Patent Application
20160025594
The present invention relates to a method to measure a friction loss in a diesel engine, or the like, and to a method to detect an engine driving state by using the method to measure a friction loss.
Diesel engines using carbon-neutral vegetable-oil-derived fuels have already been put into practical use in recent years to prevent global warming. However, since the vegetable-oil-derived fuels are high in viscosity unless these fuels are modified, they can hardly be directly used for diesel engines. Accordingly, such fuels have been used as biodiesel fuels (BDF®) subjected to treatment aimed to reduce the viscosity of the vegetable-oil-derived fuels to that of light oils. More specifically, the biodiesel fuels (BDF®) have been produced by mixing NaOH and methanol with a vegetable oil or waste edible oil and heating, that is, by methyl esterification. Alternatively, it has been necessary to heat a vegetable oil, supply the heated oil to an engine, and heat a fuel injection pipe with steam or a heater from the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Taking into account the cost of such methyl esterification and wastewater treatment required in such treatment, it is desirable that vegetable oils could be directly supplied and used in a diesel engine (neat biofuel), without such treatment. Accordingly, the inventors of the present application conducted a fundamental study aimed to enable the direct supply of vegetable oils to diesel engines and use thereof as fuels.
Incidentally, in the above-mentioned study, fuel efficiency could also be investigated, but such an investigation particularly requires an accurate estimation of friction loss in the engine. A deceleration method for measuring a friction loss on the basis of the degree of deceleration at the time when the deceleration is caused by suppressing combustion inside the cylinder space is known as a comparatively simple method to measure a friction loss in an engine. However, the problem is that the combustion inside the cylinder space is difficult to stop entirely at a predetermined timing, and therefore the accurate friction loss is difficult to measure. The present invention has been created with consideration for this problem, and it is an objective of the invention to provide a method for accurately measuring a friction loss in a diesel engine, or the like, and a method to detect an engine driving state by using the method for measuring a friction loss.
The friction loss measurement method according to a first aspect of the invention is a method to measure a friction loss in an engine, the engine being equipped with a fuel supplying device that is driven by the engine and performs fuel supply into an engine cylinder space, the method including: measuring an angular deceleration (dω/dt) of an output shaft after switching from a driving state, in which the engine is driven by burning fuel supplied by the fuel supplying device into the engine cylinder space, to a measuring state, in which deceleration is caused by suppressing the combustion of fuel in the engine cylinder space, and determining a friction loss in the engine on the basis of a friction torque Tf (for example, the measured friction torque Tf in the embodiments) of the engine which is found by Expression Tf=It×dω/dt, where It is a moment of inertia for an entire drive system of the engine, and a correction torque (for example, the friction torque correction quantity ΔTf in the embodiments) corresponding to a work (for example, the work correction quantity ΔW in the embodiments) performed by post-combustion dripping generated in the engine cylinder space after switching from the driving state to the measuring state.
It is preferred that in the above-described method to measure a friction loss, the work performed by the post-combustion dripping be calculated on the basis of a surface area of a region bounded by a line indicating a relationship between a pressure and a volume of the engine cylinder space after switching from the driving state to the measuring state; a measurement result relating to the pressure corresponding to the volume of the engine cylinder space be used for a portion of the line where the post-combustion dripping has occurred (for example, the portion from a start point A to an end point B in
It is preferred that in the above-described method to measure a friction loss, switching from the driving state to the measuring state be performed by stopping the supply of fuel to the engine cylinder space performed by the fuel supplying device.
It is preferred that in the above-described method to measure a friction loss, switching from the driving state to the measuring state be performed by supplying a non-flammable gas (for example, nitrogen N2 gas in the embodiments) into the engine cylinder space while continuing the supply of fuel to the engine cylinder space performed by the fuel supplying device.
