JP2010174744A - Deterioration determination device for cylinder internal pressure sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine deterioration of a cylinder internal pressure sensor provided in an internal combustion engine by a simpler calculation. <P>SOLUTION: This deterioration determination device for the cylinder internal pressure sensor 56 provided in the internal combustion engine in order to detect cylinder internal pressure includes: a determination means determining whether or not a ratio of intake air volume to a difference in the cylinder internal pressure at two predetermined points in a compression stroke exceeds a threshold; and a deterioration determination means determining whether or not the cylinder internal pressure sensor 56 is deteriorated based on a determination result by the determination means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a deterioration determination device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor provided in an internal combustion engine for detecting an in-cylinder pressure.

  In Patent Document 1, in a control device for an internal combustion engine including an in-cylinder pressure sensor that detects an in-cylinder pressure, a detection value of the in-cylinder pressure sensor at a predetermined point during the intake stroke and a predetermined one point during the intake stroke are disclosed. An estimated value of the sensitivity of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is calculated based on the pressure of the intake air at the corresponding time, the detected value of the in-cylinder pressure sensor and the in-cylinder volume at at least two predetermined points during the compression stroke or the expansion stroke. It is disclosed. It is described that when it is determined that the estimated value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the sensitivity deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor has progressed to some extent.

JP 2005-351146 A

  In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, as described above, after the estimated value of the sensitivity of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is once calculated, the sensitivity deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is determined using the estimated value. The estimated value of the sensitivity of the in-cylinder pressure sensor is calculated by detecting the in-cylinder pressure sensor at a predetermined point during the intake stroke, the pressure of the intake air at the time corresponding to the predetermined point, and the compression Detection values of the in-cylinder pressure sensor at at least two predetermined points during the stroke or the expansion stroke are used. Therefore, it is expected to simplify the calculation required for the determination.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to more easily determine the deterioration of an in-cylinder pressure sensor provided in an internal combustion engine.

  In order to achieve the above object, an in-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination device according to the present invention is an in-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination device provided in an internal combustion engine for detecting an in-cylinder pressure. Determining means for determining whether the ratio of the difference between the in-cylinder pressure at two predetermined time points exceeds a predetermined threshold, and whether the in-cylinder pressure sensor has deteriorated based on the determination result by the determining means Deterioration determining means for determining whether or not.

  Preferably, the deterioration determination device for the in-cylinder pressure sensor includes an external EGR device provided in the internal combustion engine, and a first prohibiting operation of the determination means when EGR gas is introduced into the cylinder by the external EGR device. And prohibiting means.

  Preferably, the in-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination device prohibits operation of the variable valve mechanism that makes the lift amount of the intake valve or the exhaust valve variable and the determination means when the lift amount does not exceed a predetermined value. And second prohibiting means.

  Preferably, the deterioration determination device for the in-cylinder pressure sensor includes an ignition timing retarding means for retarding an ignition timing by the spark plug and an ignition timing retarding amount by the ignition timing retarding means in order to suppress the occurrence of knock. And a third prohibiting means for prohibiting the operation of the judging means when the value is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an internal combustion engine to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. 5 is a graph conceptually showing an example of a relationship between an intake air amount and a cylinder pressure with respect to a crank angle. 3 is a graph conceptually showing a relationship example between a compression pressure and an intake air amount. 3 is a flowchart according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 3 is a graph conceptually showing an example of changes in ignition retard amount, in-cylinder pressure, and compression ratio with respect to time.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the first embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an internal combustion engine to which the first embodiment is applied. The internal combustion engine 10 shown in FIG. 1 generates power by burning a fuel / air mixture in a combustion chamber 14 formed in a cylinder block 12 and reciprocating a piston 18 in the cylinder 16. It is. Although only one cylinder is shown in FIG. 1, the internal combustion engine 10 is preferably configured as a multi-cylinder engine, and the internal combustion engine 10 of the present embodiment is configured as a four-cylinder engine, for example.

  An intake port facing each combustion chamber 14 is connected to an intake manifold 20. A surge tank 22 and an intake pipe 24 are sequentially connected to the upstream side of the intake manifold 20. The intake pipe 24 is connected to an air intake (not shown) via an air cleaner 26. A throttle valve (in this embodiment, an electronically controlled throttle valve) 28 is incorporated in the middle of the intake pipe 24 (between the surge tank 22 and the air cleaner 26). For example, each of the intake port, the intake manifold 20, and the intake pipe 24 defines a part of the intake passage 29.

