JP2008248723A - Fuel pump control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel pump control device controlling drive of a fuel pump (including preliminary drive) of the fuel pump by a single fuel pump unit. <P>SOLUTION: In a stop state of an engine, a fuel pump controller 60 performs preliminary drive of the fuel pump 30 by controlling electric power supply to the fuel pump 30, based on a door lock release signal detected by a door lock switch 72 other than a control signal from an engine controller (ECU) 50 performing a drive control of the engine. The fuel pump controller 60 calculates an intake air amount by detection signals from a rotational speed sensor 70 and a suction pressure sensor 71, determines a required fuel amount based on the calculated sucked air amount, and controls the drive of the fuel pump 30 by controlling the electric power supply to the fuel pump 30 according to the required fuel amount. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel pump control device including a fuel pump controller that controls driving of a fuel pump separately from an engine controller.

  Conventionally, a control signal from an engine controller determined by the state of the engine load (engine speed, vehicle speed, effective injection time, etc.) as a fuel pump control device for controlling the driving of a fuel pump for supplying fuel to the engine Has been known in which the fuel pump controller controls the amount of fuel supplied by changing the number of revolutions of the fuel pump by switching the voltage supplied to the fuel pump by the fuel pump controller.

In this type of fuel pump control device, when the engine is stopped and restarted for a long period of time, the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe decreases and the engine startability deteriorates. There was a problem to do. Therefore, a fuel pump control device has been proposed in which the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe is sufficiently increased before the engine is started, and then the engine is started (Patent Document 1). In this fuel pump control device, the fuel pump is started in conjunction with a device switch that operates independently of the IG switch, so that the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe is sufficiently increased before the engine is started. I am doing so.
JP 2002-322929 A

  However, in the fuel pump control device described above, the drive of the fuel pump is controlled by the engine controller, the device switch, and the first and second pump relays, so that the configuration of the control device is complicated and controllability is improved. There was a risk of getting worse. In addition, although the fuel pump is started in conjunction with a device switch that operates independently of the IG switch, there is also a problem that the fuel pump unit cannot be controlled thereafter.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a fuel pump control device capable of controlling the driving (including pre-driving) of a fuel pump by a single fuel pump unit. Let it be an issue.

  A fuel pump control device according to the present invention made to solve the above problems includes a fuel tank that stores fuel, a fuel pump that is installed in the fuel tank and supplies fuel in the fuel tank to the engine, A fuel pump controller for controlling power supply to the fuel pump, wherein the fuel pump controller is controlled by an engine controller that controls driving of the engine when the engine is stopped. A fuel pump drive availability determination unit that self-determines whether or not to drive the fuel pump based on a signal other than the control signal; and based on a determination result of the fuel pump drive availability determination unit, power to the fuel pump The driving of the fuel pump is controlled by controlling the supply.

  In this fuel pump control device, the fuel pump controller self-determines whether or not to drive the fuel pump based on a signal other than the control signal from the engine controller that controls the driving of the engine when the engine is stopped. The fuel pump drive availability determination means is provided. The fuel pump controller controls the drive of the fuel pump by controlling the power supply to the fuel pump based on the determination result of the fuel pump drive availability determination means. Specifically, if the fuel pump drive is affirmed by the fuel pump drive availability determination means, the fuel pump controller supplies drive power to the fuel pump to drive the fuel pump. On the other hand, when the drive of the fuel pump is denied by the fuel pump drive availability determination means, the drive power is not supplied to the fuel pump or stopped by the fuel pump controller, and the fuel pump is not driven or stopped.

Thus, in this fuel pump control device, the fuel pump controller can control the start or stop of the driving of the fuel pump based on its own determination. That is, the start and stop of the fuel pump can be controlled by the fuel pump unit alone. Thereby, the structure of a fuel pump control apparatus can be simplified.
Then, in a situation where the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe is considered to have dropped, such as when the engine has been stopped for a long period of time, the fuel pump is driven (pre-driven) before starting the engine, and the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe is Can be raised sufficiently. Thereby, the startability and fuel consumption of the engine can be improved.

