GB2390641A - Control system for cutting out cylinders in i.c. engines - Google Patents

Control system for cutting out cylinders in i.c. engines Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2390641A
GB2390641A GB0212230A GB0212230A GB2390641A GB 2390641 A GB2390641 A GB 2390641A GB 0212230 A GB0212230 A GB 0212230A GB 0212230 A GB0212230 A GB 0212230A GB 2390641 A GB2390641 A GB 2390641A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
engine
control system
computer
cylinders
cut
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB0212230A
Other versions
GB0212230D0 (en
Inventor
Ronald Lee Baptiste
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB0212230A priority Critical patent/GB2390641A/en
Publication of GB0212230D0 publication Critical patent/GB0212230D0/en
Publication of GB2390641A publication Critical patent/GB2390641A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • F02D41/008—Controlling each cylinder individually
    • F02D41/0087—Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F02D2200/00—Input parameters for engine control
    • F02D2200/02—Input parameters for engine control the parameters being related to the engine
    • F02D2200/10—Parameters related to the engine output, e.g. engine torque or engine speed
    • F02D2200/1002—Output torque
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
    • F02D2200/00—Input parameters for engine control
    • F02D2200/60—Input parameters for engine control said parameters being related to the driver demands or status
    • F02D2200/602—Pedal position
    • 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
    • F02D41/02—Circuit arrangements for generating control signals
    • F02D41/021—Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine
    • F02D41/0215—Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine in relation with elements of the transmission
    • F02D41/0225—Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine in relation with elements of the transmission in relation with the gear ratio or shift lever position

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Output Control And Ontrol Of Special Type Engine (AREA)

Abstract

The invention provides a control system 1 for an internal combustion engine 2. The control system comprises, a computer 5, sensors 4A to 4F connected to the computer 5 to sense information related to the power required to be generated from the engine 2 at any one time, and cut off means 5A to 5F connected to the computer 2 to prevent power from being generated by one or more cylinders of the engine 2. The computer 5 controls the cut off means 5A to 5F dependent on information received by the or each sensor 4A to 4F to generally maximise on fuel economy.

Description

1 239064 1
Title: Engine Control System The present invention relates to a control system for an internal combustion engine and to an internal combustion engine incorporating the control system.
Many vehicles spend much of their time idling or moving slowly in traffic congestion or in towns. In this situation? much fuel is needlessly consumed by supplying all the cylinders of the vehicle engine with fuel.
The invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem by providing a control system for an internal combustion engine to control the number of cylinders delivering power dependent on the power required to move the vehicle at any one time.
According to the present invention there is provided a control system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a) a computer b) at least one sensor connected to said computer to sense information related to the power required to be generated from the engine at any one time, and c) cut off means connected to the computer to prevent power from being generated by one or more cylinders of the engine, said computer controlling said cut off means dependent on information received by the or each sensor to generally maximise on fuel economy.
Preferably one or more sensors are provided to sense information related to the power required to be generated from the engine, said sensors may sense the gear the engine is in, and/or the fuel consumption, and/or the load in the car, and/or the torque on a wheel axle, and/or depression of the accelerator pedal, and/or the vehicle speed.
Preferably the cut off means is adapted, in respect of one or more cylinders of the engine, to cut off fuel, and/or cut off spark plug power, and/or effect decompression.
The engine may have any number of cylinders, but preferably has more than four cylinders.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing.
Referring to the drawing the is shown a control system I for an internal combustion engine 2 having 6 cylinders. Engine 2 may be a diesel or petrol engine with six fuel injector pipes 3A,3B,3C,3D,3E,3F supplying filet to its cylinders. Engine 2 is fitted in a vehicle, such as a lorry or car, to power the vehicle along the road.
Six sensors 4A,4B,4C,4D,4E,4F are connected to a computer 5 to sense information related to the power required to be generated from the engine.
Sensor 4A senses the speed of the vehicle and may be connected to the standard "speedometer take off point" on a gearbox or wheel.
Sensor 4B senses the amount the accelerator pedal is depressed.
Sensor 4C senses the torque delivered by the engine at any time.
Sensor 4D senses the load in the vehicle, e.g. the weight being carried. This may be in the form of a strain gauge.
Sensor 4E senses the rate of fuel consumption at any time.
Sensor 4F senses which gear the vehicle engine is in.
Cut off means are provided in the form of six fuel pipe shut of valves 6A, 6B,6C,6D,6E,6F.
Valves 6A,6B,6C,6D,6E,6F, when closed, prevent fuel from reaching the cylinders through respective pipes 3A,3B,3C,3D,3E,3F, and thus prevent power from being delivered by one or more cylinders of the engine.
In use the computer will monitor the output of the sensors 4A,4B,4C,4D,4E, 4F. The computer will then control which of valves 6A,6B,6C,6D,6E,6F are open and which of valves 6A,6B,6C,6D,6E,6F are closed, thereby controlling the number cylinders delivering power to the vehicle at any one time in order to maximise on fuel economy. The computer would thus ensure that less cylinders in an engine would operate when the vehicle was in a traffic jam or moving slowly around a town than when the vehicle was moving along a motorway or other open road.
The invention may take a form other than that specifically described above. For example instead of the cut ot) means being in the form of valves controlling fuel flow to cylinders, it could control the power delivered to a spark plug or decompression valve associated with a cylinder.
Also more or less sensors could be provided and any sensor could sense different information related to the power required to be generated from the engine at any one time to those specifically stated. It may be that instead of the computer controlling all cylinders of an engine, only two could be controlled. For example a six cylinder engine could have only two of its cylinders controlled by the computer so that the engine will always run on a minimum of four cylinders. The engine may have more or less than six cylinders.
s It is also possible for the control system of the invention to regulate externally speed of vehicles.
One sensor could receive an external signal, e.g. from a remote transmitter perhaps on the road side, controlled by traffic controllers such as the police, which would control the maximum engine speed, e.g. by disabling one or more cylinders.
Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

