IP Library Granted Patent US 7,404,394
Granted Patent B2
US 7,404,394 · App. 11/655,959 · Granted Jul 29, 2008

Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,404,394
App. No.
11/655,959
Granted
Jul 29, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An internal combustion engine has an intake duct, which opens into at least one inlet of at least one cylinder. It also has a tank purging valve, which is configured to control the initiation of a tank purging flow into the intake duct at an inlet point upstream of the respective inlet of the respective cylinder. A main path is configured in the intake duct and a recirculation path is configured there with a recirculation control element, a recirculation inlet from the main path into the recirculation path and a recirculation outlet from the recirculation path into the main path. The recirculation outlet is disposed in the main path upstream in relation to the recirculation inlet. A cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined as a function of an opening angle of the tank purging valve and an opening angle of the recirculation control element.

Claims (42)

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and an intake duct with a main path that opens into an inlet of the cylinder, comprising:

configuring a tank purging valve to control initiation of a tank purging flow into the intake duct at an inlet point upstream of the respective inlet of the cylinder;

configuring a recirculation path in parallel with the main path where the recirculation path has:

a recirculation inlet arranged in the main path,

a recirculation control element arranged in the recirculation path that controls the opening of the recirculation path, and

a recirculation outlet arranged into the main path upstream of the recirculation inlet; and

determining a cylinder tank purging fuel mass that flows into a cylinder during the working cycle of the cylinder to a previous measuring in of fuel, where the cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined as a function of an opening angle of the tank purging valve and an opening angle of the recirculation control element.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined by a dynamic physical model of the recirculation path.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the dynamic physical model comprises:

a recirculation ring store for storing a recirculation tank purging values representative of a tank purging fuel mass that flows into the recirculation path on the inlet side during a predetermined time period,

the recirculation tank purging values are determined for storage in the recirculation ring store as a function of the opening angle of the recirculation control element and an output main path tank purging value that is representative of a tank purging fuel mass that flows to the recirculation inlet in the main path during the predetermined time period, and

determining a recirculation tank purging value flowing through the recirculation outlet as a function of the opening angle of the recirculation control element from the recirculation ring store.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder having a cylinder inlet connected to the intake duct.

5. A device for operating an internal combustion engine having an intake duct connected to a cylinder inlet, a tank purging valve configured to control an initiation of a tank purging flow into the intake duct, the tank purging valve arranged at an inlet point upstream of the cylinder inlet, a main path arranged in the intake duct and a recirculation path arranged parallel to the main path and configured with a recirculation control element, a recirculation inlet. from the main path into the recirculation path and a recirculation outlet from the recirculation path into the main path where the recirculation outlet is disposed in the main path upstream in relation to the recirculation inlet, comprising:

a first cylinder tank purging fuel mass determining device that determines a cylinder tank purging fuel mass that flows into the cylinder during the working cycle of the cylinder to a previous measuring in of fuel; and

a second cylinder tank purging fuel mass determining device that determines a cylinder tank purging fuel mass as a function of an opening angle of the tank purging valve and an opening angle of the recirculation control element.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined by a dynamic physical model of the recirculation path.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the dynamic physical model comprises:

a recirculation ring store for recirculation tank purging values representative of a tank purging fuel mass that flows into the recirculation path on the inlet side during a predetermined time period,

the recirculation tank purging values are determined for storage in the recirculation ring store as a function of the opening angle of the recirculation control element and an output main path tank purging value that is representative of a tank purging fuel mass that flows to the recirculation inlet in the main path during the predetermined time period, and

determining a recirculation tank purging value flowing through the recirculation outlet as a function of the opening angle of the recirculation control element from the recirculation ring store.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder having a cylinder inlet connected to the intake duct.

9. An internal combustion engine system, comprising:

a block having a cylinder;

a crank shaft rotably mounted in the block;

a piston arranged in the cylinder of the block;

a cylinder head arranged on the block;

a cylinder inlet arranged in the cylinder head;

an intake duct connected to the cylinder inlet having a main path that inlets an inlet flow into the cylinder;

a tank purging valve arranged at an inlet point upstream of the cylinder inlet the tank purging valve configured to control an initiation of a tank purging flow into the intake duct;

a recirculation path arranged parallel to the main path and configured with:

a recirculation inlet arranged at a union of the recirculation path and the main path,

a recirculation control element arranged in the recirculation path that controls the opening of the recirculation path, and

a recirculation outlet arranged at a union of the recirculation path and the main path upstream relative to the recirculation inlet;

a first cylinder tank purging fuel mass determining device that determines a cylinder tank purging fuel mass that flows into the cylinder during the working cycle of the cylinder to a previous measuring in of fuel; and

a second cylinder tank purging fuel mass determining device that determines a cylinder tank purging fuel mass as a function of an opening angle of the tank purging valve and an opening angle of the recirculation control element.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the internal combustion engine comprises a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder having a cylinder inlet connected to the intake duct.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the cylinder tank purging fuel mass is determined by a dynamic physical model of the recirculation path.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the dynamic physical model comprises:

a recirculation ring store for recirculation tank purging values representative of a tank purging fuel mass that flows into the recirculation path on the inlet side during a predetermined time period,

the recirculation tank purging values are determined for storage in the recirculation ring store as a function of the opening angle of the recirculation control element and an output main path tank purging value that is representative of a tank purging fuel mass that flows to the recirculation inlet in the main path during the predetermined time period, and

determining a recirculation tank purging value flowing through the recirculation outlet as a function of the opening angle of the recirculation control element from the recirculation ring store.