  In the fuel pump control device according to the present invention, the fuel pump drive availability determination means determines whether to drive the fuel pump based on an operating state of a device switch that operates earlier than the IG switch. Is desirable.

Thus, by determining whether or not to drive the fuel pump based on the operating state of the device switch that operates earlier than the IG switch, the fuel pump can be reliably driven when pre-driving is necessary. This is because the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe can be sufficiently increased.
As the device switch, a door lock switch, a door opening / closing switch, a seat switch, a brake pedal switch, or the like can be used.

  In the fuel pump control device according to the present invention, the fuel pump controller may stop power supply to the fuel pump when a predetermined condition is satisfied after driving the fuel pump. desirable.

  After the fuel pump is pre-driven and the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe is sufficiently increased, it is not necessary to pre-drive the fuel pump any further. Conversely, continuing the pre-driving of the fuel pump after the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe has sufficiently increased results in wasted power consumption, increasing the battery load and degrading the battery performance.

Therefore, in the present invention, after the fuel pump is pre-driven, the power supply to the fuel pump is stopped when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Thereby, useless power consumption can be prevented and deterioration of battery performance can be prevented.
Note that the predetermined condition is a condition that is considered to have reached the required fuel pressure in the delivery pipe, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the pre-drive of the fuel pump, or the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe. What is necessary is just to set the case where the target fuel pressure is detected and reached.

  Another embodiment of the fuel pump control device according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is a fuel tank for storing fuel, and is installed in the fuel tank to supply the fuel in the fuel tank to the engine. In a fuel pump control device having a fuel pump unit including a fuel pump and a fuel pump controller for controlling power supply to the fuel pump, the fuel pump controller includes a rotation speed sensor and an intake pressure sensor provided in the engine. A required fuel supply amount calculating means for calculating the intake air amount from the detected signals and determining the required fuel supply amount based on the calculated intake air intake amount, the required fuel amount calculating means And controlling the fuel pump drive by controlling the power supply to the fuel pump based on the calculation result of And butterflies.

  In this fuel pump control device, the fuel pump controller inputs detection signals from a rotation speed sensor and an intake pressure sensor provided in the engine, calculates an intake air amount from these detection signals, and calculates the calculated intake intake air amount. A required fuel amount calculating means for determining the required fuel amount based on the above is provided. The fuel pump controller controls the drive of the fuel pump by controlling the power supply to the fuel pump based on the calculation result of the required fuel amount calculation means. As a result, the fuel pump controller can independently control the drive (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump in accordance with the operating state of the engine without taking in a control signal from the engine controller.

  Thus, in this fuel pump control device, the fuel pump controller can control the drive of the fuel pump according to the operating state of the engine based on its own determination. That is, the fuel pump drive (fuel flow rate) can be controlled by a single fuel pump unit. Thereby, the structure of a fuel pump control apparatus can be simplified.

  In another aspect of the fuel pump control apparatus according to the present invention, it is desirable that the fuel pump controller is detachably attached to the fuel pump unit. For example, the fuel pump controller may be detachably attached to a lid-like plate member included in the fuel pump unit that closes an opening formed in the fuel tank.

  Thereby, a fuel pump controller can be retrofitted. Accordingly, the fuel pump controller can be attached to an engine system (including a currently marketed vehicle) that has not been attached to the fuel pump controller, and fuel efficiency can be improved. In this case, even if the engines are different or the required specifications are different, it is possible to easily configure each engine and the fuel pump control device suitable for each required specification. In other words, in order to adapt to each engine and each required specification, it is possible to cope with various engine systems only by changing control constants for determining the driving time and the rotational speed of the fuel pump.

  In another form of the fuel pump control device according to the present invention, the fuel pump control device has a connector portion having an input terminal for taking in detection signals from the rotation speed sensor and the intake pressure sensor into the required fuel supply amount calculation means. The connector portion is preferably formed integrally with the fuel pump unit.

  As a result, the fuel pump controller and the fuel pump unit can be reduced in size, and the fuel pump controller can be easily attached and detached.

  According to the fuel pump control device of the present invention, as described above, the fuel pump unit alone can control the driving (including pre-driving) of the fuel pump.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a most preferred embodiment that embodies a fuel pump control device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to an automobile fuel supply system.

