Methods and systems for adjusting fuel injector operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016153386-A1
Application number	US-201414556752-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving fuel injection of an engine that includes a cylinder receiving fuel from two different fuel injectors is disclosed. In one example, a transfer function or gain of a direct fuel injector is adjusted in response to an exhaust lambda value and a fraction of fuel supplied to a cylinder during a cylinder cycle.

First claim

1 . A method for fueling a cylinder, comprising:
operating a fuel injector in a ballistic operating region supplying fuel to the cylinder; and adjusting a control parameter of the fuel injector in response to exhaust lambda and a fuel fraction provided to the cylinder by the fuel injector; and operating the fuel injector based on the adjusted control parameter.

2 . The method of claim 1 , where the ballistic operating region is an operating region where fuel flow through the fuel injector is non-linear.

3 . The method of claim 1 , where the control parameter is a fuel injector gain or transfer function.

4 . The method of claim 1 , where the adjusted control parameter is stored to memory.

5 . The method of claim 1 , where the fuel injector is a direct fuel injector.

6 . The method of claim 1 , where the cylinder is in an engine, and where the engine is operated at a constant speed and air mass when the fuel injector is operated in the ballistic mode.

7 . The method of claim 1 , where the fuel fraction is less than 0.5.

8 . A method for fueling a cylinder, comprising:
operating an engine at a constant speed and air mass; supplying a first fuel fraction to a cylinder of the engine via a first fuel injector while supplying a second fuel fraction to the cylinder via a second fuel injector; increasing a pressure of fuel supplied to the second fuel injector; decreasing a pulse width supplied to the second fuel injector to operate the second fuel injector in a ballistic region in response to increasing the pressure of fuel supplied to the second fuel injector; and adjusting a control parameter of the second fuel injector in response to exhaust lambda produced while the second fuel injector is operating in the ballistic region; and operating the second fuel injector based on the adjusted control parameter.

9 . The method of claim 8 , where the first fuel injector is a port fuel injector, and where the second fuel injector is a direct fuel injector.

10 . The method of claim 8 , where the control parameter is further adjusted based on a fraction of fuel supplied to the cylinder via the second fuel injector.

11 . The method of claim 10 , where the second fuel injector's fuel flow is non-linear in the ballistic region.

12 . The method of claim 11 , where the control parameter is a transfer function or gain.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising commanding the engine to operate at a constant air-fuel ratio while operating at the constant speed and air mass and while increasing the pressure of fuel supplied to the second fuel injector.

14 . The method of claim 8 , where the first fuel fraction is greater than 0.5.

15 . A system, comprising:
an engine including a cylinder; a port fuel injector in fluidic communication with the cylinder; a direct fuel injector in fluidic communication with the cylinder; and a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory for commanding the engine to operate at a constant air-fuel ratio while supplying fuel to the cylinder via the port fuel injector and the direct fuel injector, additional instructions for increasing a fuel pressure supplied to the direct fuel injector while continuing to command the engine to operate at the constant air-fuel ratio, and additional instructions to operate the direct fuel injector in a ballistic mode via decreasing a fuel pulse width supplied to the direct fuel injector while continuing to command the engine to operate at the constant air-fuel ratio.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising additional instructions to operate the engine at a constant speed and air mass while commanding the engine to operate at the constant air-fuel ratio.

17 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising additional instructions to adjust a transfer function or gain of the direct fuel injector

18 . The system of claim 17 , where the transfer function or gain is adjusted based on an exhaust lambda.

19 . The system of claim 18 , where the transfer function or gain is adjusted further based on a fuel fraction provided to the cylinder via the direct fuel injector during a cylinder cycle.

20 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising additional instructions to incrementally increase fuel pressure supplied to the direct fuel injector while the engine is commanded to operate at the constant air-fuel ratio.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ranga Adithya Pravarun Re
• Surnilla Gopichandra
• Sanborn Ethan D
• Thomas Joseph Lyle
• Meinhart Mark

Classifications

• F02D41/38 Primary

  of the high pressure type · CPC title

• F02D41/1454

  the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio · CPC title

• F02D41/3094 Primary

  the fuel injection being effected by at least two different injectors, e.g. one in the intake manifold and one in the cylinder · CPC title

• F02D41/2467

  for injectors · CPC title

• F02D41/1473

  characterised by the regulation method · CPC title