EP2290224B1 - System zur Bestimmung der Qualitätsminderung einer Glühkerze - Google Patents

System zur Bestimmung der Qualitätsminderung einer Glühkerze Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2290224B1
EP2290224B1 EP10251466.8A EP10251466A EP2290224B1 EP 2290224 B1 EP2290224 B1 EP 2290224B1 EP 10251466 A EP10251466 A EP 10251466A EP 2290224 B1 EP2290224 B1 EP 2290224B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
plug
deterioration
voltage
glow plug
deterioration level
Prior art date
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EP10251466.8A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP2290224A3 (de
EP2290224A2 (de
Inventor
Hisaharu Morita
Koichi Mizutani
Naoyuki Miyara
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Toyota Motor Corp
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Toyota Motor Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of EP2290224A3 publication Critical patent/EP2290224A3/de
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Publication of EP2290224B1 publication Critical patent/EP2290224B1/de
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P19/00—Incandescent ignition, e.g. during starting of internal combustion engines; Combination of incandescent and spark ignition
    • F02P19/02—Incandescent ignition, e.g. during starting of internal combustion engines; Combination of incandescent and spark ignition electric, e.g. layout of circuits of apparatus having glowing plugs
    • F02P19/027—Safety devices, e.g. for diagnosing the glow plugs or the related circuits
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F02D41/00—Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents
    • F02D41/20—Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils
    • F02D2041/202—Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils characterised by the control of the circuit
    • F02D2041/2058—Output circuits, e.g. for controlling currents in command coils characterised by the control of the circuit using information of the actual current value
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P17/00—Testing of ignition installations, e.g. in combination with adjusting; Testing of ignition timing in compression-ignition engines
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02P—IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES
    • F02P19/00—Incandescent ignition, e.g. during starting of internal combustion engines; Combination of incandescent and spark ignition
    • F02P19/02—Incandescent ignition, e.g. during starting of internal combustion engines; Combination of incandescent and spark ignition electric, e.g. layout of circuits of apparatus having glowing plugs
    • F02P19/025—Incandescent ignition, e.g. during starting of internal combustion engines; Combination of incandescent and spark ignition electric, e.g. layout of circuits of apparatus having glowing plugs with means for determining glow plug temperature or glow plug resistance

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a glow plug deterioration determination system for determining deterioration of a glow plug provided in each cylinder of a diesel combustion engine.
  • JP-A-2001-66329 discloses, as an abnormality detection apparatus for detecting a disconnection abnormality, an overcurrent abnormality, and so on in a glow plug that assists ignition in a diesel combustion engine, an apparatus that detects an abnormality in a glow plug by monitoring a current flowing through the glow plug using a current sensor or a current sensing resistor provided between the glow plug and switch means for controlling energization of the glow plug.
  • Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-247721 JP-A-2003-247721
  • Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-147533 JP-A-2005-147533
  • a ceramic glow plug formed by burying a heat generator constituted by a conductive ceramic for example, a ceramic resistor having tungsten carbide as a main component and containing silicon nitride and so on
  • a support constituted by an insulating ceramic for example, a ceramic insulator having silicon nitride as a main component and containing molybdenum disilicide and so on
  • a resistance value thereof may increase gradually due to migration, in which a grain boundary component of the conductive ceramic diffuses toward an electrode due to a thermal load, and an increase in a porous quality of the conductive ceramic, and as a result, it may become impossible to obtain a desired heat generation temperature. It is therefore necessary to monitor deterioration of the ceramic glow plug during use.
  • a heat absorption amount thereof varies according to variation in a flow rate of an in-cylinder air flow, a fuel spray amount, and so on within a combustion chamber in which the glow plug is provided in accordance with engine operating conditions, and this heat absorption amount variation likewise leads to variation in the heat generation temperature of the glow plug.
  • a voltage V BATT of a battery for driving the glow plug varies according to a battery capacity, a load condition of a starter or the like driven at the same time as the glow plug, and so on.
  • a plug resistance R GL of the glow plug must be calculated by transmitting a plug voltage V GL applied to each glow plug and a plug current I GL flowing through each glow plug to an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling an engine operation, and moreover, the operating conditions of the engine must be taken into account.