(First embodiment)
A fuel supply system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel supply system according to the first embodiment. This fuel supply system 1 supplies fuel to injectors 2, 3, 4, and 5 provided at intake ports that lead to a combustion chamber of an engine (not shown) by a fuel pump unit 9 attached to a fuel tank 34. is there. In the fuel supply system 1, fuel supplied from the fuel tank 34 to the injectors 2 to 5 via the fuel pump 30 and the fuel pipe 11 is injected and supplied to the intake port. The fuel pump 30 incorporates an electric pump motor and is disposed in the fuel tank 34. The fuel pump 30 pumps up the fuel stored in the fuel tank 34 by driving the pump motor, discharges it to the fuel pipe 11, and pumps it to the injectors 2-5.

  Here, the fuel pump unit 9 attached to the fuel tank 34 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the fuel pump unit. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the fuel pump unit. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG.

  2 and 3, the fuel pump unit 9 includes a mounting plate 10 for mounting the fuel pump unit 9 to the fuel tank 34, a filter case 22 for housing a fuel filter (not shown), and a fuel pump 30. And is equipped. The mounting plate 10 is formed of a resin material. The attachment plate 10 is attached to an attachment hole 34 a formed in the fuel tank 34. Accordingly, the fuel pump unit 9 is attached to the fuel tank 34 via the attachment plate 10. When the attachment plate 10 is attached to the attachment hole 34a, the attachment hole 34a is closed by the attachment plate 10. A fuel pipe mounting portion 12 is formed on the upper surface of the mounting plate 10 (the outer surface of the fuel tank 34), and a controller case 14 is mounted.

  The controller case 14 houses a fuel pump controller 60 that controls the drive of the fuel pump 30 (pump motor), and is detachably attached to the mounting plate 10. Accordingly, the fuel pump controller 60 can be retrofitted, and the fuel pump controller 60 can be attached to an engine system that has not been attached to the fuel pump controller. The retrofit fuel pump controller stores in advance control constants adapted to the fuel pump drive time and the rotational speed corresponding to each engine and each required specification. Therefore, when a fuel pump controller is retrofitted, a fuel supply system with a fuel pump controller can be realized by attaching a fuel pump controller that conforms to the model and required specifications of the engine. Can be improved.

  A connector 13 is formed integrally with the controller case 14. A rotational speed sensor 70 that detects the rotational speed of the engine and an intake pressure sensor 71 that detects the intake pressure are connected to the fuel pump controller 60 via the connector 13. Thus, detection signals from the rotational speed sensor 70, the intake pressure sensor 71, and the door lock switch 72 are input to the fuel pump controller 60. Further, the fuel pump controller 60 is also connected to a power source such as a battery and a control unit (ECU) 50 for engine control via the connector 13. The fuel pump 30 is connected to such a fuel pump controller 60 (see FIG. 5).

  A fuel pipe 11 is attached to the fuel pipe attachment portion 12 formed on the upper surface of the attachment plate 10. The other end of the fuel pipe 11 is connected to injectors 2 to 5 attached to the engine via a delivery pipe 6. The fuel discharged from the fuel pump unit 9 to the fuel pipe 11 passes through the fuel pipe 11 and the delivery pipe 6 and is supplied to the engine via the injectors 2 to 5.

  From the lower surface of the mounting plate 10 (the inner surface of the fuel tank 34), the bracket portion 16 and the heat radiating plate 32 hang down into the fuel tank 34. The bracket portion 16 is formed integrally with the mounting plate 10. A mounting piece 18 is formed at the lower end of the bracket portion 16. The attachment piece 18 is adapted to engage with an engagement hole 20 formed in the filter case 22. When the attachment piece 18 is engaged with the engagement hole 20, the filter case 22 is coupled to the attachment plate 10. A fuel pump case 30 a is coupled to the filter case 22.

  The fuel pump 30 is accommodated in the fuel pump case 30a. A suction filter 26 is attached by a mounting piece 28 to a fuel suction port (not shown) provided at the lower end of the fuel pump 30. The suction filter 26 removes foreign matter from the fuel sucked into the fuel pump 30.

