Engine Fuel Injection Control for Stable Synchronous Injection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel injection systems in internal combustion engines struggle to maintain accurate synchronous injection amounts while reducing particulate matter (PM) and other exhaust gas emissions, particularly when factors such as fresh air intake, coolant temperature, and fuel vapor interference affect the injection process.

Innovation Solution

A controller that performs a base injection amount calculation, followed by a division process into synchronous and asynchronous injection amounts, with asynchronous injection being corrected using feedforward control to maintain stable synchronous injection, while compensating for disturbances and variations in fresh air intake, fuel vapor, and temperature.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If both synchronous injection amount and asynchronous injection amount are corrected according to the required correction amount, then the air-fuel ratio control is improved, but the synchronous injection amount cannot be maintained at an adequate value for reducing PN

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair-fuel ratio controlVSAvoidPN (particulate matter)
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the injection amount correction into two independent parts: synchronous injection amount and asynchronous injection amount. The base injection amount is divided into these two components, and only the asynchronous injection amount is corrected according to the required correction amount, while the synchronous injection amount is kept uncorrected to maintain it at an adequate value for reducing PN.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different correction strategies to different parts of the injection system: the synchronous injection amount is maintained without correction to ensure low PN, while the asynchronous injection amount is corrected to improve air-fuel ratio control. This local differentiation allows each component to optimize its specific function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If the synchronous injection amount is corrected according to the required correction amount, then the air-fuel ratio control is improved, but it becomes difficult to sufficiently reduce PN

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair-fuel ratio controlVSAvoidPN (particulate matter)
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the injection correction function, applying correction only to the asynchronous injection amount while leaving the synchronous injection amount uncorrected. This segmentation allows the synchronous injection to maintain its PN-reducing capability while the asynchronous injection handles air-fuel ratio control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different correction qualities are applied to different injection components: the synchronous injection maintains a fixed, adequate value optimized for PN reduction, while the asynchronous injection receives dynamic correction for air-fuel ratio management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-generated harmful factors

If the asynchronous injection amount is not corrected, then PN is reduced, but the air-fuel ratio control deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePN (particulate matter)VSAvoidair-fuel ratio control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent assigns different functional responsibilities to different injection components: the synchronous injection amount is dedicated to PN reduction and remains uncorrected, while the asynchronous injection amount handles air-fuel ratio control and receives correction according to the required correction amount.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The synchronous injection is optimized locally for PN reduction without correction, while the asynchronous injection is optimized locally for air-fuel ratio control with dynamic correction, allowing each to excel at its specific function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3557034B1Controller and control method for internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3557034B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3557034B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3557034B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)

AI summary

A port injection valve (16) injects fuel into an intake passage (12). A base injection amount (Qb) is an injection amount proportional to an amount of fresh air (η) introduced into a cylinder (20) of an internal combustion engine (10). A division process (S18 in Fig. 4) involves dividing the base injection amount (Qb) into a synchronous injection amount (Qs) and an asynchronous injection amount (Qns). In an intake-synchronous injection, the fuel is injected in synchronization with a period in which an intake valve (18) is open. In an intake-asynchronous injection, the fuel is injected at a time advanced with respect to the intake-synchronous injection. In a selective correction process (S20, S24), the asynchronous injection amount (Qns) is corrected according to a required correction amount (KAF, Dp, Dd, LAF, ΔQ) for the base injection amount (Qb), and the synchronous injection amount (Qs) is not corrected (Fig.4).