  • ECU electronice control unit
  • the plug voltage V GL and plug current I GL which are detected in analog fashion, are converted into digital data and transmitted to an engine ECU via serial communication means, whereupon a deterioration determination is performed in the ECU.
  • To calculate the plug resistance R GL accurately approximately ten bits of the respective data must be obtained and precision must be secured therein.
  • Data are typically transmitted in eight-bit units, and therefore, in order to transmit ten bits of data, sixteen bits of data including six bits of dummy data are transmitted.
  • MPU microprocessor unit
  • EP 1818536 A describes a method involving comparing a time-dependent parameter characterizing the current flowing through at least one glow plug with at least one time-dependent threshold value to detect a fault. It involves detecting a fault if the time-dependent parameter is greater than and/or less than the threshold value. The threshold value is determined by simulating a glow plug.
  • DE 10 2009 000 232 A describes an apparatus for detecting deterioration of a heater.
  • the apparatus includes a power source, a first voltage outputting unit that converts a current flowing into the heater to a voltage and outputs a first voltage value, a second voltage outputting unit that is connected to the power source and outputs a second voltage value corresponding to a voltage of the power source, and a comparison unit that compares the first voltage value with the second voltage value to determine whether the heater is deteriorated or not.
  • US 2009/0037120 A describes a glow plug degradation determination device that energizes a glow plug immediately after an operation of an internal combustion engine is stopped. When a preset energization time elapses, the device senses a sensing value corresponding to resistance of the glow plug. The device determines degradation of the glow plug based on the sensing value.
  • the device determines that the glow plug is degraded, the device stores a result of the determination and reports the degradation of the glow plug before a next start.
  • the device provisionally determines the degradation of the glow plug based on the sensing value during the operation of the internal combustion engine. After the device provisionally determines the degradation to be present, the device determines the degradation of the glow plug immediately after the operation of the internal combustion engine is stopped.
  • the invention provides a glow plug deterioration determination system which is capable of determining deterioration of a glow plug quickly.
  • the deterioration level determining means transmits a deterioration level expressing a result of the determination as to whether the glow plug is in the deteriorated condition in binary to the ECU.
  • the ECU determines, on the basis of the deterioration level, whether the deterioration level belongs to a normal region or a deterioration region in accordance with a combustion characteristic of the diesel combustion engine.
  • the determination system may further include voltage converting means for converting the plug current flowing through the glow plug into a voltage and outputting the voltage, and the current detecting means may detect the plug current on the basis of a plug current converted voltage, which is the voltage converted from the plug current by the voltage converting means.
  • the voltage converting means may include a differential amplifier into which an upstream side voltage and a downstream side voltage of a current sensing resistor interposed between the power supply and the glow plug are input, and the output plug current converted voltage may be proportionate to the plug current.
  • the deterioration level determining means may include: a plurality of resistors connected in series between the power supply and earth; and a comparator that compares voltage thresholds prorated according to the plurality of resistors with the plug current converted voltage and outputs the plug current converted voltage when the plug current converted voltage is lower than the respective voltage thresholds, and the deterioration level may be determined according to an output from the comparator.
  • the plurality of resistors may be a deterioration level upper limit determining resistor, (n-1) deterioration level prorating resistors and a deterioration level lower limit determining resistor.
  • the deterioration level determining means may convert the output from the comparator into a binary self-diagnosis signal and output the binary self-diagnosis signal to the ECU.
  • the deterioration level determination means may classify the deterioration level in a range of four ranks to sixteen ranks, and the self-diagnosis signal may be constituted by a range of two bits to four bits.
  • the cylinder of the diesel combustion engine may be provided in a plurality, and the glow plug may be attached to each of the plurality of cylinders.
  • the DIU may detect abnormalities of the glow plug and the GCU and transmit the abnormality to the ECU.
  • the electronic control system may determine, from the transmitted data indicating the respective deterioration levels and the data input into the electronic control system in relation to operating conditions such as the engine rotation speed and the engine water temperature, whether each deterioration level input from the deterioration determination circuit belongs to the normal region or the deterioration region in accordance with the applied diesel combustion engine.
  • the plug resistance increases, leading to a reduction in the plug current flowing through the glow plugs, and therefore the plug current converted voltage decreases gradually in accordance with the reduction in the plug current.
