JP2014196059A - Outboard engine control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an outboard engine control device capable of suppressing cavitation as much as possible even if a ship is trimmed up during acceleration and preventing degradation in acceleration performance.SOLUTION: An outboard engine control device attachable to a hull, and including a propeller driven by an internal combustion engine; and a trim-angle adjustment mechanism that can adjust a trim angle relative to the hull, comprises: throttle-opening change amount calculation means (S110) for calculating a change amount of a throttle opening of the internal combustion engine; acceleration-state determination means (S110) for determining whether the hull is in an acceleration state on the basis of the calculated change amount of the throttle opening; a slip-rate calculation means (S118) for calculating a slip rate of the propeller on the basis of a theoretical speed of the hull and an actual speed thereof; and trim-angle control means (S108, S118, and S120) for controlling the trim-angle adjustment mechanism to operate so as to increase the trim angle on the basis of the calculated slip rate if the acceleration-state determination means determines that the hull is in the acceleration state.

Description

  The present invention relates to an outboard motor control device, and more particularly to an outboard motor control device including a trim angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a trim angle with respect to a hull.

  Conventionally, a trim angle adjustment mechanism that can adjust the trim angle relative to the hull has been provided, and when the ship accelerates to the maximum speed, it can be efficiently accelerated by controlling the trim angle based on the hull speed, engine speed, etc. A possible outboard motor control device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3957137

  However, when trimming is performed during acceleration, cavitation (cavity phenomenon) may occur around the propeller, which may adversely affect acceleration performance.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an outboard motor control device that solves the above-described problems and suppresses cavitation as much as possible even if trimming is performed during acceleration, and does not deteriorate acceleration performance. is there.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes a propeller that can be attached to a hull and is driven by an internal combustion engine, and a trim angle adjustment mechanism that can adjust a trim angle with respect to the hull. In the control apparatus for an outboard motor, the throttle opening change amount calculating means for calculating the change amount of the throttle opening of the internal combustion engine, and the hull is brought into an acceleration state based on the calculated change amount of the throttle opening. The hull is in an accelerating state by acceleration state determining means for determining whether or not there is, slip ratio calculating means for calculating the slip ratio of the propeller based on the theoretical speed and actual speed of the hull, and the acceleration state determining means Trim angle control means for controlling the operation of the trim angle adjusting mechanism so that the trim angle increases based on the calculated slip ratio. It was constructed as that.

  In the outboard motor control apparatus according to claim 2, the trim angle control means determines that the calculated slip ratio is predetermined when the acceleration state determination means determines that the hull is in an acceleration state. The trim angle adjusting mechanism is controlled so as to increase the trim angle when the slip ratio is lower than the slip ratio.

  In the outboard motor control apparatus according to claim 3, the slip ratio calculating means estimates a propeller pitch based on a predetermined slip ratio at the time of trolling of the hull set in advance, and Theoretical speed calculation means for calculating the theoretical speed of the hull based on the estimated propeller pitch, and the slip ratio of the propeller is calculated based on the calculated theoretical speed and actual speed.

  According to claim 1, in an outboard motor control device having a trim angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a trim angle with respect to a hull, a change amount of a throttle opening of the internal combustion engine is calculated, and the calculated throttle opening Based on the amount of change in the engine, it is determined whether or not the hull is in an accelerated state, and if it is determined that the hull is in an accelerated state, it is based on the slip ratio of the propeller calculated based on the theoretical speed and the actual speed of the hull. It is configured to control the operation of the trim angle adjustment mechanism so that the trim angle increases, that is, trim up is started based on the slip ratio of the propeller, so cavitation is possible even if trim up is performed during acceleration It can be suppressed as much as possible.

  In the outboard motor control apparatus according to claim 2, when it is determined that the hull is in an acceleration state, the trim angle is increased when the calculated slip ratio is equal to or less than a predetermined slip ratio. Since the operation of the trim angle adjusting mechanism is controlled, cavitation can be further suppressed even if trim-up is performed during acceleration in addition to the effects described above.

  In the outboard motor control apparatus according to claim 3, the propeller pitch is estimated based on a predetermined slip ratio when the hull is trolled in advance, and the theoretical speed of the hull is calculated based on the estimated propeller pitch. In addition to the above effects, there is no need to set the propeller pitch for each outboard motor, and the outboard motor is configured to calculate the slip ratio of the propeller based on the calculated theoretical speed and actual speed. Even when the aircraft is already on the market after being mounted on the hull, it is possible to incorporate control using the slip ratio later. That is, in order to calculate the slip ratio, the value of the propeller pitch is required. However, since the propeller pitch differs for each outboard motor (ship), the propeller pitch must be known in advance for each outboard motor. For this reason, when incorporating control using a slip ratio, it is necessary to set a propeller pitch for each outboard motor, and later when the outboard motor is already mounted on the hull and is on the market, for example. It is difficult to incorporate control using slip ratio. However, if the propeller pitch can be estimated, there is no need to set the propeller pitch for each outboard motor, and even if the outboard motor is already on the market and is already on the market, It is also possible to incorporate control using the slip ratio.

