JP2014218907A - Air-fuel ratio control device for internal combustion engine using ion current - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve such a problem that it is difficult to accurately determine a combustion state from an air-fuel ratio on the basis of an ion current because there is a change in the magnitude of a detected ion current value due to an individual difference between structural elements of an ion current detection device for detecting the ion current.SOLUTION: An air-fuel ratio control device for an internal combustion engine includes peak average value calculating means for calculating a peak average value for an ion current detected by an ion current detection device 60 during activating an Osensor 160, storage means for storing an ion current peak value calculated by the peak average value calculating means as an ion peak reference value, computing means for calculating an ion peak theoretical value corresponding to the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine 170 after activating the Osensor 160 from the ion peak reference value stored in the storage means, and comparing means for comparing the ion peak theoretical value calculated by the computing means with the ion current peak value detected by the ion current detection device 60 after activating the Osensor 160. It determines the combustion state of the internal combustion engine 170 in accordance with the result of the comparing means.

Description

The present invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control apparatus that controls a ratio of air to fuel (air-fuel ratio: A / F) in an air-fuel mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine such as an automobile engine. Based on this, air-fuel ratio control is performed.

Conventionally, in a spark ignition type internal combustion engine, fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine is controlled based on the detected air-fuel ratio to improve fuel consumption and output. As a method for detecting the air-fuel ratio, detection is performed using an O ₂ sensor or an air-fuel ratio sensor, but the O ₂ sensor and the air-fuel ratio sensor are in an inactive state, such as during a cold start of an internal combustion engine. In some cases, the measured value is not stable and the accuracy of air-fuel ratio control cannot be maintained. In order to solve this problem, a method for detecting an air-fuel ratio using an ionic current generated between electrodes of a spark plug by combustion of an internal combustion engine has been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-2222989 (hereinafter referred to as “patent”). Document 1 ") is known.

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, an engine control apparatus that controls the fuel injection amount by the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas includes an ion sensor that measures the ion conductivity in the combustion chamber after ignition, obtains the air-fuel ratio at the time of combustion, There has been proposed an air-fuel ratio control apparatus characterized in that an air-fuel ratio control apparatus that controls an air-fuel ratio determines misfire from fluctuations in rotational speed or output torque and makes the air-fuel ratio lean until the misfire limit.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-2222989

However, the above-described conventional air-fuel ratio control device for an internal combustion engine has the following problems. That is, in Patent Document 1, the O ₂ sensor becomes possible lean air-fuel ratio control even at the time of start-up of inert, does not require a heater for activating the O ₂ sensor, the load of the internal combustion engine Although the magnitude of the ionic current value detected varies depending on the individual differences in the components of the ionic current detection device that detects the ionic current, the combustion state for the air-fuel ratio can be accurately determined based on the ionic current. This makes it difficult to make a determination. If the combustion state cannot be determined accurately in this way, it is erroneously determined that fuel is insufficient with respect to the current air-fuel ratio, and fuel that is originally unnecessary may be consumed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and even if the magnitude of the detected ion current value changes due to individual differences in the constituent elements of the ion current detection device that detects the ion current, the sky based on the ion current is used. An object of the present invention is to provide an air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can accurately determine the combustion state of the internal combustion engine with respect to the fuel ratio.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows. Specifically, the invention of claim 1 is an ignition device in which a primary coil and a secondary coil are electromagnetically coupled to apply a high voltage to a spark plug, an ion current detection device that detects an ion current generated in the spark plug, the air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising a O ₂ sensor provided in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, and calculates the average peak value of the ion current detected by said ion current detecting device when the activity of the O ₂ sensor Peak average value calculation means, storage means for storing the ion current peak value calculated by the peak average value calculation means as an ion peak reference value, ion peak reference value stored in the storage means and after the O ₂ sensor activation Comparing means for comparing with the ionic current detected by the ionic current detecting device, and the fuel of the internal combustion engine according to the result of the comparing means. And air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, characterized in that to determine the state.

In the above invention, the calculation means includes a calculation means for calculating an ion peak theoretical value corresponding to an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine after the O ₂ sensor is activated with respect to an ion peak reference value stored in the storage means, and the comparison The means may be configured to compare the theoretical ion peak value calculated by the computing means with the ion current peak value detected by the ion current detector after the O ₂ sensor is activated. The storage means may be configured to initialize an ion peak reference value or a designated area reference position stored in the storage means every time the internal combustion engine is started.

