DE102015009201B4 - Information distribution system and internal combustion engine with such - Google Patents

Abstract

Information distribution system (1) for an internal combustion engine (3), having:
- At least one speed sensor device (19, 21) for detecting an engine speed, which speed sensor device (19, 21) is connected to a higher-level control unit (35) of the information distribution system (1) in a signaling manner, with a central engine control unit serving as the higher-level control unit (35); characterized in that
- the higher-level control unit (35) has a bus interface (39) via which a plurality of control units (41, 43) of an internal combustion engine (3) are connected to the higher-level control unit (35), the higher-level control unit (35) being set up, to process a sensor signal (23) of the at least one connected speed sensor device (19, 21) and based thereon to output an angle and/or speed information signal (45) via the bus interface (39) to the plurality of control units (41, 43).

Description

The present invention is based on an information distribution system according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to an internal combustion engine with such an information distribution system according to claim 7.

From the DE 10 2008 054 589 B3 an engine control system for an aircraft diesel engine for propeller aircraft for controlling the injection, boost pressure, common rail pressure and propeller control valves actuated by non-redundant actuators is known, which comprises a plurality of sensors and a control device connected to these and the actuators, with two connected to the sensors and each connected to a first power supply and to a second power supply - first and second - engine controllers are provided, which are connected to one another via a serial bus and via - with the first engine controller supplied with voltage - relays can be optionally connected to the actuators. The two engine controllers each have a diagnostic function for calculating the respective health levels (A and B) determined by the errors detected, which are exchangeable via the serial bus and which are compared with one another. If the health level (A) of the first engine controller is below the health level (B) of the second engine controller, the power supply to the relays is interrupted so that the second engine controller is automatically connected to the actuators via the released relays and is therefore a redundant one Engine control system for an aircraft diesel engine is present. An automatically switchable connection between the two engine controllers communicating with one another is provided via relays, depending on the calculated health level.

The DE 10 2005 005 280 A1 shows a device for detecting a pressure, which has a glow plug and a pressure sensor. The device also has an evaluation unit for evaluating a signal from the pressure sensor and a control unit for providing a control signal for controlling the glow element. The evaluation unit and the control unit are electrically and logically connected to one another. This logical and electrical connection can ensure that the pressure measurement itself is essentially free of interference caused by the activation of the glow plug.

In the DE 42 43 178 A1 discloses a method for detecting leaky injectors in an internal combustion engine, in which during the starting process under predeterminable conditions all cylinders, including those that have not been injected, are ignited, and the speed is measured and monitored in such a way that an increase in speed caused by additional ignition in a cylinder is clearly detected . This method is processed in the control unit of the internal combustion engine and can be adapted to various requirements and can run at every start or only at every mth start; the activation of the method can be limited to specific engine temperatures or temperature profiles.

In the prior art, various central control units are currently used on internal combustion engines, in particular diesel engines or gas engines, such as ECUs (Electronic Control Units), EMUs (Engine Monitoring Units), EXUs (Engine Controller Extension Units). All of these control units are connected to engine speed sensing devices in order to know the cylinder position (angle information over a combustion cycle 720° CA) and to initiate further measures depending on the operating situation, for example injection operation.

In order to use the same sensors with the different control units, the sensor signals are usually split, that is divided between several control units. However, this measure can give rise to problems, inter alia, in the detection of sensor failures. Furthermore, it is problematic that a respective control unit must be configured according to the connected sensor types (and measuring wheels), i.e. the implemented software and hardware of the control unit must in particular enable the correct processing of the sensor signals, i.e. in particular the signal output form of the sensor be matched. This is - e.g. in the context of parameterization of a respective control device - disadvantageously complex. Another problem here is the high amount of cabling and the complexity of the cable harness in such solutions.

Proceeding from this, the present invention is based on the object of specifying a device and an internal combustion engine with such a device, with which the above disadvantages can be overcome.

This object is achieved with an information distribution system having the features of claim 1 and with an internal combustion engine having the features of claim 7 .

Advantageous developments and embodiments of the invention are specified in the further claims.

