Controller and control method for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801379-B2
Application number	US-201916459823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2018
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A controller executes a fuel introduction process of introducing, in a state in which the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine is rotating, air-fuel mixture that contains fuel injected by a fuel injection valve into the exhaust passage without burning the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder. The controller executes a discharge process of performing spark discharge of an ignition plug at non-combustion ignition timing during the execution of the fuel introduction process. The non-combustion ignition timing is timing within a period in which the air-fuel mixture is not burned in the cylinder even if the spark discharge of the ignition plug is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller for an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes
a fuel injection valve,
a cylinder into which air-fuel mixture containing fuel injected by the fuel injection valve is introduced,
an ignition plug that ignites the air-fuel mixture introduced into the cylinder by spark discharge,
an exhaust passage through which gas discharged from inside the cylinder flows, and
a three-way catalyst provided in the exhaust passage, the controller is configured to execute:
a fuel introduction process of introducing, in a state in which a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is rotating, the air-fuel mixture that contains the fuel injected by the fuel injection valve into the exhaust passage without burning the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder; and
a discharge process of performing spark discharge of the ignition plug at non-combustion ignition timing after the fuel is injected by the fuel injection valve during the execution of the fuel introduction process, wherein
the non-combustion ignition timing is timing within a period in which the air-fuel mixture is not burned in the cylinder even if the spark discharge of the ignition plug is performed.

2. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the non-combustion ignition timing is within a period in which an in-cylinder pressure of the cylinder is lower than a minimum pressure required to ignite the air-fuel mixture.

3. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the execution of the fuel introduction process and the execution of the discharge process of performing spark discharge are started at same timing.

4. A controller for an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes
a fuel injection valve,
a cylinder into which air-fuel mixture containing fuel injected by the fuel injection valve is introduced,
an ignition plug that ignites the air-fuel mixture introduced into the cylinder by spark discharge,
an exhaust passage through which gas discharged from inside the cylinder flows, and
a three-way catalyst provided in the exhaust passage, the controller includes circuitry that is configured to execute:
a fuel introduction process of introducing, in a state in which a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is rotating, the air-fuel mixture that contains the fuel injected by the fuel injection valve into the exhaust passage without burning the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder; and
a discharge process of performing spark discharge of the ignition plug at non-combustion ignition timing after the fuel is injected by the fuel injection valve during the execution of the fuel introduction process, wherein
the non-combustion ignition timing is timing within a period in which the air-fuel mixture is not burned in the cylinder even if the spark discharge of the ignition plug is performed.

5. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the non-combustion ignition timing is within a period in which an in-cylinder pressure of the cylinder is lower than a minimum pressure required to ignite the air-fuel mixture.

6. The controller for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the execution of the fuel introduction process and the execution of the discharge process of performing spark discharge are started at same timing.

7. A control method for an internal combustion engine, wherein
the internal combustion engine includes
a fuel injection valve,
a cylinder into which air-fuel mixture containing fuel injected by the fuel injection valve is introduced,
an ignition plug that ignites the air-fuel mixture introduced into the cylinder by spark discharge,
an exhaust passage through which gas discharged from inside the cylinder flows, and
a three-way catalyst provided in the exhaust passage, the method comprises:
executing a fuel introduction process of introducing, in a state in which a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is rotating, the air-fuel mixture that contains the fuel injected by the fuel injection valve into the exhaust passage without burning the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder; and
executing a discharge process of performing spark discharge of the ignition plug at non-combustion ignition timing after the fuel is injected by the fuel injection valve during the execution of the fuel introduction process, wherein
the non-combustion ignition timing is timing within a period in which the air-fuel mixture is not burned in the cylinder even if the spark discharge of the ignition plug is performed.

8. The control method for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7 , wherein the non-combustion ignition timing is within a period in which an in-cylinder pressure of the cylinder is lower than a minimum pressure required to ignite the air-fuel mixture.

9. The control method for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7 , wherein the execution of the fuel introduction process and the execution of the discharge process of performing spark discharge are started at same timing.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeda Yuto
• Nose Yuki
• Myojo Keiichi
• Ando Hirokazu

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02D41/029

  the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter · CPC title

• F02D41/025

  by changing the composition of the exhaust gas, e.g. for exothermic reaction on exhaust gas treating apparatus · CPC title

• F01N3/101

  Three-way catalysts · CPC title

• F01N2430/08

  by modifying ignition or injection timing · CPC title