EP2122143A1

EP2122143A1 - Indicating arrangement and method for determining an engine parameter

Info

Publication number: EP2122143A1
Application number: EP08708613A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gernot Fernitz; Klaus Leitmeier; Josef Moik; Rüdiger Teichmann; Klaus-Christoph Harms; Martin Rzehorska
Original assignee: AVL List GmbH
Current assignee: AVL List GmbH
Priority date: 2007-02-15
Filing date: 2008-02-04
Publication date: 2009-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2028-02-04
Also published as: JP2010518318A; JP4927177B2; ATE556208T1; EP2122143B1; AT9242U3; KR20090125070A; US8170777B2; CN101652550A; WO2008098852A1; AT9242U2; US20100030446A1; CN101652550B

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to reduce the complexity of an indicating arrangement (6) on an internal combustion engine in order to determine a parameter. Said aim is achieved by calculating crank angle data from a measured variable in a computing unit (8) of the indicating arrangement (6) and determining a parameter from said calculated crank angle data and said measured variable.

Description

Indexing arrangement and method for determining an engine characteristic value

The present invention relates to an indexing device for determining at least one engine characteristic value, comprising a sensor unit which records a measured variable with a crank angle-dependent component, and a calculation unit which is connected to the sensor unit via an input, and an associated method for determining a characteristic value and an application in an engine control.

On engine test benches, a complex sensor and indexing technology can be used to obtain or eliminate all desired engine characteristics - including parameters and parameters of the internal combustion engine to be tested (eg diesel or gasoline engine) or its operating behavior (eg during a work cycle) To calculate measurements. The indexing arrangement usually also includes a signal amplifier which further processes a sensor signal for further use, eg amplifies, conditions, filters and / or digitizes. In certain sensors, such as the piezoelectric cylinder pressure transducers, which are particularly important for the indexing technique, a charge amplifier is generally used as signal amplifier. However, it is also possible to use, for example, strain gauges, piezoresisitive pressure sensors, structure-borne knock sensors, sensors for sonic and ultrasonic emission analysis, ion current probes, flame light sensors, sensors for needle lift, valve lift or piston stroke, etc., with the respective signal amplifiers. Often then in downstream separate processing units, the required engine parameters from the measured variables, such as cylinder pressure, crank angle, etc., calculated, or measured variables, such as the cylinder pressure, on a time basis or based on the measured crank angle to determine the engine characteristics are evaluated , where the calculations and evaluations on-line, ie during engine operation, or off-line, so in hindsight, can be performed. The processing units consequently require a separate input for a crank angle signal, eg from an angle transmitter. Nevertheless, some parameters can be determined without the crank angle information. For example, characteristic values such as, for example, peak pressure, combustion noise, knock intensity, frequency components, time differences between significant signal characteristics, etc., can be determined from the measured time curve of the cylinder pressure even without crank angle information. But important other parameters, such as the indicated mean pressure, mass conversion points, combustion curve, center of gravity combustion, components of the order analysis, ignition delay in degrees crank angle, etc., need for their albeit only approximate determination in addition to the cylinder pressure necessarily also a crank angle information, such as a Speed, the duration of a revolution of the crankshaft, the instantaneous angular velocity, the duration of a working cycle, the duration of a working cycle divided by the number of cylinders or a current angle of rotation in any angular resolution. The measurement of the crank angle information naturally increases the effort for the sensors. On engine test benches, this effort is often justified, since usually the most accurate possible determination of certain characteristics and the most accurate evaluation of engine operation is desired, but also in this application for cost reasons, the cost is to be kept as low as possible. Another problem is, of course, the space required for a complex sensor and indexing technology and the fact that the required sensors can be installed in retrospect usually only with great effort on the engine.

In principle, it is of course also known from a substantially periodic measurement signal, such. B. from a Zylinderdruckaufnehmer to derive a crank angle information. In AT 388 830 B, for example, it is described that the drift compensation device of a charge amplifier circuit is triggered in accordance with the period of a measurement signal. The periodic trigger signals for the tripping device (that is to say essentially crankshaft angle information) can be obtained internally from the measuring signal or externally from a connected signal generator on a crankshaft.

From the article "simulation models of internal combustion engines for real-time applications", Gheorghiu V., Haus der Technik eV, conference no. E-30-202-056-8, 1998 shows how a crank angle information can be calculated from a measured pressure curve, which also a non-uniformity of the crankshaft revolutions is taken into account.

