JP5338686B2 - Fuel alcohol concentration determination device for internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately determine the alcohol concentration of a fuel used for an internal combustion engine without the need of an alcohol concentration sensor in an internal combustion engine comprising a port injection valve for injecting a fuel into an intake port and a direct injection valve for injecting a fuel into a cylinder. <P>SOLUTION: The injection ratio of the fuel injection amount from a port injection valve 38 and the fuel injection amount from a direct injection valve 70 is obtained. In the case the engine load is changed, the engine load change amount is obtained. Temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio accompanying the engine load change is sensed so that the fluctuation peak amount is obtained. Then, the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used by the engine is determined by applying the engine load change amount, the fluctuation peak value of the exhaust air-fuel ratio corresponding thereto, and the injection ratio in this case to a determination model for the fuel alcohol concentration. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine, and more specifically, an internal combustion engine that includes a port injection valve that injects fuel into an intake port and an in-cylinder injection valve that injects fuel into a cylinder, and is capable of changing the injection ratio of both injection valves. The present invention relates to a fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus.

  As an internal combustion engine (4-stroke reciprocating engine) for automobiles, it is possible to use multiple types of fuel, for example, hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline and alcohol (ethanol, methanol, etc.), or a mixture of these. There are known internal combustion engines. In such an internal combustion engine, control according to the alcohol concentration of the fuel used is required. Specifically, since the calorific value per unit volume differs greatly between alcohol and gasoline, air-fuel ratio control according to the alcohol concentration of the fuel is required.

  However, the alcohol concentration of the fuel used is not always known and is not always constant. Since there are a plurality of types of commercially available alcohol-mixed fuels having different alcohol concentrations, fuel with an alcohol concentration different from the fuel in the fuel tank may be added by refueling. For this reason, in an internal combustion engine in which use of an alcohol-mixed fuel is assumed, a means for knowing the alcohol concentration of the fuel used is required.

  An alcohol concentration sensor that has been conventionally used as the above means is an alcohol concentration sensor, but an alcohol concentration sensor that can be used for controlling an internal combustion engine is expensive. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-120363 discloses a method for determining the alcohol concentration of fuel without using an alcohol concentration sensor. The method disclosed in the publication is a method in which the fuel injection amount is temporarily increased or decreased, and the alcohol concentration of the fuel is determined from the behavior of the exhaust air-fuel ratio generated at that time. Specifically, the following two methods are disclosed in the publication.

  According to the first method disclosed in the publication, the latent heat of vaporization of alcohol is larger than that of gasoline, and it takes a considerable time for the fuel adhering to the intake port to vaporize and be sucked into the combustion chamber. This is a method that pays attention to this, and a response delay period from when the fuel injection amount is changed to when the change in the exhaust air-fuel ratio appears is obtained as a parameter for determining the alcohol concentration. In the second method disclosed in the above publication, the theoretical air-fuel ratio differs between alcohol and gasoline, and the amount of change in the exhaust air-fuel ratio that accompanies the same amount of increase or decrease varies depending on the alcohol concentration. It is a method that pays attention to. In this second method, the amount of change in the exhaust air-fuel ratio that accompanies a temporary increase or decrease in the fuel injection amount is acquired as a parameter for determining the alcohol concentration.

JP 2003-120363 A JP 2009-191803 A JP 2007-327399 A JP 2009-191650 A JP 2006-214415 A

  There are two types of fuel injection in an internal combustion engine: port injection for injecting fuel into the intake port and in-cylinder injection for injecting fuel into the cylinder. Some internal combustion engines put into practical use are provided with both a port injection valve and a cylinder injection valve, and can separately inject fuel into the port and the cylinder. Even in this type of internal combustion engine, an alcohol mixed fuel may be used as a fuel.

  However, in the case of an internal combustion engine of a type that includes both a port injection valve and an in-cylinder injection valve, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-120363 cannot accurately determine the alcohol concentration of fuel. In this type of internal combustion engine, the injection ratio of port injection and in-cylinder injection is changed according to the operating state. However, the exhaust air-fuel ratio generated when the fuel injection amount is temporarily increased or decreased due to the difference in injection ratio. This is because the behavior is different. That is, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-120363, there is a risk that the alcohol concentration of the fuel being used is erroneously determined.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an alcohol concentration sensor in an internal combustion engine including a port injection valve that injects fuel into an intake port and an in-cylinder injection valve that injects fuel into the cylinder. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel alcohol concentration determination device that can accurately determine the alcohol concentration of a fuel used in an internal combustion engine without using a fuel.

