Patent Grant
8827175
This application is a U.S. National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2008/054758 filed Apr. 18, 2008, which designates the United States of America, and claims priority to German Application No. 10 2007 019 099.0 filed Apr. 23, 2007, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The invention relates to a method and a device for the calibration of fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, with, in each injector, at least one actuator element that may be activated by an electric signal interacting with at least one injection valve having an injection rate for the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber via injection holes.
It is known from EP 0 536 676 A2 for instance that fuel injectors, which dose fuel into the internal combustion engine as a function of a control signal, are provided with a data carrier containing correction values, with which errors in the individual injectors can be equalized.
Provision is made here for the correction data at the end of the manufacture of each fuel injector, which varies from injector to injector as a result of certain manufacturing tolerances and implements the fuel delivery, to be determined and read into the data carrier. Here the data carrier can be embodied as a barcode or as a merely readable storage element. With the first initialization of the control device, this data is then read into a writeable memory of the control device and is used during subsequent operation to control the internal combustion engine.
Modern control devices have different functions, which likewise determine correction values which are to be assigned to an injector. Such a function is referred to as zero quantity calibration for instance. This data is stored in a control device and used to control the internal combustion engine.
The individual injection quantity of a fuel injector is usually detected at several check points within a test bench. The deviation of the respective injection quantity from the target value is determined here. This data is applied in a suitable form to the injector during manufacture of the injector. During engine assembly and/or motor vehicle assembly, the data is transmitted to the control device by way of suitable systems, for instance a diagnostic interface. In this context, methods exist for storing this data, which enable this control device to be replaced if an error occurs. These are known from EP 1 400 674 B1, according to which the classification of data on a storage apparatus, which is arranged directly on the fuel injector, is stored. The available data is used for the zero quantity calibration and/or quantity correction.
The problem frequently occurs here of an individual dosing of the fuel injectors in their overall operating range being needed in order to calculate correction data correspondingly and to indicate this on the fuel injectors. Dosing methods of this type which have been implemented on test benches are very time-consuming and expensive and are thus unsuited to the large-scale production of a large number of fuel injectors.
It should also be noted that fuel injectors are subject to ageing processes, which require the fuel injectors to be adapted to their respective functional states.
In DE 41 34 304 A1, several variables of a solenoid valve of a fuel injection device for an internal combustion engine are also detected in order to easily and rapidly compensate for irregularities during the injection process. Factors are determined on a test bench, which, as stored actuating variable factors, modify a previously calculated actuating variable for controlling the solenoid valve. This modified actuating variable then controls the solenoid valve. The determined factors are selected as a function of previously detected variables such that a selectable operating variable of the internal combustion engine is firstly adjusted, then a determination of an actuating variable, based on the marking arranged on a shaft of the internal combustion engine is calculated, an actual actuating variable is determined separately for this solenoid valve, giving the factor from the calculated actuating variable and the determined actuating variable. Storage of the determined factor and modification of the selectable operating variables are also implemented before these cited steps are repeated correspondingly often until an optimized functional state is established.
An injection system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,294 A, which implements a fuel injector calibration. A calibration resistor is used for the calibration, said resistor having a resistance which correlates with the fuel flow rate of the injector. The values thus determined are related to a number from a table. This number is then used to determine the time needed to operate the injector such that the desired fuel output is maintained.
It is also known to classify injectors with measurement data determined on a test bench into different groups, in order as a result for instance to obtain a group of injectors with low fuel delivery, a group of injectors with high fuel delivery and a group of injectors without significant deviations from the target values for the fuel delivery. Fuel injectors from just one group are then built into a motor vehicle and the control device is programmed accordingly. A classification of this type has the disadvantage that it combines a large number of injectors within a group still with—even if more minimally—different fuel delivery characteristics, so that even when fuel injectors from a common group are used, there is no optimal coordination of the fuel injectors used in a common motor.
According to various embodiments, a method and a device for the calibration of fuel injectors for internal combustion engines can be provided, which enable the calibration of a large number of fuel injectors in a fast and cost-effective fashion if different fuel delivery characteristics of the individual fuel injectors are present.
According to an embodiment, in a method for the calibration of fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, with, in each fuel injector, at least one actuator element that may be activated by an electric signal interacting with at least one injection valve having an injection rate for the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber via injection holes, in the case of a flow characteristic curve of the fuel flowing through the injection holes deviating from a target characteristic curve in a flow-time diagram, a signal characteristic curve of the electric signal applied to the actuator element is modified in a signal-time diagram relative to a target characteristic curve by means of a controller.
According to a further embodiment, if a flow value which is too high or too low occurs, the at least partially simultaneously applied signal can be reduced early or with a delay. According to a further embodiment, an early signal increase and an early signal drop can be implemented if a delayed flow start and a delayed flow end occur. According to a further embodiment, an early signal increase and an increase in the maximum signal value can be implemented if a delayed flow start and a reduced flow increase occur. According to a further embodiment, a delayed signal drop can be implemented.
