CN104675548B

CN104675548B - Engine controller

Info

Publication number: CN104675548B
Application number: CN201410564832.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: L.迈尔; C.施罗特; H.韦伦克特; C.胡赫尔; S.克恩; D.科瓦列夫; F.胡斯利克; A.韦伯
Original assignee: MAN Energy Solutions SE
Current assignee: MAN Energy Solutions SE
Priority date: 2013-10-22
Filing date: 2014-10-22
Publication date: 2020-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2034-10-22
Also published as: FI20145883L; KR20150046746A; AT515056A2; JP6513368B2; AT515056B1; CN104675548A; DE102013017446A1; AT515056A3; CH708777B1; CH708777A2; JP2015081606A

Abstract

The invention relates to an engine control unit (16) for an internal combustion engine, in particular an internal combustion engine operated with diesel or with heavy oil or with gas, wherein the internal combustion engine has a fuel supply, in particular a common rail fuel supply, with a magnetic actuator, wherein the engine control unit (16) comprises means (17,18,19) for automatically determining the actual value of at least one magnetic characteristic variable of the at least one magnetic actuator (15) when the internal combustion engine is stopped and in the absence of pressure in the fuel supply and evaluating said value, that is, if the respective actual value deviates from the respective setpoint value by less than a predetermined amount, the engine controller (16) automatically concludes a properly functioning magnetic actuator, whereas if the respective actual value deviates from the respective setpoint value by more than the predetermined amount, the engine controller (16) automatically concludes a malfunctioning magnetic actuator.

Description

Engine controller

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an engine controller according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background

Fig. 1 shows the basic configuration of a common rail fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine known from the prior art. This construction is known from DE 10157135B 4. As such, the common rail fuel supply apparatus of fig. 1 includes at least one injector 1 for each cylinder of the internal combustion engine, respectively. Via the injector 1, fuel may be injected into each of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The common rail fuel supply system furthermore comprises a pump device 3 having at least one low-pressure pump 5, at least one high-pressure pump 2 and a high-pressure pump reservoir 8 in order to convey fuel from a low-pressure region 4 of the common rail fuel supply system into a high-pressure region 6 thereof, wherein a pressure accumulator system 7 which is permanently at high pressure is arranged in the high-pressure region 6 between the pump device 3 and the injectors 1. The pressure accumulator system 7, which is also referred to as common rail, which is permanently under high pressure, has a plurality of accumulator units 9. The storage unit 9 is connected to the pump device 3 and to one another via a high-pressure line 10 which is permanently under high pressure. Furthermore, the pressure accumulator system 7, i.e. the accumulator unit 9, is connected to the injector 1 via a high-pressure line 11, which is temporarily at a high pressure depending on the injection cycle. A high-pressure line 11 (which connects the injector 1 to the storage unit 9) which is temporarily at a high pressure in accordance with the injection cycle has associated therewith a switching valve 12 which supplies the injector 1 with fuel in accordance with the injection cycle. A pressure limiting valve 13 and a scavenging valve 14 are associated with one of the storage units 9 of the pressure storage system 7.

In such a common rail fuel supply apparatus, a magnetic actuator is increasingly used as an actuator. Fig. 1 shows that the injector 1 of the fuel supply system is actuated via a magnetic actuator 15. Furthermore, such magnetic actuators can be installed in the region of the low-pressure pump 5, the high-pressure pump 2 and in the region of the

valves

12, 13 and 14. The engine control device 16 controls the magnetic actuator 15 during operation.

Hitherto, there has been no possibility of checking the magnetic actuator in a state of being mounted at the internal combustion engine or in the fuel supply apparatus. In order to check such magnetic actuators, the fuel supply must be accessed in such a way that special measuring devices are connected to the magnetic actuators in order to be subjected to a functional check. This is however only possible if maintenance work is to be carried out anyway at the combustion engine. There is therefore the risk that the magnetic actuator in operation fails outside the regular maintenance intervals of the internal combustion engine and therefore leads to an undesirable shutdown of the internal combustion engine and thus to a costly downtime thereof.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a novel engine controller. This object is achieved by an engine controller according to claim 1. According to the invention, the engine control device comprises means for automatically determining the actual value of at least one magnetic characteristic variable of at least one magnetic actuator in the event of a non-pressurized fuel supply when the internal combustion engine is stopped, and evaluating the actual value in such a way that the engine control device automatically determines a properly functioning magnetic actuator if the respective actual value deviates from the respective setpoint value by less than a predetermined amount, and vice versa.