It is the schematic which shows the control apparatus of the outboard motor based on the Example of this invention whole including a hull. FIG. 2 is a partially sectional enlarged side view of the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the outboard motor shown in FIG. 1. It is a flowchart which shows the trim angle control operation | movement of the electronic control unit shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a sub-routine flowchart showing trim control start determination processing in the flowchart. 4 is a sub-routine flow chart showing trim control processing of the flow chart. 7 is a time chart for explaining the processing of the flow charts of FIGS. FIG. 7 is a time chart for explaining another process of the flow charts of FIGS.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out an outboard motor control apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an outboard motor control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention including a hull.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a ship including a hull (hull) 10 and an outboard motor 12 mounted on the hull 10. The outboard motor 12 is attached to the rear (stern) 10 a of the hull 10 via the stern bracket 14 and the tilting shaft 16.

  The outboard motor 12 includes an internal combustion engine (hereinafter referred to as “engine” (not shown in FIG. 1)), a propeller 18 driven by the engine, an engine cover 20 that covers the engine, and an engine room that is an internal space of the engine cover 20. And an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) 22 that controls the operation of the outboard motor 12. The ECU 22 comprises a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like.

  A steering wheel 26 that can be freely rotated by a vessel operator (not shown) is disposed near the cockpit 24 of the hull 10. Similarly, a shift / throttle lever 28 is provided near the cockpit 24 so as to be freely operated by the operator. The shift / throttle lever 28 is swingable in the front-rear direction from the initial position, and inputs a forward / backward instruction from the operator and an instruction for adjusting the engine speed including an acceleration / deceleration instruction for the engine.

  A GPS receiver 30 that receives a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal is disposed at an appropriate position of the hull 10. The GPS receiver 30 outputs a signal indicating the position information of the ship 1 obtained from the GPS signal to the ECU 22.

  FIG. 2 is a partially sectional enlarged side view of the outboard motor 12, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the outboard motor 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outboard motor 12 drives the shaft portion 42 via a shaft portion 42 accommodated in a swivel case 40 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, a reduction gear mechanism 46 and a mount frame 48. A turning electric motor 44 is disposed. Accordingly, the outboard motor 12 is steered left and right (around the vertical axis) by using the shaft portion 42 as a turning axis by rotating the shaft portion 42 by the turning electric motor 44.

  In the vicinity of the swivel case 40, a power tilt trim unit (trim angle adjusting mechanism) 50 capable of adjusting the tilt angle or trim angle of the outboard motor 12 with respect to the hull 10 by tilt up / down or trim up / down is disposed. The power tilt trim unit 50 is integrally provided with a hydraulic cylinder 50a for adjusting the tilt angle and a hydraulic cylinder 50b for adjusting the trim angle, and the swivel case 40 rotates the tilting shaft 16 by expanding and contracting the hydraulic cylinders 50a and 50b. Rotated as a shaft, the outboard motor 12 is tilted up / down or trimmed up / down. The hydraulic cylinders 50a and 50b are connected to a hydraulic circuit (not shown) disposed in the outboard motor 12, and are expanded and contracted by the supply of hydraulic oil.

  An engine 52 is mounted on the outboard motor 12. The engine 52 is a spark-ignition water-cooled gasoline engine and has a displacement of 2200 cc. The engine 52 is located on the water surface and is covered by the engine cover 20.

  A throttle body 56 is connected to the intake pipe 54 of the engine 52. The throttle body 56 includes a throttle valve 58 inside, and a throttle electric motor 60 that opens and closes the throttle valve 58 is integrally attached thereto.

  Since the output shaft of the throttle electric motor 60 is connected to the throttle valve 58 via a reduction gear mechanism (not shown), the throttle valve 58 is opened and closed by operating the throttle electric motor 60, and the intake of the engine 52 The quantity is adjusted to adjust the engine speed (engine speed).

  The engine 52 is provided with a variable valve timing mechanism 62 (see FIG. 3). The variable valve timing mechanism 62 switches the opening / closing timing and lift amount of the intake valve and the exhaust valve in accordance with the operating state, and operates according to a drive signal from the ECU 22. Although a detailed description is omitted, the variable valve timing mechanism 62 switches the valve timing and the lift amount to relatively large values during a high load operation in which the engine speed and load are high by a drive signal from the ECU 22, while the engine speed and load are switched. During low-load operation, the valve timing and lift amount are switched to relatively small values. Thereby, the valve timing and the lift amount can be optimized in each of the low rotation range and the high rotation range, and both the torque in the low rotation range and the power in the high rotation range can be achieved.