As described above, an ignition device that applies a high voltage to the spark plug by electromagnetically coupling the primary coil and the secondary coil, an ion current detection device that detects an ion current generated in the spark plug, and an exhaust path of the internal combustion engine the air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising O and ₂ sensors, the provided within, and learning means for calculating an average peak value of the ion current detected by said ion current detecting device when the activity of the O ₂ sensor, the A storage means for storing the ion current peak value calculated by the learning means as an ion peak reference value, and an ion peak theoretical value corresponding to the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine with respect to the ion peak reference value stored in the storage means And a ratio for comparing the theoretical ion peak value calculated by the calculation means with the ion current detected by the ion current detection device And determining the combustion state of the internal combustion engine based on the result of the comparison means, so that the magnitude of the ion current value detected by the individual difference of the constituent elements of the ion current detection device for detecting the ion current is increased. Even if it changes, an air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that accurately determines the combustion state with respect to the air-fuel ratio based on the ion current can be realized.

Further, the storage means is configured to initialize the ion peak reference value or the designated area reference position stored in the storage means every time the internal combustion engine is started, so that the ignition device immediately before the internal combustion engine is started. Even if the work of exchanging is performed, it is possible to determine the combustion state reflecting the variation of the ion current due to the individual difference of the ignition device.

It is a figure which shows the circuit structure of the ignition device for internal combustion engines provided with the ion current detection means which is the 1st Example of this invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an internal combustion engine including an air-fuel ratio control apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between Example 1 and for O ₂ sensor activation time of the ion current waveform and the weak lean control during the ion current waveform. 3 is a time chart showing the behavior of the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine in the combustion from the cold start as Example 1. It is a characteristic view which shows the dispersion | variation in the ionic current which arises with the individual difference of the ion current detection apparatus made into Example 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing of the air-fuel ratio control apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, an example showing the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of an ignition device for an internal combustion engine provided with ion current detection means according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an internal combustion engine provided with an air-fuel ratio control device. 2, a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the O ₂ ion current waveform and the ion current waveform during the weak lean control during sensor activation 3, a time chart showing the behavior of the air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine in the combustion from cold start FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing variations in ion current caused by individual differences in ion current detection devices, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of the air-fuel ratio control device.

In FIG. 1, an ignition device 70 is composed of a primary coil 10, a secondary coil 12, an iron core 14, an igniter 20, and an ionic current detection device 60. The primary coil 10 has 100 turns of the primary winding. Winding back and forth, the secondary coil 12 winds the secondary winding around 12000 turns, and the iron core 14 is formed by overlapping silicon steel plates. The igniter 20 is formed by arranging a semiconductor component made of IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) on a metal lead frame and molding the periphery with an insulating resin. Further, the ion current detection circuit 60 includes a capacitor 64 that acts as a bias power source and an operational amplifier 66 that converts an ion current detected during combustion into a detection signal.

Further, the low voltage side of the primary coil 10 is connected to a battery power supply 30 mounted on an automobile, and the high voltage side of the primary coil 10 is connected to the collector terminal of the igniter 20. Further, the gate terminal of the igniter 20 is connected to the ECU 50, and the emitter terminal of the igniter 20 is grounded.

The low-voltage side of the secondary coil 12 is connected to the cathode side of the first diode (zener diode) 62a of the ion current detection circuit 60, and the high-pressure side of the secondary coil 12 carries a mixture of air and fuel. It is connected to a spark plug 40 that discharges a high voltage to be burned and detects an ionic current generated by the combustion of the air-fuel mixture. Further, the anode side of the first diode (zener diode) 62a is connected to the anode side of the second diode 62b, and the cathode side of the second diode 62b is grounded.

The capacitor 64 functioning as a bias power source is connected in parallel to the first diode (zener diode) 62a. The plus side of the capacitor 64 is connected to the secondary coil 12, and the minus side of the capacitor 64 is the first side. The second diode 62b is connected to the anode side. Further, a connection portion between the first diode (zener diode) 62a and the second diode 62b is connected to an inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 66 through a resistor 68a, and an output terminal of the operational amplifier 66 is connected to the ECU 50. Has been.

