Dual coil ignition system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429134-B2
Application number	US-201414558261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 4, 2013
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A method of responding to a detected blowout in a coil ignition system is provided in this disclosure. The method includes receiving a characteristic regarding operation of a coil ignition system; determining a blowout condition exists for the coil ignition system based on the characteristic; and providing a command to the coil ignition system based on the determination that the blowout condition exists, wherein the command is structured to reduce a residual charge amount in the coil ignition system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a blowout module structured to:
receive a characteristic regarding operation of a coil ignition system; and
determine a blowout condition exists for the coil ignition system based on the characteristic;

a residual charge module structured to provide a command to the coil ignition system based on the determination that the blowout condition exists, wherein the command is structured to reduce a residual charge amount in the coil ignition system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic includes a secondary current level, wherein the blowout module is structured to determine that the blowout condition exists based on the secondary current level at a threshold value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is zero amperes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the command stops restriking in the coil ignition system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the command increases a dwell time of a restrike upon determination of the blowout condition existing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the increase in dwell time corresponds to a time increase in charging a primary coil in the coil ignition system relative to a time duration for charging the primary coil prior to the blowout condition being determined.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the command is a spark from an ignitor of the coil ignition system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the command is structured to cause the spark during an exhaust stroke of the spark ignition engine.

9. A system, comprising:
a coil ignition system including:
a first set of primary and secondary coils;
a second set of primary and secondary coils;
a first high voltage diode electrically coupled to the first set of coils;
a second high voltage diode electrically coupled to the second set of coils; and
an ignitor electrically coupled to the first and second diodes; and

a controller communicably coupled to the coil ignition system, the controller structured to:
receive a characteristic regarding operation of the coil ignition system;
determine a blowout condition exists for the coil ignition system based on the characteristic; and
provide a command to the coil ignition system based on the determination that the blowout condition exists, wherein the command is structured to reduce an amount of residual charge in the coil ignition system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the coil ignition system further includes:
a first resistor in parallel with the first diode; and
a second resistor in parallel with the second diode;
wherein the first and second resistors are electrically coupled to the ignitor, and provide a flowpath for the residual charge to reduce the amount of residual charge in the coil ignition system.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the coil ignition system further includes:
a circuit electrically coupled to a ground, the ignitor, and the first and second diodes; and
a relay electrically coupled to the circuit.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is structured to selectively actuate the relay provide a flowpath for the residual charge to the ground.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the command includes at least one of a command to stop restriking, a command to increase a dwell time of a restrike, and a command for a spark from the ignitor.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the characteristic includes a secondary current level, wherein the controller is structured to determine that the blowout condition exists based on the secondary current level at a threshold value.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is structured to alternate a leading coil for coil ignition system between the first set and second set of coils for each engine cycle.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is structured to:
receive a charging current threshold for the leading coil;
receive a time duration for reaching the charging current threshold for the leading coil; and
determine an operational status of the first set of coils and the second coils based on the time duration relative to an operational threshold time duration.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is structured to determine that at least one of the first set of coils and the second set of coils is non-operational based on the time duration for each set of coil being greater than the operational threshold time duration.

18. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a characteristic regarding operation of a coil ignition system;
determining, by the controller, a blowout condition exists for the coil ignition system based on the characteristic; and
providing, by the controller, a command to the coil ignition system based on the determination that the blowout condition exists, wherein the command is structured to reduce a residual charge amount in the coil ignition system.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the command includes at least one of a command to stop restriking, a command to increase a dwell time of a restrike, and a command for a spark from an ignitor of the coil ignition system.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
alternating, by the controller, a leading coil for the coil ignition system each cycle of an engine coupled to the coil ignition system;
receiving, by the controller, a charging current threshold for the leading coil;
receiving, by the controller, a time duration for reaching the charging current threshold for the first set of coils when the first set of coils is the leading coil and a time duration for the second set of coils when the second set of coils is the leading coil; and
determining, by the controller, an operational status of the first set of coils and the second set of coils based on the time duration for each set of coils relative to an operational threshold time duration.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Desai Akash S
• Kappaganthu Karthik
• Olivas Benjamin L
• Sprunger Douglas L
• Stroh David

Classifications

• F02P17/12

  Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60) · CPC title

• F02P2017/123

  Generating additional sparks for diagnostics · CPC title

• 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

• F02P11/02 Primary

  Preventing damage to engines or engine-driven gearing · CPC title

• F02P9/007

  by supplementary electrical discharge in the pre-ionised electrode interspace of the sparking plug, e.g. plasma jet ignition · CPC title