According to the invention, a bus system or information distribution system for a Internal combustion engine or an internal combustion engine, in particular a (large) diesel engine or a gas engine. An internal combustion engine provided with the information distribution system can be provided, for example, for a motor vehicle such as a ship, a locomotive or a commercial vehicle, or also for a stationary device, eg for a combined heat and power plant, an (emergency) power unit or for industrial applications. Within the scope of the present invention, an internal combustion engine operated with diesel fuel can also be provided, for example, for use with heavy oil or bio-oil, and a gas engine, for example, for operation with gaseous fuel in the form of, for example, natural gas, biogas, special gas, landfill gas or, for example, hydrogen.

The information distribution system comprises at least one speed sensor device for detecting an engine speed (of the internal combustion engine), in particular a camshaft or crankshaft speed, the speed sensor device being connected to a higher-level control unit of the information distribution system in a signaling manner. Within the framework of the invention, a central engine control unit, in particular a basic control unit or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), in particular of an internal combustion engine, serves as the superordinate control unit, which receives or transmits the sensor signals of the speed sensor device.

In order to provide the sensor signal, the speed sensor device has, in particular, a speed sensor, e.g. in the form of an induction transmitter or an incremental transmitter. A speed signal can be generated as part of the sensor signaling, for example and preferably by means of the sensor elements of a sensor wheel of the speed sensor device, e.g. with sensor elements in the form of teeth and gaps of a gear wheel or the webs and holes of a perforated wheel, with the sensor wheel on the camshaft or crankshaft sits. In this case, the transmitter elements on the sensor act to generate a signal, for example by induction-based generation of an AC voltage as a result of the movement past the sensor, i.e. supplying a speed signal as a sensor signal.

Alternatively or additionally, the invention provides that the rotational speed sensor device can or does deliver reference mark or position signals to the superordinate control unit as part of its sensor signal transmission, for example generated by a tooth or web cut out on the sensor wheel. Using the reference mark signals, a specific rotational position or a rotational angle of the motor can easily be detected, which corresponds to the rotational position of the shaft and—when using a sensor wheel—to the rotational position of the sensor wheel.

Configurations of the information distribution system are generally preferred in which the at least one rotational speed sensor device supplies both position and rotational speed signals to the superordinate control unit as part of its sensor signaling. It should also be noted in this connection that, of course, other configurations of a respective rotational speed sensor device are also conceivable which do not make use of a sensor wheel.

In the information distribution system according to the invention, the higher-level control unit also has a bus interface or a bus interface, via which at least one control unit of an engine can be connected to the higher-level control unit. The higher-level control unit is set up to process the sensor signal of the at least one connected speed sensor device and based on this to output an angle and/or speed information signal via the bus interface, preferably a signal containing both angle and speed information. In this case, the output signal is preferably output continuously, i.e. continuously.

The invention can be used to provide an information distribution system with an angle and/or speed bus on the internal combustion engine, which is able to distribute angle and/or speed information supplied by the speed sensor device to the higher-level control unit via the bus to other control units of the internal combustion engine . This creates a cost-effective and safe way of being able to supply angle and/or speed information to a large number of centralized and decentralized control units without any problems, i.e. by connecting to the higher-level control unit via the bus interface.

Advantageously, the amount of cabling is also minimized here, and it is also possible to be able to supply all connected control units with a uniform, in particular single, angle and/or speed information signal output via the bus interface. A tuning to different speed sensor devices (e.g. with regard to the type of sensor used, the design of the sensor wheel (number of teeth, holes), which can be used depending on the design of the combustion engine or type of application, now only needs to be done for the higher-level control unit, while Connected control units can always be supplied with the same signal form via the bus interface, which means that they can also be initialized before use the sources of error from any incorrect parameterization of the connected control units, so that in turn operational reliability can be increased.

