Spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10651630-B2
Application number	US-201916420613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating method for a spark plug in which spark discharge occurs between two electrodes by application of voltage generated by an ignition coil, includes the step of estimating a wearing rate of a first electrode in one spark discharge based on a temperature of the first electrode, and a spark discharge voltage and supply energy from the ignition coil. The first electrode contains any one of Ir, Ru, W, and Ni as a main component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating apparatus for a spark plug in which spark discharge occurs between two electrodes by application of voltage generated by an ignition coil, the apparatus comprising:
a first electrode that is at least one of the two electrodes and that contains any one of Ir, Ru, W, and Ni as a main component;
a first obtaining unit configured to obtain information on a temperature of the first electrode, and spark discharge voltage and supply energy from the ignition coil; and
a first wearing rate estimation unit configured to estimate a wearing rate of the first electrode in one spark discharge based on the information.

2. A spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating apparatus for a spark plug in which spark discharge occurs between two electrodes by application of voltage generated by an ignition coil, the apparatus comprising:
a second electrode that is at least one of the two electrodes and that contains Pt as a main component;
a second obtaining unit configured to obtain information on a spark discharge voltage and supply energy from the ignition coil; and
a second wearing rate estimation unit configured to estimate a wearing rate of the second electrode in one spark discharge based on the information.

3. A spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating method for a spark plug in which spark discharge occurs between two electrodes by application of voltage generated by an ignition coil, the method comprising the steps of:
providing two electrodes, at least one of which is a first electrode that contains any one of Ir, Ru, W, and Ni as a main component, and
estimating a wearing rate of the first electrode in one spark discharge, based on a temperature of the first electrode, and a spark discharge voltage and supply energy from the ignition coil.

4. A spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating method for a spark plug in which spark discharge occurs between two electrodes by application of voltage generated by an ignition coil, the method comprising the steps of:
providing two electrodes, at least one of which is a second electrode that contains Pt as a main component, and
estimating a wearing rate of the second electrode in one spark discharge based on a spark discharge voltage and supply energy from the ignition coil.

5. The spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a second electrode that contains Pt as a main component, and
estimating a wearing rate of the second electrode in one spark discharge based on a spark discharge voltage and supply energy from the ignition coil.

6. The spark plug electrode wearing rate estimating method according to claim 5 , comprising the step of estimating an increase amount of a spark gap between the two electrodes based on results obtained after wearing rates of the first electrode and the second electrode have been estimated in the steps of estimating the wearing rate of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Assignees

• Ngk Spark Plug Co

Inventors

• Karumi Takahiro

Classifications

• F02P2017/121

  by measuring spark voltage · CPC title

• F02P17/12

  Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60) · CPC title

• F02P3/0414

  using digital techniques (F02P3/0428, F02P3/0442 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02D41/221

  relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements · CPC title

• H01T13/58

  Testing (testing characteristics of the spark in internal-combustion engine ignition F02P17/12) · CPC title