Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Jeffrey A Cook

Douglas R Hamburg

Jing Sun

Ilya V Kolmanovsky

Jessy W Grizzle

Eleftherios M Logothetis

Richard E Soltis

Jacobus Hendrik Visser

Lajos Rimai

Julia Helen Buckland

Margherita Zanini-Fisher

Alex D Colvin

Julian A LoRusso

Christian J Rahnke

James K Vallance

Narayanan Sivashankar

Wayne J Johnson

Peter S Szpak

Giovanni Fiengo

Louis J Sherry

Electronic circuitry and control algorithms are described to automatically establish the output voltage of a linear exhaust gas oxygen sensor (e.g., a UEGO sensor) corresponding to an exhaust air-fuel ratio of stoichiometry. The apparatus and control logic herein described may be used to adaptively correct the setpoint of an air-fuel ratio control system in which a UEGO sensor is used in a feedback loop to adjust the fuel injection quantity of an internal combustion engine.

Control approach for use with dual mode oxygen sensor

A system and method for controlling an engine to regulate the oxygen storage level in an emission control device are provided. The system includes oxygen sensors disposed in an exhaust gas stream of the engine upstream and downstream of the emission control device. The oxygen sensors generate a feedgas and tailpipe air fuel signals. The system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to obtain an adjusted feedgas air fuel ratio responsive to the feedgas and tailpipe air fuel signals to correct bias in the feedgas air fuel signal. The (ECU) is further configured to obtain an estimate of an oxygen storage level in the emission control device responsive to the adjusted feedgas air fuel ratio and the tailpipe air fuel signal. Finally, the (ECU) is configured to generate a control signal for the engine responsive to the adjusted feedgas air fuel ratio and the oxygen storage level estimate.

Control of oxygen storage in a catalytic converter

A method of operating a variable compression, direct injection spark ignited internal combustion engine includes the steps of determining a demanded torque output of the engine, determining a current combustion mode and a current compression ratio mode of the engine; transitioning operation of the engine from the current combustion mode to a new combustion mode to produce the demanded torque output, and transitioning operation of the engine from the current compression ratio mode to a new compression ratio mode so as to minimize torque disturbances during the transitioning of engine operation from the current combustion mode to the new combustion mode.

Method and system for operating a direct injection spark internal combustion engine having variable compression ratio modes

A system and a method for improving engine performance by utilizing a variable compression ratio mechanism and a boosting mechanism are presented. The performance is improved by coordinating the control of ignition timing, compression ratio, and engine boosting while at the same time minimizing engine knock, preventing undesirable interaction, and providing optimal fuel economy. According to the present invention, adjusting ignition timing and compression ratio can be done either sequentially or concurrently.

Engine knock prevention system and method

Torque control apparatus for lean-burn engine

A control method and system are disclosed for managing torque during a transition in an internal combustion engine. Spark timing and unequal delivery of fuel to engine cylinders both impact torque and are used to provide smooth torque during a transition.

Mode transition control scheme for internal combustion engines using unequal fueling

A method of modeling and controlling a direct injection stratified charge (DISC) engine coupled to a lean NOx trap that is periodically purged. The method comprises the steps of receiving as inputs a plurality of engine operating parameters and generating an indicated engine torque value, feedgas emission values, and an exhaust gas temperature value. Each of the output values is generated in accordance with a respective hybrid DISC engine model including an engine torque model, a feedgas emissions model, and an exhaust gas temperature model. The feedgas emissions model and exhaust gas temperature models further include submodels for generating output values as a function of either stratified or homogeneous engine operation.

Hybrid modeling and control of disc engines

A torque control system for a lean burn engine utilizing a supplemental torque apparatus that is operable during the engine mode transition from a lean air/fuel ratio to a rich air/fuel ratio. The supplemental torque apparatus 34, STA, operates to maintain the basic engine torque equation T.sub.e +T.sub.sta =T.sub.d, such that the device or a electrically connected battery 38 absorbs extra engine torque during a predetermined time period and generates engine torque at times other than the predetermined time period. During the predetermined time period, a lean NOx Trap 26 in the exhaust system is purged.