  As shown in FIG. 4, one end of a connection pipe 38 is attached to the fuel discharge port provided at the upper end of the fuel pump 30 via a pressure regulator 36. The pressure regulator 36 adjusts the pressure of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 30 and returns excess fuel out of the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 30 into the fuel tank 34.

  The filter case 22 has an arc shape when viewed from the mounting plate 10 side, and a fuel pump case 30 is fitted inside the filter case 22. A fuel filter (not shown) is accommodated in the filter case 22. The fuel filter is for removing foreign matter from the fuel discharged from the fuel pump 30. A fuel inlet 40 and a fuel outlet 42 are formed on the upper surface of the filter case 22. The fuel inflow port 40 is connected to the discharge port of the fuel pump 30 via the connection pipe 38. The fuel discharge port 42 is connected to the fuel pipe mounting portion 12 of the mounting plate 10 by a pipe (not shown).

  The fuel pump unit 9 further has a liquid level gauge 35 as shown in FIGS. The liquid level gauge 35 includes a float 37, an arm 24, and a sensor unit (not shown). The sensor unit is detachably attached to the attachment plate 10. The float 37 moves up and down as the liquid level of the fuel in the fuel tank 34 changes. When the float 37 moves up and down, the arm 24 swings and the angle of the arm 24 changes. The amount of fuel in the fuel tank 34 is measured by detecting a change in the rotation angle of the arm 24 by the sensor unit.

Next, the control system of the fuel supply system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the fuel supply system.
The control system of the fuel supply system 1 includes an ECU 50, a fuel pump controller 60, and a door lock switch 72. Here, the ECU 50 is connected to the battery 52 via an ignition (IG) switch 51. As a result, when the IG switch 52 is turned on, the voltage of the battery 52 is applied and the battery is activated. The ECU 50 is connected to a fuel pump controller (FPC) 60 so that various signals can be input / output to / from the fuel pump controller 60.

  The door lock switch 72 is connected to the battery 52 and to the electromagnetic coil 66 of the relay 65. Thereby, when the door lock switch 72 detects the release of the door lock, the electromagnetic coil 66 of the relay 65 is energized. The fuel pump controller 60 is connected to the battery 52 via a relay 65. When the contact 67 is closed by energizing the electromagnetic coil 66, the voltage of the battery 52 is applied. That is, the fuel pump controller 60 is activated by applying the voltage of the battery 52 even if the IG switch 51 is not turned on. In the fuel pump controller 60, the control unit 61 calculates the required fuel amount GF based on the input signals from the rotation speed sensor 70 and the intake pressure sensor 71, and the output circuit 62 drives the drive voltage corresponding to the required fuel amount GF. Is applied to the fuel pump 30 (pump motor M). The control unit 61 corresponds to the “fuel pump drive availability determination unit” and the “required fuel amount calculation unit” of the present invention.

Next, drive control of the fuel pump 30 (pump motor) implemented in the control system of the fuel supply system 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the contents of drive control of the fuel pump.
First, it is determined whether the door lock of the vehicle has been released (S10). At this time, when the door lock is released (S10: YES), energization of the electromagnetic coil 66 of the relay 65 is started by the door lock switch 72 and the contact 67 is closed. Thereby, the voltage of the battery 52 is applied to the fuel pump controller 60 via the relay 65, and the fuel pump controller 60 is started (S11). On the other hand, when the door lock is not released (S10: NO), the door 67 is opened because the door lock switch 72 does not start energizing the electromagnetic coil 66 of the relay 65. For this reason, the fuel pump controller 60 is not activated, and the processing of this subroutine ends.