The driving state detection method according to a second aspect of the invention is a method to detect a driving state of an engine, the engine being equipped with a fuel supplying device that is driven by the engine and performs fuel supply into an engine cylinder space, the method including: a friction loss calculation step for measuring an angular deceleration (dω/dt) of an output shaft after switching from a driving state, in which the engine is driven by burning fuel supplied by the fuel supplying device into the engine cylinder space, to a measuring state, in which deceleration is caused by suppressing the combustion of fuel in the engine cylinder space, and determining a friction loss in the engine on the basis of a friction torque Tf of the engine which is found by Expression Tf=It×dω/dt, where It is a moment of inertia for an entire drive system of the engine, and a correction torque corresponding to a work performed by post-combustion dripping generated in the engine cylinder space after switching from the driving state to the measuring state; a friction loss comparison step for comparing the calculated friction loss in the engine with a friction loss measured when the engine is driven in a normal state; and a driving state detection step for detecting the driving state of the engine on the basis of the comparison result.
In a diesel engine, or the like, even when the supply of fuel to the cylinder space is stopped and the combustion is stopped, a slight amount of fuel that has penetrated to the walls forming the cylinder space is burned (post-combustion dripping), a corresponding work is performed, and the friction loss can be difficult to measure accurately. Accordingly, in the present invention, the friction loss in an engine is determined on the basis of the friction torque Tf obtained by the deceleration method and the correction torque corresponding to the work performed by the post-combustion dripping. Therefore, the accurate friction loss in the engine which takes into account the post-combustion dripping can be calculated. As a result, the performance estimation of a diesel engine can be accurately performed both when a neat biofuel is used and when the usual diesel fuel (light oil) is used.
The embodiments of the present invention will be explained hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. The contents of the investigation which has been performed by the applicant and led to the creation of the invention of the present application will be explained before the explanation of the method to measure a friction loss in an engine in accordance with the present invention (the deceleration methods C and D explained hereinbelow).
The applicant has initially investigated how to decrease the viscosity of a neat biofuel to the level of the usual diesel engine fuel (light oil) in order to use the neat biofuel in the usual diesel engine. Linseed oil has been used as neat biofuel. Properties of linseed oil and the usual diesel engine fuel are shown in Table 1. Thus, the viscosity of linseed oil is high.
Methods based on the above-described chemical treatment can thus be used for reducing a high viscosity, but yet another method, which has been used in large diesel engines for ships, involves heating the fuel.
In the investigation aimed to increase the brake specific fuel consumption BSFC, a test has been conducted by using a single-cylinder air-cooled engine with the specifications shown in Table 2. The engine is provided with a fuel injection system with the specifications shown in Table 3. The maximum fuel injection pressure at the rated output is 25 MPa which is lower than in the latest automotive engines. The fuel injection start timing is fixed to 23° BTDC as a crank angle.
Where linseed oil is used as the fuel, the BSFC is high and the ISFC is low. The above-described results suggest that where linseed oil is used, the friction loss in the engine increases due to a high viscosity. This supposition has been confirmed by the below-described test.
The deceleration method was used to measure the friction loss in the engine. With this method, as depicted in
When the fuel is cut off and the engine has only the engine friction torque Tf and decelerates at the angular deceleration dω/dt, as depicted in
Tf=It×dω/dt (2)
Here, It is a total inertia momentum of the engine including the dynamometer 8 and a coupling member connected to the engine. The It can be determined by calculations on the basis of the engine specifications, but in this case, the It was determined experimentally in the following manner.
Where the angular deceleration at the time of deceleration occurring when the fuel supply to the engine is stopped while a load “ΔT” is applied to the dynamometer 8 is denoted by dω/dt(d), the engine deceleration relationship is represented by the following Expression (3). Further, the It can be determined from the Expressions (2) and (3) by the following Expression (4).