According to a further embodiment, an opening signal value provided for the opening of the injection valve can be increased. According to a further embodiment, the actuator element can be embodied as a piezo element, which interacts with a control valve with a first stroke length, which controls the injection valve with a second stroke length, or directly interacts with the injection valve without the control valve. According to a further embodiment, the actuator element can be embodied as a magnet element, which optionally interacts with the injection valve by way of a control valve. According to a further embodiment, the electric signal may represent an applied electric voltage, the signal characteristic curve may represent a voltage characteristic curve, the signal-time diagram may represent a voltage-time diagram, the signal increase may represent a voltage increase, the signal drop may represent a voltage drop and the signal value may represent a voltage value. According to a further embodiment, in order to determine the flow characteristic curve deviating from the target characteristic curve, the fuel quantity flowing through the injection holes can be measured as a function of time in a test bench facility. According to a further embodiment, to determine the flow characteristic curve deviating from the target characteristic curve, measured time values in respect of the fuel quantity flowing through the injection holes may be transformed in the frequency range and further processed there. According to a further embodiment, the modification values of the signal characteristic curve values produced can be stored or printed as correction values in/on a data carrier connected to the injector or assigned to different resistance values.
According to another embodiment, an apparatus for the calibration of fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, with each fuel injector having at least one actuator element that may be activated by an electric signal, which interacts with at least one injection valve with an injection rate for the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber via injection holes, may further comprise a controller, which in the case of a flow characteristic curve of the fuel flowing through the injection holes deviating from a target characteristic curve in a flow-time diagram, controls a change in a signal characteristic curve of the electric signal applied to the actuator element in a signal-time diagram relative to a target characteristic curve.
Advantages and expediencies can be inferred from the description below in conjunction with the drawing, in which;
According to various embodiments, a signal characteristic curve of the electric signal applied to the actuator element is modified in a signal-time diagram by means of a controller relative to a target characteristic curve in the case of a method for the calibration of fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, which, in each injector, have at least one actuator element which may be activated by means of an electric signal, said actuator element interacting with at least one injection valve having an injection rate for the supply of fuel to a combustion chamber via injection holes, in the case of a flow characteristic curve of the fuel flowing through the injection holes deviating from a target characteristic curve in a flow-time diagram. Provided a piezo element is used as an actuator element, said piezo element interacting with a control valve with a first stroke length, which controls the injection valve with a second stroke length, the electric signal is preferably electrical voltage values. Alternatively, the injection valve can interact directly with the piezo element. Accordingly, the signal characteristic curve represents a voltage characteristic curve, the signal-time diagram a voltage-time diagram, the signal increase a voltage increase, the signal reduction a voltage reduction and the signal value a voltage value. The voltage is used here to move the piezo element accordingly. The determination of the flow characteristic and thus a deviation of the flow characteristic curve from its target characteristic curve enables a subsequent adjustment and/or correction of the ejected fuel content by means of the voltage characteristic curve in a simple and rapid fashion, irrespective of whether a correction control of this type is indicated in terms of its values on the exterior of the injector or is stored in a memory, which is either connected to the injector or to the controller. As the movement of the piezo element in the form of a piezo crystal is proportional to the voltage applied thereto and the first and second stroke lengths of the control valve and the injection valve are therefore very different, a variable flow can be implemented as a correction for the actual flow measured previously.
Very different types of fuel delivery deviations can be corrected in this way, for instance an error in the flow present within the injector, a dead time error within the injector existing as a result of the time delay between the actuation of the control valve and the injection valve or a correction of an idle stroke error, which can then occur for instance if the piezo crystal initially has to cover a certain idle stroke length before it makes contact with the control valve.
Such a correction of the voltage curve on the basis of the measurement of a flow characteristic curve which is not as desired, allows a large number of fuel injectors to be obtained with the most minimal or even no deviations in terms of their flow characteristic over the whole operating range of the fuel injectors, with the fuel injectors only having to be dosed at individual working points within the operating range within the scope of large scale production.
As an alternative to direct piezo control, in other words control of the fuel injector by means of a piezo element acting directly on the injection valve, or indirect piezo control, in other words control of the fuel injector by means of a piezo element acting on a control valve, which controls the injection valve, direct or indirect magnetic control can likewise be used, with a magnetically active element being used to move the injection valve and/or the control valve instead of the piezo element.
Voltage values or current values and/or capacitive or inductive values can be used accordingly as electric signals. In respect of the capacitive values, Q=C·U applies here for the electrical charge used and E=½ C·U for the energy and in respect of the inductive values Φ=L·I for the flow and E=½L·I in respect of the energy used.
For a possible analysis to determine the flow characteristic of individual fuel injectors, it is possible to use the injection profile of the fuel leaving the injection nozzles itself, discrete characteristic values from the time range of the injection characteristic or discrete characteristic values from the frequency range of the injection characteristic.