  The outboard motor 12 is supported so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and a propeller 18 is attached to one end thereof, and a propeller shaft 64 that transmits power from the engine 52 to the propeller 18 is interposed between the engine 52 and the propeller shaft 64. And a transmission 66 having a plurality of shift stages such as first speed and second speed.

  The axis 64a of the propeller shaft 64 is disposed so as to be substantially parallel to the traveling direction of the hull 10 when the power tilt trim unit 50 is in the initial state (trim angle is the initial angle state). The transmission 66 includes a transmission mechanism 68 capable of switching a plurality of shift speeds, and a shift mechanism 70 capable of switching a shift position to a forward position (forward position), a reverse position (reverse position), and a neutral position.

  The speed change mechanism 68 is connected to an input shaft 72 connected to a crankshaft (not shown) of the engine 52, a countershaft 74 connected to the input shaft 72 via gears, and connected to the countershaft 74 via a plurality of gears. This is a parallel shaft stepped transmission mechanism in which the output shaft 76 is arranged in parallel.

  The countershaft 74 is connected to a hydraulic clutch for shifting and a hydraulic pump 78 that pumps hydraulic oil (lubricating oil) to the lubricating portion. The input shaft 72, the counter shaft 74, the output shaft 76, and the hydraulic pump 78 are accommodated in a case 80, and the lower portion of the case 80 constitutes an oil pan 80a that receives hydraulic oil.

  The shift mechanism 70 is connected to the output shaft 76 of the speed change mechanism 68, and is arranged parallel to the vertical axis and rotatably supported, a forward bevel gear 70b connected to the drive shaft 70a and rotated. The reverse bevel gear 70c and a clutch 70d that allows the propeller shaft 64 to engage with either the forward bevel gear 70b or the reverse bevel gear 70c.

  A shift electric motor 82 for driving the shift mechanism 70 is disposed inside the engine cover 20, and its output shaft is freely connectable to the upper end of the shift rod 70 e of the shift mechanism 70 via the reduction gear mechanism 84. Accordingly, by driving the shift electric motor 82, the shift rod 70e and the shift slider 70f are appropriately displaced, and the clutch 70d is operated to switch the shift position among the forward position, the reverse position and the neutral position.

  When the shift position is the forward position or the reverse position, the rotation of the output shaft 76 of the speed change mechanism 68 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 64 via the shift mechanism 70, so that the propeller 18 is rotated and the hull 10 is moved forward or backward. Produces direction thrust (propulsive force). The outboard motor 12 includes a power source (not shown) such as a battery attached to the engine 52, and operating power is supplied from the power source to the electric motors 44, 60, 82 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a throttle opening sensor (throttle opening change amount calculation means) 90 is disposed in the vicinity of the throttle valve 58, and generates an output indicating the opening (throttle opening) TH of the throttle valve 58. A crank angle sensor 94 is mounted near the crankshaft of the engine 52, and outputs a pulse signal for each predetermined crank angle. An intake pressure sensor 96 is disposed at an appropriate position of the intake pipe 54 of the engine 52 and outputs a signal indicating the absolute pressure (engine load) in the intake pipe 54.

  A trim angle sensor (specifically, a rotation angle sensor such as a rotary encoder) 98 is disposed in the vicinity of the tilting shaft 16, and the trim angle of the outboard motor 12 (rotation around the pitch axis of the outboard motor 12 with respect to the hull 10). An output corresponding to the angle is generated.

  The ECU 22 communicates with each sensor and the GPS receiver 30 by a communication method (for example, NMEA2000, specifically CAN (Controller Area Network)) standardized by NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association). Connect freely.

  The ECU 22 controls the operation of each of the electric motors 44, 60, 82 based on the input sensor output and the like, and also performs the shift control of the transmission 66 and the trim angle control for adjusting the trim angle by the power tilt trim unit 50. Do. As described above, the control device for the outboard motor 12 according to this embodiment is a DBW (Drive By Wire) in which the mechanical connection between the operation system (the steering wheel 26 and the shift / throttle lever 28) and the outboard motor 12 is disconnected. The device of the method.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the trim angle control operation of the ECU 22. The illustrated program is executed by the ECU 22 at predetermined intervals.

  In the following description, first, a propeller pitch is estimated in S10. The propeller pitch is a value indicating a theoretical distance that the hull 10 can travel when the propeller 18 makes one rotation.

  The propeller pitch is estimated every time the engine is started. Specifically, when the hull 10 is trolling, that is, the low speed after the engine starts, the speed of the hull 10 at the time of low rotation, the engine speed and the reduction ratio (both measured) Value) and a predetermined slip ratio at the time of trolling measured (set) by an experiment or the like in advance.

  The propeller pitch can be estimated based on an equation for calculating a slip ratio (slip rate) ε indicating the rotation state of the propeller 18 and an equation for calculating the theoretical speed Va of the hull 10.