The invention provides for the first time that a device is integrated into the engine control unit of the internal combustion engine in order to automatically carry out a functional check of the magnetic actuator of the fuel supply system when the internal combustion engine is stopped, without pressure on the fuel supply system. In this case, the engine control unit automatically determines an actual value of at least one magnetic characteristic variable of at least one magnetic actuator and automatically evaluates the actual value in such a way that a properly functioning magnetic actuator is automatically concluded if the respective actual value deviates from the respective setpoint value by less than a predetermined amount. Conversely, if the respective actual value deviates from the respective setpoint value by more than a predetermined amount, the engine controller automatically concludes that the magnetic actuator is malfunctioning.

With the invention it is possible to subject the magnetic actuator of the fuel supply system to a functional check automatically without manual access and without work at or on the fuel supply system, outside of the regular maintenance work at the internal combustion engine and therefore outside of the regular maintenance intervals, when the internal combustion engine is stopped, without the fuel supply system being under no pressure. It is thus possible to detect a malfunctioning magnetic actuator in a timely manner and to schedule its individual maintenance or replacement in a timely manner, in order to thereby avoid an unexpected shutdown due to a failure of the magnetic actuator.

Preferably, the engine controller has: an interface for manipulating the magnetic actuator and exchanging data therewith; there are also hardware-related components for automatically determining the actual value of the or each magnetic characteristic variable of the magnetic actuator and software-related components for automatically evaluating the actual value of the or each magnetic characteristic variable of the magnetic actuator.

Such a design of the engine controller is preferred and allows a fully automatic functional check of the magnetic actuator of the fuel supply device.

Drawings

Preferred further developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the following description. Embodiments of the invention are not limited in this respect and are explained in detail with reference to the drawings. Wherein:

fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a common rail fuel supply of an internal combustion engine together with an engine controller.

List of reference numerals

1 ejector

2 high pressure pump

3 Pump device

4 low pressure region

5 Low pressure pump

6 high pressure region

7 pressure storage system

8 high-pressure pump storage

9 memory cell

10 high-pressure pipeline

11 high-pressure pipeline

12 switch valve

13 pressure limiting valve

14 scavenging valve

15 magnetic actuator

16 engine controller

17 interface

18 hardware aspect Components

19 software-side components.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to an engine controller for an internal combustion engine, particularly a medium-speed four-stroke internal combustion engine using diesel oil or heavy oil or gas as fuel.

Such an internal combustion engine is preferably a marine engine.

Such internal combustion engines typically have a common rail fuel supply, the basic construction of which is familiar to the person skilled in the art and has been described with reference to fig. 1. Such a fuel supply device has a magnetic actuator 15, which can be actuated by an engine controller 16. In fig. 1, such a magnetic actuator 15 is shown in the region of the injector 1.

In the sense of the present invention, it is proposed that the engine control unit 16 comprises means in order to automatically determine the actual value of at least one magnetic characteristic variable of the magnetic actuator 15 embodied in the fuel supply system when the internal combustion engine is at a standstill without pressure on the fuel supply system and to evaluate it in such a way that the engine control unit 16 automatically determines a normally operating magnetic actuator 15 if the respective actual value deviates by less than a predetermined amount from the respective setpoint value stored in the engine control unit 16, whereas the engine control unit 16 automatically determines an improperly operating magnetic actuator 15 if the respective actual value deviates by more than the predetermined amount from the respective setpoint value.

The above-described means are integrated into the engine control unit 16, so that a functional check of the magnetic actuator 15 thereof can be automatically carried out outside the regular maintenance intervals of the internal combustion engine or of the fuel supply system, respectively without manual access to the fuel supply system, when the internal combustion engine is stopped, without pressure on the fuel supply system.