1. A control system for an internal combustion engine comprising: a) a computer b) at least one sensor connected to said computer to sense information related to the power required to be generated from the engine at any one time, and c) cut off means connected to the computer to prevent power from being generated by one or more cylinders of the engine, said computer controlling said cut off means dependent on information received by the or each sensor to generally maximise on fuel economy.
2. A control system according to claim 1, wherein one or more sensors may sense the gear the engine is in, and/or the fuel consumption, and/or the load in the car, and/or the torque on a wheel axle, and/or depression of the accelerator pedal, and/or the vehicle speed.
3. A control system according to claim I or 2, wherein the cut offmeans is adapted, in respect of one or more cylinders of the engine, to cut off fuel, and/or cut off spark plug power, and/or effect decompression.
4. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the engine has more than four cylinders.
5. A control system for an internal combustion engine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
GB0212230A 2002-05-28 2002-05-28 Control system for cutting out cylinders in i.c. engines Withdrawn GB2390641A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0212230A GB2390641A (en) 2002-05-28 2002-05-28 Control system for cutting out cylinders in i.c. engines

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0212230A GB2390641A (en) 2002-05-28 2002-05-28 Control system for cutting out cylinders in i.c. engines

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0212230D0 GB0212230D0 (en) 2002-07-03
GB2390641A true GB2390641A (en) 2004-01-14

Family

ID=9937533

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0212230A Withdrawn GB2390641A (en) 2002-05-28 2002-05-28 Control system for cutting out cylinders in i.c. engines

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2390641A (en)

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4129109A (en) * 1976-08-12 1978-12-12 Nissan Motor Company, Limited Variable displacement internal combustion engine with means for switching deactivated cylinder groups at appropriate timing
GB2006336A (en) * 1977-10-14 1979-05-02 Nissan Motor Split Internal Combustion Engine Operation Controlled in Dependence on Engine Power and Speed
GB2055484A (en) * 1979-08-03 1981-03-04 Eaton Corp Automatically Optimizing the Number of Operative Cylinders in an I.C. Engine
GB2114653A (en) * 1982-01-30 1983-08-24 Ford Motor Co I.C. engine operable on less than all cylinders
US4455984A (en) * 1982-02-26 1984-06-26 Alfa Romeo Auto S.P.A. Modular multi-cylinder internal combustion engine
US4541387A (en) * 1982-05-18 1985-09-17 Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha System for controlling fuel injection for multiple-displacement engines
US4550704A (en) * 1983-04-12 1985-11-05 Robert Bosch Gmbh Multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having disconnectable groups of cylinders
GB2206156A (en) * 1987-05-20 1988-12-29 Nissan Motor Terminating fuel delivery to groups of engine cylinders
US5813383A (en) * 1996-09-04 1998-09-29 Cummings; Henry W. Variable displacement diesel engine
US5819701A (en) * 1995-06-22 1998-10-13 Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Control system for two cycle direct injection engine and the method thereof

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4129109A (en) * 1976-08-12 1978-12-12 Nissan Motor Company, Limited Variable displacement internal combustion engine with means for switching deactivated cylinder groups at appropriate timing
GB2006336A (en) * 1977-10-14 1979-05-02 Nissan Motor Split Internal Combustion Engine Operation Controlled in Dependence on Engine Power and Speed
GB2055484A (en) * 1979-08-03 1981-03-04 Eaton Corp Automatically Optimizing the Number of Operative Cylinders in an I.C. Engine
GB2114653A (en) * 1982-01-30 1983-08-24 Ford Motor Co I.C. engine operable on less than all cylinders
US4455984A (en) * 1982-02-26 1984-06-26 Alfa Romeo Auto S.P.A. Modular multi-cylinder internal combustion engine
US4541387A (en) * 1982-05-18 1985-09-17 Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha System for controlling fuel injection for multiple-displacement engines
US4550704A (en) * 1983-04-12 1985-11-05 Robert Bosch Gmbh Multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having disconnectable groups of cylinders
GB2206156A (en) * 1987-05-20 1988-12-29 Nissan Motor Terminating fuel delivery to groups of engine cylinders
US5819701A (en) * 1995-06-22 1998-10-13 Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Control system for two cycle direct injection engine and the method thereof
US5813383A (en) * 1996-09-04 1998-09-29 Cummings; Henry W. Variable displacement diesel engine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0212230D0 (en) 2002-07-03

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