These values generally permit the determination of individual errors in terms of functionality and the flow characteristic of the fuel injectors, namely for instance the determination of an idle stroke or a dead time.
As a function of these determined errors, in the case of the voltage applied to the piezo element, it is possible to carry out corresponding corrections, such as for instance at the start of activation (TB), of the charging energy (E) and the activation duration (TA) and/or injection duration (TE), thereby correcting the errors at least in a variation range, which allows the fuel injectors to be tailored to one another.
In general terms, idle stroke deviations and deviations in the flow characteristic are compensated for here by way of the activation duration and/or injection duration, while dynamic deviations are compensated for during operation of the fuel injector by way of energy regulation.
The correction data obtained therefrom can advantageously be fed directly back into the manufacturing process of the subsequent fuel injectors for quality assurance purposes.
To correct a flow error in the fuel leaving through the injection holes and/or nozzles, if a flow value which is too high or too low occurs, the at least partially simultaneously applied voltage can be varied, for instance reduced, early or with a delay. This allows a shorter and/or longer activation duration as a result of a shorter or longer displacement and/or movement of the piezo crystal.
If a delayed flow start and a delayed flow end occur, an early voltage increase and an early voltage drop can be implemented. This results in correction of the dead time error, which can be corrected by a correspondingly earlier or later voltage application.
To correct an idle stroke error, if a delayed flow start and a reduced flow increase occur, an early voltage increase and an increase in the maximum voltage value are implemented and if necessary a delayed voltage drop is practiced. This produces a voltage pattern in a voltage-time characteristic curve which results in a flow pattern of the flow characteristic curve, which has the same integral value below the characteristic curve as that of the desired target characteristic curve. This applies likewise to the intended corrected flow characteristic curves for correcting the dead time and the flow error.
If an idle stroke error occurs, the opening voltage value needed to open the injection valve is increased in order thereby to achieve opening of the injection valve with a higher voltage than the voltage increasing in this case more rapidly as a correction. This results in an opening of the injection valve from a voltage value which matches the opening time of a nominal injector and is so high that the subsequent increased maximum voltage would not result in an excessively long injection of fuel.
To determine the flow characteristic curve deviating from the target characteristic curve, the actual fuel quantity flowing through the injection holes is measured as a function of time in a test bench facility. Alternatively, the values transformed in the frequency range can be used.
The modification values produced for the voltage characteristic curve are preferably stored as correction values in a data carrier connected to the injector.
A device for the calibration of fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, in which each fuel injector has the piezo element, the control valve and the injection valve, also advantageously has a controller, which in the case of the flow characteristic curve of the fuel flowing through the injection holes deviating from the target characteristic curve in the flow-time diagram, controls the change in the voltage characteristic curve of the voltage applied to the piezo element in a voltage time diagram relative to the target characteristic curve.
An injector, consisting of an actuator 1 (here a piezo element) and a needle functioning as a valve 3, is connected to a rail 7. The piezo actuator 1, which in electrical terms functions as a capacitor 9, is operated by a control device 6 (ECU).
The injection valve 3 implements upward and downward movements, which act on an injection nozzle 4. By way of example, the injection nozzle includes a stylus-shaped element in the form of an injection needle, which can open or close an opening by means of the upward and downward movements. Provided a revealed opening is present, fuel surrounding the needle flows into the opening and is injected into a combustion chamber 5 by way of injection holes.
The control valve 2 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 8a with a recuperating spring, which is connected parallel to a throttle 8c, by way of a throttle 8b. The control valve 2 is connected to the rail 7 by way of the two elements 8a, 8b.
There is a further connection from there to the injection valve 3, which in turn injects fuel into the combustion chamber 5 by way of the injection nozzle 4.
In the case of the measured flow characteristic curve, an increased maximum value 12b, which is not desirable, is present when there is a flow error. Rising and falling sections 12a and 12c are likewise present again.
The flow characteristic curve 18 provided for compensation, which results from the modified voltage characteristic curve 14a, 14b, has the sections 18a, 18b and 18c as well as 18d relative to the target characteristic curve 17 with the sections 17a, 17b and 17c. Both characteristic curves 17 and 18 have the same flow integral.
The early reduction in the voltage characteristic curve according to section 14a and 14b thus advantageously achieves compensation for the flow error with too high a flow amount according to section 12b, by an early flow reduction taking place in the section 18c.
In
As a result of the corrected voltage signal according to
The method according to various embodiments is a method using injector variables in direct form, for which a so-called injector scatter, in other words deviations in the flow characteristic, can be compensated for between the different fuel injectors.
An adaptation of the method according to various embodiments is easily possible by linking it to other methods, for instance Minimum Fuel Mass Adaptation (MFMA) or Cylinder Balancing on the basis of the provision of injector variables in direct form. An almost complete correction of the fuel injector characteristics and parameters is possible.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2008/054758 | 4/18/2008 | WO | 00 | 10/22/2009 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008/129008 | 10/30/2008 | WO | A |
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