On the other hand, an exhaust port facing each combustion chamber 14 is connected to an exhaust manifold 30, and an exhaust pipe 32 is connected to the exhaust manifold 30 on the downstream side. Connected to the exhaust pipe 32 are a front-stage catalyst device 34 including a three-way catalyst and a rear-stage catalyst device 36 including a NOx storage reduction catalyst. For example, each of the exhaust port, the exhaust manifold 30, and the exhaust pipe 32 defines a part of the exhaust passage 37. Note that the internal combustion engine 10 of the first embodiment is not provided with an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device (external EGR device) that guides part of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 37 to the intake passage 29.
In the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine 10, an intake valve Vi that opens and closes an intake port and an exhaust valve Ve that opens and closes an exhaust port are disposed for each combustion chamber 14. Each intake valve Vi and each exhaust valve Ve are opened and closed by a valve operating mechanism (not shown) having a variable valve timing and / or a variable lift function. Further, the internal combustion engine 10 has a number of spark plugs 40 corresponding to the number of cylinders, and the spark plugs 40 are disposed in the cylinder heads so as to face the corresponding combustion chambers 14.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the internal combustion engine 10 includes an injector 42, and the injector 42 is disposed in the cylinder head so as to face the corresponding combustion chamber 14. In the internal combustion engine 10, fuel such as gasoline is directly injected from the injectors 42 toward the recesses 18 a of the pistons 18 in the combustion chambers 14 in a state where air is sucked into the combustion chambers 14. As a result, in the internal combustion engine 10, it is possible to form (stratify) an air-fuel mixture layer of fuel and air in the vicinity of the spark plug 40 in a state separated from the surrounding air layer. Can be used to perform stable stratified combustion.

  The throttle valve 28, each spark plug 40, each injector 42, and the valve mechanism are electrically connected to an ECU 50 that substantially functions as a control device for the internal combustion engine 10. The ECU 50 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output port, a storage device, etc., all not shown. Various sensors are electrically connected to the ECU 50 via an A / D converter or the like, for example, an air flow meter 52 for detecting an intake air amount. The ECU 50 uses the various maps stored in the storage device and the throttle valve 28, the spark plug 40, the injector 42, the valve operating mechanism, etc. so as to obtain a desired output based on the detection values of various sensors. To control.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sensors connected to the ECU 50 include a crank angle sensor 54. The crank angle sensor 54 is a magnetic sensor or a photoelectric sensor including a rotor plate (signal plate) fixed to the crankshaft, and the like, and gives a pulse signal indicating the rotation angle of the crankshaft to the ECU 50 every minute time. In addition, the internal combustion engine 10 has in-cylinder pressure sensors 56 including semiconductor elements, piezoelectric elements, optical fiber detection elements, and the like corresponding to the number of cylinders. Each in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is disposed on the cylinder head so that the pressure receiving surface faces the corresponding combustion chamber 14, and is electrically connected to the ECU 50 via an A / D converter (not shown). Each in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 outputs an electric signal corresponding to the pressure in the combustion chamber 14, that is, the in-cylinder pressure. An output signal from each in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is sequentially given to the ECU 50 every predetermined time (predetermined crank angle) to obtain a pressure value (for example, absolute pressure), and is then stored in the ECU 50 in association with the crank angle. A predetermined amount is stored and held in the area (buffer). Further, an intake pressure sensor 58 is provided for detecting the intake pressure in the intake passage. Here, the intake pressure sensor 58 is provided in the surge tank 22.

  In the state where the internal combustion engine 10 is operated, the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 according to the first embodiment is performed. This will be described below. First, the technical idea will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a graph conceptually showing an example of the change in the in-cylinder pressure in any one cylinder with respect to the crank angle. In FIG. 2, the crank angle 0 ° corresponds to the piston 18 at the compression top dead center, and the crank angle −60 ° means that the piston 18 is lowered by 60 ° in the crank angle before the compression top dead center. Corresponding when.

  As is apparent from FIG. 2, when the intake air amount KL obtained based on the output signal from the air flow meter 52 is 40%, the compression stroke and the combustion / expansion stroke are compared with when the intake air amount KL is 20%. Through this, the in-cylinder pressure rises higher. This is well known.

