Method and device for determining an error in a pressure measurement in a pressure reservoir

1. A method for controlling fuel injection into one or more cylinders of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

determining an error in a pressure measured by a pressure sensor in a pressure accumulator for accumulating fuel that is removable from the pressure accumulator via an injection valve, and that can be injected into a cylinder by

determining at least two 3-tuples of: a first pressure, a period of time, and a second pressure, wherein for each 3-tuple:

the respective first pressure is measured by the pressure sensor;

after measuring of the first pressure, the injection valve is opened for the respective period of time; and

after the opening of the injection valve for the period of time, the respective second pressure is measured by the pressure sensor; and

determining a measured pressure error from the at least two 3-tuples; and

opening the injection valve for a calculated duration based at least in part on a desired amount of fuel and the determined error in measured pressure;

wherein the determination of the measured pressure error includes determining parameters of an error model;

determining the parameters of the error model by matching at least two pairs of measured values to a functional relationship between pressure collapse and pressure; and

forming a pair of measured values for each 3-tuple, wherein one component of the pair of measured values depends on at least one of the first pressure and the second pressure and another component of the pair of measured values depends on the difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the error model assumes that:

P′=a+b*P , wherein

P′ is the measured pressure,

P is the actual pressure, and

a, b are parameters of the error model to be determined.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the functional relationship is determined as a function of a characteristic of the valve, and

the characteristic defines a required opening time for a given mass of the fluid that is to be let out, said fluid in the pressure reservoir being under a given pressure in relation to an external space.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional relationship is given by:

( V *ρ*( P 1− P 2))/( f ( t )* E )= b*g (( P 1− a )/ b ), wherein

P 1 is the first pressure,

P 2 is the second pressure,

V is the volume of the pressure accumulator,

ρ is the mass density of the fluid,

E is the bulk modulus of the fluid,

f(t) and g(P) are real-value functions, wherein g(P) is a known mathematical function and f(t) is known at least by pairs of values,

wherein f(t)*g(P) indicates the mass of fluid that is let out of the pressure reservoir at a pressure P in the pressure reservoir, relative to an external pressure, by opening of the valve for a duration t, and

wherein the duration t is identical to the period of time for which the valve is opened after measuring of the first pressure.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

g ( P )=− sqrt ( P ).

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein a pressure dependency of at least one of the mass density (ρ) of the fluid and the bulk modulus (E) of the fluid is taken into consideration.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional relationship is provided by:

( V *ρ*( P 1− P 2))/ E=b*gt (( P 1− a )/ b ), wherein

P 1 is the first pressure,

P 2 is the second pressure,

V is the volume of the pressure accumulator,

ρ is the mass density of the fluid,

E is the bulk modulus of the fluid,

gt(P) is a real-value function which indicates the mass of fluid that is let out of the pressure reservoir at a pressure P in the pressure reservoir, relative to an external pressure, by opening of the valve for a predefined period,

wherein in each case the period of time for which the valve is opened after measuring of the first pressure is equal to the predefined duration.

8. A device for controlling fuel injection into one or more cylinders of an internal combustion engine by determining an error in a pressure measured by a pressure sensor in a pressure accumulator for accumulating fuel that is removable from the pressure accumulator via an injection valve, and can be injected into a cylinder, wherein the device comprises:

memory configured to store at least two 3-tuples, each comprising a first pressure measured by the pressure sensor, a corresponding period of time, and a second pressure measured by the pressure sensor;

a signal input configured, for each 3-tuple, to receive a measuring signal of the respective first pressure measured by the pressure sensor;

a control output configured, for each 3-tuple, after measuring of the first pressure, to send a control signal to the injection valve to open the valve for the corresponding period of time, wherein after the opening of the injection valve for the corresponding period of time, a measuring signal of the second pressure measured by the pressure sensor is received by the signal input; and

a processor configured to:

determine an error of the measured pressure from the at least two 3-tuples;

calculate a duration of opening for the injection valve based at least in part on a desired amount of fuel and the determined error in measured pressure; and

deliver a signal including the calculated opening duration for opening the injection valve;

wherein the determination of the measured pressure error comprises determining parameters of an error model;

determining the parameters of the error model by matching at least two pairs of measured values to a functional relationship between pressure collapse and pressure; and

forming a pair of measured values for each 3-tuple, wherein one component of the pair of measured values depends on at least one of the first pressure and the second pressure and another component of the pair of measured values depends on the difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the error model assumes that:

P′=a+b*P , wherein

P′ is the measured pressure,

P is the actual pressure, and

a, b are parameters to be determined.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein:

the functional relationship is determined as a function of a characteristic of the valve, and

the characteristic defines a required opening time for a given mass of the fluid that is to be let out, said fluid in the pressure reservoir being under a given pressure in relation to an external space.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the functional relationship is given by:

( V *ρ*( P 1− P 2))/( f ( t )* E )= b*g (( P 1− a )/ b ), wherein

P 1 is the first pressure,

P 2 is the second pressure,

V is the volume of the pressure accumulator,

ρ is the mass density of the fluid,

E is the bulk modulus of the fluid,

f(t) and g(P) are real-value functions, wherein g(P) is a known mathematical function and f(t) is known at least by pairs of values,

wherein f(t)*g(P) indicates the mass of fluid that is let out of the pressure reservoir at a pressure P in the pressure reservoir, relative to an external pressure, by opening of the valve for a duration t, and

wherein the duration t is identical to the period of time for which the valve is opened after measuring of the first pressure.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein:

g ( P )=− sqrt ( P ).

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein a pressure dependency of at least one of the mass density (ρ) of the fluid and the bulk modulus (E) of the fluid is taken into consideration.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the functional relationship is provided by:

( V *ρ*( P 1− P 2))/ E=b*gt (( P 1− a )/ b ), wherein

P 1 is the first pressure,

P 2 is the second pressure,

V is the volume of the pressure accumulator,

ρ is the mass density of the fluid,

E is the bulk modulus of the fluid,

gt(P) is a real-value function which indicates the mass of fluid that is let out of the pressure reservoir at a pressure P in the pressure reservoir, relative to an external pressure, by opening of the valve for a predefined period,

wherein in each case the period of time for which the valve is opened after measuring of the first pressure is equal to the predefined duration.