Further, a detection resistor 68b is connected in parallel to the inverting input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier 66, the non-inverting input terminal and the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier 66 are grounded, and the power supply 30 is connected to the positive power supply terminal. Has been. Further, the operational amplifier 66 has a connection portion between the inverting input terminal and the resistor 68a connected to the cathode side of the third diode 62c, and the anode side of the third diode 62c is grounded.

In FIG. 2, the internal combustion engine 170 is composed of a plurality of cylinders 110 formed in an engine block. Pistons 120 provided at the lower portions of the respective cylinders 110, cranks 122 for converting the vertical movements of the pistons 120 into rotational movements, and crankshafts for rotating the cranks 122 in conjunction with each other And 124. Further, an intake path 130 for supplying a mixture of fuel and air into the cylinder 110 and an exhaust path 150 for discharging exhaust gas after combustion from the cylinder 110 are provided. Further, the intake path 130 is provided with an injection 140 that injects fuel according to the operating state of the internal combustion engine 170, and the exhaust path 150 is provided with an O ₂ sensor 160 that measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas. .

The O ₂ sensor 160 is heated to a certain temperature by a heater (not shown) and activated. Further, the O ₂ sensor 160 is provided in the exhaust passage 150, but is provided with an upstream sensor from the engine to the catalyst and a downstream sensor from the catalyst to the muffler, which will be described in this embodiment. _Two sensors indicate the upstream sensor from the engine to the catalyst.

In addition, the intake path 130 includes an intake valve 132 that adjusts the amount of intake air into each cylinder 110, and the exhaust path 150 includes an exhaust valve that adjusts the amount of exhaust gas from each cylinder 110. 152 is provided. Further, an intake cam 134 for opening / closing the intake valve 132 and an exhaust cam 154 for opening / closing the exhaust valve 152 are provided at the upper part of each cylinder 110.

Also, an intake camshaft 136 for rotating the intake cams 134 in conjunction with each other and an exhaust camshaft 156 for rotating the exhaust cams 154 in conjunction with each other are provided. Further, the crankshaft 124, the intake camshaft 136, and the exhaust camshaft 156 are driven in conjunction by a timing belt.

Each of the cylinders 110 is provided with an ignition plug 40 having an electrode for detecting an ion current generated by combustion of the air-fuel mixture while sparking the air-fuel mixture supplied into the cylinder 110. It has been. Further, each of the spark plugs 40 is electrically connected to the ignition device 70 that boosts the voltage of the power source 30 to a voltage of several tens of kV.

The ignition device 70 supplies an ignition signal corresponding to an appropriate ignition timing to the igniter 20 and is electrically connected to the ECU 50 for determining a combustion state based on a detection signal input from the ion current detection device 60. It is connected. Further, the ECU 50 receives the measurement result of the oxygen amount of the exhaust gas passing through the exhaust path 150 from the O ₂ sensor 160.

Next, an ion current waveform when the O ₂ sensor is activated and an ion current waveform during weak lean control will be described based on the characteristic diagram shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, the X axis indicates time, and the Y axis indicates the magnitude of the ion current value. The ion current waveform detected by the ion current detection device 60 during the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160 and the ion current waveform detected by the ion current detection device 60 during the weak lean control of the internal combustion engine 170 are the internal combustion engine. It cannot be detected during combustion of 170, but is detected from the spark plug 40 after combustion, and the detected ion current rises to a peak value and then decreases. However, since the height of the peak value of the detected ionic current is proportional to the combustion in the cylinder 110, the combustion temperature becomes high when the air-fuel ratio is low (rich) as in the case of a high load of the internal combustion engine 170. At the same time, the peak value of the ion current increases. However, when the air-fuel ratio is high (lean) as in the low load of the internal combustion engine 170, the combustion temperature decreases and the peak value of the ion current also decreases. From this, it can be seen that the ion current detected by the ion current detection device 60 varies at a constant rate depending on the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine 170.

Next, the behavior of the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine in the combustion from the cold start will be described based on the time chart shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, when the internal combustion engine 170 is cold-started, combustion is performed with an air-fuel ratio mixture that becomes rich, and when the cranking by the cell motor ends and the combustion of the internal combustion engine 170 becomes stable, the air-fuel ratio becomes lean Combustion is performed with the air-fuel mixture. In the vicinity of a period in which the O ₂ sensor 160 is activated to a certain temperature by the heater, combustion is performed at an air-fuel ratio of about 14.5, and the ECU 50 determines the O ₂ sensor 160 from the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine 170. Determine the activation. Further, during the weak lean control of the internal combustion engine 170, combustion is performed at an air-fuel ratio of around 15.5, and fuel efficiency is improved.

