Injector Control Equalization via Transient Fuel Pressure Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Internal combustion engines face variations in injector opening behavior and fuel injection quantities across cylinders, leading to uneven cylinder loading, rotational irregularities, and increased exhaust emissions, which existing methods struggle to address effectively, especially in large engines with complex mechanical influences.

Innovation Solution

A method that uses transient fuel pressure measurements from a single fuel pressure sensor to adjust injector behavior, employing a discrete Fourier transform algorithm to correct injector control and equalize fuel delivery across cylinders, reducing the need for additional sensors and complex analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If injectors are controlled with identical current parameters, then control simplicity is maintained, but fuel quantity variation across cylinders increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjector control simplicityVSAvoidfuel quantity uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by determining injector-specific adjustment features based on individual cylinder measurements (crank angle signal analysis for each cylinder) and applying tailored current parameter corrections to each injector. This allows each injector to be optimized for its specific performance characteristics while maintaining overall system control simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by measuring the actual fuel injection effect through crank angle signal analysis, comparing measured values against target values, and using the differences to calculate correction values for injector control parameters. This closed-loop feedback enables continuous optimization of fuel quantity uniformity across cylinders.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of manufacture

If injector variation is high, then manufacturing tolerance is easier to achieve, but pre-injection and post-injection become unfeasible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjector manufacturing toleranceVSAvoidinjection control flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the injector control parameters adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts current parameters based on real-time measurements of each injector's actual performance, enabling pre-injection and post-injection capabilities even with varying manufacturing tolerances by optimizing control parameters for each individual injector.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If fuel quantities vary across cylinders, then injector manufacturing variation is acceptable, but rotational irregularities and increased loads occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjector opening behavior variationVSAvoidrotational stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses feedback through crank angle signal analysis to detect rotational irregularities and fuel quantity variations, then applies corrective control parameters to individual injectors. This enables the system to compensate for manufacturing variations and maintain rotational stability despite inherent injector variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by calculating and implementing corrected current parameters for each injector based on measured performance deviations. By adjusting control parameters individually for each injector, the system compensates for manufacturing variations and achieves uniform fuel delivery, thereby maintaining rotational stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Device complexity

If identical current parameters are used for all injectors, then control system complexity is minimized, but exhaust gas temperature uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol system complexityVSAvoidexhaust gas temperature uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by measuring and evaluating parameters specific to each cylinder (crank angle signals) and using this information to determine individualized injector control parameters. This localized optimization ensures uniform exhaust gas temperatures across all cylinders while keeping the overall control architecture relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3814619B1Method for adjusting the injection behavior of injectors of a combustion engine, engine control unit and internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 ROLLS ROYCE SOLUTIONS GMBH
  • EP3814619B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3814619B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3814619B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, wherein the following is provided according to the invention in order to align the injection behavior of injectors; sensing a transient fuel pressure of the internal combustion engine, the transient fuel pressure being sensed using a fuel pressure sensor assembly at the fuel collection chamber and/or at the fuel feed; determining a measure, the measure being associated with a switched-off injector of the number of injectors and being determined by means of a transient algorithm on the transient fuel pressure; and correcting the control of an injector to be corrected, the measure associated with the injector to be corrected being used.