IP Library Granted Patent US 7,987,838
Granted Patent B2
US 7,987,838 · App. 12/370,681 · Granted Aug 2, 2011

Controller of internal combustion engine

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,987,838
App. No.
12/370,681
Granted
Aug 2, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A controller of an internal combustion engine includes: a purge controller, operable to control a purge amount of the vaporized fuel purged to an air intake system; an exhaust air-fuel ratio detector; an air-fuel ratio feedback controller; a period determiner, operable to determine whether it is an estimation enabling period; and an alcohol concentration estimator, operable to estimate the alcohol concentration. When the purge of the vaporized fuel is cut during the estimation enabling period, the purge controller: performs control so that the purge is cut with a large degree of tailing, in an operation region where a load of the internal combustion engine is high and a rotation speed is high; and performs control so that the purge is cut with a smaller degree of tailing than the large degree of tailing, in an operation region where the load of the internal combustion engine is low and the rotation speed is low.

Claims (11)

1. A controller of an internal combustion engine that can use a blended fuel with alcohol blended therein, the controller comprising:

a purge controller, operable to control opening and closing of a purge passage that connects a canister, storing a vaporized fuel, and an air intake system of the internal combustion engine, to control a purge amount of the vaporized fuel purged to the air intake system;

an exhaust air-fuel ratio detector, operable to detect an exhaust air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine;

an air-fuel ratio feedback controller, operable to perform feedback control of the internal combustion engine so as to make the exhaust air-fuel ratio, detected by the exhaust air-fuel ratio detector, approach a target air-fuel ratio;

a period determiner, operable to determine whether it is an estimation enabling period, in which estimation of an alcohol concentration in the blended fuel is enabled, when a condition is met; and

an alcohol concentration estimator, operable to estimate the alcohol concentration of the blended fuel based on the exhaust air-fuel ratio, detected by the exhaust air-fuel ratio detector, when the period determiner determines that it is the estimating enabling period, the air-fuel ratio feedback controller is in operation, and purge of the vaporized fuel is cut by the purge controller, wherein

when the purge of the vaporized fuel is cut during the estimation enabling period, the purge controller:

performs control so that the purge is cut with a large degree of tailing, in an operation region where a load of the internal combustion engine is high and a rotation speed is high; and

performs control so that the purge is cut with a smaller degree of tailing than the large degree of tailing, in an operation region where the load of the internal combustion engine is low and the rotation speed is low.

2. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein

the alcohol concentration estimator starts to estimate the alcohol concentration after elapse of a time period from a time when the purge of the vaporized fuel is cut.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 1, 2021
From: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055472/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2009
From: KAWAKITA, KOJI; UEDA, KATSUNORI; MIYATA, TOSHIYUKI; YAMAMOTO, HIROKI
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 022297/0669 →