  However, the in-cylinder pressure change width (compression pressure) ΔP between two predetermined points in the compression stroke is proportional to the intake air amount KL, and the proportional coefficient is constant regardless of the intake air amount. . For example, in FIG. 3, the relationship between the amount of residual air, that is, the amount of intake air KL when the amount of internal EGR gas is small or zero, and the change range ΔP of the in-cylinder pressure is represented by a dotted line, These relationships when there are many are shown by a solid line. Both lines are parallel and have the same inclination. Such a relationship is established when the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 has the same sensitivity. In other words, when the sensitivity of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 changes, specifically, when the sensitivity deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 proceeds, the proportionality coefficient in the proportional relationship between the intake air amount KL and the compression pressure ΔP changes.

  In the present invention, therefore, the deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is determined by paying attention to the change in the proportional coefficient. The determination in the first embodiment will be described below based on the flowchart of FIG. Here, the flowchart of FIG. 4 is performed at a predetermined time. However, the flowchart of FIG. 4 may be repeated for various periods, for example, only for a predetermined period. Part of the ECU 50 is included in the determination unit (first determination unit), and part of the ECU 50 is included in the deterioration determination unit (second determination unit). However, as will be apparent from the following description, the determination means includes a calculation means for calculating a ratio between the intake air amount and the difference between the in-cylinder pressures at two predetermined points in the compression stroke, and the calculation means. Ratio determination means for comparing the calculated ratio with a predetermined threshold value and determining whether the ratio exceeds the predetermined threshold value is included.

  When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the ECU 50 proceeds to step S401. Note that the predetermined condition may be any condition. For example, the engine operating state is an engine operating state in which the internal EGR amount is zero, and there is no valve overlap between the intake and exhaust valves Vi and Vo. , One of the fuel cuts being performed, or any combination thereof.

  First, in step S401, the intake air amount KL is detected. The intake air amount KL is detected by performing a predetermined calculation based on an output signal from the air flow meter 52.

Next, in step S403, the compression pressure ΔP (= P _θ2 −P _θ1 ) is calculated. This compression pressure ΔP is a change in in-cylinder pressure between two predetermined points (two time points) in the compression stroke. Here, the two predetermined points are the two predetermined points in a state where there is no change in the in-cylinder gas amount. Here, the two predetermined points are the two predetermined points in a state where there is substantially no noise due to the closing of the intake valve Vi or ignition by the spark plug. Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the crank angle θ1 is a crank angle advanced by a predetermined angle from the crank angle when the intake valve Vi is closed. For example, the crank angle θ1 is determined from the crank angle when the intake valve Vi is closed. The crank angle is delayed by 5 °. The crank angle θ2 is a crank angle that is a predetermined angle before the crank angle at the time of ignition by the spark plug 40, and is, for example, a crank angle that is 5 ° before the crank angle at the time of ignition. When the internal combustion engine 10 is a compression ignition type engine, the crank angle θ2 may be a crank angle that is a predetermined angle before the crank angle at the time of compression ignition. ECU50 reads the cylinder pressure P _.theta.1 of the crank angle .theta.1 example from a storage device, the cylinder pressure P _.theta.2 reads similar in crank angle .theta.2, calculates the compression pressure [Delta] P.

  In the next step S405, it is determined whether or not the ratio (KL / ΔP) between the intake air amount KL detected in step S401 and the compression pressure ΔP is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value β. This predetermined threshold β may be referred to as a system compensation value, and is determined based on the required accuracy for the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56.

  If the determination in step S405 is affirmative, that is, if the ratio (KL / ΔP) between the intake air amount KL and the compression pressure ΔP is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value β, sensitivity correction corresponding to the ratio is performed in step S407. Will come to be. This sensitivity correction is, for example, a cylinder obtained based on an output signal from the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 using a correction value obtained by searching data stored in advance in the storage device based on the ratio. This is done by correcting the internal pressure.

  On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S405, that is, if the ratio (KL / ΔP) between the intake air amount KL and the compression pressure ΔP exceeds a predetermined threshold value β, sensitivity deterioration occurs in the in-cylinder pressure sensor in step S409. Therefore, it is determined (determined) to be abnormal. As a result, for example, a warning light (not shown) provided on the front panel of the driver's seat is turned on.

  Note that step S401 and step S403 may be interchanged or in parallel.