For the above purpose, the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the first invention comprises:
A fuel alcohol concentration determination device for an internal combustion engine comprising a port injection valve for injecting fuel into an intake port and an in-cylinder injection valve for injecting fuel into a cylinder,
Means for obtaining an injection ratio between a fuel injection amount from the port injection valve and a fuel injection amount from the in-cylinder injection valve;
Means for acquiring a change amount of the load when the load of the internal combustion engine changes;
Means for detecting a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs when the load of the internal combustion engine changes, and obtaining a peak value of the fluctuation;
By applying the change amount of the load, the corresponding peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio at that time to the determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration, the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the internal combustion engine Means for determining
It is characterized by having.

A fuel alcohol concentration determination device according to a second invention is the fuel alcohol concentration determination device according to the first invention,
The determination model is configured as a map associating fuel alcohol concentration with load variation, exhaust air-fuel ratio fluctuation peak value, and injection ratio.

For the above purpose, the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the third invention provides:
A fuel alcohol concentration determination device for an internal combustion engine comprising a port injection valve for injecting fuel into an intake port and an in-cylinder injection valve for injecting fuel into a cylinder,
From the fuel injection by the port injection valve to the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve, or from the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve to the fuel injection by the injection valve, while maintaining a constant torque generated by the internal combustion engine Means for switching the form of fuel injection;
Means for detecting a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by switching of the fuel injection mode and obtaining a peak value of the fluctuation;
Means for determining the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the internal combustion engine by applying the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and the magnitude of the load of the internal combustion engine at that time to the determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration When,
It is characterized by having.

A fuel alcohol concentration determination device according to a fourth aspect of the invention is the fuel alcohol concentration determination device according to the third aspect of the invention,
The determination model is configured as a map associating the fuel alcohol concentration with the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and the load of the internal combustion engine.

  First, the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the first invention will be described. In an internal combustion engine equipped with a port injection valve, a temporary fluctuation occurs in the exhaust air-fuel ratio with a change in load. For example, when the load increases, the fuel injection amount from the port injection valve is increased along with the operation to open the throttle. Part of the fuel injected from the port injection valve to the intake port is sucked into the cylinder as it is together with the air in the intake port. However, most of them, once attached to the intake port, are vaporized by the action of heat received from the wall of the port and the action of the negative pressure generated in the intake port, and the vaporized fuel is mixed with the air to enter the cylinder Inhaled. For this reason, the amount of fuel sucked into the cylinder increases after the amount of air sucked into the cylinder, and the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the lean side. Conversely, when the load decreases, the amount of fuel sucked into the cylinder decreases after the amount of air sucked into the cylinder, and the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side.

  The magnitude of the temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by the change in the load of the internal combustion engine greatly depends on the ratio of the port-attached fuel amount to the required fuel amount if the load change amount is the same. The larger the ratio of the amount of adhered fuel, the larger the excess or deficiency of the amount of fuel sucked into the cylinder with respect to the air amount, and the exhaust air / fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side or shifts to the lean side. The amount expands. In the case of an internal combustion engine having both a port injection valve and an in-cylinder injection valve, the ratio of the fuel amount adhering to the intake port with respect to the required fuel amount is divided into the port injection by the port injection valve and the cylinder injection by the cylinder injection valve. It depends on the ratio. The higher the port injection ratio, the larger the ratio of the amount of fuel adhering to the intake port, and the temporary fluctuation amount of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, that is, the fluctuation peak value becomes larger.

  If the load change amount is the same, the magnitude of the temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by the load change greatly depends on the alcohol concentration of the fuel. The higher the alcohol concentration of the fuel used, the more difficult it is for the fuel adhering to the intake port to vaporize, and the greater the delay in response from the change in the fuel injection amount of the port injection valve to the change in the amount of fuel flowing into the cylinder. Become. For this reason, the higher the alcohol concentration of the fuel, the greater the temporary excess or deficiency of the in-cylinder fuel amount with respect to the in-cylinder air amount, resulting in a temporary deviation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio to the rich side or to the lean side. The amount of deviation increases. For example, the amount of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that temporarily shifts to the lean side as the load of the internal combustion engine increases increases as the alcohol concentration of the fuel increases.

