Method and device for determining degree of aging of spark plug

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining the aging degree of a spark plug. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a current or voltage characteristic of a secondary winding in the spark plug; determining an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristic; and calculating the aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage. The invention also relates to a device for determining the aging degree of the spark plug, a computer program product and an electronic control unit ECU.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to determining the aging degree of a spark plug, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for determining the aging degree of a spark plug, a computer program product, and an electronic control unit (ECU). BACKGROUND

[0002] The service life of a spark plug, as an important ignition component of an engine, gradually decreases with use. The spark plug gap decreases with oxidation of the plating layer, and a smaller spark plug gap is prone to breakdown, and the breakdown voltage energy is insufficient to ignite the in-cylinder mixed fuel, resulting in abnormal ignition and affecting engine starting and running efficiency.

[0003] In the prior art, a scheme of replacing the spark plug at a specific mileage is generally adopted. However, the above scheme is greatly affected by the regional environment, and the natural aging rate of the spark plug under different environments is not the same. In addition, if the scheme of replacing the spark plug at a specific mileage is adopted for the spark plug working in a specific environment or region for a long time, great trouble will be caused to the calibration work.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to obtain a scheme for more accurately estimating the aging degree of a spark plug. SUMMARY

[0005] The inventors of the present application realize that the decrease of the spark plug gap (i.e., the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode of the spark plug) is a natural process with use. It is verified through durability bench tests that the current or voltage characteristics of the secondary winding of the high-voltage coil (i.e., the secondary winding of the ignition coil) can indirectly and effectively reflect the change of the spark plug gap.

[0006] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present application, a method for determining the aging degree of a spark plug is provided, the method comprising: receiving current or voltage characteristics of a secondary winding in the spark plug; determining an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristics; and calculating the aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage.

[0007] As a supplement or alternative to the above scheme, in the above method, determining the average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristics comprises: identifying voltage peak signals in a discharge process according to the received original voltage signals; and averaging a plurality of the voltage peak signals to obtain the average peak voltage of the secondary winding.

[0008] As a supplement or alternative to the above scheme, in the above method, the average peak voltage and the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode of the spark plug have a positive correlation, wherein the smaller the average peak voltage is, the smaller the gap is, and vice versa.

[0009] As a supplement or alternative to the above solution, in the above method, calculating the age of the spark plug based on the average peak voltage comprises calculating the age of the spark plug using the following formula:

[0010]

[0011] where Age represents the age of the spark plug, Volt meanpeak represents the average peak voltage of the secondary winding, Volt ageendmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage when the age is 100%, and Volt agenewmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage of a brand new spark plug, and where Volt ageendmeanpeak and Volt agenewmeanpeak are calibration values.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an apparatus for determining the age of a spark plug, the apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a current or voltage characteristic of a secondary winding in the spark plug; determining means for determining an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristic; and calculating means for calculating the age of the spark plug based on the average peak voltage.

[0013] As a supplement or alternative to the above solution, in the above apparatus, the determining means is configured to: identify voltage peak signals in a discharge process from the received raw voltage signals; and average a plurality of the voltage peak signals to obtain the average peak voltage of the secondary winding.

[0014] As a supplement or alternative to the above solution, in the above apparatus, the average peak voltage is in a positive correlation with a gap between a center electrode and a ground electrode of the spark plug, wherein the smaller the average peak voltage is, the smaller the gap is, and vice versa.

[0015] As a supplement or alternative to the above solution, in the above apparatus, the calculating means is configured to calculate the age of the spark plug using the following formula:

[0016]

[0017] where Age represents the age of the spark plug, Volt meanpeak represents the average peak voltage of the secondary winding, Volt ageendmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage when the age is 100%, and Volt agenewmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage of a brand new spark plug, and where Volt ageendmeanpeak and Volt agenewmeanpeak are calibration values.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the present application, a computer readable storage medium is provided, the medium comprising instructions which, when executed, perform the method as described above.

[0019] According to a further aspect of the present application, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor, performs the method as described above.

[0020] According to a further aspect of the present application, an electronic control unit (ECU) is provided, comprising the device as described above.

[0021] The scheme of determining the aging degree of the spark plug according to the embodiments of the present application determines the average peak voltage of the secondary winding by the received current or voltage characteristic of the secondary winding of the spark plug, and calculates the aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage. The scheme uses the current or voltage characteristic of the secondary winding to reflect the change of the spark plug gap, so that the aging degree of the spark plug can be more accurately estimated, the use rate of the product is improved, the replacement cycle is accurately measured, and the stability of the engine operation is ensured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and other objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by describing in detail the following embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views.

[0023] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method of determining the aging degree of a spark plug according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A structural diagram of a device for determining the aging degree of a spark plug according to an embodiment of the present application is shown; and

[0025] Figure 3 A diagram showing the connection of the pins of the secondary winding of the spark plug and the electronic control unit (ECU) according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, the scheme of determining the aging degree of the spark plug according to the exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method 1000 of determining the aging degree of a spark plug according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in Figure 1 The method 1000 of determining the aging degree of the spark plug includes the following steps:

[0028] In step S110, a current or voltage characteristic of a secondary winding in the spark plug is received;

[0029] In step S120, an average peak voltage of the secondary winding is determined based on the current or voltage characteristic; and

[0030] In step S130, an aging degree of the spark plug is calculated according to the average peak voltage.

