Misfire detector using linear detection of crankshaft angular speed

A misfire detector detects a misfire in a cylinder based on a maximum value and the minimum value of the angular speed. A first crank angle range is defined in such a manner as to include a crank angle in which the angular speed is maximum during a power stroke. A second crank angle range is defined in such a manner as to include a crank angle in which the angular speed is minimum during the power stroke. The maximum value of the angular speed is calculated within the first crank angle range, and the minimum value of the angular speed is calculated within the second crank angle range. The calculated maximum and minimum values are brought close to actual values to enhance a reliability of the misfire detector.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-111371 filed on Apr. 5, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a misfire detector detecting a misfire in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine is referred to as an engine hereinafter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Because a misfire in a cylinder of an engine causes a deterioration of an engine power and an increment of a rational fluctuation of the engine, it is important to detect a misfire precisely. Thus, a various types of misfire detector have been provided. The rational fluctuation of the engine represents an inevitable and periodical fluctuation of an angular speed ω of a crankshaft, which is referred to as an angular speed ω. Combustion of a fuel generating a rotational torque of the crankshaft causes the fluctuation of the angular speed ω.

A conventional misfire detector detects the misfire by measuring a rotational-varying amount E. The rotational-varying amount E is defined by a difference between a maximum value ωmax of the angular speed ω and a minimum value ωmin in a present cylinder, or a difference between a maximum value ωmax and a minimum value ωmin in a next cylinder in which fuel combustion is carried out succeeding to the present cylinder. Alternatively, the rotational-varying amount E is defined by the maximum value ωmax of the angular speed ω, or the minimum value ωmin itself.

The misfire detector determines whether the misfire has occurred, comparing a variation amount of the rotational-varying amount E with a threshold. The angular speed ω is detected by a crank angle detecting means which outputs an electric signal, which is referred to as a crank angle signal hereinafter. The crank angle detecting means comprises a subject portion and a detecting portion. The subject portion is provided on an end of crankshaft, and the detecting portion detects the rotational position of the subject portion in order to output the crank angle signal.

The conventional subject portion of the crank angle detecting means is a circular metal plate having protrusions at a predetermined angular interval on an outer circumference thereof. As shown inFIG. 6A, since pulse signals of the crank angle signal are generated every 30° CA of the crank angle θ, the detected values of the angular speed ω are indicated every 30° CA of the crank angle θ as shown inFIG. 6B.

JP-9-32620A shows that the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin of the angular speed ω are derived by applying the detected angular speed ω to a predetermined crank angle θ. For example, in the case of a four-cylinder engine, the maximum values ωmax are the detected angular speed when the crank angle θ is respectively 30, 210, 390, and 570° CA, and the minimum values ωmix are the detected angular speed when the crank angle is respectively 120, 300, 480, and 660° CA. Thus, relatively large differences between the detected values ωmax, ωmix and actual values results in a deterioration of the reliability in detecting the misfire.

Furthermore, the circular metal plate of the crank angle detecting means has a missing tooth portion on the outer circumference thereof to detect a reference position for counting the number of pulse signals. As shown inFIG. 6A, the crank angle signal in the crank angle θ corresponding to the missing tooth portion is changed into the pulse signal that requires a longer time than the other crank angle signals are changed. As shown inFIG. 6B, the detected values of the angular speed ω rapidly falls at the crank angle θ (120 and 480°0CA) corresponding to the missing tooth portion, and then rapidly rises at the succeeding crank angle θ (150 and 510° CA) in which the angular speed is measured. Thus, the difference between the derived values and the actual values in the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin are increased in the crank angle θ affected by the missing tooth portion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is made in view of the foregoing matter and it is an object of the present invention to provide a misfire detector, which has an improved reliability in detecting a misfire in a cylinder of an engine by bringing calculated maximum and minimum values of an angular speed of a crankshaft close to actual values thereof.