When the fuel pump controller 60 is activated, the control unit 61 determines whether or not the time since the previous engine stop is longer than a predetermined time A (for example, 168 hours (one week)) (S12). Since the predetermined time A varies depending on the engine specifications, etc., the time required for pre-driving is determined for each specification from the relationship between the degree of fuel pressure drop in the delivery pipe and the engine stop time through experiments and the like. (Conform).
If it is determined in S12 that the engine stop time is longer than the predetermined time A (S12: YES), the fuel pump 30 is pre-driven by the fuel pump controller 60. Specifically, a drive voltage is applied to the fuel pump 30 from the output circuit 62 of the fuel pump controller 60. At this time, the magnitude of the drive voltage applied to the fuel pump 30 can be duty-controlled, and an optimal voltage value may be set for each specification in consideration of the fuel pressure rise time, pump noise, and the like.

When the fuel pump 30 is pre-driven, has a predetermined time elapsed since the start of the pre-drive (the time during which the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe is considered to have reached the pressure regulation value, usually about 1 to 2 seconds)? It is determined whether or not (S14). When a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of pre-driving of the fuel pump 30, the pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 is stopped by the fuel pump controller 60 (S15), and the process proceeds to S16. If the IG switch 51 is turned on before a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of pre-driving of the fuel pump 30, the pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 is forcibly terminated. However, since it takes about 3 seconds at least for the IG switch 51 to be turned on after the door lock is released, it is considered that the IG switch 51 is turned on after the pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 is completed.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the engine stop time is shorter than the predetermined time A (S12: NO), the fuel pump 30 remains stopped and the process proceeds to S16 (S15).

As described above, according to the fuel supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, even if the ECU 50 is not activated, the fuel pump controller 60 starts or stops driving (pre-driving) based on its own determination. Can be controlled. That is, the start and stop of driving of the fuel pump 30 can be controlled by the fuel pump unit 9 alone.
When the engine pressure is considered to be decreasing in the delivery pipe 6 and the engine stop time is longer than the predetermined time A, the fuel pump 30 is driven (pre-driven) before the engine is started. The fuel pressure inside can be sufficiently increased. Thereby, the startability and fuel consumption of the engine can be improved.
Thereafter, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of pre-driving of the fuel pump 30, the pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 is stopped. Thereby, useless pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 is not continued after the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 has sufficiently increased. Therefore, the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 can be sufficiently increased and wasteful power consumption can be eliminated to prevent the battery performance from being lowered.

  Then, in the process of S16, it is determined whether or not the IG switch 51 is turned on. At this time, if the IG switch 51 is ON (S16: YES), the ECU 50 is activated (S17). Specifically, the voltage of the battery 52 is applied to the ECU 50 by turning on the IG switch 51. On the other hand, when the IG switch 51 remains OFF (S16: NO), the processing of this subroutine is terminated.

  When the ECU 50 is activated, the ECU 50 determines whether or not the starter is turned on (S18). At this time, if it is determined that the starter is ON (S18: YES), the control unit 61 of the fuel pump controller 60 calculates the required fuel amount GF (S20). In this case, since the starter is turned on, a preset required fuel amount GF at the time of start is set. Then, a drive voltage corresponding to the required fuel amount GF set in the process of S20 is applied from the output circuit 62 to the fuel pump 30. As a result, the fuel pump 30 is driven (S21), the engine is started, and the processing of this subroutine ends.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the starter is not turned on (S18: NO), it is subsequently determined whether or not the engine is in operation (S19). At this time, if it is determined that the engine is operating (S19: YES), the control unit 61 of the fuel pump controller 60 calculates the required fuel amount GF (S20). In this case, first, the engine intake air amount GA is calculated based on the detection signals from the rotational speed sensor 70 and the intake pressure sensor input to the control unit 61. Next, the required fuel amount GF is calculated based on the engine intake air amount GA. Then, a drive voltage corresponding to the required fuel amount GF calculated in the process of S20 is applied from the output circuit 62 to the fuel pump 30. Thereby, the drive of the fuel pump 30 is controlled according to the operating state of the engine (S21), and the processing of this subroutine is completed.
If it is determined that the starter is not turned on and the engine is not in operation (S18: NO, S19: NO), the processing of this subroutine ends with the fuel pump 30 remaining stopped (S22). ).