The slip ratio (slip ratio) ε is calculated by the following equation (1) based on the theoretical speed Va and the actual speed V of the hull 10, and the theoretical speed Va is determined by the operating state of the engine 52 and the transmission 66 and the specifications of the propeller 18. Based on the following equation (2).
Slip rate ε = (theoretical speed Va (km / h) −actual speed V (km / h)) / theoretical speed Va (km / h) (1)
Theoretical speed Va (km / h) = (engine speed NE (rpm) × propeller pitch (inch) × 60 × 2.54 × 10 ⁻⁵ ) / (speed reduction ratio) (2)

Accordingly, the propeller pitch can be calculated (estimated) by the following equation (3) from the equations (1) and (2).
Propeller pitch = (reduction ratio × actual speed V (km / h)) / (engine speed NE (rpm) × 60 × 2.54 × 10 ⁻⁵ × (1−slip ratio ε)) (3)

  Here, the slip ratio ε in Expression (3) is a predetermined slip ratio at the time of trolling, which is measured in advance by experiments or the like, and is set to 65%, for example. It has been confirmed by experiments that the slip rate during trolling is almost constant regardless of the type and size of the outboard motor 12, and the slip rate during trolling can be applied to any outboard motor 12 or the like. can do. Therefore, the propeller pitch can be estimated using the predetermined slip ratio during trolling after the engine is started. In other words, since the slip ratio at the time of trolling is known, if the actual speed V of the hull 10 at the time of trolling, the engine speed NE, and the like are known, the propeller pitch can be estimated using equation (3).

  Specifically, for example, at the time of trolling, when the actual speed V is 4 km / h, the engine speed NE is 650 rpm, and the reduction ratio is 2.0, the propeller pitch is 23 inches based on the formula (3) (predetermined slip ratio 65%) It is estimated to be. As described above, the propeller pitch is estimated every time the engine is started. More specifically, after the engine is started, the speed of the hull 10 is changed to a predetermined speed (for example, 6 km / h) or the engine speed NE after the gear is engaged. Is calculated as an average value until the rotation speed reaches a predetermined rotation speed (for example, 800 rpm), and the propeller pitch is estimated using this average value. In other words, when the speed of the hull 10 exceeds a predetermined speed (for example, 6 km / h), or when the engine speed NE exceeds a predetermined speed (for example, 800 rpm), the estimation of the propeller pitch ends.

In Equation (1), the actual speed V is calculated from the output value (position information) of the GPS receiver 30, and in Equation (2), the gear ratio of the gear stage is the deceleration of the gear stage currently selected in the transmission 66. For example, the reduction ratio at the second speed is 1.9. The numerical value of 60 is for converting the engine speed NE per minute into a value per hour, and the numerical value of 2.54 × 10 ⁻⁵ is for converting the propeller pitch from inches to kilometers. Is.

  Next, in S12, trim control start determination processing is performed to determine whether trim control should be started, specifically, whether trim up or trim down should be started.

  FIG. 5 is a sub-routine flowchart showing trim control start determination processing. First, in S100, the engine speed NE is detected based on the output value of the crank angle sensor 94, and it is determined whether or not the detected engine speed NE is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed NE1 (for example, 2500 rpm).

  When the result in S100 is negative, the program proceeds to S102, and the bit of the trim down flag is set to 1. Since the trim down flag is a flag that is set to 1 when trim down is started, S100 and S102 are processes for starting trim down at the time of so-called low speed where the engine speed NE is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed NE1.

  On the other hand, when the result in S100 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S104, where the change amount ΔTH per predetermined time of the throttle opening TH is calculated based on the output value of the throttle opening sensor 90, and the calculated change ΔTH is equal to or greater than the predetermined value ΔTH1. Determine whether or not.

  Since S104 is a process for determining whether or not the hull 10 is in a deceleration state, the predetermined value ΔTH1 is set to a negative value (for example, −2 degrees). Accordingly, when the result in S104 is negative, that is, when the change amount ΔTH is determined to be less than the predetermined value ΔTH1, the hull 10 is in a decelerating state, so the process proceeds to S106 and the bit of the accelerating flag indicating that the hull 10 is not in the accelerating state is set. Reset to zero.

  On the other hand, when the result in S104 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S108, where it is determined whether or not the bit of the accelerating flag is 1, that is, whether or not the hull 10 is in an accelerating state. In the first program rule, since the bit of the acceleration flag is usually 0, the result is negative in S108 and proceeds to S110, the amount of change ΔTH of the throttle opening TH is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value ΔTH2, and the throttle opening TH is the predetermined opening It is determined whether TH1 or more. Since S110 is a process for determining whether or not the hull 10 is in an acceleration state, for example, the second predetermined value ΔTH2 is set to 5 degrees / ms, and the predetermined opening TH1 is set to 65 degrees.