(Tf+ΔT)=It×dω/dt(d) (3)
It=ΔT/(dω/dt(d)−dω/dt) (4)
As follows from Expression (4), the It is determined by setting, as appropriate, the load ΔT to be applied by the dynamometer 8 and measuring the deceleration. The test results were rather stable, and in the present device, the It was 0.354 kgm2. Based on these results, the engine friction loss or friction torque was experimentally determined from Expression (2) when linseed oil was used as the fuel and when the usual diesel fuel was used.
Initially, the engine friction loss was determined by a deceleration method A which is the first method. The test device configuration based on the deceleration method A is depicted in
However, where the switching valve 21 is thus provided and the additional fuel supply pipe is provided, the wasted volume is increased which apparently results in the decrease in the fuel injection pressure. Since the fuel injection driving torque changes under the effect of the fuel injection pressure, the measurement results are apparently affected thereby. For this reason, the friction loss in the engine was measured by the below-described deceleration method B which is the second method.
The measurement of the engine friction loss in this case is specifically explained hereinbelow. Initially, the fuel supplied by the fuel supplying device into the engine cylinder is burned and the engine is set to the driving state (performance testing state). From this state, the nitrogen N2 gas is supplied into the engine cylinder while continuing the supply of fuel into the engine cylinder, the combustion of fuel in the engine cylinder is suppressed, and the engine is decelerated (the friction loss measuring state is assumed). Here, the angular deceleration dω/dt is measured at the time when the suppression of fuel combustion inside the engine cylinder is started by the supply of the nitrogen N2 gas. The engine friction torque Tf is then determined by using Expression (2) from the calculated angular deceleration dω/dt and the total inertia momentum It of the engine which has been determined experimentally in advance and stored. The angular deceleration dω/dt may be calculated on the basis of a state in the course of deceleration after switching to the friction loss measuring state, instead of by calculations on the basis of the state at the time of switching from the performance testing state to the friction loss measuring state. It is also possible to calculate the angular deceleration dω/dt at a plurality of timings after switching to the friction loss measuring state and to average the calculated values.
When the usual diesel fuel (light oil) is used, the fuel injection torque is such that it can substantially be ignored, but when linseed oil is used, since the viscosity thereof is high, it is clear that the fuel injection torque increases. Thus, it is clear that the fuel consumption rate BSFC is increased as a result of the increase in the fuel injection torque occurring when linseed oil is used.
The deceleration method B is explained hereinabove. The deceleration method illustrated by
Accordingly, with the below-described deceleration method C, the quantity W of work performed by the post-combustion dripping is initially calculated. Then, a friction torque correction quantity ΔTf corresponding to the work quantity W is determined and added up to the measured friction torque Tf which is obtained by the actual measurements. The accurate corrected friction torque Tf* (engine friction torque) in which the post-combustion dripping is taken into account is thus calculated. This deceleration method C is described below in greater detail.
Since it is generally necessary to use the pressure detector 3 that can detect the maximum cylinder pressure, even though a comparatively high cylinder pressure can be detected with good accuracy, a comparatively low cylinder pressure is difficult to detect with good accuracy. Therefore, the cylinder pressure obtained with the pressure detector 3 easily becomes unstable, in particular, in a low-pressure region. As a result, the quantity W of work performed by the post-combustion dripping is difficult to calculate accurately as a surface area surrounded by a line representing the relationship between the cylinder volume and cylinder pressure.
As indicated in
The start point A and end point B of the post-combustion dripping are specified on the basis of a polytropic index κ for each crank angle, which is obtained with Expression (5) below by using the cylinder pressure and cylinder volume.
(dP/P)/(dV/V)=−κ (5)
Meanwhile, since no combustion occurs in the comparatively low-pressure compression stroke and expansion stroke represented by a line outside the range from the start point A to the end point B in
P=P
A×(VA/V)̂κ (6)
Here, PA is the cylinder pressure in the start point A, VA is the cylinder volume in the start point A, and κ is the polytropic index. Here, κ=1.4 because the process under consideration corresponds to the adiabatic change of air.