Further, the O ₂ sensor 160 at the time of cold start of the internal combustion engine 170 is inactive, and it takes several seconds (approximately 8 seconds) after the start until the O ₂ sensor 160 is activated by the heater. Further, it takes about 0.7 seconds for the internal combustion engine 170 to perform 32 combustion strokes during the period in which the O ₂ sensor 160 is activated, and for the internal combustion engine 170 to perform 32 combustion strokes.

Returning to FIG. 3, since the combustion is performed at an air-fuel ratio of about 14.5 during the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160, compared with the weak lean control in which combustion is performed at an air-fuel ratio of about 15.5. It is shown that the peak value of the ion current is high.

Next, based on the characteristic diagram shown in FIG. 5, the ion current generated by the individual difference of the ion current detection device will be described.

In FIG. 5, the first, second, and third diodes 62a, 62b, 62c, the capacitor 64, the operational amplifier 66, the resistor 68a, and the detection resistor 68b that constitute the ion current detection device 60. The magnitude of the detection signal with respect to the detected ion current varies depending on the individual difference. For this reason, even in the same combustion state, a difference arises in the ion current detected by the individual difference of the said ignition device 70 attached. Due to this individual difference, the ion current detected by the ion current detector 60 has a waveform such as an upper limit ion current indicated by a solid line and a lower limit ion current indicated by a broken line. However, in the upper limit ion current and the lower limit ion current, combustion is performed at an air-fuel ratio of about 14.5 with respect to the ion peak value at the time of activation of the O ₂ sensor 160 where combustion is performed at an air-fuel ratio of about 14.5. The ion peak value during the weak lean control that is being performed is decreasing at an approximately equal rate. Therefore, the ECU 50 stores a ratio of ion peak values corresponding to the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine 170 as a map.

Next, processing of the air-fuel ratio control apparatus will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In FIG. 6, the internal combustion engine 170 is started from cranking by a cell motor (S1), and the ECU 50 detects ions from 32 combustions during the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160 after approximately 8 seconds have elapsed since the start of the internal combustion engine 170. A current is detected (S2). Further, the ECU 50 calculates the average value of the 32 ion peak values shown in FIG. 3 from the ion current detected in (S2) (S3), and the ECU 50 calculates the average value of the ion peak values calculated in (S3). Stored as the ion peak reference value (S4). Further, the ECU 50 calculates a theoretical peak value of the ion current according to the air-fuel ratio after activation of the O ₂ sensor 160 of the internal combustion engine 170 with respect to the ion peak reference value stored in (S4) (S5). The ECU 50 detects the ion current in the simultaneous combustion (S6) after the activation of the O ₂ sensor 160 of the internal combustion engine 170 (S5).

The ECU 50 compares the theoretical value of the ion peak calculated in (S5) with the peak value of the ion current detected in (S6) to determine the combustion state (S7), and according to the combustion state of the internal combustion engine 170. Thus, the air-fuel ratio is determined, and the fuel injection amount from the injection 140 is changed. As a reference for determining the combustion state of the internal combustion engine 170, for example, when the O ₂ sensor 160 with an air-fuel ratio of 14.5 is activated and the ion peak reference value is 100%, a weak lean control with an air-fuel ratio of 15.5% is performed. It is stored in the map of the ECU 50 that the combustion state is determined to be normal when the peak value of the ion current detected during the output is around 90%, and by comparing with the actually detected ion peak value, The combustion state is determined.

With the above configuration, an average value of ion peak values detected from 32 combustions during the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160 is stored as an ion peak reference value, and the O _{2 of the} internal combustion engine 170 is compared with the ion peak reference value. By comparing the theoretical peak value of the ionic current according to the air-fuel ratio after activation of the sensor 160 and the ionic current peak value after activation of the O ₂ sensor 160 of the internal combustion engine 170, the combustion state is determined, thereby determining the ionic current detection. Even if the magnitude of the ionic current value detected by the individual difference of the constituent elements of the device 60 changes, an air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that accurately determines the combustion state with respect to the air-fuel ratio based on the ionic current can be realized. In addition, each time the internal combustion engine 170 is started, the stored ion peak value is initialized (erased), and the average value of the ion peak values detected again from 32 times of combustion in the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160 is obtained. By storing as an ion peak reference value, even if an operation for replacing the ignition device 70 is performed immediately before the internal combustion engine 170 is started, the determination of the combustion state that reflects variations in ion current due to individual differences of the ignition device 70 can be performed. it can.