  If NO in S110, that is, if it is determined that the hull 10 is not in an acceleration state, the process proceeds to S114, in which it is determined whether or not the variable valve timing mechanism 62 has been activated. When the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is operated, a drive signal is output from the ECU 22 to the variable valve timing mechanism 62. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the variable valve timing mechanism 62 has been operated based on the presence or absence of the drive signal. it can.

  When the result in S114 is negative, the process is terminated. On the other hand, when the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is activated when the hull 10 is not in an accelerating state (No in S110), the process proceeds to S116 and the bit of the trim-up flag is set. Is set to 1. The trim-up flag is a flag that is set to 1 when starting trim-up.

  Further, when the result in S110 is affirmative, that is, when the throttle opening change amount ΔTH is not less than the second predetermined value ΔTH2 and the throttle opening TH is not less than the predetermined opening TH1, it is determined that the hull 10 is in the acceleration state. The bit of the accelerating flag indicating that is in an accelerating state is set to 1.

  If the bit of the accelerating flag is set to 1, in other words, when the hull 10 is in an acceleration state, the process proceeds to S118, and the slip ratio ε of the propeller 18 is calculated and calculated. It is determined whether or not the slip ratio ε is equal to or greater than a predetermined slip ratio ε1. The slip ratio ε is calculated by the equation (1). At this time, the propeller pitch calculated (estimated) in the process of S10 is used. Further, the predetermined slip ratio ε1 is set to such a value that it can be determined that the gripping force of the propeller 18 is weak when the slip ratio is higher than that, for example, 0.5 (50%).

  If NO in S118, that is, if it is determined that the slip ratio ε is less than the predetermined slip ratio ε1, in other words, the gripping force of the propeller 18 is relatively strong (no slip is generated so much), the process proceeds to S120 and the trim-up flag is set. Set the bit to 1. That is, S108, S118, and S120 are processes for starting trim-up when the slip rate ε is less than the predetermined slip rate ε1 even when the hull 10 is accelerating.

  Thus, even when the hull 10 is accelerating, the trim-up is started only when the slip rate ε is less than the predetermined slip rate ε1, so that the occurrence of cavitation can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, when the result in S118 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S122, where the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE per predetermined time is calculated, and whether or not the calculated change amount ΔNE is equal to or less than a first predetermined value ΔNE1 (for example, 200 rpm / s). Judge.

  When the result in S122 is negative, the process ends. When the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S124, and a change amount ΔPB per predetermined time of the intake pressure PB of the engine 52 detected based on the output value of the intake pressure sensor 96 is calculated. Then, it is determined whether or not the calculated change amount ΔPB is a predetermined value ΔPB1 (for example, 1 kPa / s) or less.

  When the result in S124 is negative, the process ends. When the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S126, and the bit of the trim-up flag is set to 1. That is, even if the hull 10 is in an accelerating state (S108) and the slip rate ε of the propeller 18 is not less than the predetermined lip rate ε1 (S118), the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE is not more than the first predetermined value ΔNE1 ( S122) When the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB is equal to or less than the predetermined value ΔPB1, the bit of the trim-up flag is set to 1, and trim-up is started.

  Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 4, the process then proceeds to S14 to perform trim control processing.

  FIG. 6 is a sub-routine flowchart showing the trim control process. As shown in FIG. 6, first, in S200, it is determined whether or not the trim state flag is stopped. The trim state flag is a flag for determining whether the trim state is the stop state, the up state, or the down state, and a value corresponding to any of the stop, up, and down is input.

  In the first program loop, since the trim state flag is stopped, the result in S200 is affirmative and the process proceeds to S202, where it is determined whether or not the bit of the trim-up flag is 1.

  When the result in S202 is negative, the process of S204 and S206 is skipped and the process proceeds to S208. When the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S204 and the trim state flag is increased, and then the process proceeds to S206 and the bit of the trim down flag is set. Is reset to 0.

  Next, in S208, it is determined whether or not the bit of the trim down flag is 1. When the determination is negative, the subsequent processing is skipped and the processing ends. When the determination is positive, the processing proceeds to S210 and the trim status flag is set to down. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S212, and the bit of the trim-up flag is reset to 0.

  If NO in S200, that is, if the trim state flag is not stopped, the process proceeds to S214 to determine whether the trim state flag is up.

  When the result in S214 is affirmative, the program proceeds to S216, in which it is determined whether the trim angle θ is less than the predetermined angle θ1 and the engine speed NE is less than the second predetermined speed NE2. The predetermined angle θ1 is the maximum angle of the trim angle θ or a value close thereto, and is set to 15 degrees, for example. The second predetermined rotational speed NE2 is set to a value near the maximum rotational speed of the engine 52, for example, 6000 rpm.

  In the first program loop, the process of S216 is generally affirmed and the process proceeds to S218 to determine whether the bit of the trim-up start determination flag is 0. The trim-up start determination flag is a flag for determining whether or not trim-up is started. When the trim-up start determination flag is set to 1, it means that trim-up is started.