  • the comparators When the plug current converted voltage falls below the voltage thresholds of the respective comparators, the comparators are activated sequentially, and in accordance with the binarized self-diagnosis signals, the comparator that has been activated most recently can be expressed in the form of a deterioration level.
  • the deterioration level determining means may be provided independently for each glow plug, or single deterioration level determination means may be shared such that input of the plug current converted voltages from the respective glow plugs is switched in succession.
  • the respective deterioration conditions of the glow plugs can be determined instantaneously by comparing the plug current converted voltages, which are obtained by converting the plug currents detected by the current detecting means into voltages using the voltage converting means, with the plurality of voltage thresholds, and the results can be transmitted to the electronic control system in the form of deterioration level signals. Further, the power supply voltage is prorated for input as the voltage thresholds to be compared with the plug current converted voltages, and therefore variation in the power supply voltage can be canceled out. As a result, the deterioration level can be determined in accordance with variation in the plug resistance accompanying progression in the deterioration of the glow plug without being affected by variation in the power supply voltage.
  • a drive signal SI is issued from an electronic control unit (ECU) 20 for controlling an operation of a diesel combustion engine 50 using a glow plug 40 (GL 1 , GL 2 , GL 3 , GL 4 ) attached to each cylinder of the diesel combustion engine 50 as a load, a drive unit 31 that controls opening/closing of semiconductor power elements T 1 , T 2 , T 3 , T 4 such as MOSFETs or IGBTs, which are interposed between a power supply 10 such as a battery and the glow plugs 40 via switch means, in accordance with the drive signal SI is provided in a GCU 30 for controlling energization and disconnection of the glow plugs 40, and deterioration level determining means for determining deterioration conditions of the glow plugs 40 is provided in a DIU 32 that detects an abnormality in a drive
  • ECU electronice control unit
  • the glow plug 40 is a ceramic glow plug formed by burying a heat generator constituted by a conductive ceramic (for example, a ceramic resistor having tungsten carbide as a main component and containing silicon nitride and so on) that generates heat when energized as a heat generator in a support constituted by an insulating ceramic (for example, a ceramic insulator having silicon nitride as a main component and containing molybdenum disilicide and so on).
  • a conductive ceramic for example, a ceramic resistor having tungsten carbide as a main component and containing silicon nitride and so on
  • an insulating ceramic for example, a ceramic insulator having silicon nitride as a main component and containing molybdenum disilicide and so on.
  • the glow plug deterioration determination system 1 is constituted by the power supply 10, which is a vehicle-installed battery, for example, the ECU 20 for controlling driving of the engine, and the GCU 30 for controlling energization of the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) provided in the respective cylinders of the diesel combustion engine 50 in accordance with the drive signal SI issued from the ECU 20 in accordance with operating conditions of the diesel combustion engine 50.
  • the power supply 10 which is a vehicle-installed battery, for example, the ECU 20 for controlling driving of the engine, and the GCU 30 for controlling energization of the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) provided in the respective cylinders of the diesel combustion engine 50 in accordance with the drive signal SI issued from the ECU 20 in accordance with operating conditions of the diesel combustion engine 50.
  • the GCU 30 is constituted by the switch means T 1 , T 2 , T 3 , T 4 including semiconductor power elements such as metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) or insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), which are opened and closed to control power supply and cutoff from the power supply 10 to the glow plugs 40, a drive control unit (DCU) 31 that drives the switch means T 1 , T 2 , T 3 , T 4 to open and close while issuing drive signals G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , G 4 that are offset by predetermined intervals in accordance with the drive signal SI issued from the ECU 20, current detecting means S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 such as a current sensing resistor (shunt resistor) Rs, and the DIU 32 including a deterioration level determination circuit 330 as the deterioration level determining means for determining the deterioration condition of the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) from plug currents I GL flowing through the
  • Upstream side voltages V a1 , V a2 , V a3 , V a4 of the shunt resistor Rs are input into non-inverting input terminals + of differential amplifiers 321, 322, 323, 324 provided as voltage converting means, downstream side voltages V b1 , V b2 , V b3 , V b4 of the shunt resistor Rs are input into inverting input terminals - of the differential amplifiers 321, 322, 323, 324, and plug current converted voltages Vi 1 to Vi 4 amplified in proportion to plug currents I GL1 to I GL4 flowing through the respective glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) are output.