According to the present invention, a misfire detector includes a crank angle detecting means continuously detecting a signal indicative of an angular speed of a crankshaft; a first means for defining a first crank angle range corresponding to at least one part of a power stroke in the cylinder; and a second means for defining a second crank angle range corresponding to one part of the power stroke in the cylinder. The second crank angle range is in retard of the first crank angle range. The misfire detector further includes a misfire determining means for determining whether an abnormal combustion has occurred in the cylinder based on a parameter of the cylinder. The parameter is a difference between a maximum value of an angular speed within the first crank angle range of the cylinder and a minimum value of the angular speed within the second crank angle range of the cylinder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, a misfire detector1according to the first embodiment is described hereinafter.

As shown inFIG. 1, the misfire detector1includes a crank angle detecting means3and an electric control unit5, which is referred to as ECU5. The crank angle detecting means3successively detects crank angle signal for measuring a crank angle θ and an angular speed ω. The ECU5receives the crank angle signal and the other signal output from the other detecting means in order to conduct a detection of misfire.

Referring toFIG. 1, an engine control system7including the misfire detector1is described hereinafter. The engine control system7is provided with an engine9which includes four cylinders #1to #4, the crank angle detecting means3, a throttle sensor11, an airflow meter13, a water temperature sensor15, and the ECU5.

The engine9has well-known structure in which air-fuel mixture supplied from an intake pipe17is burned and expanded in a combustion chamber19of each of the cylinders #1to #4, and then the burned air-fuel mixture is exhausted from an exhaust pipe21. A piston23reciprocates in each of the cylinders #1to #4to rotate a crankshaft (not shown).

The intake pipe17is provided with a throttle valve25adjusting an amount of airflow, and an injector27supplying a fuel into the combustion chamber19.

At an upper portion of the combustion chamber19, an intake valve29for sucking the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber19, an exhaust valve31for expelling the exhaust gas from the combustion chamber19, and a spark plug33for igniting the air-fuel mixture are provided. The intake valve29and the exhaust valve31are respectively driven by an intake camshaft35and an exhaust camshaft37. An intake-side valve-timing controller39and an exhaust-side valve-timing controller41respectively adjust the valve timing of the intake valve29and the exhaust valve31.

A cylinder block43forming the cylinders #1to #4is provided with a coolant passage45through which an engine coolant circulates so as to cool the engine9. A connecting rod49connects the piston23with the crankshaft. Piston23typically also carries rings47as will be appreciated.

The crank angle detecting means3detects the crank angle signals to output them to the ECU5. The crank angle detecting means3includes a subject portion (not shown) provided on the crankshaft, and a detecting portion (not shown) outputting the crank angle signals according to a rotation of the subject portion. In this embodiment, the subject portion comprises a permanent magnet provided on the crankshaft to rotate together. The detecting portion comprises a coil (not shown) which generates electricity which successively changes in a sinusoidal wave according to the rotation of the permanent magnet.

Thereby, the crank angle detecting means3, as shown inFIG. 2A, outputs the crank angle signal which is linear to the crank angle θ by converting the electricity generated in the coil with an inverse trigonometric function. Thus, as shown inFIG. 2B, the angular speed ω can be detected as a continuous value.

As shown inFIG. 1, the throttle sensor11detects an electric signal indicative of the opening degree of the throttle valve25to output the electric signal to the ECU5. The airflow meter13detects an electric signal indicative of an air mount introduced to the combustion chamber19to output the electric signal to the ECU5. The water temperature sensor15detects an electric signal indicative of the temperature of water in the coolant passage45to output the electric signal to the ECU5.

The ECU5includes a CPU51processing control calculations; a memory device such as a ROM53, a RAM55, and a backup RAM57; an input device (not shown); and an output device (not shown). The ECU5receives electric signals from the crank angle detecting means3, the throttle sensor11, the airflow meter13, and the water temperature sensor to output electric signals for controlling the injector22, the spark plug33, and the intake-side and exhaust-side valve timing controllers39,41.

