Patent Grant
11047351
The present invention relates generally to fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines, and more specifically to an electronic fuel injection system that optimizes the air-to-fuel ratio in a dragster engine as engine rpm increases after achieving maximum torque.
Fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines may be either mechanically controlled or electronically controlled. For high performance automotive applications, such as in race cars or dragsters, mechanical fuel injection is usually preferred, because it can handle much larger fuel flow and pressure than a conventional electronic fuel injection.
A main limitation of mechanical fuel injection is that its flow rate is linearly proportional to engine rpm. The linear relationship works well until the engine reaches its peak torque, at which point the engine is operating near maximum efficiency. Accelerating beyond this point results in a decrease in torque, so that higher power output depends on the engine's ability to increase speed. In this high-speed operating region, the fuel-to-speed curve for optimal efficiency becomes non-linear, with diminishing fuel flow needed to support higher speeds. Thus, after reaching peak torque, demanding more speed from mechanical fuel injection results in delivery of excessive fuel to the engine and a significant loss of fuel efficiency.
In drag-racing applications, the delivery of excess fuel to the engine running at high speed can have dire consequences. Air flow to the engine is limited by the size of the intake scoop. At speeds above 6500 rpm the air flow maxes out and will start to fall off as it approaches 8000 rpm. This causes the air-to-fuel mixture to run rich and at a higher density. Under these conditions, fuel such as nitromethane can combust prematurely under compression and before the valve reaches its top dead center position for ignition, leading to catastrophic engine failure.
An improvement is needed in high volume fuel injection to optimize fuel efficiency, especially for race cars and dragsters that continue to accelerate after the engine has achieved its maximum torque.
The present invention overcomes the inherent inefficiency of mechanical fuel injection systems by implementing an automated self-correcting electronic fuel injection (EFI) system. The EFI system disclosed herein employs a novel feedback control scheme to adjust automatically the position of a fuel relief valve to vary the air-to-fuel ratio over a broad range of engine rpm to optimize engine efficiency. Engine efficiency is optimized by an electronic control unit (ECU) executing an algorithm capable of controlling fuel injection by delivering fuel to satisfy an operator-specified air-to-fuel ratio regardless of speed and torque conditions.
In one embodiment, an electronic fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel pump having an outlet and having an inlet in fluid communication with a fuel tank, a throttle valve coupled between the outlet of the fuel pump and an intake manifold of the engine, a throttle bypass line coupled to the outlet of the fuel pump upstream of the throttle valve, and an electrically controlled variable flow valve coupled between the bypass line and the fuel tank. The system also includes an ECU having a microprocessor, memory, and an output electrically coupled to the variable flow valve. The memory stores a program executable by the microprocessor. Sensors including a fuel flow sensor is installed downstream of the throttle valve, and a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and air flow sensor are also installed on the engine or engine chassis to monitor operating and environmental parameters and send sensed values to the ECU. The program when executed generates an optimal fuel flow value as a function of an operator-specified air-to-fuel ratio and one or more of sensed humidity, sensed pressure, sensed temperature, and sensed air flow signals. The ECU controls fuel flow through the variable flow valve so that fuel flow sensed by the fuel flow sensor matches the optimal fuel flow value. The operator-specified air-to-fuel ratio is a dimensionless number determined by the operator, and that ratio is maintained for all engine operating conditions by responsive ECU control of the variable flow valve. According to the invention, for implementations where engine fuel is composed of a mixture of fuels, the operator may also specify a ratio of a fuel densities for fuels that that compose the mixture, and the optimal fuel flow value is also a function of the fuel density ratio.