  • the plug current converted voltages Vi (1 to 4) output from the differential amplifiers 321, 322, 323, 324 are input into the deterioration level determination circuit 330, whereupon the deterioration conditions of the glow plugs 40 are determined.
  • a determination result obtained by the deterioration level determination circuit 330 is transmitted to the ECU 20 as a part of the self-diagnosis signal DI. Transmission of the drive signal SI from the ECU 20 to the GCU 30 and transmission of the self-diagnosis signal DI from the GCU 30 to the ECU 20 are performed via a serial interface.
  • the power supply 10 is divided into a control voltage +B supplied to a control circuit and a drive voltage BATT for driving a load.
  • the control voltage +B is supplied to the ECU 20 and the GCU 30 via a fuse 121 and a main relay (MRY) 120, while the drive voltage BATT is supplied to the GCU 30 via a fuse 131 and a glow relay (GRY) 130.
  • MRY main relay
  • GRY glow relay
  • the main relay MRY 120 closes such that the control voltage +B is supplied to the ECU 20 and the GCU 30.
  • the glow relay GRY 131 closes such that the drive voltage BATT is supplied to the GCU 30.
  • Information relating to engine operating conditions including an engine water temperature TW, a crank angle CA, a rotation speed NE, a throttle opening SL, and a glow plug temperature Tg, which are detected by operating condition detecting means such as a water temperature sensor, a crank angle sensor, a rotation speed sensor, a throttle sensor, and a glow plug temperature sensor, for example, none of which is shown in the drawings, is input into the ECU 20, whereupon the ECU 20 issues the drive signal SI with a duty ratio that has been calculated to adjust a heat generation amount of the glow plugs 40 to a desired value.
  • operating condition detecting means such as a water temperature sensor, a crank angle sensor, a rotation speed sensor, a throttle sensor, and a glow plug temperature sensor, for example, none of which is shown in the drawings
  • the deterioration determination circuit 330 is constituted by a deterioration level upper limit determining resistor R 1 , a deterioration level lower limit determining resistor R 2 and (n-1) deterioration level prorating resistors R, which are disposed in series between the power supply 10 and earth (ground) to prorate a battery voltage V BATT according to predetermined voltages, n comparators CMP 1 to CMP n for comparing the plug current converted voltage Vi differentially amplified by the differential amplifier 321 (322, 323, 324) with voltage thresholds Vref 1 to Vref n , an encoder 331 for converting the output of the comparators CMP 1 to CMP n into a binary diagnostic code, and a diagnostic code output interface 332 for outputting the diagnostic code converted by the encoder 331 to the ECU 20 as a part of the self-diagnosis signal DI.
  • a differentially amplified voltage Vi proportionate to the plug current I GL detected by the current detecting means S 1 is input into the inverting input terminals - of the comparators CMP 1 to CMP n while the voltage thresholds Vref 1 to Vref n , which correspond to deterioration levels L 1 to L n , are input into the non-inverting input terminals + of the comparators CMP 1 to CMP n .
  • the voltage thresholds Vref 1 to Vref n are obtained by connecting the deterioration level upper limit determining resistor R 1 , the deterioration level lower limit determining resistor R2, and the (n-1) deterioration level prorating resistors R in series and prorating the battery voltage V BATT according to thresholds corresponding to deterioration levels.
  • the plug resistance R GL increases, leading to a reduction in the plug current IGL flowing through the glow plug 40, and therefore the plug current converted voltage Vi also decreases gradually.
  • the comparators CMP 1 to CMP n are activated sequentially, and in accordance with the diagnostic code binarized by the encoder 331, the comparator CMP 1 to CMP n that has been activated most recently is expressed as the deterioration level LV 1 to LV n .
  • the deterioration level determination circuit 330 may be provided independently for each glow plug 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ), or a single deterioration level determination circuit 330 may be shared by the glow plugs GL 1 to GL 4 such that input of the plug current converted voltages Vi 1 to Vi 4 from the respective glow plugs GL 1 to GL 4 is switched in succession.
  • the respective deterioration conditions of the glow plugs 40 can be determined instantaneously by comparing the differentially amplified voltages Vi, which are proportionate to the plug currents I GL1 to I GL4 detected by the current detecting means S 1 to S 4 , with the plurality of voltage thresholds Vref 1 to Vref n , expressing the results as levels L 0 to L n , and transmitting corresponding deterioration level signals LV 1 to LV 4 to the ECU 20.