In this connection, it should be pointed out that the means according to the invention which are integrated into the engine control unit 16 for the automatic functional checking of the magnetic actuator 15 are familiar to the person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. Thus, DE 102005011227 a1 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) discloses a device and a method for determining a magnetic characteristic variable of a completely assembled electromagnet or magnetic actuator (which according to the invention may be integrated into the engine control unit 16). It is therefore known from the prior art to perform a functional check of the completely assembled electromagnet using only the exciter coil (eregerpump), wherein the counter voltage induced in the exciter coil is detected in a measurement technique for measuring the actual characteristic curve.

This can be achieved with the device disclosed in DE 102005011227 a1, which contains a bridge circuit and is then integrated into the engine controller 16 or is an integral part of the engine controller 16 according to the invention. In view of the specific construction and operation of such a device, reference should be made to the document DE 102005011227 a 1.

Preferably, the engine control unit 16 according to the invention determines an actual operating characteristic curve for the respective magnetic actuator 15 from the actual values of the magnetic parameters detected by each of the magnetic actuators 15 and compares it with a setpoint operating characteristic curve stored in the engine control unit 16.

From the deviation between the actual operating characteristic curve and the setpoint operating characteristic curve, the engine controller 16 then automatically determines the wear state and/or the remaining life of the respective magnetic actuator 15 in order to generate a variable or individual maintenance interval for each magnetic actuator 15. The risk of an accidental failure of the magnetic actuator 15 during normal operation of the internal combustion engine and therefore an unplanned shutdown can thereby be minimized.

As already implemented, the engine controller 16 comprises means for automatic functional checking of the magnetic actuator 15 when the internal combustion engine is stopped, in the absence of pressure in the fuel supply.

At least one interface 17 is involved here in order to actuate the magnetic actuator 15 for data exchange therewith.

Furthermore, these components relate to hardware-related components 18 (as is known from DE 102005011227 a 1) and to software-related components 19.

With the invention, it is accordingly proposed to integrate means into the engine controller 16 in order to automatically carry out a self-diagnosis and a functional check at the magnetic actuator 15 installed in the fuel supply system. This makes it possible to detect early whether a failure of the magnetic actuator 15 is to be considered. Maintenance or replacement of the magnetic actuator 15 can be initiated if necessary. Variable or individual maintenance intervals can be implemented for the magnetic actuator 15.

Claims

1. An engine controller (16) of an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine has a fuel supply with magnetic actuators, characterized in that the engine controller (16) comprises means (17,18,19) for automatically determining an actual value of at least one magnetic characteristic parameter of at least one magnetic actuator (15) in the absence of pressure in the fuel supply when the internal combustion engine is stopped and evaluating such that the engine controller (16) automatically concludes a normally functioning magnetic actuator if the respective actual value deviates from the respective nominal value by less than a predetermined amount, and vice versa the engine controller (16) automatically concludes a malfunctioning magnetic actuator if the respective actual value deviates from the respective nominal value by more than the predetermined amount;

wherein the engine controller (16) determines an actual operating characteristic curve for the respective magnetic actuator (15) from the actual values of the magnetic characteristic variables of the magnetic actuator (15), compares said actual operating characteristic curve with a setpoint operating characteristic curve, and determines the wear state and/or the remaining life of the respective magnetic actuator (15) from the deviation between the actual operating characteristic curve and the setpoint operating characteristic curve.

2. An engine controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the engine controller (16) has an interface (17) for operating the magnetic actuator and exchanging data therewith.

3. The engine controller according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the engine controller (16) has a hardware-aspect component (18) for automatically determining the actual value of the magnetic characteristic parameter of the magnetic actuator (15) and a software-aspect component (19) for automatically evaluating the actual value of the magnetic characteristic parameter of the magnetic actuator (15).

4. An engine controller according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the engine controller (16) determines individual maintenance intervals for the respective magnetic actuators (15) as a function of the deviation between the actual operating characteristic curve and the nominal operating characteristic curve.

5. An engine controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the internal combustion engine is an internal combustion engine operating on diesel or on heavy oil or on gas.

6. An engine controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fuel supply is a common rail fuel supply.