In the context of the invention, it is possible, in particular due to the use of the same signal form, to implement significantly simpler and more efficient software programs on the microprocessors of the connected control units, which also reduces the calculation times in the software of the respective microprocessor. The complex synchronization logic and the sensor failure detection of the speed sensors only have to be implemented once. The testing of the software - especially in the control units that are connected via the bus interface - is considerably simplified insofar as only one signal form has to be processed. This is also accompanied by a significant reduction in the memory requirements in the respective microprocessor, with the reduction in the memory required and the optimization of the calculation processes now making it possible to use smaller and therefore more cost-effective microprocessors in the circuit design. External RAM memories, which require considerable space on the circuit board and thus keep the control unit costs high, can thus advantageously be dispensed with. The software simplified by the bus in all subcomponents or connected control units means less software/system complexity and thus easier maintainability.

The bus interface is preferably bidirectional within the scope of the invention, but could alternatively also be provided unidirectionally. The bus interface is preferably a digital interface, and also such an interface via which the angle and/or speed information signals based on the sensor signal of the speed sensor device can be transmitted in real time or without a time delay (low latency) to participants connected to the bus interface.

The invention provides that, in the information distribution system, at least one control unit of an internal combustion engine or a plurality of control units of the same internal combustion engine is connected to the superordinate control unit via the bus interface. For example, a number of control devices in the form of cylinder pressure modules are preferably connected via the bus interface to the higher-level control unit (e.g. such cylinder pressure modules as those in the applicant's further application under the file number DE 10 2015 009 201 A1 are disclosed, in addition, for example, an EXU (Engine Controller Extension Unit), which is provided, for example, for (individual) accumulator pressure detection on a respective injector, for example also for detecting cylinder pressures in the combustion chamber, or furthermore, for example, an EMU (Engine Monitoring Unit ).

With the information distribution system it can also be provided that two or more rotational speed sensor devices are connected to the superordinate control unit in a signaling manner. One of the speed sensor devices can, for example, interact with the camshaft, while the other speed sensor device preferably interacts with the crankshaft. In contrast, solutions in which, for example, only one camshaft sensor is provided can be offered, for example, for a gas engine operated in a stationary manner.

In particular in configurations in which a plurality of speed sensor devices are connected to the higher-level control unit, it is provided that the higher-level control unit is set up here to process the sensor signals of the plurality of connected speed sensor devices and, based thereon, to transmit an angle and/or speed information signal via the bus interface output, in particular a single (in particular continuous) signal. In such configurations, a complex synchronization logic, which has to take into account the plurality of sensor signals, advantageously only needs to be provided in the superordinate control unit (however, no longer in each control device as in the prior art). As can be seen, within the scope of the present invention, sensor failure detection can also advantageously be carried out simply and exclusively by the superordinate control unit, for example as part of status monitoring. In this respect, the higher-level control unit preferably also has a related safety functionality within the scope of the invention.

In the information distribution system, the control device can be set up to output an angle and/or rotational speed information signal via the bus interface, which signal has a pulse signal, in particular in the form of a continuous pulse signal. Furthermore, the control device can be set up to output an angle and/or rotational speed information signal via the bus interface, which signal has a synchronization signal (which is provided, for example, for synchronization by the connected control devices, in particular for reading out the angle information). An angle and speed information signal is preferably output, which is particularly preferably provided as a continuous pulse signal is provided and, in addition to speed signal components, also has angle (position) signals or components.

An internal combustion engine with an information distribution system as discussed above is also proposed within the scope of the invention. Advantageous refinements result in particular in that in the internal combustion engine only the higher-level control unit has a synchronization logic for processing the sensor signal of the at least one connected speed sensor device and/or for outputting the angle and/or speed information signal, furthermore in that in the internal combustion engine only the higher-level control unit has a sensor failure detection function, i.e. in relation to the at least one speed sensing device.

In order to avoid unnecessary redundancies in particular, it is proposed that in the internal combustion engine only the higher-level control unit receives sensor signals from the at least one, in particular all (engine speed) speed sensor devices, which higher-level control unit transmits the angle and/or speed information signal to at least outputs a control unit connected via the bus interface.