In another embodiment, a system for controlling electronic fuel injection for an internal combustion engine includes the following components: an ECU having a microprocessor, memory, an output configured for transmission of a variable control signal, and an input configured for receiving a feedback signal. The memory in the ECU stores a program executable by the microprocessor. The program is configured to generate an optimal fuel flow value as a function of (1) an operator-specified air-to-fuel ratio written to the memory and (2) an operator-specified ratio of a first fuel density to a second fuel density, also written to the memory. The ECU is configured to vary the output of the variable control signal until the feedback signal matches the optimal fuel flow value. The system may further include a proportional electrical relief valve configured to receive the variable control signal, and a fuel flow sensor configured to transmit the feedback signal to the input. In one implementation, the operator-specified ratio represents a ratio of nitromethane density to methanol density.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method for optimizing fuel flow in an internal combustion engine. The method includes the following salient steps: specifying, for a fuel mixture comprising a first fuel and a second fuel, a ratio of the density of the first fuel to the density of the second fuel, specifying a ratio of density of air to density of the fuel mixture, and sensing air flow to the engine. The method then calculates a fuel flow value as a function of the ratio of the density of the first fuel to the density of the second fuel, the desired ratio of density of air to density of the fuel mixture, and the sensed air flow, and then adjusts flow of the fuel mixture through a variable flow valve to match the calculated fuel flow value. Related methods include steps for sensing additional engine operating or environmental parameters such as relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and engine manifold temperature, and calculating the fuel flow value as a function of one or more of the sensed humidity, sensed pressure, and sensed temperature.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. Component parts shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and may be exaggerated to better illustrate the important features of the invention. Dimensions shown are exemplary only. In the drawings, like reference numerals may designate like parts throughout the different views, wherein:
The following disclosure presents exemplary embodiments for an advanced, high-volume electronic fuel injection (EFI) system. The EFI system disclosed herein employs a novel feedback control scheme to adjust automatically the position of a fuel relief valve to vary the air-to-fuel ratio over a broad range of engine rpm to optimize engine efficiency. Engine efficiency is optimized by an electronic control unit (ECU) executing an algorithm to control fuel injection in linear proportion to engine rpm until maximum torque is achieved, and thereafter at higher rpm by delivering fuel in nonlinear proportion to rpm to match a predetermined optimal fuel flow curve. The invention is particularly well suited for use in high performance racing cars and dragsters, though the invention is in no way so limited, as it has broad application to fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines in general.
A throttle valve 26 controls the amount of fuel from fuel line 23 that reaches the nozzles 25 by manual adjustment of a lever or pedal 28. When the pedal 28 is fully actuated, the throttle is “opened” and all of the fuel flowing in line 23 is passed through the throttle valve 26 to fuel line 24. When the pedal 28 is partially depressed (throttle partially open), fuel from line 23 flows via line 24 to the nozzles 25 in proportional to the displacement of the pedal. When the pedal 28 is not depressed, the throttle is closed and an adjustable idle control circuit 33 ensures that a minimum amount of fuel bypasses the throttle valve 26 via fuel line 32 to keep the engine running at idle, while diverting any excess fuel back to the fuel tank 12 via line 34. A check valve 36 prevents fuel flow from tank 12 in the reverse direction.
A fuel safety shutoff valve 40 is typically installed between the pump 14 and the throttle valve 26. In the event of emergency, an operator can manually actuate the switch or lever 42 and divert the fuel flow in line 22 to line 44 and directly into the fuel tank 12 to cut off the supply of fuel to the engine.
Because the pump speed is proportional to engine speed, the relationship between engine speed and fuel flow is generally linear. As the throttle valve is opened, engine speed increases, which increases fuel flow, and the optimal fuel efficiency is achieved through this linear relationship. However, once the engine reaches its peak torque, at higher rpm (the “high-speed” region) optimal engine efficiency follows a nonlinear speed-to-fuel-flow curve, with a diminishing amount of fuel flow needed to support higher speeds. That is, to maintain optimal efficiency in the high-speed region, fuel flow must be reduced in a nonlinear manner with respect to engine rpm.
System 10 includes a wide open throttle controller 46, which provides a means for mechanical control of fuel injection in the high-speed region. Controller 46 includes a spring-loaded check valve configured to open when fuel pressure acting against the spring exceeds the restoring force of the spring. Under sufficient fuel pressure, a portion of the fuel exiting the pump 14 will be automatically diverted to the fuel tank 12 via line 38. The spring restoring force in controller 46 is tunable, to allow a mechanic to vary the response of the controller 46 for a particular operating condition of the engine. In a drag racing application, for example, anticipating that the engine will be throttled open to achieve the highest possible rpm, the mechanic can tune the controller 46 to begin opening its check valve when fuel pressure corresponds to peak torque so that fuel flow to the engine nozzles will begin to level off as speed increases from that point forward. This leveling off of fuel flow at high rpm improves fuel efficiency, but fails to optimize efficiency because of the inherent difficulty in matching the linear response of the spring constant in controller 46 to the nonlinear speed-to-fuel-flow optimization curve.