[0031] In the context of the present application, a spark plug generally consists of two parts: an insulator and a metal shell. The metal shell is threaded for screwing into a cylinder. The insulator is mounted in the shell and has a center electrode passing therethrough. The upper end of the center electrode has a terminal nut for connecting a high-voltage wire from a distributor. A ground electrode is welded to the lower end face of the shell. A gap of 0.6-1.0 mm is provided between the center electrode and the ground electrode. High-voltage electricity passing through the gap will ignite the mixed fuel by sparking. In one embodiment, the spark plug is a high-voltage electromagnetic spark plug.

[0032] Based on the above understanding of the spark plug, in the context of the present application, the term "spark plug gap" refers to the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode.

[0033] An automobile ignition coil is an important component of an ignition system. Its main function is to convert low voltage in a vehicle electrical system into high voltage to ignite the mixture in the cylinder of an engine, thereby enabling the engine to work normally. The ignition coil achieves the conversion through electromagnetic induction principle. When the ignition switch is turned on, the primary winding of the ignition coil is energized to generate a magnetic field, and then the magnetic field collapses rapidly to generate high voltage in the secondary winding.

[0034] In the context of the present application, "high-voltage coil secondary winding" or "secondary winding" refers to the secondary winding of the ignition coil.

[0035] In step S120, the average peak voltage of the secondary winding is determined based on the received current or voltage characteristic. In one or more embodiments, step S120 includes: identifying voltage peak signals in the discharge process from the received original voltage signal; and averaging a plurality of the voltage peak signals to obtain the average peak voltage of the secondary winding. In this way, the obtained average peak voltage is relatively stable.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, the average peak voltage of the secondary winding is positively correlated to the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode of the spark plug. That is, the smaller the average peak voltage, the smaller the spark plug gap, and vice versa. As the spark plug ages, an oxide layer and carbon deposits form on the spark plug gap, which causes the spark plug gap to decrease, resulting in a lower breakdown voltage, which in turn results in insufficient energy being released at the instant of ignition to ignite the mixture or fuel. In routine maintenance, the oxide layer and carbon deposits are often removed using a file to temporarily increase the breakdown voltage.

[0037] In one embodiment, step S130 comprises calculating the age of the spark plug using the following equation:

[0038]

[0039] where Age represents the age of the spark plug, Volt meanpeak represents the average peak voltage of the secondary winding, Volt ageendmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage when the age is 100%, and Volt agenewmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage of a brand new spark plug, and where Volt ageendmeanpeak and Volt agenewmeanpeak may be calibrated in advance (e.g., through durability bench testing).

[0040] The current or voltage characteristics of the high-voltage coil secondary winding feedback can indirectly and effectively reflect the change in the spark plug gap. Therefore, the secondary winding current or voltage characteristics can be used to calculate the degree of life attenuation during the regular aging process of the spark plug. In this way, the spark plug only needs to be replaced when the life is almost exhausted.

[0041] In addition, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the method 1000 for determining the age of the spark plug provided by one or more embodiments of the present application can be implemented by a computer program. For example, the computer program is contained in a computer program product, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method 1000 for determining the age of the spark plug according to one or more embodiments of the present application is implemented. For another example, when a computer readable storage medium (e.g., a U disk) containing the computer program is connected to a computer, the computer program is run to execute the method 1000 for determining the age of the spark plug according to one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0042] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of an apparatus 2000 for determining the age of a spark plug according to one embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 2As shown, the device 2000 comprises a receiving apparatus 210, a determining apparatus 220, and a calculating apparatus 230. Among others, the receiving apparatus 210 is configured to receive a current or voltage characteristic of a secondary winding of the spark plug; the determining apparatus 220 is configured to determine an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristic; and the calculating apparatus 230 is configured to calculate an aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage.

[0043] In the context of the present application, a spark plug generally consists of two major components: a metal shell with threads for screwing into the cylinder, and an insulator inside the shell with a center electrode running through it, a terminal nut on the upper end of the center electrode to connect the high-voltage wire from the distributor, and a ground electrode welded to the lower end of the shell with a 0.6-1.0 mm gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode through which the high-voltage passes to the ground to ignite the mixture. In one embodiment, the spark plug is a high-voltage electromagnetic spark plug.

[0044] Based on the above understanding of a spark plug, in the context of the present application, the term "spark plug gap" refers to the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode.

[0045] An automobile ignition coil is an important component of the ignition system, and its main function is to convert the low voltage in the vehicle electrical system into high voltage to ignite the mixture in the engine cylinder, so that the engine can work normally. The ignition coil realizes the conversion through the principle of electromagnetic induction. When the ignition switch is turned on, the primary winding of the ignition coil is energized to generate a magnetic field, and then the magnetic field collapses rapidly to generate high voltage in the secondary winding.