  As can be understood from the above, the temporary fluctuation amount (the fluctuation peak value) of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by the change in the load of the internal combustion engine is the load change quantity, the injection ratio, and the alcohol of the fuel. It depends on the concentration. Focusing on this relationship, the alcohol concentration of the fuel being used is specified by specifying the amount of load change, the corresponding peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio at that time. Can do.

  In the fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the above relationship (the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, the amount of change in the load, and the relationship between the injection ratio and the alcohol concentration of the fuel) is the determination model for the fuel alcohol concentration. The change amount of the load prepared in advance and actually acquired in this determination model, the corresponding peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio at that time are applied. According to this, it is possible to accurately determine the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the internal combustion engine without using the alcohol concentration sensor.

  According to the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the second invention, in addition to the effects of the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the first invention, the fuel alcohol is included in the load change amount, the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio. Having a map associating the concentration as a determination model also has an effect of reducing the calculation load for determining the fuel alcohol concentration.

  Next, a fuel alcohol concentration determination device according to a third aspect of the invention will be described. In the case of an internal combustion engine that includes both a port injection valve and an in-cylinder injection valve, the fuel injection by the port injection valve is changed to the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve, or the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve is changed to the fuel injection by the port injection valve. Thus, only the fuel injection mode can be switched without changing the torque generated by the internal combustion engine. In the former switching, the fuel adhering to the intake port before switching flows into the cylinder for a while after switching, so the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side. On the other hand, in the latter case, there is a situation where the amount of fuel sucked into the cylinder is insufficient until a sufficient amount of fuel adheres to the intake port due to the start of port injection, and the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily changes. It will shift to the lean side.

  The magnitude of the temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs as the fuel injection mode is switched depends on the load of the internal combustion engine. This is because the fuel injection amount changes depending on the load, and the magnitude of the negative pressure generated at the intake port also changes. Since the negative pressure generated in the intake port is small when the load is large, vaporization of the fuel adhering to the intake port can be suppressed. On the contrary, since the negative pressure of the intake port when the load is small is large, the vaporization of the fuel adhering to the intake port is promoted.

  In addition, the magnitude of the temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs as the fuel injection mode is switched greatly depends on the alcohol concentration of the fuel. The higher the alcohol concentration of the fuel used, the more difficult it is for the fuel adhering to the intake port to vaporize, and the greater the delay in response from the change in the fuel injection amount of the port injection valve to the change in the amount of fuel flowing into the cylinder. Become. For this reason, as the alcohol concentration of the fuel increases, the temporary shortage or excess of the in-cylinder fuel amount with respect to the in-cylinder air amount becomes more prominent, and the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side or decreases to the lean side. The amount of deviation increases. For example, the amount of temporary deviation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by switching the fuel injection mode from in-cylinder injection to port injection becomes larger as the alcohol concentration of the fuel becomes higher.

  As can be understood from the above, the temporary fluctuation amount (peak fluctuation value) of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by the switching of the fuel injection mode is determined by the magnitude of the load and the alcohol concentration of the fuel. Focusing on this relationship, the alcohol concentration of the fuel being used can be specified by specifying the magnitude of the load when the fuel injection mode is switched and the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio.

  In the fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the above relationship (the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and the relationship between the load magnitude and the fuel alcohol concentration) is prepared in advance as a determination model for the fuel alcohol concentration. The peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio actually obtained in this determination model is applied to the magnitude of the load at that time. According to this, it is possible to accurately determine the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the internal combustion engine without using the alcohol concentration sensor.

  According to the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the fuel alcohol concentration determination device of the third aspect of the invention, the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio caused by the switching of the fuel injection mode, and the load By having a map associating the fuel alcohol concentration with the size as a determination model, there is also an effect that it is possible to suppress a calculation load related to determination of the fuel alcohol concentration.