Each of the sensors 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 may be a transducing device of known design configured to continuously monitor a particular operating parameter associated with the engine, and transmit an electrical representation of the instantaneous value of that parameter to the data acquisition and processing loop that 52. The output signals from the various sensors 55 may comprise all or part of the engine operating and environmental data received as sensor input data 61 and stored in memory 57. The data acquisition and processing loop 52 may also receive data by manual entry via user interface 65 for storage in memory 57. The manual input data may include, but is not limited to: fuel type, fuel ratio in blended fuel, air inlet area, and desired air-to-fuel ratio (AFD). In other embodiments, in place of data entry by automatic sensing, numerical values may be manually measured and entered manually. For example, percent relative humidity, barometric pressure, and other parameters that are not expected to vary significantly during engine run time may be manually measured and entered. The fixed data may be entered into the memory M using any known wired or wireless user interface, such as a laptop computer or mobile phone running a customized application. The data acquisition and processing loop 52 is programmable, so that its memory 57 and the control algorithm for calculating fuel flow may be accessed and updated. For this purpose, loop 52 is equipped with electronic communication ports or a wireless receiver as part of the user interface 65.
The ECU 59 is configured to read and write all of the acquired data to the memory 57, and also to execute a fuel flow control algorithm stored in memory 57 that uses the acquired data as inputs to the algorithm. The output of the control algorithm is a control signal 63 sent by the ECU 59 to the proportional electrical relief valve 51. For example, control signal 63 may be a 0-12 VDC or 0-24 VDC signal, to maintain or adjust relief valve position.
When executed during engine operation, the control algorithm calculates the amount of fuel flow to the engine nozzles (FFE) in line 24 that is needed to achieve and maintain the desired air-to-fuel ratio (AFD) entered by the operator, over all ranges of engine speed, based on the sensor input data 61 and the manually entered data. In a basic embodiment, the control algorithm calculates FFE as a function of (1) the desired air-to-fuel ratio, AFD, for the particular fuel being used, (2) the air flow to the engine, AFE, (3) water vapor density, DV, and (4) air density, D0. FFE may also be referred to herein as the optimal fuel flow.
In an embodiment of the invention in an application for a dragster engine that uses a blend of nitromethane and methanol as engine fuel, the control algorithm may have the following form:
FFE=[AFE*((Y1*DV)+(Y2*D0))]/[AFD*((Y3*NM %)+(Y4*(100−NM %)))]
where:
In one implementation of the above algorithm, the fuel comprises a mixture by density of 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol, where NM %=90. Constants Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4 will vary depending on the type of fuel used, due to stoichiometric properties. The values given for each of these constants are approximate values, for fuel composed of the specified NM % ratio of nitromethane and methanol. In practice the exact numerical value for each constant will vary, such that the term “about” should be understood to encompass a tolerance commonly accepted in the relevant field. In one example, that tolerance is plus-or-minus ten percent.
ECU 59 uses a control loop to ensure that the calculated value for FFE is delivered to the engine to maintain AFD as engine speed and other sensed parameters change. The control loop includes ECU 59, control signal 63, proportional electrical relief valve 51, and the fuel flow sensor 75. Using methods familiar to those skilled in the art of electronic control, ECU 59 compares the calculated value FFE to the sensed value of fuel flow, FS, received from feedback sensor 75. If FS>FFE, ECU 59 adjusts the magnitude of the control signal 63 to cause relief valve 51 to increase fuel flow through line 38, to thereby reduce the flow in line 24. Or, if FS<FFE, ECU 59 adjusts control signal 63 to cause relief valve 51 to decrease fuel flow through line 38, to thereby increase the flow in line 24. Using a control technique such as PID, the ECU 59 will cause FS to converge rapidly to FFE, and to track FFE as the calculated result for FFE changes during engine operation.