As described above, according to the fuel supply system 1 according to the present embodiment, the fuel pump controller 60 drives the fuel pump 30 according to the operating state of the engine (without taking in the control signal of the fuel pump 30 from the ECU 50). Fuel flow rate) can be controlled independently. Thereby, since the drive (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump 30 can be controlled by the fuel pump unit 9 alone, the configuration of the control system of the fuel pump 30 can be simplified.
Further, since the fuel pump controller 60 can control the drive of the fuel pump 30 without taking in the control signal of the fuel pump 30 from the ECU 50, the fuel pump controller 60 can be retrofitted. Thereby, a fuel supply system with a fuel pump controller can be easily realized, and performance such as fuel efficiency can be improved.

As described above in detail, according to the fuel supply system 1 according to the first embodiment, even if the ECU 50 is not activated, the fuel pump controller 60 starts driving the fuel pump 30 based on its own determination. Alternatively, the stop can be controlled. Thereby, when it is considered that the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is decreasing, specifically, when the engine stop time is longer than the time A, the fuel pump 30 is driven (pre-driven) before starting the engine. The fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 can be sufficiently increased. As a result, engine startability and fuel consumption can be improved. Further, the fuel pump controller 60 can independently control the driving (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump 30 according to the operating state of the engine without taking in the control signal of the fuel pump 30 from the ECU 50.
As described above, according to the fuel supply system 1 according to the first embodiment, the drive (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump 30 can be accurately controlled by the fuel pump unit 9 alone, and the control system of the fuel pump 30 can be controlled. This configuration can also be simplified.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The basic structure of the fuel supply system according to the second embodiment is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, but a fuel pressure sensor for detecting the fuel pressure is provided in the delivery pipe. Different. Further, the contents of the pre-drive control of the fuel pump are also different. That is, in the second embodiment, the start / end (stop) of pre-driving is controlled not based on time but based on the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe detected by the fuel pressure sensor. For this reason, in the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  First, a fuel supply system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a fuel supply system according to the second embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the fuel supply system 1a is constituted by injectors 2, 3, and 3 provided in intake ports that lead to a combustion chamber of an engine (not shown) by a fuel pump unit 9 attached to a fuel tank 34. 4 and 5 are supplied with fuel. In the fuel supply system 1, fuel supplied from the fuel tank 34 to the injectors 2 to 5 via the fuel pump 30 and the fuel pipe 11 is injected and supplied to the intake port. The fuel pump 30 incorporates an electric pump motor and is disposed in the fuel tank 34. The fuel pump 30 pumps up the fuel stored in the fuel tank 34 by driving the pump motor, discharges it to the fuel pipe 11, and pumps it to the injectors 2-5.

  Here, unlike the first embodiment, a fuel pressure sensor 7 is attached to the delivery pipe 6 in the fuel supply system 1a. The fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is detected by the fuel pressure sensor 7. The fuel pressure sensor 7 is connected to the fuel pump controller 60, and a detection signal thereof is input to the control unit 61 of the fuel pump controller 60.

Next, drive control of the fuel pump 30 (pump motor) implemented in the fuel supply system 1a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the contents of drive control of the fuel pump.
First, it is determined whether or not the vehicle door lock is released (S30). At this time, when the door lock is released (S30: YES), energization is started to the electromagnetic coil 66 of the relay 65 by the door lock switch 72 and the contact 67 is closed. Thereby, the voltage of the battery 52 is applied to the fuel pump controller 60 via the relay 65, and the fuel pump controller 60 is started (S31). On the other hand, when the door lock is not released (S30: NO), the door 67 is opened because the door lock switch 72 does not start energizing the electromagnetic coil 66 of the relay 65. For this reason, the fuel pump controller 60 is not activated, and the processing of this subroutine ends.