The ECU5serves as a misfire determining means in the present invention, which determines whether a misfire has occurred based on the crank angle signal output from the crank angle detecting means3. The ECU5stores a first crank angle range al and a second crank angle range a2, which are used in determining the misfire.

As shown inFIG. 3, the first crank angle range a1is set in such a manner as to respectively correspond to one part of angle in the power stroke b1to b4. The power stroke b1to b4is a stroke from the time when the piston23slides up to a top dead center (TDC1–TDC4) with air-fuel mixture compressed in the combustion chamber19of the present cylinder #1to #4to the time when the piston23of the next cylinder #1to #4slides down to bottom dead center with the air-fuel mixture being burned. In the engine9having four-cylinders #1to #4, the power stroke b1to b4approximately corresponds to a period from the time when the one of the piston is at the top dead center to the time when the next piston is at the top dead center. The first crank angle range a1includes a maximum crank angle θmax in which the angular speed ω is estimated to be maximum. The first crank angle range a1is respectively defined to each of the power stroke b1to b4.

The second crank angle range a2, as shown inFIG. 3, is in retard of the first crank angle range a1, and corresponds to one part of angle in the power stroke b1to b4. The second crank angle range a2includes a minimum crank angle θmin in which the angular speed ω is estimated to be minimum. The second crank angle range a2is respectively defined to each of the power stroke b1to b4.

Referring toFIG. 4, a method of detecting a misfire according to the first embodiment is described hereinafter.FIG. 4is a flowchart showing a misfire detecting routine. The ECU5stores and executes the routine program to serve as the misfire determining means.

In step S1and step S2, the crank angle θ and the angular speed ω is respectively detected. In step S3, the ECU5determined whether the crank angle θ is included in the first crank angle range a1of each cylinder #1to #4. When it is Yes in step S3, the procedure proceeds to step S4and step S5to calculate maximum value ωmax of the angular speed ω. That is, in step S4, the ECU5determines whether the detected angular speed ω is larger than the present maximum value ωmax. When it is Yes in step S4, the present maximum value ωmax is replaced by the detected angular speed ω in step S5.

When the ECU5determines that the crank angle θ is out of the first crank angle range a1of the respective cylinder #1to #4in step S3, the ECU5determines whether the crank angle θ is included in the second crank angle rage a2of the respective cylinder #1to #4in step S6. When it is Yes in step S6, the procedure proceeds to step S7and step S8to calculate the minimum value ωmin of the angular speed ω. That is, in step S7, the ECU5determines whether the detected angular speed ω is smaller than the present maximum value ωmin. When it is Yes in step S4, the present maximum value ωmin is replaced by the detected angular speed ω in step S8.

When it is No in step S6, the ECU determines whether a piston in the next cylinder #1to #4is at the top dead center TDC1to TDC4in step S9. When it is determined Yes in step S9, the procedure proceeds to steps S10to S12to determine whether the misfire has occurred in the cylinder #1to #4. That is, in step S10, a difference between the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmax is calculated. This difference corresponds to a rotational-varying amount E. In step S11, the difference ΔE between the present rotational-varying amount E and the previous rotational-varying amount E′. When the ECU5determines that the difference ΔE is larger than a predetermined value C in step S12, the procedure proceeds to step S13to determine that the misfire has occurred. When it is No in step S12, the ECU5determines that air-fuel mixture is normally burned in step S14.

In step S15, the previous rotational-varying amount E′ is replaced by the present rotational-varying amount E in step S16. In step S16, the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin are initialized.

[Operation of the First Embodiment]

An operation of the misfire detector1is described hereinafter.

The misfire detector1executes the misfire detecting routine to calculate the maximum value ωmax in the first crank angle a1and the minimum value ωmin in the second crank angle a2during the respective power stroke b1to b4. The difference ΔE of the rotational-varying amount E is calculated every time when the piston of each cylinder #1to #4slides up to the top dead center TDC1to TDC4.