[0046] In the context of the present application, "high-voltage coil secondary winding" or "secondary winding" refers to the secondary winding of the ignition coil.

[0047] The determining apparatus 220 is configured to determine the average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the received current or voltage characteristic of the secondary winding. In one or more embodiments, the determining apparatus 220 is configured to: identify voltage peak signals in the discharge process from the received raw voltage signal; and average a plurality of the voltage peak signals to obtain the average peak voltage of the secondary winding. In this way, the obtained average peak voltage is relatively stable.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the average peak voltage of the secondary winding is positively correlated with the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode of the spark plug. That is, the smaller the average peak voltage, the smaller the spark plug gap, and vice versa.

[0049] In one embodiment, the calculating apparatus 230 is configured to calculate the aging degree of the spark plug using the following formula:

[0050]

[0051] wherein Age represents the aging degree of the spark plug, Volt meanpeak represents the average peak voltage of the secondary winding, Volt ageendmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage when the aging degree is 100%, and Volt agenewmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage of a brand new spark plug, and wherein Volt ageendmeanpeak and Volt agenewmeanpeak are calibration values.

[0052] In one embodiment, the device 2000 for determining the aging degree of the spark plug first identifies the change of the original voltage signal, and identifies the peak voltage signal in the discharge process through the original voltage signal. The dispersion of the peak signal is too large, and taking multiple peak voltage signals to obtain the average peak voltage signal can obtain a stable peak voltage signal. Finally, the aging degree (life attenuation degree) of the spark plug is calculated by using the foregoing formula.

[0053] In one or more embodiments, the foregoing device 2000 for determining the aging degree of the spark plug can be integrated in the electronic control unit ECU. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an analog voltage output signal (ADC pin) is led out at the end of the secondary winding 310, which is used to access the ADC (sampling) pin of the ECU 320 to collect the voltage signal. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the CTL control pin of the ECU 320 can also be coupled with the CTL control pin at the end of the secondary winding 310 to transmit the control signal. Figure 3 Figure 3

[0054] In one or more embodiments, the secondary winding 310 can also have one or more pins, including a BAT (battery pin), a GND (ground pin), and the like, which are not limited herein.

[0055] In summary, the scheme for determining the aging degree of the spark plug in the embodiments of the present application determines the average peak voltage of the secondary winding through the current or voltage characteristics of the secondary winding in the received spark plug, and calculates the aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage. The scheme uses the current or voltage characteristics of the secondary winding to reflect the change of the spark plug gap, so as to more accurately estimate the aging degree of the spark plug, improve the use rate of the product, help to accurately measure the replacement cycle, and ensure the stability of the engine work.

[0056] ​​The above examples mainly illustrate the scheme of determining the aging degree of the spark plug according to the embodiments of the present application. Although only some of the embodiments of the present application are described, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented in many other forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the examples and embodiments shown are considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and the present application can encompass various modifications and alternatives without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method of determining the age of a spark plug, characterized by, The method comprises: receiving current or voltage characteristics of a secondary winding in the spark plug; determining an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristics; and calculating an aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, Determining an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristics comprises: identifying voltage peak signals in a discharge process from the received original voltage signals; and averaging a plurality of the voltage peak signals to obtain the average peak voltage of the secondary winding.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The average peak voltage is in a positive correlation with a gap between a center electrode and a ground electrode of the spark plug, wherein the smaller the average peak voltage is, the smaller the gap is, and vice versa.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, Calculating an aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage comprises: calculating the aging degree of the spark plug by using the following formula: wherein Age represents the age of the spark plug, Volt meanpeak represents the average peak voltage of the secondary winding, Volt ageendmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage at 100% age, and Volt agenewmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage of a brand new spark plug, and wherein Volt ageendmeanpeak and Volt agenewmeanpeak are calibration values.

5. An apparatus for determining the age of a spark plug, characterized by The apparatus comprises: receiving means for receiving current or voltage characteristics of a secondary winding in the spark plug; determining means for determining an average peak voltage of the secondary winding based on the current or voltage characteristics; and calculating means for calculating an aging degree of the spark plug according to the average peak voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The determining means are configured to: identify voltage peak signals in a discharge process from the received original voltage signals; and average a plurality of the voltage peak signals to obtain the average peak voltage of the secondary winding.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 or 6, wherein, The average peak voltage is in a positive correlation with a gap between a center electrode and a ground electrode of the spark plug, wherein the smaller the average peak voltage is, the smaller the gap is, and vice versa.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The calculating means are configured to: calculate the aging degree of the spark plug by using the following formula: wherein Age represents the age of the spark plug, Volt meanpeak represents the average peak voltage of the secondary winding, Volt ageendmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage at 100% age, and Volt agenewmeanpeak represents the average peak voltage of a brand new spark plug, and wherein Volt ageendmeanpeak and Volt agenewmeanpeak are calibration values.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. An electronic control unit (ECU) characterized by, The electronic control unit ECU comprises the apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

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