When the fuel pump controller 60 is activated, the control unit 61 causes the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 to be smaller than a predetermined value B (for example, a pressure adjustment value during idling of the engine) based on the detection signal of the fuel pressure sensor 7. Is determined (S32). At this time, if it is determined that the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is smaller than the predetermined value B (S32: YES), the fuel pump 30 is pre-driven by the fuel pump controller 60 (S33). Specifically, a drive voltage is applied to the fuel pump 30 from the output circuit 62 of the fuel pump controller 60. At this time, the magnitude of the drive voltage applied to the fuel pump 30 can be duty-controlled, and an optimal voltage value may be set for each specification in consideration of the fuel pressure rise time, pump noise, and the like. Then, the fuel pump 30 is pre-driven until the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value B (S32). Thereafter, when the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value B (S32: NO), the driving of the fuel pump 3 is stopped (S34), and the process proceeds to S35.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is equal to or higher than the predetermined value B before the start of pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 (S32: NO), it is not necessary to pre-drive the fuel pump 30. The fuel pump 30 is stopped and the process proceeds to S16 (S34).

Thus, according to the fuel supply system 1a according to the present embodiment, even if the ECU 50 is not activated, the fuel pump controller 60 starts or stops driving (pre-driving) based on its own determination. Can be controlled. That is, the start and stop of driving of the fuel pump 30 can be controlled by the fuel pump unit 9 alone.
When the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is lower than the predetermined value B, the fuel pump 30 is driven (pre-driving) before starting the engine to ensure that the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is the target pressure. Can be raised. Thereby, the startability and fuel consumption of the engine can be improved.
Thereafter, when the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 reaches a predetermined value B, the pre-driving of the fuel pump 30 is stopped. That is, the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 can be reliably increased to the target pressure, and the fuel pump 30 is not pre-driven wastefully. As a result, the startability and fuel consumption of the engine can be improved reliably, and wasteful power consumption can be eliminated to prevent a decrease in battery performance.

  Then, in the process of S35, it is determined whether or not the IG switch 51 is turned on. At this time, if the IG switch 51 is ON (S35: YES), the ECU 50 is activated (S36). Specifically, the voltage of the battery 52 is applied to the ECU 50 by turning on the IG switch 51. On the other hand, when the IG switch 51 remains OFF (S35: NO), the processing of this subroutine is terminated.

  When the ECU 50 is activated, the ECU 50 determines whether or not the starter is turned on (S37). At this time, when it is determined that the starter is ON (S37: YES), the control unit 61 of the fuel pump controller 60 calculates the required fuel amount GF (S39). In this case, since the starter is turned on, a preset required fuel amount GF at the time of start is set. Then, a drive voltage corresponding to the required fuel amount GF set in the process of S39 is applied from the output circuit 62 to the fuel pump 30. As a result, the fuel pump 30 is driven (S40), the engine is started, and the processing of this subroutine ends.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the starter is not turned on (S37: NO), it is subsequently determined whether or not the engine is in operation (S38). At this time, if it is determined that the engine is operating (S38: YES), the control unit 61 of the fuel pump controller 60 calculates the required fuel amount GF (S39). In this case, first, the engine intake air amount GA is calculated based on detection signals from the rotational speed sensor 70 and the intake pressure sensor 71 input to the control unit 61. Next, the required fuel amount GF is calculated based on the engine intake air amount GA. Then, a drive voltage corresponding to the required fuel amount GF calculated in the process of S39 is applied from the output circuit 62 to the fuel pump 30. Thereby, the drive of the fuel pump 30 is controlled according to the operating state of the engine (S40), and the processing of this subroutine is completed.
If it is determined that the starter is not turned on and the engine is not in operation (S37: NO, S38: NO), the processing of this subroutine ends with the fuel pump 30 remaining stopped (S41). ).

Thus, according to the fuel supply system 1a according to the present embodiment, the fuel pump controller 60 drives the fuel pump 30 according to the operating condition of the engine (without taking in the control signal of the fuel pump 30 from the ECU 50). Fuel flow rate) can be controlled independently. Thereby, the drive (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump 30 can be controlled by the fuel pump unit 9 alone, and the configuration of the control system of the fuel pump 30 can be simplified.
Further, since the fuel pump controller 60 can control the driving of the fuel pump 30 without taking in the control signal of the fuel pump 30 from the ECU 50, the fuel pump controller 60 can be retrofitted. Thereby, a fuel supply system with a fuel pump controller can be easily realized, and performance such as fuel efficiency can be improved.