  • the battery voltage V BATT is prorated for input as the voltage thresholds Vref 1 to Vref n to be compared with the differentially amplified voltages Vi, and therefore variation in the battery voltage V BATT can be canceled out.
  • the deterioration level can be determined in accordance with variation in the plug resistance R GL accompanying progression in the deterioration of the glow plug 40, without being affected by variation in the battery voltage V BATT .
  • FIG. 3A shows a temperature characteristic of the glow plug 40 in a new condition during idling and a temperature characteristic of the glow plug 40 in an advanced state of deterioration during idling.
  • a desired temperature is reached in several seconds, whereas in an advanced state of deterioration, a heat generation temperature does not rise sufficiently, and when the glow plug 40 continues to be used in this state, a misfire may occur in the diesel combustion engine 50.
  • FIG. 3A shows a temperature characteristic of the glow plug 40 in a new condition during idling and a temperature characteristic of the glow plug 40 in an advanced state of deterioration during idling.
  • FIG. 3B shows a resistance characteristic of the glow plug 40 in a new condition during idling and a resistance characteristic of the glow plug 40 in an advanced state of deterioration during idling.
  • a resistance value increases (from 1 ⁇ to 2 ⁇ , for example) following energization.
  • the resistance value rises further (from 2 ⁇ to 6 ⁇ , for example) due to deterioration. It must therefore be determined whether an increase in the plug resistance R GL is due to energization or deterioration.
  • the plug resistance R GL stabilizes at a constant value within approximately 10 to 20 seconds following the start of energization in both a new condition and a deteriorated condition.
  • FIG. 3C shows a current characteristic of the glow plug 40 in a new condition during idling and a current characteristic of the glow plug 40 in an advanced state of deterioration during idling.
  • an inrush current takes a large value of several tens of A, and following energization, the plug current I GL flowing through the glow plug decreases (to or below 6A, for example). In addition, the plug current I GL decreases further (to or below 2A, for example) when deterioration progresses.
  • FIG. 4A shows variation in the plug resistance R CL due to variation in the engine rotation speed.
  • an increase in the engine rotation speed leads to a reduction in the plug resistance R GL .
  • the reason for this is that during high-speed rotation, an in-cylinder air flow generated in a combustion chamber is strong and a fuel spray amount is large, leading to an increase in a heat absorption amount, and therefore the heat generation temperature of the glow plug 40 decreases, leading to a reduction in the plug resistance P GL .
  • the plug resistance R GL varies according to the operating conditions of the diesel combustion engine 50 during measurement of the plug resistance R GL , and it must therefore be determined whether the variation in the plug resistance R CL is due to deterioration of the glow plug 40 or variation in the operating conditions of the diesel combustion engine 50.
  • the proportion of a normal region in which the glow plug 40 is determined to be normal and the proportion of a deterioration region in which the glow plug 40 is determined to be in a state of advanced deterioration vary according to the rotation speed NE of the diesel combustion engine 50.
  • detection of the plug currents (I GL1 to I GL4 ) by the current detecting means S 1 to S 4 or reading of the detection results for the purpose of determining deterioration of the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) may be performed following engine startup or when the plug current I GL has stabilized, i.e. 10 to 20 seconds after the start of energization of the glow plugs 40.
  • a computing power of an integrated circuit (IC) used by the GCU 30 is normally low, and therefore the ECU 20, which is constituted by an MPU, for example, requires advanced processing power.
  • the determination result can be expressed by classifying the deterioration level into eight ranks constituted by three bits of information, namely a normal level (L 0 , 000), a deterioration level 1 (L 1 , 001), a deterioration level 2 (L 2 , 010), a deterioration level 3 (L 3 , 011), a deterioration level 4 (L 4 , 100), a deterioration level 5 (L 5 , 101), a deterioration level 6 (L 6 , 110), and a deterioration level 7 (L 7 , 111) such that when the deterioration levels LV 1 to LV 4 are determined in relation to the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) and transmitted as serial data, a total data amount of sixteen bits is sufficient to cover the transmitted data, as shown in FIG. 6B.