Of course, these methods for determining a crank angle information from a substantially periodic measurement signal only provide approximations for the required crank angle information. The error caused thereby depends essentially on the method used to determine the crank angle information. For the application in the field of engine test benches such approximation methods are usually unsuitable and therefore have not been considered so far. For use in the field of vehicle onboard measurement or indexing technology or in the low end indexing market, however, such complex indexing techniques are too costly and too complicated.

Charge boosters with integrated peak value determination from the measurement signal have already become known. However, such charge amplifiers can only be used to a limited extent since only a single motor characteristic value can be determined and no flexibility is available. For a sensible application but usually different engine characteristics are needed.

It is now an object of the subject invention to provide an indexing assembly which is particularly simple and compact in design, convenient to install and operate and still be able to determine essential engine characteristics, as well as an associated procedure.

This object is achieved for the indexing and the associated method according to the invention that the calculation unit from the measured variable recorded with the sensor unit, a crank angle information is calculated from the measured variable and the calculated crank angle information at least one engine characteristic, which requires the knowledge of a crank angle information, and is output as an output signal at an output.

In contrast to an application of the high end indexing technology in the field of engine test stands, for use in the low end indexing market, eg for very cost effective test benches, or for example in the onboard measurement technology for production vehicles, for parameterization, calibration, diagnostics, monitoring, control, etc of an internal combustion engine, the expense and the costs for the indexing technique desirably be rather low. This can not be achieved with a conventional indexing arrangement or sensor system for the reasons mentioned above. Until now, it was necessary to record measured values with known indexing devices, such as a cylinder pressure sensor, and to supply an engine control unit (ECU) or a processing unit, where the measured values are evaluated, often taking into account other measured values, such as measured crank angles, and optionally by means of stored characteristic maps , Of course, the necessary sensor technology increases the costs and the effort for installation, commissioning, maintenance and parameterization of the sensors and the engine control unit or the processing unit. These disadvantages are now avoided by an indexing device according to the invention, in that the required characteristic values without additional crank angle input (which would mean additional expensive sensor technology and additionally required signal inputs) are integrated in the indexing device, since it has been recognized that the accuracy thus achieved is achieved in determining the characteristic values is sufficient for use in the field of vehicle onboard metrology or in the low end indexing market, but also in other applications that require less accuracy. In particular, low investment costs, simpler installation in the vehicle, simpler parameterization, a time advantage during commissioning and measurement, the possibility of transfer to external systems and an increase in quality while simultaneously saving time (by avoiding iteration loops) in engine development are achieved with an inventive indexing system. Furthermore, no profound expert knowledge of the operation is necessary for such an indexing arrangement. Also, a targeted search of a malfunction (the components or software structure of the engine control) by this application is possible. In addition, such an indexing arrangement offers very flexible application possibilities due to the almost arbitrary determination of characteristic values. For certain sensor units, it is advantageous if a signal amplifier, in particular a charge amplifier, is provided in the indexing arrangement between the sensor unit and the calculation unit, which processes the sensor signal accordingly, eg amplifies, conditions, filters and / or digitizes.

The flexibility and utility of an indexing arrangement according to the invention is further increased when provided in the calculation unit, additional characteristics such as e.g. Peak pressure, combustion noise or knock strength, from the measured variable alone, so without the use of a crank angle information to determine.

Furthermore, it can be advantageous for an evaluation unit to be equipped with a plurality of inputs for different measurement channels and for each measurement channel or group of measurement channels having at least one measurement channel a separate calculation unit to be provided. It can be provided that these multiple calculation units also communicate with each other and so can exchange data with each other. Advantageously, however, this can also be a single calculation unit for all measurement channels.

Several measurement channels are e.g. When indexing on a multi-cylinder engine of great importance: Each cylinder is equipped with its own cylinder pressure sensor and the multiple cylinder pressure curves are to be evaluated based on the common for all valid crank angle information. In this case, it is of course particularly advantageous for the determination of the crank angle information that not only one but several signals with crank angle-dependent signal component are present, in addition usually a-priori knowledge of the geometry of the engine and thus the between the individual signals existing time or crank angle offset can be used.