Torque control for direct injected engines using a supplemental torque

A vapor recovery control system for a direct injection spark ignition engine is used to purge vapors in both a homogeneous air/fuel and stratified air/fuel mode. When purging vapors in a stratified mode, a portion of the cylinders receive purge vapors and operate in a homogeneous mode while the rest of the cylinders continue to operate in a stratified mode.

Vapor recovery control system for direct injection spark ignition engines

An electronic engine controller (EEC) for an internal combustion engine develops an estimate of air charge by receiving a signal from an air meter positioned in an intake manifold of the engine. The signal is indicative of mass flow rate of air past the meter. In one embodiment EEC develops an air charge estimate by developing a first pressure value which is indicative of the pressure in the intake manifold. A pressure correction term is then generated and added to the first pressure value to generate an improved estimate, which takes the dynamic response of the air meter into account, of pressure in the intake manifold. The air charge estimate is then developed from the pressure estimate. In another embodiment, a first mass value, which is indicative of the mass of air in the intake manifold is developed. A mass correction term is then generated and added to the first mass value to generate the improved estimate.

Engine controller with air meter compensation

An electronic engine controller (EEC) controls transient engine operation by generating a desired torque value which is indicative of an engine torque desired by a driver of the vehicle and by generating a desired air/fuel ratio value which is indicative of a desired air/fuel ratio to be combusted by the engine. The EEC also generates an actual torque value which is indicative of the actual engine torque and an actual air/fuel value which is indicative of the air/fuel ratio actually combusted by the engine. The actual A/F may be the output of a standard, switching type EGO sensor. An air/fuel difference value indicative of the difference between the actual air/fuel value and the desired air/fuel value is generated, and a torque difference value, indicative of the difference between the actual torque value and the desired torque value is generated. The air flow rate and the fuel flow rate into cylinders of the engine is calculated respectively as a function of the torque difference value and the air/fuel difference value. The engine may take one of many forms, including an engine where air flow and fuel flow rates may be controlled individually on a cylinder to cylinder basis.

Method and apparatus for air-fuel ratio and torque control for an

An engine air/fuel control system (8) and method for controlling an engine (28) coupled to a catalytic converter (50) and for providing a measurement of engine emissions (202-296). Nitrogen oxides concentration, hydrocarbon concentration, and carbon monoxide concentration of exhaust gases downstream of the converter are measured (46, 54, and 52). Each concentration measurement is averaged for the speed load cell in which such measurement occurred (244-256). Each concentration average measurement is converted to a measurement of mass emissions emitted during a test cycle (268-284). Fuel delivered to the engine is corrected by a feedback variable (104-134, 158-178) derived from both an exhaust gas oxygen sensor (44) positioned upstream of the converter and the three sensors positioned downstream of the converter (46, 52, 54). A measurement of emissions in response to the averaged mass measurements of emission concentration downstream of the converter is also provided (278-296).

Air/fuel control with on-board emission measurement

A system for maintaining engine air/fuel operation within the efficiency window of a catalytic converter. Fuel delivered to the engine is adjusted in response to a step change in an output of an exhaust gas oxygen sensor positioned upstream of the converter. The step change is shifted in response to an error signal derived from a downstream emissions sensor.

Method for biasing a hego sensor in a feedback control system

A control system for maintaining engine air/fuel operation within the efficiency window of a catalytic converter. An exhaust gas oxygen sensor having a step change between first and second output states and positioned downstream of the converter. A step change in the downstream sensor output is initialized to an initial air/fuel ratio by pumping current through one of the sensing electrodes of the downstream sensor. An emission control signal is derived from the initialized downstream sensor output to bias an air/fuel feedback loop.

Air/fuel control system with hego current pumping

A control apparatus and method for maintaining equal air flow among cylinders and independently controlling the air/fuel ratio of each individual cylinder, in an internal combustion engine having variable valve control. An air fuel controller generates valve control signals for each individual cylinder by sampling the exhaust gas oxygen sensor, and correlating the samples with corresponding combustion events. The valve lift for each variable lift valve is corrected to operate each cylinder at the desired air flow and air/fuel ratio. The variable valve lift can be accomplished in a camshaft type system incorporating a lost motion mechanism or similar device, or a system incorporating direct electrohydraulic or electromechanical valve actuation without a camshaft. The system and method can provide further flexibility in cylinder to cylinder air/fuel ratio control by combining it with a variable pulse width electronic fuel injector capability.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey A Cook