IP Library Granted Patent US 9,217,384
Granted Patent B2
US 9,217,384 · App. 14/001,269 · Granted Dec 22, 2015

Diagnosis method and device for operating an internal combustion engine

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,217,384
App. No.
14/001,269
Granted
Dec 22, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method is disclosed for performing an individual cylinder diagnosis with respect to pollutant emissions within a predefined operating range of an internal combustion engine, meeting at least one predefined condition. During the performing of the individual cylinder diagnosis, a forced activation, by means of which a predefined air/fuel ratio to be set is activated, is prescribed in a manner synchronous to the cylinder segment. The excitation is carried out such that each individual cylinder is subjected during subsequent working cycles to a mixture that is either richer or leaner in comparison to the predefined air/fuel ratio to be set due to the forced excitation. Depending on the forcibly activated air/fuel ratio to be set, the corresponding injection valves are actuated.

Claims (38)

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine including multiple cylinders corresponding to respective injection valves for the metering of fuel, an exhaust-gas probe arranged in an exhaust tract and configured to generate a measurement signal representative of an air/fuel ratio in a respective cylinder, and a crankshaft angle sensor configured to generate a measurement signal representative of a crankshaft angle of a crankshaft, the method comprising:

within a predefined operating range of the internal combustion engine, when at least one predefined condition is met, performing a cylinder-specific diagnosis with regard to pollutant emissions,

during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, defining in a cylinder-segment-synchronous manner a forced inducement configured to induce a predefined air/fuel ratio to be set, and

during successive working cycles:

charging each respective individual cylinder with a mixture that is either enriched or leaned by the defined forced inducement in relation to the predefined air/fuel ratio to be set, and

actuating each respective injection valve as a function of the forcibly induced air/fuel ratio to be set.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising, during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, defining the forced inducement such that a duration of the forced inducement corresponds to a present time duration of two cylinder segments.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising, during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, defining the forced inducement such that a duration of the forced inducement corresponds to a present time duration of one half of a number of cylinder segments in a cylinder bank.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising setting at least one of a duration and an amplitude of the forced inducement during the cylinder-specific diagnosis as a function of a maximum oxygen storage capacity of an exhaust-gas catalytic converter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder-specific diagnosis comprises a cylinder-specific diagnosis, based on running irregularity, with regard to pollutant emissions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder-specific diagnosis comprises cylinder-specific lambda control.

7. A device for operating an internal combustion engine including multiple cylinders corresponding to respective injection valves for the metering of fuel, an exhaust-gas probe arranged in an exhaust tract and configured to generate a measurement signal characteristic of an air/fuel ratio in a respective cylinder, and a crankshaft angle sensor configured to generate a measurement signal representative of a crankshaft angle of a crankshaft,

wherein the device is configured to:

within a predefined operating range of the internal combustion engine, when at least one predefined condition is met, perform a cylinder-specific diagnosis with regard to pollutant emissions,

during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, define a forced inducement configured to induce a predefined air/fuel ratio to be set, and

during successive working cycles:

charge each respective individual cylinder with a mixture that is either enriched or leaned by the defined forced inducement in relation to the predefined air/fuel ratio to be set, and

actuate each respective injection valve as a function of the forcibly induced air/fuel ratio to be set.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the device is configured to, during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, define the forced inducement such that a duration of the forced inducement corresponds to a present time duration of two cylinder segments.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the device is configured to, during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, define the forced inducement such that a duration of the forced inducement corresponds to a present time duration of one half of a number of cylinder segments in a cylinder bank.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the device is configured to set at least one of a duration and an amplitude of the forced inducement during the cylinder-specific diagnosis as a function of a maximum oxygen storage capacity of an exhaust-gas catalytic converter.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the cylinder-specific diagnosis comprises a cylinder-specific diagnosis, based on running irregularity, with regard to pollutant emissions.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein the cylinder-specific diagnosis comprises cylinder-specific lambda control.

13. An internal combustion engine comprising:

multiple cylinders corresponding to respective injection valves for the metering of fuel,

an exhaust-gas probe arranged in an exhaust tract and configured to generate a measurement signal characteristic of an air/fuel ratio in a respective cylinder,

a crankshaft angle sensor configured to generate a measurement signal representative of a crankshaft angle of a crankshaft, and

a control device is configured to:

within a predefined operating range of the internal combustion engine, when at least one predefined condition is met, perform a cylinder-specific diagnosis with regard to pollutant emissions,

during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, define a forced inducement configured to induce a predefined air/fuel ratio to be set, and

during successive working cycles:

charge each respective individual cylinder with a mixture that is either enriched or leaned by the defined forced inducement in relation to the predefined air/fuel ratio to be set, and

actuate each respective injection valve as a function of the forcibly induced air/fuel ratio to be set.

14. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 , wherein the control device is configured to, during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, define the forced inducement such that a duration of the forced inducement corresponds to a present time duration of two cylinder segments.

15. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 , wherein the control device is configured to, during the cylinder-specific diagnosis, define the forced inducement such that a duration of the forced inducement corresponds to a present time duration of one half of a number of cylinder segments in a cylinder bank.

16. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 , wherein the control device is configured to set at least one of a duration and an amplitude of the forced inducement during the cylinder-specific diagnosis as a function of a maximum oxygen storage capacity of an exhaust-gas catalytic converter.

17. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 , wherein the cylinder-specific diagnosis comprises a cylinder-specific diagnosis, based on running irregularity, with regard to pollutant emissions.

18. The internal combustion engine of claim 13 , wherein the cylinder-specific diagnosis comprises cylinder-specific lambda control.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2020
From: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
To: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 053302/0633 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2014
From: AZADEH, REZA
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
Reel/Frame 032180/0211 →