Internal combustion engine ignition apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018306162-A1
Application number	US-201715784323-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 16, 2017
Priority date	Apr 20, 2017
Publication date	Oct 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided an internal combustion engine ignition apparatus that can effectively raise the ignitability of an inflammable fuel-air mixture, by applying electric power corresponding to the combustion state of an internal combustion engine. A combustion state detection apparatus detects an combustion state inside a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine; based on the combustion state detected by the combustion state detection apparatus in accordance with an operation state of an ignition coil apparatus, a current supply apparatus supplies an AC current to a spark discharge path formed in the gap of an ignition plug; then, a control apparatus controls the output of the current supply apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An internal combustion engine ignition apparatus comprising:
an ignition plug that is provided with two or more electrodes facing each other through a gap and produces a spark discharge in the gap so that an inflammable fuel-air mixture inside a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine is ignited; an ignition coil apparatus that supplies a predetermined ignition voltage to the ignition plug so as to form a spark discharge path in the gap; a resonance apparatus that forms a band-pass filter; a current supply apparatus that supplies an AC current to the spark discharge path formed in the gap, by way of the resonance apparatus; combustion state detection apparatus that detects an combustion state inside the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine; and a control apparatus that controls an output of the current supply apparatus, based on the combustion state detected by the combustion state detection apparatus in accordance with an operation state of the ignition coil apparatus.

2 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on a rotation change value of the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine.

3 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on an ion current produced in the internal combustion engine.

4 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on an inner-cylinder pressure of the internal combustion engine.

5 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on an output of an air-fuel ratio sensor provided in the internal combustion engine.

6 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus has a learning apparatus that learns a control value for controlling the output of the current supply apparatus.

7 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in accordance with the output of the combustion state detection apparatus, the control apparatus controls at least one of the level, the supply period, and the number of supply instances of the AC current to be supplied by the current supply apparatus.

8 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on a rotation change value of the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine.

9 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on an ion current produced in the internal combustion engine.

10 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on an inner-cylinder pressure of the internal combustion engine.

11 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the combustion state detection apparatus determines the combustion state inside the combustion chamber, based on an output of an air-fuel ratio sensor provided in the internal combustion engine.

12 . The internal combustion engine ignition apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the control apparatus has a learning apparatus that learns a control value for controlling the output of the current supply apparatus.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Koda Takeshi
• Sakaguchi Ryo

Classifications

• F02P5/1516

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

• F02P3/0407

  Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with electronic switching means (F02P3/045 - F02P3/055 take precedence) · CPC title

• F02P5/103

  dependent on the combustion-air pressure in engine · CPC title

• F02P3/05 Primary

  for control of the magnitude of the current in the ignition coil (during starting F02P15/12) · CPC title

• F02P2017/125

  Measuring ionisation of combustion gas, e.g. by using ignition circuits · CPC title