If all the units of the indexing arrangement are arranged in a common housing, one obtains a particularly compact device, which is easy to use and in particular also reduces the wiring effort required outside of the device. Such a device can be seen as an "intelligent sensor" because it already provides the required signals or data and engine characteristics and no longer needs any downstream evaluation.

If a filter unit and / or a signal conditioning device and / or an amplifier is provided in the indexing arrangement, the expense of the downstream units can be further reduced since the indexing arrangement already supplies the signal in the required preparation.

A further integration stage can be achieved if an engine control unit is integrated into the indexing arrangement, whereby the outlay for the necessary hardware can be further reduced. Such an indexing arrangement can now be integrated particularly advantageously in a motor control, since the motor control can already be supplied with the required characteristic values directly, which reduces the effort in the motor control and, on the other hand, the outlay for the sensors for the motor control can be reduced.

The subject invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the schematic, non-limiting Figures 1 to 4, which show advantageous embodiments of the invention. It shows

2 shows a schematic representation of different indexing arrangements, and FIGS. 3 and 4 each show a further example of an indexing arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a detail of a cylinder 1 of an internal combustion engine. In the cylinder cavity 3, a piston 2 is moved and the cylinder 1 are arranged in a known manner valves 4 and in the case of a gasoline engine, a spark plug 5, the invention is of course applicable to internal combustion engines with other combustion process. In addition, an indexing arrangement 6 consisting of a sensor unit 10 and an evaluation unit 8 is arranged on the cylinder 1, which in this case is e.g. measures and evaluates the cylinder pressure. An indexing arrangement is generally understood in a known manner to be an arrangement which measures and / or evaluates engine measured variables, in particular but not exclusively combustion, during operation, for example during a work cycle, with high resolution of the dependence on time or crank angle. The indexing arrangement 6 or the evaluation unit 8 of the indexing arrangement 6 can, as in this example, be connected to an engine control unit 7 of a motor control or to another processing unit.

As indicated in detail in FIG. 2a, the indexing arrangement 6 comprises a sensor unit 10 for detecting a measured variable, eg a piezoelectric pressure transducer, a strain gauge, piezoresistive pressure sensors, structure-borne knock sensors, sensors for sonic and ultrasonic emission analysis, ion current probes, flame light sensors, sensors for needle lift, valve lift or piston stroke, etc., and an evaluation unit 8. The sensor unit 10 and the evaluation unit 8 are connected to each other via a suitable line and the signal of the sensor unit 10 is the evaluation unit 8 via an input 14 is supplied. In the evaluation unit 8, a calculation unit 12, such as a microprocessor or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), arranged by means of the measured variable, here, for example, the pressure in the cylinder 1, is further processed to a motor characteristic. The possibly required analog-to-digital conversion of the measurement signal can be done directly in the calculation unit 12 or even before. The signal processed by the calculation unit 12 of the evaluation unit 8 becomes analog at an output 13 or digitally output. Of course, in the simplest embodiment, the evaluation unit 8 and the calculation unit 12 can also be designed as a single unit.

Also, a display device 15 may be arranged at the evaluation unit 8, at which a calculated engine characteristic value can be displayed.

Between the sensor unit 10 and the calculation unit 12, a signal amplifier, in particular a charge amplifier 11 for a piezoelectric sensor, can also be arranged in a known manner, as shown in FIG. 2b. Depending on the type of sensors, the various known signal amplifier circuits can be used. For piezoelectric sensors, u.a. For measuring pressure, force, torque, and acceleration, the principle of the charge amplifier (in the narrower sense) has largely prevailed over electrometer amplifiers and transimpedance amplifiers (e.g., voltage-to-current converters). Also for charge amplifiers in the narrower sense, various circuits have become known.

In addition, in the indexing arrangement 6, e.g. in the evaluation unit 8 or between the sensor unit 10 and the evaluation unit 8, also not shown here filter units and / or signal conditioning devices may be provided.

The calculation unit 12 calculates crank angle information from the measured quantity, e.g. a speed, the duration of a revolution of the crankshaft, the instantaneous angular velocity, the duration of a duty cycle, the duration of a duty cycle divided by the number of cylinders or a current angle of rotation at any angular resolution, and determines from the measured and calculated crank angle information an engine characteristic Indexing parameter, such as the indexed mean pressure, mass conversion points, combustion curve, center of gravity of combustion, components of the order analysis, ignition delay in degrees crank angle, etc. The indexing 6 and the evaluation 8 thus does not require its own crank angle input, which is why the requirements of the required sensors are very low. The thus determined and output at the output 13 engine characteristic can, for. B. as indicated in Fig. 1, are fed via a suitable line an engine control unit 7 or other processing unit for further processing. The output signal can be output by the evaluation unit 8 both analog and digital.