The control units connected via the bus interface are, in turn, all equipped with a signal processing capability that enables the angle and/or speed information received via the bus interface to be processed from the angle and/or speed information signal, particularly advantageously uniformly or with the same hardware and /or software, so that their parameterization can be standardized.

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, with reference to the figures of the drawings, which show details essential to the invention, and from the claims. The individual features can each be realized individually or together in various combinations in a variant of the invention.

• 1 exemplarisch und schematisch ein Informationsverteilsystem in Verbindung mit einem Verbrennungsmotor gemäß einer möglichen Ausgestaltung der vorliegenden Erfindung.
• 2 exemplarisch und schematisch mögliche Signalformen mit einem Informationsverteilsystem gemäß der Erfindung.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

• 1 exemplarily and schematically an information distribution system in connection with an internal combustion engine according to a possible embodiment of the present invention.
• 2 exemplary and schematic possible signal forms with an information distribution system according to the invention.

In the following description and the drawings, the same reference symbols correspond to elements with the same or comparable function.

1 shows an example and schematically an information distribution system 1 for an internal combustion engine 3, wherein the information distribution system 1 is shown provided on an internal combustion engine 3. The internal combustion engine 3, preferably a (large) diesel engine or gas engine, has a number of cylinders 5, for example between 6 up to 20 or even more than 20 cylinders 5, each of which has a (piston) piston 7 guided therein. An injector 11 is arranged on a combustion chamber 9 of a respective cylinder 5, as well as a cylinder pressure sensor 13, for example.

The internal combustion engine 3 also includes a camshaft 15 and a crankshaft 17, the speed of which, including the engine speed, is detected via a speed sensor device 19, 21 of the information distribution system 1, i.e. via a first 19 and a second 21 speed sensor device. Alternatively, it can be provided, for example, that only the camshaft 15 or only the crankshaft 17 interacts with a speed sensor device 19 or 21, e.g. also or especially in the event of an error, when there is a sensor failure on the other shaft.

For detecting the rotational speed of the respective shaft 15 or 17 and for providing a corresponding sensor signal 23 (see 2 ) the respective speed sensor device 19, 21 comprises a transmitter wheel 25 or 27, which is connected to the shaft 15 or 17 in a torque-proof manner and which interacts with a speed sensor 29 or 31 of the speed sensor device 19 or 21 - obeying an inductive measuring principle. The respective encoder wheel 25, 27 has a number of encoder elements (teeth and gaps or webs and holes) (not shown) and when the shaft 15 or 17 rotates it induces an AC voltage at the speed sensor 29 or 31, the period of which varies with the rotational speed of the Shaft 15 or 17 varies and based on which the sensor signal 23 is output (in this case, consequently, the signal frequency is a measure of the rotational speed detected on shaft 15 or 17).

The respective rotational speed sensor device 19, 21 also supplies information 33 with the sensor signal 23, which signals the rotational position or angular position of the sensor wheel 25 or 27, respectively. This reference mark 33 is generated by means of a recessed encoder element on the encoder wheel 25 or 27, whose position is matched to a predetermined crankshaft or cylinder position, for example and preferably to top dead center (TDC) of the first cylinder 5. At the point of the reference mark 33, the sensor signal 23 has a gap in each case, which makes it possible to detect the angular position. Such a sensor signal 23 shows how this can be provided as a continuous signal as an example 2 , for example as a pulse signal preprocessed by the sensing device 19 or 21 .

The respective speed sensor device 19, 21 provided for detecting the engine speed is connected to a higher-level control unit 35 of the information distribution system 1 in a signal-generating manner, i.e. delivering the sensor signal 23, with the higher-level control unit 35 being formed by a base control unit or a central engine control unit, in particular one ECU. The superordinate control unit 35 also records the status of the respective speed sensor device 19, 21, for example as part of a monitoring ring of the speed signal(s) for the purpose of error detection (sensor failure detection). In addition to a number of other operationally important system components of the internal combustion engine 3 (not shown), the injectors 11 of the internal combustion engine 3, for example, are also connected to the superordinate control unit 35 via a control line 37 each, ie for their injection control.

