Optimized Fuel Management System for Direct Injection Ethanol Enhancement of Gasoline Engines

Abstract

Fuel management system for enhanced operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine. Injectors inject an anti-knock agent such as ethanol directly into a cylinder. It is preferred that the direct injection occur after the inlet valve is closed. It is also preferred that stoichiometric operation with a three way catalyst be used to minimize emissions. In addition, it is also preferred that the anti-knock agents have a heat of vaporization per unit of combustion energy that is at least three times that of gasoline.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 758,157 filed Jun. 5, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 100,026 filed Apr. 6, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,787 the contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to an optimized fuel management system for use with spark ignition gasoline engines in which an anti-knock agent which is a fuel is directly injected into a cylinder of the engine.[0003]There are a number of important additional approaches for optimizing direct injection ethanol enhanced knock suppression so as to maximize the increase in engine efficiency and to minimize emissions of air pollutants beyond the technology disclosed in parent application Ser. No. 10 / 991,774 set out above. There are also additional approaches to protect the engine and exhaust system during high load operation by ethanol rich operation; and to minimize cost, e...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]In one aspect, the invention is a fuel management system for operation of a spark ignition gasoline engine including a gasoline engine and a source of an anti-knock agent which is a fuel. The use of the anti-knock agent provides gasoline savings both by facilitating increased engine efficiency over a drive cycle and by substitution for gasoline as a fuel. An injector is provided for direct injection of the anti-knock agent into a cylinder of the engine and a fuel management control system controls injection of the anti-knock agent into the cylinder to control knock. The injection of the antiknock agent can be initiated by a signal from a knock sensor. It can also be initiated when the engine torque is above a selected value or fraction of the maximum torque where the value or fraction of the maximum torque is a function of the engine speed. In a preferred embodiment, the injector injects the anti-knock agent after inlet valve / valves are closed. It is preferred that the anti-knock agent have a heat of vaporization that is at least twice that of gasoline or a heat of vaporization per unit of combustion energy that is at least three times that of gasoline. A preferred anti-knock agent is ethanol. In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, part of the fuel is port injected and the port injected fuel is gasoline. The directly injected ethanol can be mixed with gasoline or with methanol. It is also preferred that the engine be capable of operating at a manifold pressure at least twice that pressure at which knock would occur if the engine were to be operated with naturally aspirated gasoline. A suitable maximum ethanol fraction during a drive cycle when knock suppression is desired is between 30% and 100% by energy. It is also preferred that the compression ratio be at least 10. With the higher manifold pressure, the engine can be downsized by a factor of two and the efficiency under driving conditions increased by 30%.

Problems solved by technology

In some embodiments, non-uniform ethanol injection is employed.

Ethanol injection may be delayed relative to bottom dead center when non-uniform ethanol distribution is desired.

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