  As described above, the ratio between the intake air amount KL and the in-cylinder pressure difference ΔP at two predetermined points in the compression stroke exceeds the predetermined threshold β (in other words, as described in the first embodiment). Based on the determination result of whether or not the ratio is equal to or less than the threshold value β, the sensitivity deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is performed. Therefore, it is possible to determine the deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 provided in the internal combustion engine 10 with only this calculation, that is, with a simpler calculation.

  Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. However, the internal combustion engine 10A to which the second embodiment is applied has a different configuration from the internal combustion engine 10 in that an external EGR device is provided. However, in other configurations, the internal combustion engine 10A and the internal combustion engine 10 are generally the same. Therefore, the illustration of the internal combustion engine 10A is omitted, and in the following description, the components of the internal combustion engine 10A are assigned the same reference numerals as the corresponding components of the internal combustion engine 10 and the description of the configuration of the internal combustion engine 10A is omitted. . However, the external EGR device provided in the internal combustion engine 10 </ b> A is provided in the EGR passage and the EGR passage formed by the EGR pipe so as to guide a part of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust passage 37 to the intake passage 29. And an EGR valve (here, an electronically controlled EGR valve). Part of the ECU 50 is included in the first prohibiting unit, and part of the ECU 50 is included in the second prohibiting unit.

  In the internal combustion engine 10A, as in the internal combustion engine 10, the deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is determined by paying attention to the change in the proportional coefficient. The determination in the second embodiment will be described below based on the flowchart of FIG. Here, the flowchart of FIG. 5 is performed at a predetermined time. The predetermined time here is a time when the influence of the variation in the compression pressure ΔP due to the difference in the intake fresh air amount and the residual gas amount can be substantially eliminated. However, the flowchart of FIG. 5 may be repeated for various periods, for example, only for a predetermined period. Note that steps S505 to S513 in the flowchart in FIG. 5 correspond to steps S401 to S409 in the flowchart in FIG. 4, and thus redundant description of these steps is omitted, and only steps S501 and S503 are described below.

  Steps S501 and S503 of the second embodiment are provided to determine whether or not it is time to substantially eliminate the influence of the variation in the compression pressure ΔP between the cylinders. In order to substantially eliminate the influence of the variation in the compression pressure ΔP between the cylinders, the valve lift is set to a predetermined value L or more, the valve overlap is zero, and the EGR valve opening (EGR opening) is zero. It is desirable.

  In step S501, it is determined whether or not the valve lift amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value L. As the valve lift amount, a value calculated by reading a control value of the valve mechanism is used. Note that the valve lift amount may be derived from the engine operating state.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S501, it is determined in step S503 whether or not the EGR gas amount is zero. The EGR gas referred to here includes internal EGR gas derived from valve overlap and external EGR gas via the external EGR device. Therefore, the determination in step S503 can be made up of two determinations: a determination as to whether the valve overlap is zero and a determination as to whether the EGR opening is zero. In this case, when the valve overlap is zero and the EGR opening is zero, it is determined that the EGR gas amount is zero. When the valve overlap and the EGR opening are controlled based on the engine operating state, it is determined whether or not the engine operating state is a predetermined engine operating state in which they are both zero, and an affirmative determination is made here. Sometimes an affirmative determination may be made in step S503.

  If a positive determination is made in step S503, the process proceeds to step S505. If a negative determination is made in step S501 or step S503, the process does not proceed to step S505. That is, when the lift amount of the intake valve Vi or the like does not exceed a predetermined value or when EGR gas is introduced into the cylinder through the external EGR device, the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is not performed (prohibited) )

  In the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 can be determined in a state where there is substantially no variation between the cylinders. Note that the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor in the second embodiment may be performed, for example, during idle operation.

  In the first and second embodiments, the intake air amount KL is detected based on the output signal from the air flow meter 52, but may be detected based on the output signal from the intake pressure sensor 58. That is, the intake air amount KL may be estimated based on the output signal from the intake pressure sensor 58. This can be similarly applied to the third embodiment according to the present invention described below.

  Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described. However, the internal combustion engine 10B to which the third embodiment is applied has the same configuration as the internal combustion engine 10A. Therefore, the illustration of the internal combustion engine 10B is omitted, and in the following description, the constituent elements of the internal combustion engine 10B are denoted by the reference numerals of the corresponding constituent elements of the internal combustion engine 10, and the description of the configuration of the internal combustion engine 10B is omitted. Part of the ECU 50 is included in the ignition timing retarding means, and part of the ECU 50 is included in the third prohibiting means.

