Engine controller
View Patent ↗A system for controlling fuel to an engine to minimize emissions in an exhaust of the engine. There may be a controller connected to an actuator, for example a fuel control actuator, of the engine and to emissions sensors, such as an NOx and/or PM sensor, proximate to an exhaust output of the engine. The controller, for example a speed controller, may have an input connected to an output of a pedal or desired speed setting mechanism. A speed sensor at a power output of the engine may be connected to an input of the controller.
1. An engine controller for controlling at least part of an engine of a vehicle, the engine controller comprising:
two or more inputs for receiving two or more different sensor input signals from two or more different engine sensors;
one or more outputs for providing one or more control signals to one or more actuators that control one or more inputs to the engine, wherein each of the one or more inputs to the engine has an effect on the two or more sensor input signals from the two or more engine sensors; and
a controller configured to receive the two or more different sensor input signals from the two or more different engine sensors and to provide the one or more control signals to the one or more actuators via the one or more outputs, the controller configured to adjust the one or more actuators of the engine to achieve a predicted response in each of the two or more different sensor input signals such that a performance index that references the predicted response of each of the two or more different sensor input signals is optimized.
2. The engine controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the one or more actuators of the engine to achieve the predicted response in each of the two or more sensor input signals using a multi-parameter model, wherein the multi-parameter model models the effects of changes in the one or more actuators on each of the two or more sensor input signals.
3. The engine controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the two or more sensor input signals from the two or more engine sensors includes an engine emission sensor input signal; and
the one or more control signals effecting a change in one or more fuel properties of a fuel injection event.
4. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a fuel injection quantity.
5. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a fuel injection event start time.
6. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a post fuel injection event start time.
7. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a pre fuel injection event start time.
8. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a pilot fuel injection event start time.
9. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include an after fuel injection event start time.
10. The engine controller of claim 3 , wherein one of the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals is a fuel rail pressure.
11. The engine controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes one or more predictive control loops.
12. The engine controller of claim 11 , wherein the one or more predictive control loops include one or more constraints.
13. An engine controller for controlling at least part of an engine of a vehicle, the engine controller comprising:
one or more inputs for receiving one or more sensor input signals from one or more engine sensors, wherein at least one of the one or more sensor input signals includes an engine emission sensor input signal from an engine emissions sensor;
one or more outputs for providing one or more control signals to the engine to control one or more inputs to the engine, wherein each of the one or more inputs to the engine has an effect on each of the one or more sensor input signals, including the at least one engine emission sensor input signal; and
a controller configured to receive the one or more sensor input signals from the one or more engine sensors and to provide the one or more control signals via the one or more outputs to effect a change in one or more fuel properties of a fuel injection event of the engine to achieve a predicted response in one or more of the sensor input signals and the engine emission sensor input signal, wherein a predicted response of the one or more control signals on the engine emission sensor input signal is opposite in sign to a predicted response of the one or more control signals on a different one of the one or more sensor input signals.
14. The engine controller of claim 13 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a fuel injection quantity.
15. The engine controller of claim 13 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a fuel injection event start time.
16. The engine controller of claim 13 , wherein the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals include a post fuel injection event start time.
17. The engine controller of claim 13 , wherein one of the one or more fuel properties that are affected by the one or more control signals is a fuel rail pressure.
18. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory storing a control algorithm for an engine controller, the control algorithm comprising:
two or more input parameters for representing two or more engine sensor input signals;
one or more output parameters for representing one or more control signals, the one or more control signals for controlling one or more actuators of an engine that control one or more inputs to the engine, wherein each of the one or more inputs to the engine has an effect on each of the two or more engine sensor input signals; and
a model configured to receive the two or more sensor input parameters and to provide the one or more output parameters, wherein the output parameters are configured to adjust the one or more actuators of the engine to keep a predicted response in each of the two or more sensor input signals within a corresponding predetermined range of values.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the engine sensor input signals correspond to an emission sensor.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more actuators of the engine include a fuel injection actuator.