Engine control based on combustion misfire of exhaust gas recirculation cylinder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10815919-B2
Application number	US-201816144704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2018
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A system for controlling combustion misfire in an engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, at least a portion of the plurality of cylinders receiving recirculated exhaust gas, comprises a controller structured to detect a combustion misfire in at least one of the cylinders of the plurality of cylinders. The controller is configured to retard a spark timing of at least the portion of the plurality of cylinders after a time delay.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling combustion misfire in an engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, at least a portion of the plurality of cylinders receiving recirculated exhaust gas, the system comprising:
a controller structured to:
detect a combustion misfire in at least one of the plurality of cylinders; and
retard a spark timing of at least the portion of the plurality of cylinders after a time delay.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of cylinders comprises a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cylinder, the combustion misfire being in the dedicated EGR cylinder, and wherein the controller is configured to retard the spark timing of the dedicated EGR cylinder by a first amount immediately upon detecting the combustion misfire.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
retard the spark timing of the other cylinders of the plurality of cylinders by a second amount after the time delay.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the time delay is one of a pre-determined fixed time delay, a variable time delay based on engine speed, or a variable time delay based on crank angle revolutions of a crankshaft of the engine.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first amount of spark timing retard in the dedicated EGR cylinder and the second amount of spark timing retard in the other cylinders of the plurality of cylinders is based on an engine operating condition.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first amount of spark timing retard in the dedicated EGR cylinder and the second amount of spark timing retard in the other cylinders of the plurality of cylinders is based on a degree of combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the degree of combustion misfire comprises a light combustion misfire, and wherein the second amount is the same as the first amount.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the degree of combustion misfire comprises moderate combustion misfire, and wherein second amount is different from the first amount.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder based on at least one of an exhaust manifold pressure, an exhaust manifold temperature, a dedicated EGR cylinder pressure, an ionic current in the dedicated EGR cylinder, an amount of oxygen in recirculated exhaust gas, an amount of NOx in recirculated exhaust gas, an amount of vibration of the dedicated EGR cylinder, or an engine torque of the engine.

10. A system for controlling combustion misfire in an engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, at least one of the plurality of cylinders being a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cylinder, the system comprising:
a controller structured to:
detect a combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder;
determine a degree of combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder; and
after a time delay, retard a spark timing of each of the plurality of cylinders by an amount based on the degree of combustion misfire.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the degree of combustion misfire comprises a light combustion misfire, and wherein the spark timing of each of the plurality of cylinders is retarded by the same amount.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the degree of combustion misfire comprises a moderate combustion misfire, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
after the time delay, restrict an intake air flow into each of the plurality of cylinders; and
subsequently, reduce an amount of fuel inserted into each of the plurality of cylinders to maintain a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in each of the plurality of cylinders.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the spark timing of the dedicated EGR cylinder is retarded by a first amount and the spark timing of the other cylinders of the plurality of cylinders is retarded by a second amount, the second amount being different from the first amount.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder based on at least one of an exhaust manifold pressure, an exhaust manifold temperature, a dedicated EGR cylinder pressure, an ionic current in the dedicated EGR cylinder, an amount of oxygen in recirculated exhaust gas, an amount of NOx in recirculated exhaust gas, an amount of vibration of the dedicated EGR cylinder, or an engine torque of the engine.

15. A method for combustion misfire control in an engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, at least a portion of the plurality of cylinders receiving recirculated exhaust gas, the method comprising:
detecting a combustion misfire in at least one of the cylinders of the plurality of cylinders; and
retarding a spark timing of at least the portion of the plurality of cylinders after a time delay.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of cylinders comprises a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cylinder, the combustion misfire being in the dedicated EGR cylinder, and wherein the spark timing of the dedicated EGR cylinder is retarded by a first amount immediately upon detecting the combustion misfire.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising retarding the spark timing of the other cylinders of the plurality of cylinders by a second amount after the time delay.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the time delay is one of a pre-determined fixed time delay, a variable time delay based on engine speed, or a variable time delay based on crank angle revolutions of a crankshaft of the engine.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a degree of combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder,
wherein the first amount of spark timing retard in the dedicated EGR cylinder and the second amount of spark timing retard in the other cylinders of the plurality of cylinders is based on a degree of combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the degree of combustion misfire comprises a light combustion misfire, and wherein the second amount is the same as the first amount.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the degree of combustion misfire comprises moderate combustion misfire, and wherein the second amount is different from the first amount.

22. A system for controlling combustion misfire in an engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, at least one of the plurality of cylinders being a dedicated exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cylinder, the system comprising:
a controller structured to:
detect a combustion misfire in the dedicated EGR cylinder;
implement spark retardation in the dedicated EGR cylinder immediately upon detecting the combustion misfire; and
after a time delay, retard a spark timing of one or more of the plurality of cylinders by an amount based on the degree of combustion misfire.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Kolhouse J Steven
• Stroh David J

Classifications

• F02P5/1516 Primary

  with means relating to exhaust gas recirculation, e.g. turbo · CPC title

• F02M26/47

  the characteristics being temperatures, pressures or flow rates · CPC title

• F02D35/023

  by determining the cylinder pressure · CPC title

• F02D41/0065

  Specific aspects of external EGR control (constructional details of EGR system F02M26/00) · CPC title

• F02P5/1502

  using one central computing unit · CPC title