  When the result in S218 is affirmative, that is, when the bit of the trim-up start determination flag is 0 and the trim-up has not started yet, the process proceeds to S220, and the trim-up is started (indicated as “trim-up ON” in the figure). Proceeding to S222, the bit of the trim-up start determination flag is set to 1.

  If the bit of the trim-up start determination flag is set to 1, the result of S218 is negative and the process proceeds to S224, where it is determined whether or not the re-trim-up flag is 0 after VTEC is turned on. The re-trim-up flag after the VTEC is turned on is a flag for determining whether trim-up is started again after the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is actuated and the trim-up is stopped. After the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is actuated, it means that trim-up has started again.

  When the result in S224 is affirmative, the program proceeds to S226, in which it is determined whether the trim-up stop flag is 0 after VTEC is turned on. The trim-up stop flag after VTEC is turned on is a flag for determining whether trim-up is stopped after the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is activated. When the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is set to 1, the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is activated. After that, it means that the trim-up has stopped.

  When the result in S226 is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S228, where it is determined whether or not the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is in operation. When the result is affirmative, the routine proceeds to S230, where the amount of change ΔNE per predetermined time of the engine speed NE is obtained. It is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the calculated change amount ΔNE is less than a second predetermined value ΔNE2 (for example, 500 rpm / s). When the result in S230 is affirmative, the program proceeds to S232 to start trim-up, while when the result is negative, the program proceeds to S234 and trim-up is stopped (shown as “trim-up OFF” in the figure).

  That is, after the trim-up is started in S218, S228 to S234 (S218), the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is not operated (S228), and the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE is less than the second predetermined value ΔNE2. In this case, the trim-up is continued as it is (S230, S232). However, even when the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is not operated (S228), the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value ΔNE2. Is a process of stopping the trim-up (S230, S234). By performing such processing, it is possible to suppress cavitation that may occur when the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE becomes equal to or greater than the second predetermined value ΔNE2 during trim-up.

  If NO in S228, that is, if it is determined that the variable valve timing mechanism 62 has been operated, the process proceeds to S236 to stop trim-up, and the process proceeds to S238 to set the trim-up stop flag bit to 1 after VTEC is turned on. To do. If the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is activated during trim-up, the propeller 18 may cause cavitation due to a sudden increase in engine output. If the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is activated during trim-up, the trim-up should be stopped. Can suppress cavitation.

  If the bit of the trim-up stop flag is set to 1 after VTEC is turned on, the result of S226 is negative and the process proceeds to S240 to determine whether or not the bit of the acceleration flag is 1. If NO in S240, that is, if it is determined that the hull 10 is not in an acceleration state, the process proceeds to S242 to start trim-up, whereas if YES, that is, if the hull 10 is determined to be in an acceleration state, the process proceeds to S244 and the engine rotation It is determined whether the change amount ΔNE of the number NE is equal to or greater than a third predetermined value ΔNE3 (for example, 300 rpm / s).

  When the result in S244 is negative, the process is terminated. When the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S246, the bit of the re-trim-up flag is set to 1 after VTEC is turned on, and the process proceeds to S248 to start trim-up.

  That is, in S226, S240 to S248, after the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is operated and the trim-up is stopped (S228, S236, S238, S226), the engine 10 is not in the accelerated state or in the accelerated state. When the change amount ΔNE of the rotational speed NE is greater than or equal to the third predetermined value ΔNE3, trimming is started again (S240 to S248).

  Further, if the bit of the re-trim up flag is set to 1 after VTEC is turned on in S246, the result of S224 is negative and the process proceeds to S250, and the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE is set to a fourth predetermined value ΔNE4 (for example, 500 rpm / s) It is determined whether or not it is equal to or less. When the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to S252 to start trim-up. When the result is negative, the process proceeds to S254 and the trim-up is stopped.

  If the trim angle θ has reached the predetermined angle θ1 or the engine speed NE is greater than or equal to the second predetermined speed NE2, the process proceeds to S256 and the trim state flag is stopped. That is, S216 is when the trim angle is started and the maximum angle (for example, 15 degrees) at which the trim angle cannot be increased any more has been reached, or when the engine speed NE has reached the high speed range (for example, 6000 rpm). This is a process for stopping the trim-up.

  Next, the process proceeds to S258, and all bits of the trim-up start determination flag, the trim-up stop flag after VTEC is turned on, the re-trim-up flag after VTEC is turned on, and the trim-up flag are reset to 0, and the process proceeds to S260 and the trim-up is stopped. .

  If NO in S214, that is, if it is determined that the trim state flag is neither stopped nor up, in other words, if the trim state flag is down, the process proceeds to S262 to determine whether the bit of the trim up flag is 0. When the trim state flag is down, the bit of the trim-up flag is normally 0 (S210, S212), so an affirmative decision is made in S262 and the flow proceeds to S264 to determine whether the trim angle θ is the initial angle (eg, 0 degree). .