The calculation unit 12 can also be programmed as desired, so that the user can enable any evaluations of the measured variable. This includes both the manner in which the crank angle information is determined and also which engine characteristic value (s) is (are) determined. Of course, several different crank angle information can also be derived from one measured variable, for example, in different proximity accuracy, which can be evaluated together with the measurand to different engine characteristics.

In principle, any variable which contains a crank angle-dependent component, that is to say a variable which depends on the time or on the crank angle and from which, as a result, crank angle information can be derived, is considered as the measured variable. Of particular interest are variables which have a periodicity in the cycle period (in the 4-stroke 720 °, in the 2-stroke 360 °) or at least have such a signal component. Other signal components, in particular those resulting from transient operating conditions of the engine or from outside influences, are unsuitable for the determination of the crank angle information. For example, the following parameters: cylinder pressure, flame light in the cylinder, ion current in the cylinder, ignition voltage, ignition current, injection pressure, mechanical vibrations, structure-borne noise, airborne sound, e.g. on the cylinder head or near the fire deck, pressure pulsations of intake air or exhaust gas. For detecting these variables, there are known sensors. These quantities are essentially periodic signals in stationary operation of the engine. In actual operation of an engine, the operating states of the engine change by accelerating or decelerating but continuously. For example, during engine startup or rapid acceleration, the speed or instantaneous angular velocity changes within a work cycle, which is why conventional FFT analyzes for evaluating the measured variables frequently fail and more advanced methods have to be used, such as that disclosed in AT 001 519 U. Method for determining the rotational speed of an internal combustion engine.

An engine characteristic value determined in this way can be stored in a downstream processing unit as an indexing variable, which may be e.g. the subsequent evaluation of the recorded measurement data and parameters of the engine operation allows. Likewise, use in engine development and engine calibration and engine testing is conceivable, e.g. for the design of the combustion in border areas, such as knocking or full load in diesel engines, or for the improvement of the comfort, e.g. in terms of combustion noise, or just to monitor an endurance run. However, such an engine characteristic value can also be used for the vehicle onboard measurement technology and engine control. For example, the engine rating could be used to control the engine or certain aspects of the engine (e.g., combustion) or make adaptations to the engine control (e.g., stored maps) due to changing engine conditions. Similarly, by monitoring certain engine characteristics, a problem in the engine could be detected and displayed.

Of particular importance is the analysis of the energy flow or the creation of an energy or power balance of composite systems with inter alia an internal combustion engine. While it is comparatively easy with electric machines, the on or To determine dissipated power and energy, for example, from the electrically measurable sizes of the electrical connection, for internal combustion engines in general mechanical and / or thermodynamic measuring devices with relatively high temporal resolution is needed, so an indexing device that is capable, the required current or for example via a Combustion cycle averaged values of the yielded power and energy to determine and provide for the evaluation. An indexing device according to the invention can therefore also be used advantageously for such applications.

Obviously, in addition to an engine characteristic value which requires crank angle information for determining, any other engine characteristic values can be determined which manage without crank angle information and can be derived directly from the measured quantity measured. Such engine characteristic values can in turn be transferred via the output 13 to an engine control unit 7 or to another processing device.

But it is also conceivable to integrate the engine control unit 7 in the indexing 6. In this case, the evaluation of the sensor signals from the evaluation unit 8, which can also take over tasks of the engine control, or the evaluation of these signals could directly from the engine control unit 7, which is usually a calculation unit, such as. a microprocessor, done, whereby an additional evaluation unit 8 in the indexing 6 could also be omitted.