  • the determination results indicating the deterioration levels signals L 1 to L 4 of the respective glow plugs 40 which are determined instantaneously by an analog logic of the deterioration determination circuit 330 provided in the GCU 30, are transmitted from the GCU 30 to the ECU 20 to perform the deterioration determination on the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ), and therefore the total data amount is no greater than sixteen bits.
  • the deterioration level determination results relating to all of the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) can be transmitted completely in two seconds, as shown in FIG 7B .
  • an allowable range (000 to 111) of the deterioration levels L 1 to L 7 of the glow plugs 40 differs according to an actual combustion characteristic of the diesel combustion engine 50, and therefore the ECU 20 may determine, from the transmitted data indicating the respective deterioration levels L 1 to L 4 in relation to the normal level (000) to the deterioration level 7 (111) and the data input into the ECU 20 in relation to the operating conditions, such as the engine rotation speed NE and the engine water temperature TW (for example, by performing map processing on these data), whether each deterioration level L 1 to L 7 (000 to 111) belongs to the normal region or the deterioration region in accordance with the combustion characteristic of the diesel combustion engine 50.
  • the deterioration level is classified into eight ranks, but depending on a communication environment of the applied diesel combustion engine and the throughput of the ECU, the deterioration level may be classified in a range of four ranks to sixteen ranks.
  • the deterioration level is classified in four ranks, namely a normal level (00), a deterioration level 1 (01), a deterioration level 2 (10), and a deterioration level 3 (11)
  • only two bits of data are required for each glow plug
  • the deterioration level is classified in sixteen ranks from a normal level (0000) to a deterioration level 15 (1111)
  • only four bits of data are required for each glow plug.
  • a deterioration determination control method for performing a deterioration determination in accordance with the combustion characteristic of the applied diesel combustion engine using the deterioration levels of the glow plugs determined by the glow plug deterioration determination system 1 according to this embodiment and specific examples of deterioration level thresholds used during the determination will now be described. Note that here, a case in which the deterioration level is classified in eight ranks from 000 to 111 will be described as an example.
  • the ECU 20 performs the deterioration determination in accordance with a control flow such as that shown in FIG. 8 on the basis of deterioration level signals LV 1 , LV 2 , LV 3 , LV 4 transmitted from the GCU 30.
  • step S100 a determination as to whether the engine rotation speed is in a stable condition is made by determining whether or not a state in which engine rotation speed variation is within 200 rpm has been established continuously for five seconds or more. When a stable condition is established, the glow plug deterioration determination is substantially begun.
  • step S100 When it is determined in step S100 that variation in the engine rotation speed NE is within 200 rpm and a stable condition is therefore established (S100 Yes), the routine advances to step S110.
  • step S110 When it is determined that variation in the engine rotation speed NE is greater than 200 rpm due to acceleration or deceleration (S100 No), this indicates that the engine rotation speed is unstable, making it difficult to perform the glow plug deterioration determination accurately, and therefore S100 is repeated until the engine rotation speed NE stabilizes.
  • step S110 a determination is made as to whether or not an effective voltage V GLE applied to the glow plugs has remained unchanged for at least ten seconds, and when the effective voltage V GLE has remained unchanged for at least ten seconds, it is determined that the glow plug deterioration determination is possible (S110 Yes), whereupon the routine advances to step S120.
  • a threshold LV REF for determining the deterioration condition of the glow plugs from the deterioration level signals LV i to LV 4 is calculated from the engine rotation speed NE and the glow plug energization effective voltage V GLE in accordance with a map prepared in advance, such as that shown in FIG. 9 .
  • the deterioration determination is implemented on the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ) by comparing the deterioration levels (L0, 000 to L7, 111) of the respective glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ), represented by the deterioration level signals LV 1 to LV 4 transmitted from the GCU 30, with the threshold LV REF calculated in step S120.
  • the deterioration level (L0, 000 to L7, 111) is higher than the deterioration level threshold, it is determined that the glow plug is in a deteriorated condition (S130 Yes), and therefore the routine advances to step S140.
  • the processing of steps S100 to S130 is repeated until it is determined that the glow plug has deteriorated.
  • the deterioration level exceeds the deterioration level threshold such that the glow plug is determined to have deteriorated in step S140, appropriate processing such as issuing a warning or recording diagnostic information is performed to provide notification that the glow plug is in a deteriorated condition, whereupon the deterioration determination is terminated.