It is a figure which shows the internal combustion engine to which the fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus as Embodiment 1 of this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the behavior of the exhaust air fuel ratio which arises with the change of throttle opening. It is a figure which shows an example of the map for determining a fuel alcohol density | concentration from the peak value of the fluctuation | variation of an exhaust air fuel ratio, and an injection ratio. It is a flowchart which shows the correction | amendment procedure of the fuel injection quantity performed in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the behavior of the exhaust air fuel ratio which arises with switching of the form of fuel injection. It is a figure which shows an example of the map for determining a fuel alcohol density | concentration from the peak value of the fluctuation | variation of the exhaust air fuel ratio which arises with switching of the form of fuel injection. It is a flowchart which shows the correction | amendment procedure of the fuel injection quantity performed in Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an internal combustion engine (hereinafter simply referred to as an engine) to which an alcohol concentration determination apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. The engine shown in FIG. 1 is a spark ignition type 4-stroke reciprocating engine. The engine includes a cylinder block 6 in which a piston 8 is disposed, and a cylinder head 4 assembled to the cylinder block 6. A space from the upper surface of the piston 8 to the cylinder head 4 forms a combustion chamber 10, and an intake port 18 and an exhaust port 20 are formed in the cylinder head 4 so as to communicate with the combustion chamber 10. An intake valve 12 for controlling the communication state between the intake port 18 and the combustion chamber 10 is provided at a connection portion between the intake port 18 and the combustion chamber 10, and an exhaust gas is provided at a connection portion between the exhaust port 20 and the combustion chamber 10. An exhaust valve 14 for controlling the communication state between the port 20 and the combustion chamber 10 is provided. A spark plug 16 is attached to the cylinder head 4 so as to protrude from the top of the combustion chamber 10 into the combustion chamber 10.

  An intake passage 30 for introducing air into the combustion chamber 10 is connected to the intake port 18 of the cylinder head 4. An air cleaner 32 is provided at the upstream end of the intake passage 30, and air is taken into the intake passage 30 via the air cleaner 32. An air flow meter 56 that outputs a signal corresponding to the intake amount of air is disposed downstream of the air cleaner 32. The downstream portion of the intake passage 30 branches for each cylinder (for each intake port 18), and a surge tank 34 is provided at the branch point. A throttle 36 is disposed upstream of the surge tank 34 in the intake passage 30. The throttle 36 is provided with a throttle sensor 54 that outputs a signal corresponding to its opening.

  Further, an exhaust passage 20 for discharging combustion gas generated by combustion in the combustion chamber 10 as exhaust gas is connected to the exhaust port 20 of the cylinder head 4. A catalyst 42 for purifying exhaust gas is provided in the exhaust passage 40. An air-fuel ratio sensor 58 that outputs a signal corresponding to the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is disposed upstream of the catalyst 42 in the exhaust passage 40.

  The engine of the present embodiment is configured as a dual injection system having two injection valves 38 and 70 for each cylinder. One injection valve 38 is a port injection valve provided in the vicinity of the intake port 18 in the intake passage 30, and injects fuel into the intake port 18. The other injection valve 70 is an in-cylinder injection valve provided so as to face the inside of the combustion chamber 10 to the cylinder head 4, and directly injects fuel into the combustion chamber 10. In such a dual injection system, the injection ratio between the fuel injection amount from the port injection valve 38 and the fuel injection amount from the in-cylinder injection valve 70 can be arbitrarily set. In addition, since the engine of this Embodiment can use alcohol mixed fuel, the fuel injected from each injection valve 38 and 70 is not restricted to gasoline, Alcohol mixed gasoline and 100% alcohol are injected. Sometimes. However, since the fuel tank (not shown) is common between the injection valves 38 and 70, the fuel injected from the two injection valves 38 and 70 is of the same type, and fuels having different alcohol concentrations are injected separately. Absent.

  The engine of this embodiment includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 as its control device. Various actuators such as the port injection valve 38, the in-cylinder injection valve 70, the throttle 36, and the spark plug 16 are connected to the output side of the ECU 50. Various sensors such as a crank angle sensor 52 that outputs a signal corresponding to the rotation angle of the crankshaft 24 are connected to the input side of the ECU 50 in addition to the air flow meter 56, the throttle sensor 54, and the air-fuel ratio sensor 58 described above. ing. However, although the engine of the present embodiment is an engine that can use an alcohol-mixed fuel, it does not include an alcohol concentration sensor that can directly measure the alcohol concentration of the fuel. The ECU 50 operates each actuator provided in the engine according to a predetermined control program based on the output of each sensor provided in the engine.

  In the present embodiment, the ECU 50 functions as a fuel alcohol concentration determination device. The determination of the fuel alcohol concentration performed in the present embodiment is performed by detecting a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio at that time by the air-fuel ratio sensor 58 when there is a fluctuation in the engine load, and a peak value of the fluctuation. One of the features is to use as information for determination. In addition, as information for determining the fuel alcohol concentration, there is a feature in using the injection ratio when the exhaust air-fuel ratio fluctuates as the engine load fluctuates. Hereinafter, the determination method of the fuel alcohol concentration performed by the ECU 50 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the behavior of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs with a change in the opening of the throttle 36 when the injection ratio of port injection and in-cylinder injection is constant. From this figure, when the throttle 36 is operated to the open side, the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the lean side, and conversely, when the throttle 36 is operated to the close side, the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side. I understand that. Such a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio is considerable until the fuel injected from the port injection valve 38 once adheres to the intake port 18 and the attached fuel is vaporized and sucked into the combustion chamber 10. It takes time.

