EP0499207A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control apparatus for speedily warming up catalyst in internal combustion engine
Assignee: Denso Corp
•
Filing: 1992-02-11
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2012-02-11
Abstract
Abstract A control apparatus for speedily warming up a catalyst disposed within an exhaust pipe connected to an internal combustion engine. The control apparatus first determines a fuel injection amount and an ignition timing of the engine on the basis of an engine operating condition such as an intake air pressure of the engine and a rotational speed of the engine. The control apparatus is also responsive to temperature information of the catalyst for adjusting the fuel injection amount and the ignition timing in accordance with the catalyst temperature information. When the catalyst temperature does not reach the effectively emission-purifying temperature, the control apparatus alternately adjusts the fuel injection amount to a rich side and a lean side and further intermittently retards the ignition timing. This injection and ignition control operation allows acceleration of the warming-up of the catalyst to suppress the deterioration of the emissions from the engine.
Inventors
- 👤 Seiithirou Nishikawa
- 👤 Toshiaki Kikuchi
- 👤 Masumi Kinugawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:48
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01N; F01N3/00; F01N3/08; F01N3/10; F01N3/18; F01N3/20; F01N3/2006; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/021; F02D41/0235; F02D41/024; F02D41/0255; F02P; F02P5/00; F02P5/04; F02P5/145; F02P5/15; F02P5/1502; F02P5/1506; F01N2430/00; F01N2430/06; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/027; F02D41/14; F02D41/1438; F02D41/1439; F02D41/1441; F02P5/045; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12; Y02T10/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus comprising: engine operating condition detecting means for detecting an operating condition of an internal combustion engine; fuel injection amount determining means for determining an appropriate fuel injection amount to obtain an appropriate air-fuel ratio based on the engine operating condition detected by said engine operating condition detecting means; a catalyst disposed within an exhaust pipe connected to said engine so as to purify emissions generated from said engine; temperature condition determining means for determining whether a temperature of said catalyst becomes an operating temperature at which said catalyst can effectively purify the emissions, characterised by further comprising adjusting means for adjusting said determined fuel amount in accordance with a determination of said temperature condition determining means that said catalyst temperature is lower than said operating temperature, so that said determined fuel amount is alternately adjusted to a rich amount and a lean amount with respect to said air-fuel ratio.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
40 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said engine condition detecting means includes an intake air pressure sensor for detecting an intake air pressure and an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting an engine rotational speed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temperature condition determining means includes timer means for determining whether a predetermined time period elapses from the start of said engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temperature condition determining means includes an engine coolant temperature sensor for detecting an engine coolant temperature so as to determine whether the engine coolant temperature becomes a predetermined value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting means changes said determined fuel amount from said rich amount adjustment to said lean amount adjustment every injection cycle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
128 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus comprising: engine operating condition detecting means for detecting an operating condition of an internal combustion engine; ignition timing determining means for determining an appropriate ignition timing of said engine based on the engine operating condition detected by said engine operating condition detecting means; a catalyst disposed within an exhaust pipe connected to said engine so as to purify emissions generated from said engine; temperature condition determining means for determining whether a temperature of said catalyst becomes an operating temperature at which said catalyst can effectively purify the emissions, characterised by further comprising retarding means for intermittently retarding said determined ignition timing in accordance with a determination of said temperature condition determining means that said catalyst temperature is lower than said operating temperature.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said retarding means retards the determined ignition timing every other ignition cycle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said engine condition detecting means includes an intake air pressure sensor for detecting an intake air pressure and an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting an engine rotational speed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said temperature condition determining means includes timer means for determining whether a predetermined time period elapses from the start of said engine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said temperature condition determining means includes an engine coolant temperature sensor for detecting an engine coolant temperature so as to determine whether the engine coolant temperature becomes a predetermined value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
204 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus comprising: engine operating condition detecting means for detecting an operating condition of an internal combustion engine; fuel injection amount determining means for determining an appropriate fuel injection amount to obtain an appropriate air-fuel ratio based on the engine operating condition detected by said engine operating condition detecting means; ignition timing determining means for determining an appropriate ignition timing of said engine based on the engine operating condition detected by said engine operating condition detecting means; a catalyst disposed within an exhaust pipe connected to said engine so as to purify emissions generated from said engine; temperature condition determining means for determining whether a temperature of said catalyst becomes an operating temperature at which said catalyst can effectively purify the emissions, characterised by further comprising: adjusting means for adjusting said determined fuel amount in accordance with a determination of said temperature condition determining means that said catalyst temperature is lower than said operating temperature, so that said determined fuel amount is alternately adjusted to a rich amount and a lean amount with respect to said air-fuel ratio; and retarding means for retarding said determined ignition timing when said adjusting means adjusts the determined fuel amount to said rich amount.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said fuel injection amount determining means determines said fuel injection amount to obtain a stoichiomitric air-fuel ratio.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said engine operating condition detecting means includes an intake air pressure sensor for detecting an intake air pressure and an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting an engine rotational speed.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said temperature condition determining means includes timer means for determining whether a predetermined time period elapses from the start of said engine.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said temperature condition determining means includes an engine coolant temperature sensor for detecting an engine coolant temperature so as to determine whether the engine coolant temperature becomes a predetermined value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
88 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said retarding means includes: first retarding means for retarding said determined ignition timing by a first predetermined angle so as to increase an engine torque when said determined fuel amount is adjusted to said lean amount; and second retarding means for retarding said determined ignition timing by a second predetermined angle, which is bigger than said first predetermined angle, so as to reduce said engine torque when said determined fuel amount is adjusted to said rich amount.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said retarding means retards said determined ignition timing only when said determined fuel amount is adjusted to said rich amount.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
218 words
An internal combustion engine control apparatus comprising: engine operating condition detecting means for detecting an operating condition of an internal combustion engine; fuel injection amount determining means for determining an appropriate fuel injection amount with regard to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio based on the engine operating condition detected by said engine operating condition detecting means; ignition timing determining means for determining an appropriate ignition timing of said engine based on the engine operating condition detected by said engine operating condition detecting means; a catalyst disposed within an exhaust pipe connected to said engine so as to purify emissions generated from said engine; temperature condition determining means for determining whether a temperature of said catalyst becomes an operating temperature at which said catalyst can effectively purify emissions, characterised by further comprising: adjusting means for adjusting said determined fuel amount in accordance with a determination of said temperature condition determining means that said catalyst temperature is lower than said operating temperature, so that said determined temperature is alternately adjusted to a rich amount and a lean amount with respect to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio at a first predetermined interval; and retarding means for retarding said determined ignition timing at a second predetermined interval which is shorter than said first interval, while said catalyst temperature is lower than said operating temperature.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4351297A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.