As a modification of the first embodiment, the circuit configuration of the ion current detection device 60 and the configuration of the internal combustion engine 170 are merely examples, and a configuration for detecting an ion current generated between the electrodes of the spark plug 40 is used. Any engine may be used as long as it has the engine. Moreover, although the average value of the ion peak value is calculated from 32 combustions of the internal combustion engine 170, it may be calculated from any number of combustions depending on the design circumstances. Further, it is assumed that the O ₂ sensor 160 is about 8 seconds from the start of the internal combustion engine 170 until the activation by the heater is completed, but it varies depending on the environment (temperature) in which the internal combustion engine 170 is operated. When the air-fuel ratio of 170 becomes around 14.5, the ECU 50 determines that the O ₂ sensor 160 has been activated.

Further, the ECU50 is to calculate the peak theoretical value of the ion current to the air-fuel ratio after the O ₂ sensor 160 activity, the O ₂ sensor 160 with respect to the O ₂ sensor 160 ion peak reference value is detected active period The ratio of the peak value of the ion current detected after the activation of the engine may be calculated and compared with the ratio of the ion peak value corresponding to the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine 170 to determine the combustion state of the internal combustion engine 170. . Further, the ion peak value detected from one combustion (the timing at which the air-fuel ratio becomes 14.5) during the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160 is stored as an ion peak reference value, and the ion peak reference value is compared with the ion peak reference value. The combustion state is determined by comparing the theoretical peak value of the ionic current according to the air-fuel ratio after activation of the O ₂ sensor 160 of the internal combustion engine 170 with the ionic current peak value after activation of the O ₂ sensor 160 of the internal combustion engine 170. It is good also as a structure.

Further, it is stored as an ion peak reference value detected from at least one combustion of the internal combustion engine 170 during the active period of the O ₂ sensor 160 (at a timing when the air-fuel ratio becomes 14.5). the O based on a comparison of the O ₂ sensor 160 the O ₂ sensor 160 ion current peak value after the activity of the peak theoretical value of the ion current corresponding to the air-fuel ratio after the active and the internal combustion engine 170 of the internal combustion engine 170 Te A configuration may be adopted in which the ion current detected during the weak lean control of the internal combustion engine 170 after the _two sensors 160 are activated (from the start of the engine start to about 20 seconds) is corrected.

10: 1 primary coil
12: Secondary coil
14: Iron core
20: Igniter
30: Power supply
40: Spark plug
50: ECU
60: Ion current detector
62a: First diode (Zener diode)
62b: second diode
62c: Third diode
64: Capacitor
66: Operational amplifier
68a: Resistance
68b: Detection resistor
70: Ignition system
110: Cylinder
120: Piston
122: Crank
124: Crankshaft
130: Intake route
132: Intake valve
134: Intake cam
136: Intake camshaft
140: Injection
150: Exhaust route
152: Exhaust valve
154: Exhaust cam
156: Exhaust camshaft
160: O ₂ sensor
170: Internal combustion engine

Claims (3)

An ignition device that applies a high voltage to a spark plug by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil, an ion current detection device that detects an ion current generated in the spark plug, and an exhaust path of the internal combustion engine are provided. An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising an O ₂ sensor,
A peak average value calculating means for calculating a peak average value of an ion current detected by the ion current detection device when the O ₂ sensor is activated;
Storage means for storing the ion current peak value calculated by the peak average value calculation means as an ion peak reference value;
Comparing means for comparing the ion peak reference value stored in the storage means with the ion current detected by the ion current detecting device after the O ₂ sensor activation,
An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that determines a combustion state of the internal combustion engine based on a result of the comparison means. Computation means for calculating an ion peak theoretical value corresponding to the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine after the O ₂ sensor activation with respect to the ion peak reference value stored in the storage means,
Said comparing means according to claim 1, characterized in that compared with the ion current peak value detected by the ion current detecting device after the ion peak theoretical value calculated with the O ₂ sensor activation in the calculating means An air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine. 3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit initializes an ion peak reference value or a designated area reference position stored in the storage unit every time the internal combustion engine is started. Air-fuel ratio control device.

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