As in particular 1 illustrated, the higher-level control unit 35 also has a bus interface 39, via which at least one control unit 41, 43 of the internal combustion engine 3 can be connected to the higher-level control unit 35 and is also connected, the higher-level control unit 35 being set up to transmit sensor signals 23 from the at least one connected speed sensor device 19, 21, in this case the first 19 and second 21 speed sensor device, and based thereon to output an angle and/or speed information signal 45 via the bus interface 39, in particular in the form of a single signal 45, here an angle and speed information signal 45 .

A first control unit 41 in the form of an EMU (Engine Monitoring Unit), for example, is connected to the angle and speed bus 51 formed here by means of the bus interface 39, by means of which sensors 47 or also actuators 49 are monitored and/or controlled depending on engine operation, which an angle - and/or require speed information.

Furthermore, a number of decentralized, cylinder-specific control units 43 are connected to the higher-level control unit 35 via the angle and speed bus 51, i.e. via the bus interface 39, each of which is provided as a cylinder pressure module (the cylinder pressure sensor 13 of the corresponding cylinder 5 interacts with a respective cylinder pressure module to detect a combustion chamber pressure level). By means of the angle and speed information transmitted via the angle and speed bus 51 in particular in real time to the cylinder pressure modules 43, these are enabled to detect and analyze a combustion chamber pressure as a function of time and angle.

2 now shows exemplary signal forms of the information distribution system 1, ie a sensor signal 23 of the speed sensor device 21 (crankshaft) and an angle and speed information signal 45 based on this output by the higher-level control unit 35 via the bus interface 39.

The sensor signal 23 is provided by the speed sensor device 21 - based on the frequency-affected AC voltage generated from the speed measurement - as a pre-processed digital signal and fed to the higher-level control unit 35 (alternatively, e.g. processed by the higher-level control unit 35 from an analog AC voltage signal of the sensor 31). Two full revolutions of the sensor wheel 27, i.e. corresponding to an engine work cycle between 0° CA and 720° CA, correspond to 240 pulses (for a sensor wheel 27 with 120 teeth), with a missing pulse depending on the rotational position of the sensor wheel 27 according to its position marks a predetermined crankshaft or cylinder position, i.e. forms the reference or position mark 33 in the sensor signal 23. In the signal form of the sensor signal 23 shown, a sensor signal period corresponds to e.g. 3° CA.

The superordinate control unit 35 further processes the sensor signal 23 digitally, in particular by means of a suitable signal processor device which includes a timer 53, for example. As part of the processing, the sensor signal 23 has a finer temporal resolution, with one engine working cycle now being able to be assigned, for example, 3600 pulses, i.e. the resolution corresponding to a period of the bus signal 45, i.e. the angle and speed information signal 45 provided via the bus interface, is now, for example, 0 .2°KW. As part of the signal processing by the higher-level control unit 35, an angle signal 55 is also output as a signal component of the angle and speed information signal 45, which marks a predetermined crankshaft or cylinder position (usually TDC A1) according to its position. The angle signal 55, for example, a higher - recognizable by a signal processing logic - voltage level than that other pulses 57, alternatively be formed by a signal gap analogous to the sensor signal 23, or be output differently.

From the angle and speed information signal 45, the control units 41, 43 connected via the bus interface 39 can now read out the required angle and speed information dependent on the operation of the internal combustion engine by means of signal processing logic (not shown). For example, to determine the angle, a counter can be set in motion by recognizing an angle signal 55 in the angle and speed information signal 45, which counter counts the pulses 57 and correlates the count—continuously—with a rotation angle. In this respect, the angle signal 55 also serves as a synchronization signal.

To determine the rotational speed using the angle and rotational speed signal 45, the pulses 57 of the signal can be counted over a period of time at the connected control unit 41 or 43 and correlated with a time period of the count.

It should be noted that the waveforms shown 23, 45 after 2 only show one possible form of signal provision. Of course, different signal forms can also be provided within the framework of the information distribution system 1 or an internal combustion engine 3 having the same, so that the configuration shown is by no means intended to express a restriction to one specific embodiment.

