EP0222019A1

EP0222019A1 - Fuel controller for engine.

Info

Publication number: EP0222019A1
Application number: EP19860902028
Authority: EP
Inventors: Seiji Wataya
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 1985-05-07
Filing date: 1986-03-27
Publication date: 1987-05-20
Also published as: WO1986006792A1; EP0222019B1; JPS61255238A; DE3663380D1

Abstract

Lorsque l'injection de carburant d'un moteur est commandée par un capteur d'écoulement d'air appliquant un principe de radiations thermiques, on utilise un capteur de rapport air/carburant (10) pouvant détecter le rapport air/carburant présentant un mélange riche à partir des composants des gaz d'échappement; dans l'éventualité d'une augmentation anormale du signal de sortie du capteur d'écoulement d'air à cause de l'expulsion de l'air d'admission en pleine charge, on exécute une régulation à réaction de manière à empêcher que le rapport air/carburant ne s'enrichisse pas au delà de la valeur prédéterminée à l'aide du signal provenant du capteur de rapport air/carburant.When the fuel injection of an engine is controlled by an air flow sensor applying a principle of thermal radiation, an air / fuel ratio sensor (10) is used which can detect the air / fuel ratio having a mixture rich from exhaust gas components; in the event of an abnormal increase in the output signal from the air flow sensor due to the expulsion of the intake air at full load, reaction regulation is carried out so as to prevent the air / fuel ratio is not enriched beyond the predetermined value using the signal from the air / fuel ratio sensor.

Description

DESCRIPTION ^'

TITLE OF INVENTION

FUEL CONTROLLER FOR ENGINE

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a fuel controller for an engine improved for the accuracy of an air fuel ratio at a high load time when fuel is injected from a gasoline engine employing an air flow sensor based on a heat radiation principle (e.g., a hot-wire type air flow sensor) .

BACKGROUND ART

A fuel controller for an engine of an automobile generally controls an optimum amount of fuel supplied to the engine on the basis of an intake air quantity from an air flow sensor and the rotating speed of the engine from a rotary detector. The construction of a conventional fuel controller of an engine is shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, 1 designates an engine, and 2 designates a suction manifold. An electromagnetic fuel injection valve 3 is provided in the suction manifold 2 , and the fuel injection valve 3 is controlled by a controller 8.

The suction manifold 2 is coupled with a surge tank 4, which is connected to a suction conduit 5. A throttle valve 6 is disposed in the suction conduit 5. A hot-wire type air flow sensor 7 is provided in the conduit 5. The output of the sensor 7 is fed to the controller 8.

The rotating speed of the engine 1 is detected by a rotary detector 9, which applies the detected output to the controller 8. The controller 8 controls the fuel injection valve 3 by the output of the detector 9 and the output of the sensor 7.

The controller 8 is constructed as shown in Fig. 7, the output of the sensor 7 is converted by a digital converter 81 into a digital signal, and fed to a microprocessor 83.

The output of the detector 9 is supplied through an interface circuit 82 to the microprocessor 83. The microprocessor 83 calculates a predetermined fuel amount on the basis of the output from the sensor 7 and the information from the detector 9, amplifies it via an amplifier 86 and controls the valve 3.

A random access memory (RAM) 84 and a read only memory (ROM) 85 are connected to the microprocessor 83. The RAM 84 is used for calculating, and the ROM 85 stores the calculating sequence and the control data.

The operation will be described. In the state that the engine 1 is operated except the vicinity of wide open throttle (WOT) , the output of the sensor 7 becomes a waveform which includes a normal ripple as shown in Fig. 8(a). When the area of the waveform is calculated, a true intake air amount can be produced. Thus, when the microprocessor 83 controls the drive pulse width of the valve 3 on the basis of the value produced by dividing the intake air amount by the rotating speed of the engine, desired air fuel ratio can be controlled.

However, the output waveform of the sensor 7 becomes as shown in Fig. 8(b) in the specific rotating speed range (generally 1000 to 3000 ppm) near the WOT due to the blow-off from the engine 1, and the portion indicated by the hatched lines is excessively added to the true air flow rate.

This is because the hot-wire type air flow sensor 7 based on the heat radiation principle detects as intake amount and outputs in irrespective of the air flowing direction.

The detecting error due to the blow-off depends upon the rotating speed as shown in Fig. 9, and is generated. ordinarily in the vicinity that the suction conduit vacuum becomes near -50 mmHg and arrives at 50 % at the maximum in the WOT range.