  • the deterioration level threshold LV REF is 5.
  • the deterioration level signals LV 1 to LV 4 transmitted from the GCU 30 to the ECU 20 are (000010110001)
  • the deterioration level signals LV 1 , LV 2 , LV 3 , LV 4 of the glow plugs 40 indicate deterioration levels 0, 2, 6, 1, respectively, and therefore only the deterioration level of the glow plug 40 (GL 3 ), which is higher than the deterioration level threshold LV REF of 5, is determined to belong to the deterioration region, while the deterioration levels of the other glow plugs 40 (GL 1 , GL 2 , GL 4 ) are determined to belong to the normal region.
  • the shunt resistor Rs is used as the current detecting means (S 1 to S 4 ) for detecting the plug current I GL flowing through the glow plugs 40 (GL 1 to GL 4 ), but the current detecting means (S 1 to S 4 ) used in the invention is not limited to the shunt resistor Rs, and as long as a voltage that is proportionate to the plug current I GL flowing through the glow plugs 40 can be output by converting the plug current I GL into the plug current converted voltage Vi using voltage converting means for converting the plug current I GL into a voltage, current detecting means such as a current sensor or a sense metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) may be employed.
  • MOS metal-oxide semiconductor
  • deterioration may be determined at a low deterioration level, whereas in a low emission engine, in which the glow plug need only function as an ignition aid during startup, deterioration need not be determined even at a high deterioration level.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combined Controls Of Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
  • Investigating, Analyzing Materials By Fluorescence Or Luminescence (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Glühkerzenabnutzungs-Bestimmungssystem (1), umfassend:
    eine Glühkerze (40), die an einem Zylinder eines Dieselverbrennungsmotors (50) befestigt ist, um Wärme zu erzeugen, wenn er aktiviert wird;
    eine elektronische Steuereinheit (20), um einen Betrieb des Dieselverbrennungsmotors zu steuern;
    eine Glühkerzenaktivierung-Steuereinheit (30), die angeordnet ist, um eine Aktivierung der Glühkerze von einer Stromversorgung (10) zu steuern, indem sie Schaltmittel (T1 bis T4) zum Öffnen und Schließen antreibt, entsprechend eines Antriebssignals, das von der elektronischen Steuereinheit gegeben wird, entsprechend eines Betriebszustands des Dieselverbrennungsmotors;
    Stromerfassungseinrichtung (S1 bis S4), um einen Glühkerzenstrom zu erfassen, der durch die Glühkerze fließt; und
    eine Eigendiagnoseeinheit (32), die eine Abnutzungsgrad-Bestimmungseinrichtung (330) beinhaltet, um zu bestimmen, ob sich die Glühkerze in einem abgenutzten Zustand befindet, indem der Glühkerzenstrom, der von einer Stromerfassungseinrichtung erfasst wird, mit einer Vielzahl von Schwellenwerten verglichen wird;
    wobei die Abnutzungsgrad-Bestimmungseinrichtung angeordnet ist, um einen Abnutzungsgrad zu übertragen, der ein Bestimmungsergebnis darstellt, ob die Glühkerze in dem abgenutzten Zustand binär zu der elektronischen Steuereinheit (20) ist, wobei der Abnutzungsgrad durch eine Anzahl von Rängen eingestuft wird, wobei die Anzahl von Rängen in einem Bereich von vier bis sechzehn Rängen ist; und
    wobei der elektronische Steuerapparat angeordnet ist, um, basierend auf dem Abnutzungsgrad, zu bestimmen, ob der Abnutzungsgrad zu einem Normalbereich oder einem Abnutzungsbereich entsprechend eines Verbrennungsverhaltens des Dieselverbrennungsmotors gehört.
  2. Bestimmungssystem nach Anspruch 1, ferner eine Spannungs-Umwandlungseinrichtung umfassend, die den Glühkerzenstrom, der durch die Glühkerze fließt, in eine Spannung umwandelt und die Spannung ausgibt,
    wobei die Stromerfassungseinrichtung angeordnet ist, um den Glühkerzenstrom basierend auf einer in Glühkerzenstrom umgewandelten Spannung zu erfassen, die die Spannung ist, die von dem Glühkerzenstrom von der Spannungs-Umwandlungseinrichtung umgewandelt wird.