It should also be pointed out that the invention provides for the angle bus 51 to automatically switch over to the other still functional sensor in the event of a failure (detected by monitoring the sensor signals) of one of the speed sensors 29 or 31, i.e. by the signal-processing higher-level control unit or ECU 35. The failure detection and synchronization of the bus subscribers (control devices) can be implemented in the software, but advantageously only to a very small extent.

Finally, it should be noted that the invention provides and advantageously makes it possible to always transmit an angle and/or speed signal 45 with the same resolution or number of pulses per working cycle (e.g. with 0.2° CA or 3600 pulses), with different settings of the resolution or number of pulses being possible in an advantageous manner by appropriate configuration of the superordinate control unit 35.

Reference List

1

information distribution system

3

combustion engine

5

cylinder

7

Pistons

9

combustion chamber

11

injector

13

cylinder pressure sensor

15

camshaft

17

crankshaft

19

first speed sensing device

21

second speed sensing device

23

sensor signal

25, 27

encoder wheel

29:31

sensor

33

reference mark

35

control unit

37

control line

39

bus interface

41

control unit (EMU)

43

control unit

45

Angle and/or speed information signal

47

sensor

49

actuator

51

Angle and/or speed bus

53

timer

55

angle signal

57

Pulse

Claims (9)

Information distribution system (1) for an internal combustion engine (3), having: - at least one speed sensor device (19, 21) for detecting an engine speed, which speed sensor device (19, 21) is connected to a higher-level control unit (35) of the information distribution system (1) in a signaling manner, wherein a central engine control unit serves as a higher-level control unit (35); characterized in that - the higher-level control unit (35) has a bus interface (39) via which a plurality of control units (41, 43) of an internal combustion engine (3) to the higher-level control unit (35), the higher-level control unit (35) being set up to process a sensor signal (23) from the at least one connected speed sensor device (19, 21) and, based thereon, to transmit an angle and/or speed information signal (45) via the Output bus interface (39) to the plurality of control units (41, 43). Information distribution system (1) after claim 1 , characterized in that - two or more speed sensing devices (19, 21) are connected to the superordinate control unit (35) in a signaling manner; and/or - the higher-level control unit (35) is set up to process sensor signals (23) from a plurality of connected speed sensor devices (19, 21) and based thereon to output an angle and/or speed information signal (45) via the bus interface (39). Information distribution system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the higher-level control device (35) is set up to output an angle and/or speed information signal (45) via the bus interface (39) which has a pulse signal (57); and/or - the higher-order control device (35) is set up to output an angle and/or pulse information signal via the bus interface, which signal has a synchronization signal (55). Information distribution system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the bus interface (39) is a digital interface. Information distribution system (1) according to one of claims 2 until 4 , characterized in that - the superordinate control device (35) is an engine control unit; and/or - the at least one speed sensor device (19, 21) interacts with a camshaft (15) or a crankshaft (17); - at least one control unit (43) connected via the bus interface (39) is a cylinder pressure module. Information distribution system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the angle and/or speed information signal (45) is provided in real time by the bus interface (39) based on the at least one sensor signal (23). Internal combustion engine (3), characterized in that - the internal combustion engine (3) has an information distribution system (1) according to one of the preceding claims. combustion engine after claim 7 , characterized in that - in the case of the internal combustion engine (3), only the higher-level control unit (35) has synchronization logic for processing the sensor signal (23) of the at least one connected speed sensor device (19, 21) and/or for outputting the angle and/or speed information signal (45); and/or - in the case of the internal combustion engine (3), only the superordinate control unit (35) has a sensor failure detection function with regard to the at least one speed sensor device (19, 21). Combustion engine (3) after claim 7 or 8th , characterized in that - in the internal combustion engine (3) only the higher-level control unit (35) receives a sensor signal (23) from the at least one speed sensor device (19, 21), the higher-level control unit (35) based on the processed sensor signal (23 ) outputs the angle and/or speed information signal (45) to at least one control unit connected via the bus interface (39).

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