If the fuel amount is calculated and injected with the value including such large error, air fuel ratio becomes largely rich, and cannot be. utilized in a practical use. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, with the maximum air flow rate determined in response to the engine as the upper limit value (the value designated by a broken line) with respect to the range a that the error occurs due to the blow-off is heretofore stored in the ROM 85 in the controller 8, the detected value of the sensor 7 exceeding this value is ignored as shown in Fig. 8(b), it is clipped at the upper limit, thereby suppressing the excessively rich air fuel ratio.

Since the upper limit value must be set to the intake air flow rate characteristic of the engine to be used at the ambient temperature in the sea level, it should become the upper limit value of mass flow rate at the ambient temperature at the sea level.

However, if the engine is operated, for example, with high load at a high level with low atmospheric density, such a disadvantage arises in which the output level of the sensor 7 does not arrive in the mean value at the predetermined upper limit value as shown in Fig. 8(c) , the mean value of the output level including the flow-off is used to calculate the fuel as it is, and the air fuel ratio becomes excessively rich with respect high altitude.

As described above, if the throttle valve is fully opened when the intake air flow rate of 4-cylinder engine is heretofore detected by the hot-wire type air flow sensor, the intake air reversely flow due to the blow-off to the sensor, and the sensor cannot detect the true intake air amount but produces an- error due to an increase in the output from the true value.

Since this error arrives at approx. 50 % at the maximum, if this value is used as it is to calculate the fuel amount, the air fuel rate becomes largely rich, and the engine becomes impossible to operate.

Thus, the upper limit of the output of the air flow sensor is heretofore stored in advance in the memory in the controller in response to the intake air flow rate characteristic of the engine, and even if the output of the sensor abnormally increases, a large error is eliminated in the air flow rate. However, according to this method, since the.upper limit is decided in response to the engine near the ambient temperature at a sea level, this method has such a drawback that the error in the air fuel ratio increases in the high altitude traveling or in high and low temperature atmosphere.

When the air intake amount is detected by the hot¬ wire type air flow sensor, a reduction in the error in the measurement of the air flow rate due to the reverse flow due to the blow-off from the engine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-108909 official gazette. In this configuration, the blow-off air flow rate Q. and the intake air flow rate Q~ are predicted, and true air intake amount Q = Q, - Q, is calculated from these values. However, even if this method is utilized to control the fuel, it has such a disadvantage that the control of air fuel ratio at high altitude, traveling or high and low temperature atmosphere cannot be accurately performed.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to eliminate said prior art disadvantages and an object thereof is to provide a fuel controller for a engine which can obviate air fuel ratio error due to atmospheric pressure (in high altitude) and intake air temperature and obtain stable burning state under all operating conditions of the engine.

A fuel controller for an engine according to the present invention comprises an air fuel ratio sensor capable of detecting the air fuel ratio of a rich range from exhaust gas component to control the valve opening time of a fuel injection valve with the signal of the sensor as a main parameter when the signal of the sensor exhibits lean as compared with a predetermined value and to control to feedback so that the air fuel ratio becomes the predetermined value on the basis of the signal of the sensor when the signal of the sensor exhibits rich as compared with the predetermined value. Since the present invention detects the air fuel ratio of rich side by an air fuel ratio sensor to suppress the air fuel ratio error due to the blow-off of the intake air when the engine is fully opened, stable burning state can be attained under all operating condi- tions of the engine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the entire construction of an embodiment of a fuel controller for an engine according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the internal construction of the controller in the fuel controller of the engine in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a characteristic diagram of an air fuel ratio sensor in the fuel controller of the engine of the invention. Fig. 4 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the invention. Fig. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the operation of the fuel controller of the engine. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the entire construction of the fuel controller of the conventional engine. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the internal construction of the controller in the fuel controller of the engine of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a characteristic diagram of an air flow sensor in the fuel controller of the engine of Fig. 6, Fig. 9 is a view showing the detecting error of the air flow sensor in the fuel controller of the engine of Fig. 6, Fig. 10 ^*is an output characteristic diagram with respect to the rotating speed of the engine of the air flow sensor, and Fig. 11 is a view showing an error with respect to an altitude due to the air flow sensor in the fuel controller of the conventional engine.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION One embodiment of a fuel controller for an engine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a view showing the construction of an embodiment. In Fig. 1, the same reference numerals as in Fig. 6 designate the corresponding components,and description of the construction is omitted, and the portion different from Fig. 6 will be mainly described. As apparent from the comparison of Fig. 1 with Fig. 6, an air fuel ratio sensor 10 is newly provided in the construction of Fig. 6, in Fig. 1, and the sensor 10 can linearly detect the air fuel ratio from the exhaust gas components of an engine 1. The other construction is the same as in Fig. 6.