In
P=P
B×(VB/V)̂κ (7)
Here, PB is the cylinder pressure in the end point B, and VB is the cylinder volume in the end point B.
A graph is thus determined which represents the relationship between the cylinder volume and cylinder pressure such as depicted in
Accordingly, where the work correction quantity ΔW is taken as W to be used for correcting the work quantity W, the relationship between the work correction quantity ΔW and the friction average effective pressure correction quantity ΔPmf is defined by Expression (8) below.
ΔW=ΔPmf×Vh (8)
In Expression (8), Vh is the exhaust amount of the engine E. The relationship between the friction average effective pressure correction quantity ΔPmf and the friction torque correction quantity ΔTf is defined by Expression (9) below.
ΔPmf=4π×(ΔTf/Vh) (9)
Therefore, where the work correction quantity ΔW is determined, the friction average effective pressure correction quantity ΔPmf is found from Expression (8) above. The friction torque correction quantity ΔTf is found from the friction average effective pressure correction quantity ΔPmf and Expression (9) above. Where the friction torque correction quantity ΔTf is added to the measured friction torque Tf, the accurate corrected friction torque Tf* which takes into account the post-combustion dripping can be determined.
The engine E outputs the drive power by repeating the intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust strokes in the order of description, but the lines corresponding to the intake stroke and exhaust stroke are not depicted in
When the above-described deceleration methods A, B, and C are executed, it is preferred that the crank angle be detected by the crank angle detector 7 in the below-described manner. The crank angle detector 7 is configured of a slit scale (not depicted in the figures), which is provided with a slit at each predetermined angle (for example, 1°), and a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element (also not depicted in the figure) arranged to sandwich the slit scale. As indicated in Table 2, the engine used for this test is a four-cycle engine. Therefore, when the angular deceleration within an interval (one revolution) in which the crank shaft rotates through 360° is calculated, the adjacent angular decelerations vary significantly, as depicted in
In the above-described deceleration methods A, B, and C, when the engine is decelerated by producing a state in which no combustion is generated inside the engine cylinder 23, torsional vibrations can occur in the crankshaft. Even when the angular deceleration is determined on the basis of the rotation angle of the torsionally vibrating portion, an accurate angular deceleration is difficult to obtain. Accordingly, slit scales are provided in a plurality of locations that differ from each other in the amplitude or phase of torsional vibrations. A neutral point in which no torsional vibrations occur is then determined by extrapolating (see
Instead of using the above-described deceleration method C, it is also possible to suppress the combustion by supplying nitrogen N2 gas into the engine cylinder, while continuing the supply of fuel into the engine cylinder with the fuel supplying device, at the time of switching to the engine friction loss measuring state (this method is referred to hereinbelow as deceleration method D). Since the post-combustion dripping can also occur in the deceleration method D, the accurate corrected friction torque Tf* can be determined by calculating the quantity W of work performed by the post-combustion dripping, as described hereinabove. The driving torque for fuel injection can then be determined by finding the difference between the corrected friction torque Tf* calculated by the deceleration method D and the corrected friction torque Tf* calculated by the deceleration method C. Since the torque for fuel injection is typically only about several percent of the corrected friction torque Tf* calculated by the deceleration method D, this torque may be safely ignored.