  3. Bestimmungssystem nach Anspruch 2, wobei die Spannungs-Umwandlungseinrichtung einen Differentialverstärker (321, 322, 323, 324) beinhaltet, in den eine stromaufwärts gelegene Spannung und eine stromabwärts gelegene Spannung eines Stromerfassungsresistors, der zwischen der Stromversorgung und der Glühkerze eingesetzt ist, eingegeben werden, und die ausgegebene in Glühkerzenstrom umgewandelte Spannung proportional zu dem Glühkerzenstrom ist.
  4. Bestimmungssystem nach Anspruch 2 oder 3, wobei die Abnutzungsgrad-Bestimmungseinrichtung Folgendes umfasst:
    eine Vielzahl von Resistoren (R1, R2, R), die zwischen der Stromversorgung und der Erde in Reihe geschaltet sind; und
    einen Komparator (CMP1 bis CMPn), der angeordnet ist, um Spannungsschwellenwerte anteilig entsprechend der Vielzahl von Resistoren mit der in Glühkerzenstrom umgewandelten Spannung zu vergleichen und der die in Glühkerzenstrom umgewandelten Spannung ausgibt, wenn die in Glühkerzenstrom umgewandelten Spannung niedriger als der entsprechende Spannungsschwellenwert ist, und
    der Abnutzungsgrad wird entsprechend einer Ausgabe des Komparators bestimmt.
  5. Bestimmungssystem nach Anspruch 4, wobei die Vielzahl von Resistoren ein Abnutzungsgrad-Obergrenzenbestimmungs-Resistor, (n-1)-Abnutzungsgrad-zuteilende Resistoren und ein Abnutzungsgrad-Untergrenzenbestimmungs-Resistor sind.
  6. Bestimmungssystem nach Anspruch 4 oder 5, wobei die Abnutzungsgrad-Bestimmungseinrichtung angeordnet ist, um die Ausgabe von dem Komparator in ein binäres Eigendiagnosesignal umzuwandeln und das binäre Eigendiagnosesignal an den elektronischen Steuerapparat ausgibt.
  7. Bestimmungssystem nach Anspruch 6, wobei die Abnutzungsgrad-Bestimmungseinrichtung angeordnet ist, um den Abnutzungsgrad in einem Bereich von vier Rängen bis sechszehn Rängen einzustufen, und
    das Eigendiagnosesignal durch einen Bereich von zwei Bit bis vier Bit gebildet wird.
  8. Bestimmungssystem nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, wobei der Zylinder des Dieselverbrennungsmotors in einer Vielzahl vorhanden ist, und die Glühkerze an jedem der Vielzahl von Zylindern befestigt ist.
  9. Bestimmungssystem nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 8, wobei die Eigendiagnoseeinheit angeordnet ist, um Anomalien an der Glühkerze und der Glühkerzenaktivierung-Steuereinheit zu erfassen und um die Anomalie an den elektronischen Steuerapparat zu übertragen.
EP10251466.8A 2009-08-20 2010-08-19 System zur Bestimmung der Qualitätsminderung einer Glühkerze Not-in-force EP2290224B1 (de)

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EP2759771B1 (de) * 2011-09-20 2017-04-26 Bosch Corporation Glühkerzendiagnoseverfahren und antriebssteuerungsvorrichtung für glühkerze
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DE102019108688B3 (de) * 2019-04-03 2020-06-25 Borgwarner Ludwigsburg Gmbh Verfahren zum Ermitteln der Widerstandstemperaturcharakteristik einer keramischen Glühkerze

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JP4245236B2 (ja) 1999-08-30 2009-03-25 株式会社エヌエフ回路設計ブロック 電流検出回路
JP3838212B2 (ja) 2003-03-26 2006-10-25 株式会社デンソー セラミックグロープラグ
JP4093175B2 (ja) 2003-11-17 2008-06-04 株式会社デンソー グロープラグ
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JP4565574B2 (ja) * 2006-07-06 2010-10-20 株式会社オートネットワーク技術研究所 異常検出装置
JP2008280895A (ja) * 2007-05-09 2008-11-20 Toyota Motor Corp 内燃機関の制御装置
JP4864814B2 (ja) 2007-05-29 2012-02-01 富士重工業株式会社 グロープラグの故障診断装置
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