The sensor 10 produces, as shown in Fig. 2, an output to an A/D converter 81 in a controller 8. Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the sensor 10 corresponding to the conventional controller shown in Fig. 7, and the construction of Fig. 2 is different from Fig. 7 at the point that the output of the sensor 10 is newly delivered to the A/D converter 81, and the other construction is the same as in Fig. 7. As a sensor for linearly detecting the air fuel ratio a combination of a zirconia type oxygen battery (atmospheric air is supplied to one side, and exhaust gas affected by the influence of an oxygen pump is supplied to the other) exhibiting a switching characteristic at stoichiometric air fuel ratio and an oxygen pump -is heretofore known, and NOx in the components of the exhaust gas and oxygen in CO are reduced to supply oxygen to the opposite atmospheric pressure side of the oxygen battery by applying a voltage to the oxygen pump to detect the air fuel ratio of rich side. The output voltage with respect to the air fuel ratio of the sensor 10 is as shown in Fig. 3.

In the construction as described above, the operation when the engine 1 is operated with full load will be described in detail with reference to the time chart of Fig. 4 and the flow chart of Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 4(a), when the opening of a throttle is increased, the output of the sensor 7 becomes excessive from the true value due to the blow-off of the intake air. Thus, the air fuel ratio largely varies at the rich side as shown by a curve a in Fig. 4 (.b) , and incomplete combustion occurs, but when the actual air fuel ratio of detected by the sensor 10 to arrive at the value α(.e.g., air fuel ratio 12) , the air fuel ratio becomes as a curve b at the α as a center, and the pulse width of the fuel injection valve 3 (in Fig. 4(.c).) is also controlled to be fed back as a curve b, thereby obtaining stable combustion state. In the actual control sequence, as shown in Fig. 5, in step 100, the intake air quantity Qa and the rotating speed Ne of the engine are read out as essential parameters. In next step 101, the drive pulse T_τ a_ of the fuel injection valve 3 is calculated from the input information, and in next step 102, it is judged whether the output of the sensor 10 is larger than a predetermined air fuel ratio (e.g., 12) or not. If larger (lean side) the final drive pulse width τ is determined as x- (.in step 104) .

If the drive pulse width τ_R of the valve 3 becomes excessive due to the influence of the blow-off of the sensor 7 and the air fuel ratio is smaller than the (rich side), a flat is set as shown in Fig. 4(e) in step 105, the integrating complementary term (C„_B). is shifted to smaller side as shown in Fig. 4(d) in step 106, and air fuel ratio is shifted to lean side with the drive pulse width τ_=τ_xC_pB of the injector as shown in Fig. 4(c) in steps 108 to 110. As a result, when the air fuel ratio becomes larger than the α(lean side), the integrating complementary term (C_™-.) increases as shown in Fig. 4(d) and shifted to the rich side in steps 102 to 107.

This operation is repeated, and the actual air fuel ratio is controlled to be fed back with the air fuel ratio as a center. This operation is continued while the drive pulse width τ_ of the valve 3 due to the feedback control is smaller than the drive pulse width τ_ of the valve 3 calculated from the intake air quantity Qa and the rotating speed Ne, and when the x _~ becomes larger than τ_, the flat is reset in step 111, and the valve 3 is controlled with the pulse width of x- .

In the foregoing description, the air fuel ratio of rich side has been controlled to be fed back by using an air fuel sensor 10 capable of linearly detecting the air fuel ratio. However, the air fuel ratio sensor 10 which inverts the output in a switching manner as the pre¬ determined air fuel ratio (e.g., 12) as the characteristic may be used to provide similar advantages.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is mainly utilized for a fuel controller of an engine for an automobile, but not limited to the automobile. For example,^" the present invention may be applied to the fuel control of a ship and aircraft engine which employ fuel such as gasoline.

Claims

(1) A fuel controller for an engine comprising an air flow sensor for detecting the intake air quantity of the engine on the basis of a heat radiation principle, an air fuel ratio sensor for detecting the air fuel ratio of rich side on the basis of the exhaust gas of the engine, an electromagnetic fuel injection valve for injecting fuel to the engine, and a control unit for controlling the valve opening time of said valve with the signal of said air flow sensor as a main parameter when the signal of said air fuel ratio sensor exhibits lean as compared with a predetermined value and to feedback the air fuel ratio to become the predetermined value on the basis of the signal of the air flow sensor when the signal of said air fuel ratio sensor exhibits rich as compared with the predetermined value. (2). A fuel controller according to Claim 1 wherein said control unit employs the rotating speed signal of the engine as the sub parameter for controlling the valve opening time of said fuel injection valve. (.3) A fuel controller according to Claim 2 wherein said control unit comprises a microprocessor for inputting the outputs of said air flow sensor, said air fuel ratio sensor and said engine rotation detector, and a memory for storing data necessary for calculating by said microprocessor.