  When the result in S264 is negative, the program proceeds to S266 and continues trim down (indicated as “trim down ON” in the figure), while when the result is affirmed, the program proceeds to S268, the trim state flag is stopped, and the program proceeds to S270 to trim. The bit of the down flag is reset to 0, and the process proceeds to S272, where trim down is stopped (shown as “trim down OFF” in the figure).

  If NO in S262, that is, if the bit of the trim-up flag is 1, the process proceeds to S274, where the slip ratio ε is calculated and it is determined whether the calculated slip ratio ε is equal to or greater than the predetermined slip ratio ε1.

  When the result in S274 is affirmative, the process ends. When the result is negative, the process proceeds to S276, the trim state flag is increased, the process proceeds to S278, the trim down flag bit is reset to 0, and the process proceeds to S280. Stop down.

  7 and 8 are time charts for explaining a part of the above-described processing.

  First, the processing when the hull 10 is in the acceleration state, more specifically, in the rapid acceleration state will be described with reference to FIG. 7. From time t1 to t2, the change amount ΔTH of the throttle opening TH is set to a second predetermined value ΔTH2 (eg, 5 degrees / Ms) and the throttle opening TH is equal to or greater than a predetermined opening TH1 (for example, 65 degrees), so that the hull 10 is determined to be in an acceleration state (S110, S112).

  Thereafter, at time t3, the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE becomes equal to or less than a first predetermined value ΔNE1 (eg, 200 rpm / s), and the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value ΔPB1 (eg, 1 kPa / s). Therefore, trim-up is started (S122, S124, S126). Further, since the slip ratio ε has become equal to or less than a predetermined slip ratio ε1 (for example, 0.5), trim-up is started (S118, S120).

  In the example shown in the drawing, the condition that the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE is equal to or less than the first predetermined value ΔNE1, the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB is equal to or less than the predetermined value PB1, and the slip rate ε is equal to or less than the predetermined slip rate ε1 is time t3. All are met, but this is done for convenience and not all three conditions need to be met to start trimming up. That is, even when the slip ratio ε exceeds the predetermined slip ratio ε1, if the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE is equal to or less than the first predetermined value ΔNE1 and the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB is equal to or less than the predetermined value PB1, trimming up is performed. Conversely, if the slip ratio ε is equal to or less than the predetermined slip ε1, trimming is started regardless of the value of the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE and the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB.

  Next, when the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE exceeds a second predetermined value ΔNE2 (for example, 500 rpm / s) at time t4, trim-up is stopped (S230, S234). Also, as shown at time t5, the trim-up is also stopped when the operation of the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is detected (S228, S236).

  Next, when the change amount ΔNE of the engine speed NE becomes equal to or greater than a third predetermined value ΔNE3 (for example, 300 rpm / s) at time t6, the stopped trim-up is started again (S244, S248).

  Further, as shown at time t7, when the engine speed NE is equal to or higher than the second predetermined speed NE2 (for example, 6000 rpm) or the trim angle θ becomes the predetermined angle θ1 (for example, 15 degrees), trim-up is stopped (S216). , S260).

  Next, at time t8, the acceleration is completed and the vehicle is decelerating (the amount of change ΔTH of the throttle opening TH is equal to or less than a first predetermined value ΔTH1 (eg, −2 degrees / ms) and the engine speed NE is a predetermined speed NE1 (eg, 2500 rpm)) The trim down is started (S100, S102, S104, S266), and then the trim down is stopped when the trim angle θ becomes the initial angle (for example, 0 degree) at time t9 (S264, S272). Trim-up is started when the rate ε becomes equal to or less than the predetermined slip rate ε1 (S274, S280).

  Next, processing when the hull 10 is in a moderate acceleration state (hereinafter referred to as “gradual acceleration”) will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the change amount ΔTH of the throttle opening TH after the time t1 ′ is a predetermined value (for example, 5 degrees / ms) or less, it is determined that the hull 10 is gradually accelerating, and then the variable valve timing mechanism 62 of the variable valve timing mechanism 62 is determined at the time t2 ′. When the operation is detected, trimming is started (S114, S116).

  Next, trimming-up is stopped when the engine speed NE is greater than or equal to the second predetermined speed NE2 or the trim angle θ reaches the predetermined angle θ1 at time t3 ′ (S216, S260).

