function of any or all of engine temperature, added load, main throttle opening and starting.

Modulated throttle bypass

A radar position locator system uses a mobile and at least two stationary transceivers. The signals are validated by being stored and compared with previously received signals. If the comparison indicates that the received signal is within a range of a reasonably possible change, as compared to the previously received signals, it is accepted. Otherwise, it is rejected and the memory circuit which stored the signal for validation is backed up to the last previously stored valid signal. The stationary transceivers function somewhat as a surveyor's bench mark. Each transceiver is individually identified by a coded stream of radar pulses, as, for example, a stream of pulses transmitted at a predetermined transceiver identifying pulse repetition rate. A selected number of validated radar signals are transmitted between the mobile and stationary transceivers. The round trip transmission times of several of these signals are averaged, and a digital read out indicates the distance represented by such averaging.

Growing community of inventors

El Paso, TX, United States of America

James W Merrick