FIG. 3Ais a time chart showing a variation of the angular speed ω, with the engine9running in a high speed and under a low load. A trend T1shows a variation of the angular speed ω in an abnormal condition in which the misfire has occurred in the cylinder #1during the power stroke b1, and a trend T2shows a variation of the angular speed ω in a normal condition in which no misfire has occurred.

The misfire in the power stroke b1causes the difference ΔE between the rotational-varying amount E1during the power stroke b1and the rotational-varying amount E2during the power stoke b2to be larger than the predetermined value C. When the piston in the cylinder #3slides up to the top dead center TDC3, the ECU5determines that the misfire has occurred in the cylinder #1. The difference ΔE between the rotational-varying amount E3during the power stroke b3and the rotational-varying amount E4during the power stroke b4; the difference ΔE between the amount E4during the power stroke b4and the amount E2during the power stroke b2; and the difference ΔE between the amount E2during the power stroke b2and the amount E1during the power stroke b1are respectively smaller than the predetermined value C. Thus, when a piston23in each cylinder #4, #2, #1slides up to the top dead center TDC4, TDC2, and TDC1, the ECU determines that the air-fuel mixture is normally burned in each cylinder #3, #4, #2.

FIG. 3Bis a time chart showing a variation of the angular speed ω, with the engine9running under a high load. A trend T3shows a variation of the angular speed ω in an abnormal condition in which the misfire has occurred in the cylinder #1during the power stroke b1, and a trend T4shows a variation of the angular speed ω in a normal condition in which no misfire has occurred.

When the misfire has occurred during the power stroke b1, the difference ΔE between the amount E1during power stroke b1and the amount E3during stroke b3is larger than the predetermined value C. When the piston23in the cylinder #3slides up to the top dead center TDC3, the ECU5determines the misfire has occurred in the cylinder #1. The difference ΔE between the rotational-varying amount E3during the power stroke b3and the rotational-varying amount E4during the power stroke b4; the difference ΔE between the amount E4during the power stroke b4and the amount E2during the power stroke b2; and the difference ΔE between the amount E2during the power stroke b2and the amount E1during the power stroke b1are respectively smaller than the predetermined value C. Thus, when a piston23in each cylinder #4, #2, #1slides up to the top dead center TDC4, TDC2, and TDC1, the ECU determines that the air-fuel mixture is normally burned in each cylinder #3, #4, #2. In the expansion strokes b3, b4, the minimum value ωmin is smaller than the maximum value ωmax, so that the amount E3and the amount E4are negative value.

As described above, the misfire detector1according to the first embodiment, the misfire detection in the present cylinder #1to #4is conducted based on the difference ΔE between the rotational-varying amount E of the present cylinder #1to #4and the rotating-varying amount E of the next cylinder #1to #4. That is, when the misfire detection is conducted with respect to the cylinder #1, the rotational-varying amount E3of the cylinder #3, in which the air-fuel mixture is burned next to the cylinder #1, is used as a parameter to derive the difference ΔE. The rotational-varying amount E of the next cylinder in which the combustion will occur following the present cylinder is used as the parameter to derive the difference ΔE.

[Effect of the First Embodiment]

According to the misfire detector1of the first embodiment, the first crank angle range a1is defined in such a manner as to include the crank angle θmax in which the angular speed ω is estimated to be maximum during each of the power stroke b1to b4, and the second crank angle range a2is defined in such a manner as to include the crank angle θmin in which the angular speed ω is estimated to be minimum during each of the power stroke b1to b4. The maximum value ωmax is calculated within the first crank angle range a1of each cylinder #1to #4and the minimum value ωmin is calculated within the second crank angle range a2of each cylinder #1to #4. According to the rotational-varying amount E that is the difference between the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin, the misfire detection is conducted.

