Engine Control Adaptive Correction Limiting Fuel Richness

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing engine control strategies struggle to accurately limit the correction of fuel richness by adaptives, leading to overconsumption, increased polluting emissions, and impacts on driving pleasure due to the inability to anticipate and account for the overall impact of adaptive corrections on fuel richness.

Innovation Solution

A process implemented in engine control that calculates individual and global impact values of adaptives on fuel richness, compares these values to predefined thresholds, and applies a reduction factor to adaptives to limit their correction impact, thereby controlling fuel richness and emissions across various engine operating points.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If independent saturation of each adaptive is implemented to limit richness correction, then individual adaptive corrections are controlled, but the overall impact of multiple adaptives on richness cannot be anticipated or accounted for

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelimitation precisionVSAvoidoverall impact information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the limitation process into two distinct levels: individual adaptive saturation (first level) and global richness impact saturation (second level). Each adaptive is first saturated independently based on its own impact, then the cumulative effect of all adaptives is calculated and saturated if it exceeds global thresholds. This segmentation allows both individual control and overall impact anticipation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by calculating the global impact of all adaptives on richness and using this information to adjust the saturation levels. The system continuously monitors the cumulative effect and provides feedback to modify individual adaptive applications, ensuring the overall richness remains within acceptable bounds while accounting for interactions between adaptives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple adaptives of different natures are applied to correct richness sources, then correction coverage is improved, but interaction effects between adaptives become difficult to predict and control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrection coverageVSAvoidinteraction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the individual adaptive corrections into a global richness impact calculation. By combining the effects of all adaptives (intake camshaft phase shifter adaptive, exhaust camshaft phase shifter adaptive, injector adaptive) into a single global impact assessment, the system can control the cumulative effect while maintaining the benefits of multiple correction sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal saturation mechanism that works for adaptives of different natures. The global saturation function applies the same control logic regardless of the adaptive type, making the system versatile across different correction sources while simplifying the management of interaction complexity through a unified approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Speed

If adaptive corrections are applied without global impact limitation, then richness correction responsiveness is improved, but over-correction or under-correction risks increase affecting emissions and driving pleasure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrection responsivenessVSAvoidcorrection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by implementing global saturation thresholds before adaptive corrections are fully applied. The system pre-calculates acceptable richness impact bounds and uses these thresholds to limit adaptive corrections in advance, preventing over-correction or under-correction before they occur while maintaining responsive correction within safe bounds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4348024B1Method of limiting a parameter correction performed by several adaptation values in an engine control device
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 STELLANTIS AUTO SAS
  • EP4348024B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4348024B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method, implemented in an engine control device of a vehicle, of limiting a correction of at least one parameter, said correction being performed by several adaptation values, the method comprising the following steps: - calculating (10), for every adaptation value, an individual impact value indicating the impact said adaptation value has on the at least one parameter for a current operating point of the engine; - calculating (12) an overall impact value of the impact of all the adaptation values on said at least one parameter for the current operating point of the engine; - comparing (14) the calculated overall impact value with at least one predefined overall impact threshold value; - calculating (16), depending on the result of the comparison, a reduction factor to be applied to the adaptation values; and - applying (18) the calculated reduction factor to each of the adaptation values, thereby providing a set of reduced adaptation values.