  For example, when the throttle 36 is opened, the fuel injection amount from each injection valve 38, 70 is increased in accordance with the increase in engine load. At this time, a part of the fuel injected from the port injection valve 38 to the intake port 18 is sucked into the combustion chamber 10 together with the air in the intake port 18, but most of it is temporarily attached to the intake port 18. . For this reason, the amount of fuel sucked into the combustion chamber 10 from the intake port 18 increases with a delay in the amount of air, and the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber 10, that is, the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily changes to the lean side. It will shift to. On the other hand, when the throttle 36 is closed, the fuel injection amount from each of the injection valves 38 and 70 is reduced in accordance with the decrease in the engine load, but the fuel amount sucked into the combustion chamber 10 is delayed with respect to the air amount. As a result, the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side.

  Here, attention is focused on the magnitude of temporary fluctuations in the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occur as the throttle 36 is operated. There are the following three factors that determine the magnitude of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, that is, the peak value of the fluctuation (indicated by an arrow in the figure). The first factor is the amount of change in engine load. Since the fuel injection amount is increased / decreased in accordance with a change in the engine load, the increase / decrease amount of the fuel injection amount increases with a large change in the engine load, resulting in a large fluctuation peak value.

  The second factor is the injection ratio of port injection and in-cylinder injection. If the total fuel injection amount is the same, the amount of fuel adhering to the intake port 18 is determined by the injection ratio of port injection and in-cylinder injection. As the ratio of the fuel amount adhering to the port to the required fuel amount (the fuel amount determined from the target air-fuel ratio and the in-cylinder intake air amount) increases, the delay of the fuel amount sucked into the combustion chamber 10 with respect to the air amount becomes more significant. Become. Therefore, when the engine load is increased and the total fuel injection amount is increased, the larger the ratio of the port-attached fuel amount to the required fuel amount, that is, the higher the port injection ratio in the injection ratio, the shorter the fuel amount. Becomes prominent, and the peak value of the deviation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio toward the lean side increases. Conversely, when the engine load is reduced and the total fuel injection amount is reduced, the larger the ratio of the port-attached fuel amount to the required fuel amount, that is, the higher the port injection ratio in the injection ratio, the more the fuel amount. Excessiveness becomes remarkable, and the peak value of the deviation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio to the rich side becomes large.

  The third factor is the alcohol concentration of the fuel being used. The higher the alcohol concentration of the fuel, the harder the fuel adhering to the intake port 18 is vaporized, and the longer the response delay from when the fuel injection amount of the port injection valve 38 is changed until the change in the fuel amount flowing into the combustion chamber 10 appears. . Therefore, when the engine load increases, the higher the fuel alcohol concentration, the more the temporary shortage of the in-cylinder fuel amount relative to the in-cylinder air amount becomes more prominent, and the peak value of the deviation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio to the lean side becomes growing. Further, when the engine load decreases, the higher the fuel alcohol concentration, the more the temporary excess of the fuel amount with respect to the intake air amount becomes more prominent, and the peak value of the deviation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio to the rich side becomes larger.

  The peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio is determined by the above three factors. This means that there is a certain relationship among the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, the engine load change amount, the injection ratio, and the fuel alcohol concentration. If this fixed relationship is modeled by a function, map, etc., the amount of change in the engine load, the peak value of the corresponding fluctuation in the exhaust air / fuel ratio, and the injection ratio at that time can be specified, respectively. It is possible to determine the alcohol concentration of the fuel being used.

  The ECU 50 as the fuel alcohol concentration determination device includes a map that associates the fuel alcohol concentration with the engine load change amount, the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio as a determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration. An example is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, a curve indicating the correlation between the peak value (A / F fluctuation peak value) of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and the alcohol concentration is prepared for each injection ratio. FIG. 3 illustrates three injection ratios: port injection 100%, port injection 50% (in-cylinder injection 50%), and in-cylinder injection 100%. In the ECU 50, such a map is prepared for each change amount of the engine load.