  However, the time when the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 of the third embodiment is performed is further limited than the time of the second embodiment. The time of this 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the total travel time of the vehicle on which the internal combustion engine 10B is mounted on the horizontal axis is taken, and with respect to this horizontal axis, the retard amount of the ignition timing, the increase amount of the maximum value of the in-cylinder pressure in each cycle, Each change in the amount of increase in the compression ratio is conceptually superimposed. In the internal combustion engine 10B, as the engine operating time becomes longer, deposits accumulate on the inner wall surface of the cylinder block that defines the combustion chamber. Along with this, since the combustion chamber volume decreases, the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine 10B increases (see the dashed line), and the maximum value of the in-cylinder pressure in each cycle also increases (see FIG. (See dotted line). On the other hand, in order to suppress the occurrence of knocking, the knock retardation amount of the ignition timing also increases as the engine operating time becomes longer (see the solid line). Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 itself from being caused by such a change in the compression ratio due to the deposit formation.

  Therefore, in the third embodiment, the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is performed at a predetermined time before the knock retard amount shifts to the retard side. Specifically, the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 can be performed during the time t0-t1 in FIG. 6, and after the time t1 when the ignition timing retardation amount exceeds a predetermined amount, the deterioration determination is performed. Is forbidden. The time t0-t1 is between the ignition timing retard amount and the predetermined amount less than the predetermined amount from the start of use of the internal combustion engine 10B.

  When the ignition timing retardation amount is less than the predetermined amount, the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 in the second embodiment described above can be performed.

  In the third embodiment, the same effects as in the first and second embodiments can be obtained, and deterioration of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 can be determined more appropriately.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on three embodiment and those modifications, this invention is not limited to these. The present invention allows various combinations of some or all of the above three embodiments. Further, in the above description, the timing at which the deterioration determination of the in-cylinder pressure sensor 56 is performed is limited, but it can be arbitrarily determined and may be performed continuously. Further, each of the crank angles θ1 and θ2 for obtaining the compression pressure ΔP can be determined at various times as long as it is between the time when the intake valve Vi is closed and the time when combustion is started, but the crank angle θ1 is the crank angle. The angle is on the more advanced side than θ2.

  In the above three embodiments, the internal combustion engine is a spark ignition engine, but it may be a compression ignition engine. Alternatively, the internal combustion engine to which the present invention is applied may be a port injection type internal combustion engine, and the present invention is applicable to various internal combustion engines.

  While the present invention has been described based on the embodiments and the like, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention includes all modifications, applications, and equivalents included in the spirit of the present invention defined by the claims. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as being limited, and can be applied to any other technique belonging to the scope of the idea of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Internal combustion engine 12 Cylinder block 14 Combustion chamber 16 Cylinder 18 Piston 20 Intake manifold 22 Surge tank 24 Intake pipe 26 Air cleaner 28 Throttle valve 30 Exhaust manifold 32 Exhaust pipe 34 Pre-stage catalyst device 36 Rear-stage catalyst device 40 Spark plug 42 Injector 54 Crank angle sensor 56 In-cylinder pressure sensor 58 Intake pressure sensor Vi Intake valve Ve Exhaust valve

Claims (4)

In the in-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination device provided in the internal combustion engine for detecting the in-cylinder pressure,
Determining means for determining whether a ratio between an intake air amount and a difference between in-cylinder pressures at two predetermined times during the compression stroke exceeds a predetermined threshold;
A deterioration determination device for an in-cylinder pressure sensor, comprising: a deterioration determination unit that determines whether or not the in-cylinder pressure sensor has deteriorated based on a determination result by the determination unit. An external EGR device provided in the internal combustion engine;
The in-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination according to claim 1, further comprising: a first prohibiting unit that prohibits the operation of the determination unit when EGR gas is introduced into the cylinder by the external EGR device. apparatus. A variable valve mechanism that makes the lift amount of the intake valve or exhaust valve variable;
The in-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second prohibition unit that prohibits the operation of the determination unit when the lift amount does not exceed a predetermined value. Ignition timing retarding means for retarding the ignition timing by the spark plug in order to suppress the occurrence of knock;
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third prohibiting unit that prohibits the operation of the determining unit when the ignition timing retarding amount by the ignition timing retarding unit is a predetermined amount or more. In-cylinder pressure sensor deterioration determination device.

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