Fuel Injection Fault Diagnosis via Secondary Injections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel injection systems face challenges in reliably diagnosing deviations in fuel injection quantity over the engine's lifespan, leading to potential engine damage and non-compliance with emission regulations, due to interference noise, sensor cross-sensitivity, and age-induced parameter changes.

Innovation Solution

A method involving secondary injections by each injector during a test routine, with combined assessment of rail pressure, injector voltage, and residual oxygen or air ratio signals to identify faulty components, providing a reliable and precise on-board diagnosis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single physical signal (e.g., rail pressure signal or injector voltage) is used for monitoring injection quantity, then the monitoring system is simple, but the measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to interference noise and sensor cross-sensitivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring system complexityVSAvoidinjection quantity measurement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple physical signals (rail pressure signal, injector voltage, lambda sensor signal) into a comprehensive monitoring system. By merging these different signal types, the system achieves more reliable and precise injection quantity monitoring while compensating for the limitations of individual signals, such as interference noise and cross-sensitivity issues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If small injection quantities are monitored using available sensors, then the monitoring covers the full injection range, but the measurement precision deteriorates because small injection quantities only provoke small signal strokes at sensors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinjection quantity range coverageVSAvoidsmall injection quantity measurement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes different physical parameters (pressure, voltage, oxygen concentration) to monitor injection quantities across the full range. By changing the measurement parameters used at different injection levels, the system maintains high precision even for small injection quantities where single sensors would produce only small signal strokes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a single sensor type is used for monitoring, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability deteriorates due to interference noise, conducted noise, capacitively coupled noise, and sensor contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor system complexityVSAvoiddiagnosis reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an evaluation unit that acts as an intermediary to process and cross-validate multiple sensor signals. This intermediary component analyzes the relationships between different signals (e.g., comparing expected lambda sensor responses with actual readings) to distinguish true injection deviations from noise and interference, thereby enhancing diagnosis reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If the minimum injection quantity is maintained over the service life, then the injection system performance is preserved, but the reliability deteriorates due to age-induced parameter changes and component deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinjection quantity maintenanceVSAvoidaged system reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary characterization of the injection system during a test phase to establish baseline parameters before normal operation. By pre-determining individual injection quantities and creating reference profiles for each injector, the system can later detect age-induced changes by comparing current performance against these baseline values, enabling early detection of deterioration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the monitoring system continuously compares actual injection quantities against expected values derived from test phase data. When deviations are detected that indicate age-induced deterioration, the system can trigger alerts or adjustments to maintain minimum injection quantity requirements throughout the service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10920710B2Method for identifying faulty components of a fuel injection system

Publication Date: 2021.02.16 VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

AI summary

A method for identifying faulty components of a fuel injection system is disclosed, wherein a secondary injection is performed individually by each injector during a test routine, after the secondary injection several predefined parameters of the fuel injection system are determined, and a combined assessment of the determined parameters is used to draw conclusions about whether or not components of the fuel injection system are faulty.