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the propeller 18 that can be attached to the hull 10 and is driven by the internal combustion engine 52, and the trim angle adjustment that can adjust the trim angle θ with respect to the hull. In the control device of the outboard motor 12 having a mechanism (power tilt trim unit) 50, a throttle opening change amount calculating means (throttle opening sensor 90, 90) for calculating a change amount ΔTH of the throttle opening TH of the internal combustion engine. ECU 22. S12, S110) and acceleration state determining means for determining whether or not the hull is in an acceleration state based on the calculated amount of change in throttle opening (throttle opening sensor 90, ECU 22, S12, S110). And slip ratio calculating means (ECU) for calculating the slip ratio ε of the propeller based on the theoretical speed Va and the actual speed V of the hull 2. When S10, S12, S14, S118, S274) and the acceleration state determination means determine that the hull is in an acceleration state, the trim angle is increased based on the calculated slip ratio. A trim angle control means (ECU22. S12, S108, S118, S120) for controlling the operation of the trim angle adjusting mechanism is provided, that is, trim-up is started based on the slip ratio ε of the propeller 18. Therefore, cavitation can be suppressed as much as possible even if trimming is performed during acceleration.

  Further, the trim angle control means increases the trim angle when the calculated slip ratio becomes equal to or less than a predetermined slip ratio ε1 when the acceleration state determination means determines that the hull is in an acceleration state. Thus, the operation of the trim angle adjusting mechanism is configured to be controlled (ECU22, S12, S120), so that cavitation can be further suppressed even if trimming is performed during acceleration.

  Further, the slip ratio calculating means is propeller pitch estimating means (ECU22, S10, Formula (3)) for estimating a propeller pitch based on a predetermined slip ratio at the time of trolling of the hull set in advance. Theoretical speed calculation means (ECU22; equation (2)) for calculating the theoretical speed of the hull based on the propeller pitch, and calculating the slip ratio of the propeller based on the calculated theoretical speed and the actual speed. (ECU22. S10, S12, S14, S118, S274. Formula (1)), it is not necessary to set the propeller pitch for each outboard motor 12, and the outboard motor 12 is mounted on the hull 10. Even if it is already on the market, it is possible to incorporate control using the slip ratio ε later. That is, to calculate the slip ratio ε, the value of the propeller pitch is required. However, since the propeller pitch differs for each outboard motor 12 (ship 1), the propeller pitch must be known for each outboard motor 12 in advance. I must. For this reason, when incorporating control using the slip ratio ε, it is necessary to set the propeller pitch for each outboard motor 12 and the outboard motor 12 is already mounted on the hull 10 and is on the market, for example. It is difficult to incorporate later control using the slip ratio ε. However, if the propeller pitch can be estimated, there is no need to set the propeller pitch for each outboard motor 12, and the outboard motor 12 is already mounted on the hull 10 and is already on the market. It is also possible to incorporate control using the slip ratio ε later.

  In the above description, the outboard motor 12 has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to an outboard motor.

  Further, although the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB is determined at S124 in the flowchart of FIG. 5 or at time t3 of the time chart of FIG. 7, the intake pressure PB itself is determined instead of the change amount ΔPB of the intake pressure PB. You may do it. That is, trim up may be started when the intake pressure PB becomes a predetermined value (for example, 80 kPa) or less.

  In the embodiment, the predetermined rotational speed NE1, the second predetermined rotational speed NE2, the first to fourth predetermined values ΔNE1 to ΔNE4, the first and second predetermined values ΔTH1, ΔTH2, the predetermined opening TH1, the predetermined value ΔPB1, the predetermined slip Although specific numerical values are shown for the rate ε1, the predetermined angle θ1, and the like, these are examples and are not limited.

  10 hull, 12 outboard motor, 18 propeller, 22 ECU (electronic control unit), 50 power tilt trim unit (trim angle adjustment mechanism), 52 engine (internal combustion engine), 90 throttle opening sensor (throttle opening change calculation) means)

Claims (3)

  An outboard motor control device comprising a propeller that can be attached to a hull and that is driven by an internal combustion engine, and a trim angle adjustment mechanism that can adjust a trim angle with respect to the hull. Throttle opening change amount calculating means for calculating a change amount, acceleration state determining means for determining whether or not the hull is in an acceleration state based on the calculated change amount of the throttle opening, and a theoretical speed of the hull And a slip ratio calculating means for calculating the slip ratio of the propeller based on the actual speed, and the trim based on the calculated slip ratio when the acceleration state determining means determines that the hull is in an accelerated state. A control device for an outboard motor, comprising trim angle control means for controlling the operation of the trim angle adjusting mechanism so that the angle increases.   The trim angle control means is configured to increase the trim angle when the calculated slip ratio falls below a predetermined slip ratio when the acceleration state determination means determines that the hull is in an acceleration state. The outboard motor control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the trim angle adjusting mechanism is controlled.   The slip ratio calculating means calculates a propeller pitch estimating means for estimating a propeller pitch based on a predetermined slip ratio at the time of trolling of the hull, and calculates a theoretical speed of the hull based on the estimated propeller pitch. 3. The outboard motor control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a theoretical speed calculating unit configured to calculate a slip ratio of the propeller based on the calculated theoretical speed and the actual speed.

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