  The ECU 50 acquires the change amount of the engine load, the corresponding peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio at that time, and applies the acquired information to the determination model. This makes it possible to accurately determine the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the engine without using an alcohol concentration sensor.

  The determination result of the alcohol concentration is used for air-fuel ratio control by the ECU 50. When determining the fuel injection amount from the target air-fuel ratio and the cylinder intake air amount, the ECU 50 reflects the alcohol concentration determination result in the correction value to be added to the basic fuel injection amount. Since alcohol has a smaller amount of heat per unit volume than gasoline, the higher the alcohol concentration, the larger the correction value is set.

  Finally, the fuel injection amount correction procedure to which the fuel alcohol concentration determination method of this embodiment is applied will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In the first step S2, the currently set injection ratio of port injection and in-cylinder injection is acquired.

  In the next step S4, when a change in the engine load is detected, the ECU 50 acquires the change amount. The ECU 50 calculates the engine load from the opening degree of the throttle 36, the engine speed, the output value of the air flow meter 56, and the like. The amount of change in engine load acquired is the amount of change in engine load per unit time (Δengine load / sec).

  Then, in the next step S6, the peak value (A / F fluctuation peak value) of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs with the change of the engine load is acquired.

  In the next step S8, a map (a map as shown in FIG. 3) corresponding to the amount of change in the engine load acquired in step S4 is selected from the map group constituting the determination model for the fuel alcohol concentration. Then, the injection ratio acquired in step S2 and the A / F fluctuation peak value acquired in step S6 are applied to the selected map. Thereby, the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the engine is accurately determined.

  In step S10, the fuel alcohol concentration determined in step S8 is reflected in the fuel injection amount correction value. As a result, it is possible to inject an appropriate amount of fuel according to the alcohol concentration and the target air-fuel ratio, and the accuracy of air-fuel ratio control is improved.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus of the present embodiment is applied to the engine having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following description, the description will be made on the assumption of the engine shown in FIG. 1 as in the first embodiment.

  The determination of the fuel alcohol concentration performed in the present embodiment is performed from the fuel injection by the port injection valve 38 to the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve 70 or the in-cylinder injection valve while maintaining the generated torque of the engine constant. One feature is that the mode of fuel injection is actively switched from fuel injection by the fuel injector 70 to fuel injection by the port injection valve 38. The ECU 50 detects a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by switching of the fuel injection mode, and uses the peak value of the fluctuation as information for determination. Hereinafter, the determination method of the fuel alcohol concentration performed by the ECU 50 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the behavior of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs when the fuel injection mode is switched when the generated torque of the engine is constant during steady running. From this figure, it can be seen that the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the lean side when the in-cylinder injection is switched to the port injection. In this case, since the fuel adhering to the intake port 18 before switching flows into the combustion chamber 10 for a while after switching, the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber 10, that is, the exhaust air-fuel ratio is temporarily Will shift to the lean side.

  FIG. 5 also shows that the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the rich side when the port injection is switched to the in-cylinder injection. In this case, a situation occurs in which the amount of fuel sucked into the combustion chamber 10 is insufficient until a sufficient amount of fuel adheres to the intake port 18 due to the start of fuel injection by the port injection valve 38. The air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture, that is, the exhaust air-fuel ratio temporarily shifts to the lean side.

  Here, attention is focused on the magnitude of temporary fluctuations in the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occur as the fuel injection mode is switched. In this case, there are the following two factors that determine the magnitude of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, that is, the peak value of the fluctuation (indicated by an arrow in the figure). The first factor is the engine load. The fuel injection amount changes depending on the engine load, and the magnitude of the negative pressure generated at the intake port 18 also changes. When the engine load is large, the negative pressure generated at the intake port 18 is small, and the vaporization of the fuel adhering to the intake port 18 is suppressed. Conversely, the negative pressure of the intake port 18 when the engine load is small is large, and the vaporization of the fuel adhering to the intake port 18 is promoted.

  The second factor is the alcohol concentration of the fuel being used. The higher the alcohol concentration of the fuel, the harder the fuel adhering to the intake port 18 is vaporized, and the longer the response delay from when the fuel injection amount of the port injection valve 38 is changed until the change in the fuel amount flowing into the combustion chamber 10 appears. . For this reason, as the fuel alcohol concentration increases, the temporary shortage or excess of the in-cylinder fuel amount with respect to the in-cylinder air amount becomes more prominent, and the deviation amount of the exhaust air-fuel ratio to the rich side or the deviation amount to the lean side becomes larger. Become.