Methods for measuring the engine friction torque have been explained hereinabove. A method for detecting the driving state of an engine by using the method for measuring the engine friction torque will be explained hereinbelow with reference to
The driving state detection device 30 is a device for detecting the driving state of the engine E when a driving object device M such as a generator, a hydraulic pump, or a ship propeller is driven by the engine E. The driving state detection device is configured of a crank angle detector 7, an oil temperature detector 31, and a controller 32. The crank angle detector 7 detects the revolution speed (rpm) of the engine E and outputs the detection signal corresponding to the detection result to the controller 32. The oil temperature detector 31 detects the lubricating oil temperature (° C.) of the engine E and outputs the detection signal corresponding to the detection result to the controller 32. For example, when the driving object device M is a generator, the load (Nm) of the engine E is detected on the basis of the power generation amount of the generator. The controller 32 is configured of a CPU 33 that performs computational processing and a memory 34 storing a program and data relating to fuel supply control of the engine E. The controller 32 outputs a command signal to the fuel supply pump 27, which is driven by the engine E, and performs control of switching between a supply state in which fuel is injected from the fuel injection nozzle 25 into the engine cylinder and a stop state in which the injection of fuel from the fuel injection nozzle 25 into the engine cylinder is stopped. The load (Nm) of the engine E can be also detected on the basis of the fuel injection quantity (fuel consumption) in the engine E.
The fuel supply pump 27 of the engine E is switched by the controller 32 from the supply state to the stop state each time the predetermined time elapses since the drive has been started by the engine E, and then again returned to the supply state after a short-term stop state has been assumed in which the drive of the driving object device M is not inhibited. The controller 32 calculates the friction loss in the engine load state immediately preceding the stop state (friction loss taking into account the post-combustion dripping) by the above-described deceleration method C for each stop state. In this case, when any abnormality (poor circulation of the lubricating oil, degradation of the lubricating oil, abnormality associated with sliding parts, and the like) occurs in the engine E, a friction loss greatly exceeding the corresponding friction loss stored in the memory 34 is calculated, and when no abnormality occurs in the engine E, a friction loss close to the corresponding friction loss is calculated. Meanwhile, the controller 32 reads from the memory 34 the friction loss corresponding to the detection signals inputted at this time from the crank angle detector 7 and the oil temperature detector 31 and also to the detected engine load. The calculated friction loss is then compared with the corresponding friction loss that has been read from the memory 34.
Where the comparison result indicates that the calculated friction loss is larger than the corresponding friction loss, which has been read from the memory 34, the difference therebetween being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that an abnormality (poor circulation of the lubricating oil, degradation of the lubricating oil, abnormality associated with sliding parts, and the like) has occurred in the engine E. The engine E can be prevented from damage by notifying of the occurrence of an abnormality in the engine E on the basis of this determination. Meanwhile, where the difference between the calculated friction loss and the corresponding friction loss, which has been read from the memory 34, is less than the predetermined value, it is determined that an abnormality inhibiting the drive has not occurred in the engine E.
However, since the engine typically operates cyclically, a fuel deposit (a residue constituted by incompletely burned fuel components and lubricating oil components) accumulates on the walls forming the cylinder space. Where fuel is injected into the cylinder space in which such fuel deposit has accumulated, part of the injected fuel is adsorbed by the fuel deposit and permeates thereinto. Therefore, where a large amount of fuel deposit accumulates on the walls of the cylinder space, a correspondingly large amount of injected fuel is adsorbed by the fuel deposit. As a result, the amount of fuel burning during the post-combustion dripping increases and the quantity of work performed by the post-combustion dripping increases. Therefore, the deposition state of the combustion deposit inside the cylinder space can be estimated on the basis of the quantity of work performed by the post-combustion dripping which is determined when calculating the friction loss in the above-described driving state detection device 30. Further, the combustion deposit accumulating inside the cylinder space can cause piston seizure, or the like. Therefore, for example, when a work quantity equal to or greater than a predetermined quantity is calculated as the quantity of work performed by the post-combustion dripping, piston seizure, or the like, can be reliably prevented by issuing a request to disassemble and clean the engine.
In the above-described embodiments, an example is explained in which nitrogen N2 gas is used as an inflammable gas for suppressing the combustion, but other gases, for example, carbon dioxide gas, helium gas, and argon gas can be also used.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-048964 | Mar 2013 | JP | national |
| 2014-005392 | Jan 2014 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2014/001201 | 3/5/2014 | WO | 00 |