In a system or process according to the invention, the operator need only specify the dimensionless number AFD (the “Jackson number” named for the inventor) for a selected fuel or mixture of fuels to achieve a desired fuel efficiency for engine operation. In some cases, the operator may specify an AFD that will cause the fuel supply to run rich, that is, with a slightly greater amount of fuel than is needed to achieve optimal fuel efficiency, to allow the fuel flow to help cool the engine. In other cases, the operator may specify an AFD that is more lean. In any case, the invention allows the operator to adjust AFD in the control algorithm to customize engine operation for different fuels, fuel mixtures, and other circumstances.
The hydraulic end 81 is configured for mechanical connection, e.g. by means of brackets 86 and conventional fastening hardware, to an adapter 87 that is formed on the actuator end 82 of the valve 80. Adapter 87 may include mounting holes 88 configured for mounting the valve within an engine compartment. A spring-loaded piston 89 is installed within the actuator end 82 and is coupled to the moveable gate at a location within the adapter 87. The piston is moveable in a longitudinal direction to transmit motive force to the moveable gate. In one embodiment, piston 89 is configured for about one inch of total linear movement within the valve 80.
Valve 80 may be constructed as either normally open or normally closed. In normally open construction, when the valve is not energized, the spring force against the piston forces the gate away from the valve seat to fully open the valve. In normally closed construction, the spring force against the piston causes the gate to fully engage the valve seat and close the valve. For illustration purposes only, valve 80 will be described hereafter as being normally closed.
The actuator end 82 of the valve 80 includes an armature 90, an electrical connector 91, and an electrical junction box 92. Armature 90 encloses a linear DC motor that operates as a voice coil actuator to convert a voltage to a linear position. The voltage is provided by control signal 63, which is received at connector 91, and connected across the terminals of the linear motor within the junction box 92. Connector 91 may be of conventional design, such as any of various mil-spec connectors. So connected, control signal 63 governs the position of piston 89 within the armature 90, and thereby governs the amount of fluid flow through the valve 90.
Valve 80 includes an idle adjust 53, which is configured to limit the travel of piston 89, that is, how far piston 89 can open the valve gate. This limitation ensures that at least a minimum amount of flow needed to maintain the engine in a idle state will flow to the engine nozzles and not through the valve 80. Idle adjust 53 may be configured for manual adjustment, for example, using a rotatable threaded connection of hardware that is configured to mechanically limit the travel of piston 89 into the armature 90.
The next step 108 is a calculating step, preferably performed automatically by the data acquisition and control loop calculating a fuel flow value as a function of (1) the ratio of the density of the first fuel to the density of the second fuel, (2) the desired ratio of density of air to density of the fuel mixture, and (3) the sensed air flow. In the final step 110, also preferably performed automatically by the data acquisition and control loop, the flow of fuel through a variable flow valve is adjusted to match the calculated fuel flow value. This step ensures that fuel flow to the engine nozzles will have the desired air-to-fuel ratio AFD.
More elaborate methods according to the invention may be derived from a reading of the foregoing disclosure without modeling each of the steps in a separate flow chart. In one such embodiment, method 100 may include the following additional steps: sensing one or more of a humidity, pressure, and temperature, and calculating the fuel flow value as a function of one or more of sensed humidity, sensed pressure, and sensed temperature. In a more specific embodiment, for use with an engine fuel mixture composed of nitromethane and methanol, method 100 may include a step for calculating the fuel flow value, FFE, according to:
FFE=[AFE*((Y1*DV)+(Y2*D0))]/[AFD*((Y3*NM %)+(Y4*(100−NM %)))]
Still other embodiments of a process according to the invention are possible. For example, the step 110 may further include variable energization of the flow control valve by an ECU. In another embodiment, step 108 may further include calculating the fuel flow value as a function of water vapor density and dry air density.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in an illustrative style. Accordingly, the terminology employed throughout should be read in a non-limiting manner. Although minor modifications to the teachings herein will occur to those well versed in the art, it shall be understood that what is intended to be circumscribed within the scope of the patent warranted hereon are all such embodiments that reasonably fall within the scope of the advancement to the art hereby contributed, and that that scope shall not be restricted, except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62/992,838 that was filed on Mar. 20, 2020 and which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
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