  The above two factors determine the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio associated with the switching of the fuel injection mode. This means that there is a certain relationship among the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, the magnitude of the engine load, and the fuel alcohol concentration. If this fixed relationship is modeled by a function, a map, etc., it is currently used by specifying the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio accompanying the switching of the fuel injection mode and the magnitude of the engine load. It becomes possible to determine the alcohol concentration of the fuel.

  The ECU 50 serving as a fuel alcohol concentration determination device uses, as a determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration, a map that associates the fuel alcohol concentration with the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio caused by the switching of the fuel injection mode and the magnitude of the engine load. I have. An example is shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, a curve indicating the correlation between the peak value (A / F fluctuation peak value) of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and the alcohol concentration is prepared. In the ECU 50, such a map is prepared for each magnitude of the engine load when switching from port injection to in-cylinder injection and when switching from in-cylinder injection to port injection.

  The ECU 50 acquires the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air / fuel ratio caused by the switching of the fuel injection mode and the magnitude of the engine load at that time, and applies the acquired information to the determination model. This makes it possible to accurately determine the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the engine without using an alcohol concentration sensor. When determining the fuel injection amount from the target air-fuel ratio and the cylinder intake air amount, the ECU 50 reflects the alcohol concentration determination result in the correction value to be added to the basic fuel injection amount.

  Finally, the fuel injection amount correction procedure to which the fuel alcohol concentration determination method of the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In the first step S12, the fuel injection mode is switched. Switching to in-cylinder injection is performed when port injection is being performed, and switching to port injection is performed when in-cylinder injection is being performed.

  In the next step S14, the peak value (A / F fluctuation peak value) of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that has occurred as the fuel injection mode is switched is acquired.

  In the next step S16, a map corresponding to the direction of switching of the fuel injection mode performed in step S12 and the current engine load from the map group constituting the determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration (FIG. 6) is selected. Then, the A / F fluctuation peak value acquired in step S14 is applied to the selected map. Thereby, the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the engine is accurately determined.

  In step S18, the fuel alcohol concentration determined in step S8 is reflected in the fuel injection amount correction value. As a result, it is possible to inject an appropriate amount of fuel according to the alcohol concentration and the target air-fuel ratio, and the accuracy of air-fuel ratio control is improved.

Others.
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10 Combustion chamber 36 Throttle 18 Intake port 38 Port injection valve 50 ECU
58 Air-fuel ratio sensor 70 In-cylinder injection valve

Claims (4)

A fuel alcohol concentration determination device for an internal combustion engine comprising a port injection valve for injecting fuel into an intake port and an in-cylinder injection valve for injecting fuel into a cylinder,
Means for obtaining an injection ratio between a fuel injection amount from the port injection valve and a fuel injection amount from the in-cylinder injection valve;
Means for acquiring a change amount of the load when the load of the internal combustion engine changes;
Means for detecting a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio that occurs when the load of the internal combustion engine changes, and obtaining a peak value of the fluctuation;
By applying the change amount of the load, the corresponding peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio, and the injection ratio at that time to the determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration, the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the internal combustion engine Means for determining
A fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:   2. The fuel for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the determination model is configured as a map for associating a fuel alcohol concentration with a load change amount, a peak value of fluctuation of an exhaust air-fuel ratio, and an injection ratio. Alcohol concentration determination device. A fuel alcohol concentration determination device for an internal combustion engine comprising a port injection valve for injecting fuel into an intake port and an in-cylinder injection valve for injecting fuel into a cylinder,
From the fuel injection by the port injection valve to the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve, or from the fuel injection by the in-cylinder injection valve to the fuel injection by the injection valve, while maintaining a constant torque generated by the internal combustion engine Means for switching the form of fuel injection;
Means for detecting a temporary fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio caused by switching of the fuel injection mode and obtaining a peak value of the fluctuation;
Means for determining the alcohol concentration of the fuel currently used in the internal combustion engine by applying the peak value of the fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and the magnitude of the load of the internal combustion engine at that time to the determination model of the fuel alcohol concentration When,
A fuel alcohol concentration determination apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:   4. The fuel for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the determination model is configured as a map for associating a fuel alcohol concentration with a peak value of fluctuation of the exhaust air-fuel ratio and a load size of the internal combustion engine. Alcohol concentration determination device.

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