Patent ID: 7347185
Filing Date: 2008-03-25
Classification: F02D,F02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine which generates power by burning a mixture of fuel and air in a cylinder thereof, comprising: in-cylinder pressure detecting means; calculating means to calculate a combustion rate at predetermined timing based upon the in-cylinder pressure detected by the in-cylinder pressure detecting means and an in-cylinder volume at timing of detecting the in-cylinder pressure; and correction means to correct timing of combustion starting in the cylinder so that the combustion rate calculated by the calculating means is equal to a target value, wherein the calculating means calculates the combustion rate at the predetermined timing based upon a control parameter including a product of the in-cylinder pressure detected by the in-cylinder pressure detecting means and a value obtained by exponentiating the in-cylinder volume at the timing of detecting the in-cylinder pressure with a predetermined index; the predetermined timing is set between first timing set after the opening of an intake valve and before the combustion starting and second timing set after the combustion starting and before the opening of an exhaust valve; and the calculating means calculates the combustion rate based upon a difference in the control parameter between the first and the second timing and a difference in the control parameter between the first timing and the predetermined timing.