It is of course also possible to provide in the evaluation unit 8 a plurality of measuring channels for different measured quantities, such as e.g. shown in Fig. 3. For this purpose, a separate input 14 can be arranged at the evaluation unit 8 for each measuring channel. It is thus possible with an indexing arrangement 6 or with the evaluation unit 8 to process and evaluate the measured variables of a plurality of sensor units 10. For example, different sensor units 10 may be located at different locations on the engine, or it may be e.g. On each cylinder, a pressure sensor for measuring the cylinder pressure can be arranged. These further measured quantities can in turn be evaluated on the basis of crank angles in the indexing arrangement 6, the required crank angle information in turn being derived from at least one measured variable, or without crank angle information. Of course, it may be sufficient to calculate crank angle information from just one measurand. But of course it is just as possible to calculate your own crank angle information for every measurand.

Likewise, a separate calculation unit 12 can be provided in the evaluation unit 8 for each measurement channel, as shown in FIG. 3, or it can also be provided for one or a group of measurement channels consisting of at least one measurement channel, only a single calculation unit, such as shown in Fig. 4. Likewise, of course, an eventual Tuell required charge amplifier 1 1 also be arranged directly in the sensor unit 10.

Of course, the individual components of the indexing arrangement 6 can also be arranged in a common housing 9 - as indicated in Fig. 2, c) - and form an "intelligent sensor" which can be handled in a particularly simple manner as a compact device of course also eliminates the need for external wiring between the sensor 10 and the computing unit 12. The indexing 6 then already itself contains all units that are required for the evaluation of the measurement signal.

The parameterization of the indexing arrangement 6 or the evaluation unit 8 or the calculation unit 12, e.g. the sensitivity or resolution of the sensor unit 10 may, as is well known, be done in advance by associated software. However, it would also be conceivable to provide an independent parameterization in which the indexing arrangement 6 or parts thereof are parameterized during a learning process itself.

An indexing arrangement as described above may be used with internal combustion engines in virtually any configuration and environment, particularly any test rigs, such as those described in US Pat. on the R & D test bench or on the production test bench, on the internal combustion engine alone, e.g. as a drive, as an auxiliary drive or as a generator, or in conjunction with other components, e.g. with components of the powertrain, with the entire powertrain or in the vehicle. Of course, it is also the use in the serial application (on the road or on the water, etc.) or in the workshop, in the dock, etc. conceivable.

Claims

claims

1. Indexing arrangement for determining at least one engine characteristic value, characterized by a sensor unit (10) which receives a measured variable with a crank angle-dependent portion and with a calculation unit (12) which is connected via an input (14) to the sensor unit (10) in that the calculation unit (12) calculates a crank angle information from the measured variable recorded with the sensor unit (10) and determines the at least one engine characteristic value which presupposes knowledge of crank angle information from the measured variable and the calculated crank angle information and as an output signal at an output (13). outputs.

2. Indexing arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that in the indexing arrangement (6) between the sensor unit (10) and the calculation unit (12), a signal amplifier (1 1), in particular a charge amplifier, is provided.

3. Indexing arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the calculation unit (12) already from the measured variable alone, an additional characteristic value can be determined.

4. Indexing arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that an evaluation unit (8) is provided with a plurality of inputs (14) for different measuring channels and to each measuring channel its own calculation unit (12) is provided.

5. Indexing arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that an evaluation unit (8) is provided with a plurality of inputs for different measuring channels and to the measuring channels or to a group of measuring channels, a single calculation unit (12) is provided.

6. Indexing arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the indexing device (6) a filter unit and / or a signal conditioning device and / or an amplifier is provided.

7. Indexing arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the indexing arrangement (6) in a common housing (9) is arranged.

8. Indexing arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the indexing arrangement (6) comprises an engine control unit (7).

9. indexing arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that as the evaluation unit, a calculation unit of the engine control unit (7) is provided.

10. Motor control with an indexing device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the indexing device (6) connected to an engine control unit (7) is and the engine control unit (7) supplies at least one characteristic value of the engine, which is used in the engine control unit (7) for controlling the engine.

1 1. A method for determining at least one characteristic value of an engine, in which an indexing device (6) on the engine or an engine unit is mounted and with a sensor unit (10) of the indexing device (6) a measured variable is measured with a crank angle dependent proportion , characterized in that a calculation unit (8) of the indexing arrangement (6) calculates a crank angle information from the measured variable and determines the engine characteristic value from the measured variable and the calculated crank angle information.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that an additional characteristic value, which can already be determined from the measured variable alone, is determined.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the engine characteristic is used in an engine control unit (7) of a motor controller for controlling the motor.