Ignition System for Spark Ignition Engines and Method of Operating Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016160832-A1
Application number	US-201414905425-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ignition coil system is configured for use with a spark ignition internal combustion engine. The system includes a first switching circuit electrically connected to the primary coil that provides electrical power to the primary coil. The system includes a second switching circuit connected to the primary coil that is configured to short the terminals of the primary coil after the secondary current has been induced in the secondary coil, whereby the secondary coil induces a current in the primary coil, thereby reducing the secondary current in the secondary wire coil. A controller in communication with the first and second switching circuits is configured to receive a single electronic spark timing (EST) signal and to control the conductive states and the non-conductive states of the first and second switching circuits based on this single EST signal.

First claim

1 . An ignition coil system configured for use with a spark ignition internal combustion engine, comprising:
a central core; a primary wire coil wound about the central core; a secondary wire coil wound about the central core; a first switching circuit electrically connected to the primary wire coil and configured to be connected to an electrical power source, wherein a first electrical current from the electrical power source flows through the primary wire coil when the first switching circuit is in a conductive state and the first electrical current does not flow through the primary wire coil when the first switching circuit is in a non-conductive state; a second switching circuit electrically connected to the primary wire coil, wherein a second electrical current is induced in the primary wire coil by a third current in the secondary wire coil when the first switching circuit is in a non-conductive state and the second switching circuit is in a conductive state, thereby reducing the third current in the secondary wire coil; and a controller in communication with the first and second switching circuits, said controller configured to receive a single switching signal and to control the conductive states and the non-conductive states of the first and second switching circuits based on said single switching signal.

2 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to determine a first transition of the single switching signal from a first state to a second state and determine a second transition of the single switching signal from the second state to the first state when a first time period has elapsed, wherein the controller switches the first switching circuit to the conductive state after the first transition and the controller switches the first switching circuit to the non-conductive state after the second transition, wherein the controller is configured to determine a third transition of the single switching signal from the first state to the second state when a second time period has elapsed and determine a fourth transition of the single switching signal from the second state to the first state when a third time period has elapsed, and wherein the controller switches the second switching circuit to the conductive state after the fourth transition and the controller switches the second switching circuit to the non-conductive state after a fourth time period has elapsed.

3 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first time period is twenty to eighty times longer than the third time period.

4 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to produce a delayed switching signal based upon the single switching signal that is time delayed relative to the single switching signal by a fifth time period, wherein the controller is configured to determine a first transition of the delayed switching signal from a first state to a second state and determine a second transition of the delayed switching signal from the second state to the first state when the first time period has elapsed, wherein the controller switches the first switching circuit to the conductive state when the single switching signal and the delayed switching signal are in the second state and the controller switches the first switching circuit to the non-conductive state after the single switching signal and the delayed switching signal return to the first state, wherein the controller is configured to determine a third transition of the delayed switching signal from the first state to the second state when the second time period has elapsed, and wherein the controller switches the second switching circuit to the conductive state after the fourth transition of the single switching signal and after the third transition of the delayed switching signal and the controller switches the second switching circuit to the non-conductive state after the fourth time period has elapsed.

5 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the controller switches the second switching circuit to the conductive state after the third transition only when the single switching signal is in the first state.

6 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a current in the primary wire coil and wherein the controller switches the second switching circuit to the non-conductive state when the current in the primary wire coil exceeds a current threshold.

7 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the central core has a generally cylindrical shape and is formed of laminated electrical steel.

8 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the electrical steel is electrical silicon steel.

9 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising a magnetic return path at least partially surrounding the central core, the primary wire coil, and the secondary wire coil are formed of a material having a relative magnetic permeability value between 100 and 500, and wherein a portion of the magnetic return path is in direct and intimate contact with each end of the central core.

10 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the magnetic return path is formed of a composite iron material consisting essentially of iron particles and a dielectric binder.

11 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the composite iron material consists essentially of 98% iron particles and 2% dielectric binder by weight.

12 . The ignition coil system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the dielectric binder is an epoxy resin.

13 . A method of controlling an ignition coil system configured for use with a spark ignition internal combustion engine, said ignition coil system having a central core, a primary wire coil wound about the central core, a secondary wire coil wound about the central core, a first switching circuit electrically connected to the primary wire coil and an electrical power source, wherein a first electrical current from the electrical power source flows through the primary wire coil when the first switching circuit is in a conductive state and the first electrical current does not flow through the primary wire coil when the first switching circuit is in a non-conductive state, a second switching circuit electrically connected to the primary wire coil, wherein a second electrical current is induced in the primary wire coil by a third current in the secondary wire coil when the first switching circuit is in a non-conductive state and the second switching circuit is in a conductive state, thereby reducing the third current in the secondary wire coil, and a controller in electrical communication with the first and second switching circuits, said controller configured to receive a single switching signal and to control the conductive states and the non-conductive states of the first and second switching circuits based on said single switching signal, said method comprising the steps of:
providing said ignition coil system; providing said single switching signal to said ignition coil system; detecting a first transition of the single switching signal from a first state to a second state; switching the first switching circuit to the conductive state; detecting a second transition of the single switching signal from the second state to the first state after the elapse of a first time period; switching the first switching circuit to the non-conductive state after the second transition; detecting a third transition of the si

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc
• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Skinner Albert A
• Derrouich Alah
• Lorenz Frank

Classifications

• F02P9/002 Primary

  Control of spark intensity, intensifying, lengthening, suppression (by means of current control in the storage devices F02P3/05, F02P3/09, during starting F02P15/12) · CPC title

• F02P3/0442

  using digital techniques (F02P3/0456, F02P3/053, F02P3/0554, F02P3/0558 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01T15/00

  Circuits specially adapted for spark gaps, e.g. ignition circuits (ignition circuits for internal-combustion engines F02P; electric spark ignition for combustion apparatus F23Q; protection circuits using spark gaps H02H9/06) · CPC title

• H01F27/2823

  Wires (H01F27/2866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02P5/1502

  using one central computing unit · CPC title