Thereby, the calculated maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin are brought close to the actual values, so that the reliability of the misfire detection is enhanced. The misfire detector1can bring the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin to the actual values even if the spark timing is advanced or retarded based on the spark timing control. Furthermore, even in a sudden change in the angular speed ω, the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin are brought close to the actual values.

The crank angle detecting means3can output linear crank angle signal with respect to the crank angle θ, whereby no reference position is necessary to count the number of the pulse signals so that the fluctuation of the measured angular speed ω due to the detection of the reference position can be restricted. Therefore, the maximum value ωmax and the minimum value ωmin can be brought close to the actual values at every crank angle θ.

The maximum value ωmax is calculated within only the first crank angle range a1, and the minimum value ωmax is calculated within only the second crank angle range a2. The narrower first and second crank angle ranges a1, a2reduce arithmetical loads of ECU5.

A ration δE between the present rotational-varying amount E and the previous rotational varying amount E′ is calculated in determining whether the misfire has occurred in the cylinder #1to #4. The misfire detection is conducted based on the ratio δE. As shown inFIG. 5, the ratio δE is calculated in step S31. When the ECU5determines that the ratio δE is larger than the predetermined value C2, the procedure proceeds to step S33to determine the misfire has occurred. When it is No in step S32, the procedure proceeds to step S34to determine the air-fuel mixture is normally burned. Steps S21to S30, S35and S36inFIG. 5correspond to steps S1to S10, S15and S16.

[Effect of the Second Embodiment]

The misfire detector1according to the second embodiment, the misfire detection is conducted based on the ratio δE, which indicates the rotational-varying amount E. The angular speed ω, which is used in calculating the amount E, fluctuates according to the condition of the engine9, such as a rotational speed and a load of the engine. Thus, a threshold for the misfire detection is necessary to be changed according to the condition of the engine9. The ratio δE can reduce affects of the engine condition to decrease the changing range of the threshold (the predetermined value C2).

The misfire detection can be conducted based on the rotational-varying amount E, which is a difference between the maximum value ωmax within the first crank angle range a1of the succeeding cylinder #1to #4and the minimum value ωmin within the second crank angle range a2of the present cylinder #1to #4. Alternatively, the rotational-varying amount E can be the maximum value ωmax within the first crank angle range a1of the present cylinder #1to #4. The rotational-varying amount E can be the minimum value ωmin within the second crank angle range a2of the present cylinder #1to #4.

In the above embodiments, the rotational-varying amount E of the next cylinder #1to #4is used as the parameter to derive the difference ΔE or ratio δE. In the modification, the rotational-varying amount E of the arbitrary succeeding cylinder #1to #4in which the fuel injection is conducted after the next cylinder #1to #4can be adopted. For example, when the misfire detection is conducted with respect to the cylinder #1, the parameter for deriving the difference ΔE or ratio δE can be selected among the cylinders #4, #2, #1in which the fuel injection is conducted after the cylinder #3posterior to the cylinder #1. The fuel injection is repeatedly conducted in the cylinder #3, the cylinder #4, the cylinder #2, and the cylinder #1in this order. The parameter for deriving the difference ΔE and the ratio δE can be selected among the rotational-varying amount E of the arbitrary next cylinder #1to #4(or the arbitrary succeeding cylinders) of the engine cycle posterior to the present engine cycle.

The first crank angle range a1can be set over the power stroke b1to b4of the cylinder #1to #4in which the air-fuel mixture is burned before in the present cylinder #1to #4. The second crank angle range a2can be set over the power stroke b1to b4of the cylinder #1to #4in which the air-fuel mixture is burned before in the present cylinder #1to #4.

The angular speed ω can be detected after the determination whether the crank angle θ within the first and the second crank angle range a1, a2. Thereby, the number of detection of the angular speed ω is decreased, so that the arithmetical load of the ECU5is reduced.