As described above, according to the fuel supply system 1a according to the second embodiment, even if the ECU 50 is not activated, the fuel pump controller 60 starts driving the fuel pump 30 based on its own judgment. Alternatively, the stop can be controlled. When the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is lower than the predetermined value B, the fuel pump 30 is driven (pre-drive) before starting the engine to ensure that the fuel pressure in the delivery pipe 6 is the predetermined value. It can be raised to B or higher. As a result, engine startability and fuel consumption can be improved. Further, the fuel pump controller 60 can independently control the driving (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump 30 according to the operating state of the engine without taking in the control signal of the fuel pump 30 from the ECU 50.
As described above, according to the fuel supply system 1a according to the second embodiment, the drive (fuel flow rate) of the fuel pump 30 can be accurately controlled by the fuel pump unit 9 alone, and the control system of the fuel pump 30 can be controlled. This configuration can also be simplified.

It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the present invention in any way, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the first embodiment, the pre-drive control of the fuel pump 30 is performed according to a predetermined time. However, the relationship between the engine stop time and the pre-drive time of the fuel pump 30 is converted into map data. Based on the map data, the pre-drive time may be varied according to the engine stop time.
In the above-described embodiment, the door lock switch 72 is used as the device switch. However, for example, a door opening / closing switch, a seat switch, or the like can be used.

It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the fuel supply system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of a fuel pump unit. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of a fuel pump unit. It is sectional drawing in the III-III line | wire shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of a fuel supply system. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the drive control of a fuel pump. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the fuel supply system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the drive control of a fuel pump.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel supply system 2-5 Injector 6 Delivery pipe 7 Fuel pressure sensor 9 Fuel pump unit 10 Mounting plate 13 Connector 14 Controller case 22 Filter case 30 Fuel pump 30a Fuel pump case 34 Fuel tank 50 ECU
51 IG Switch 52 Battery 60 Fuel Pump Controller 61 Control Unit 62 Output Circuit 65 Relay 66 Electromagnetic Coil 67 Contact 70 Rotational Speed Sensor 71 Intake Pressure Sensor 72 Door Lock Switch

Claims (7)

Fuel pump control comprising a fuel tank for storing fuel, a fuel pump installed in the fuel tank for supplying fuel in the fuel tank to the engine, and a fuel pump controller for controlling power supply to the fuel pump In the device
The fuel pump controller
Fuel pump drive availability determination means for self-determining whether to drive the fuel pump based on a signal other than a control signal from an engine controller that controls the drive of the engine when the engine is in a stopped state. ,
A fuel pump control device that controls driving of the fuel pump by controlling power supply to the fuel pump based on a determination result of the fuel pump drive availability determination means. The fuel pump control device according to claim 1, wherein
The fuel pump drive availability determination means determines whether or not to drive the fuel pump based on an operating state of a device switch that operates earlier than an IG switch. In the fuel pump control device according to claim 2,
The fuel pump controller, after driving the fuel pump, stops power supply to the fuel pump when a predetermined condition is satisfied. A fuel tank that stores fuel; a fuel pump unit that is installed in the fuel tank and that supplies fuel in the fuel tank to the engine; and a fuel pump controller that controls power supply to the fuel pump; In a fuel pump control device having
The fuel pump controller
A required fuel amount that receives detection signals from a rotation speed sensor and an intake pressure sensor provided in the engine, calculates an intake air amount from the detection signals, and determines a required fuel amount based on the calculated intake intake amount A calculation means,
A fuel pump control device that controls driving of the fuel pump by controlling power supply to the fuel pump based on a calculation result of the required fuel amount calculation means. In the fuel pump control device according to claim 4,
The fuel pump controller according to claim 1, wherein the fuel pump controller is detachably attached to the fuel pump unit. In the fuel pump control device according to claim 5,
The fuel pump controller, wherein the fuel pump controller is detachably attached to a lid-like plate member included in the fuel pump unit that closes an opening formed in the fuel tank. In the fuel pump control device according to claim 5 or 6,
A connector portion having an input terminal for taking in a detection signal from the rotation speed sensor and the intake pressure sensor into the required fuel supply amount calculation means;
The fuel pump control device, wherein the connector portion is integrally formed with the fuel pump unit.

Images