Skip-Firing Engine Cylinder Thermal Uniformity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines face excessive mechanical loads and wear due to skip-firing, which existing methods fail to adequately address, leading to uneven thermal and mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A control or regulating device that manages ignition and fuel introduction based on characteristic cylinder temperatures, selectively switching off or on cylinders to maintain a uniform thermal state by adjusting ignition and fuel delivery according to predefined temperature limits and engine load requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If skip-firing is used to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, then energy efficiency is improved, but mechanical loads and wear increase excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The control device monitors characteristic temperatures of individual cylinders and dynamically adjusts ignition timing and fuel injection parameters. When a cylinder's temperature deviates from the optimal range, the control device modifies injection timing, duration, or amount to balance thermal loads across all cylinders, thereby reducing excessive mechanical wear while maintaining fuel efficiency benefits
Solution Approach 2:
Temperature sensors in each cylinder provide real-time feedback to the control device. Based on this feedback, the control device continuously adjusts ignition and fuel injection parameters for each cylinder individually. This closed-loop control prevents excessive thermal and mechanical loads by compensating for temperature variations, thus improving reliability while maintaining energy efficiency
2Use of energy by moving object
If individual cylinders are switched off to reduce fuel consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but thermal uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely switching off cylinders, the control device adjusts ignition timing and fuel injection parameters to modify combustion characteristics. This allows partial load reduction in specific cylinders while maintaining their thermal contribution, thereby improving fuel efficiency without creating significant thermal uniformity issues
Solution Approach 2:
The control device applies different ignition and injection parameters to individual cylinders based on their specific thermal conditions. Each cylinder receives customized control parameters tailored to its temperature state, allowing selective energy reduction in hotter cylinders while maintaining optimal operation in cooler cylinders, thus achieving both fuel efficiency and thermal uniformity
3Temperature
If cylinders are deactivated based on temperature limits, then thermal uniformity is improved, but engine power output is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control device applies partial deactivation by adjusting ignition timing and fuel injection parameters rather than complete cylinder shutdown. This partial action reduces thermal loads in overheated cylinders while maintaining sufficient power contribution from all cylinders, thereby achieving thermal uniformity without excessive power loss
Solution Approach 2:
The control device dynamically adjusts ignition and injection parameters based on real-time temperature conditions. When thermal uniformity is achieved, the system automatically increases power output by optimizing combustion parameters. This dynamic adaptation allows the engine to maintain thermal uniformity while minimizing power output reduction, adapting to varying load requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces mechanical stress and wear by achieving a more uniform thermal state, improving lubricant balance and adapting to varying power demands, thereby extending engine life and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
with at least one measuring device for determining a characteristic temperature of each cylinder (2)
Data Source
AI summary
Internal combustion engine (1) comprising: - a plurality of cylinders (2) in which combustion chambers are formed, wherein each combustion chamber is assigned an ignition device (3) and/or a fuel supply device (4), wherein the combustion chambers are designed for cyclic ignition of fuel, - a control or regulating device (5) for controlling or regulating the ignition devices (3) and/or fuel supply devices (4), and - at least one measuring device (6) for detecting a temperature characteristic for each cylinder (2), wherein the control or regulating device (5) is configured to control or regulate the ignition devices (3) and/or fuel supply devices (4) depending on the signals of the at least one measuring device (6) such that no ignition takes place in at least one selected cylinder (2) during at least one cycle and a uniform temperature distribution is achieved over all cylinders (2).