Spark plug fouling detection for ignition system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670894-B2
Application number	US-201514965795-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A method for determining a level of spark plug fouling and providing an indication to change the spark plugs of an ignition system is provided. The method includes providing a dwell command on a control wire of an ignition system and generating an indication of a recommendation to change a spark plug of the ignition system based upon a current on the control wire.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a dwell command on a control wire of an ignition system; and
generating an indication of a recommendation to change a spark plug of the ignition system when a current on the control wire drops below a predetermined value after a threshold period of time has elapsed after the dwell command is provided, the current on the control wire measured via a current sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring a sensed voltage at a first, low-voltage terminal of a secondary winding of an ignition coil of the ignition system, the first terminal being opposite to a second, high-voltage terminal connected to the spark plug, and comparing the sensed voltage to a reference voltage.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the current on the control wire drops below the predetermined value responsive to the sensed voltage being greater than the reference voltage.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the current on the control wire is based upon the dwell command and an operational status of a current sink.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising generating a blanking period for a predetermined duration after a rising edge of the dwell command.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the operational status of the current sink is determined based upon the comparison of the sensed voltage to the reference voltage, the generation of the blanking period, and a comparison of a previously-sensed voltage to the reference voltage performed for a last combustion cycle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the comparison of the previously-sensed voltage to the reference voltage is stored as a logical binary value at a D flip flop responsive to a trailing edge of a dwell command for the last combustion cycle.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a logic 0 is stored at the D flip flop responsive to the sensed voltage being greater than the reference voltage at the trailing edge of the dwell command for the last combustion cycle, and a logic 1 is stored at the D flip flop responsive to the sensed voltage being less than the reference voltage at the trailing edge of the dwell command for the last combustion cycle, the storage of the logic 1 indicating a pre-ignition event during the last combustion cycle.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sensed voltage is measured between a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series with one another and in parallel with a feed-forward diode, an anode of the feed-forward diode being connected to the first, low-voltage terminal of the secondary winding.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication of the recommendation to change the spark plug is generated responsive to the storage of the logic 1 at the D flip flop at the trailing edge of the dwell command for the last combustion cycle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Huberts Garlan J
• Qu Qiuping

Classifications

• H01T13/60

  of electrical properties · CPC title

• F02P17/12 Primary

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

• F02P3/0453

  Opening or closing the primary coil circuit with semiconductor devices · CPC title