Patent ID: 7844390

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder engine which has a plurality of cylinders and which is arranged to stepwise or continuously correct a burning state through fuel regulation including fuel cutoff, the apparatus comprising a means for executing a stop or an output limit operation of the multiple cylinder engine upon an occurrence of an abnormal condition of the multiple cylinder engine, characterized by an abnormal combustion control unit including a burning state detecting means for detecting a burning state of a selected cylinder which is sequentially selected among the plurality of cylinders, a simulated abnormal combustion signal setting means for setting a simulated abnormal combustion obtained by calculating an abnormal combustion state of the multiple cylinder engine in simulation, an abnormal combustion occurrence determining means for comparing a burning state detection signal as to the selected cylinder, delivered from the burning state detection means with the simulated abnormal combustion signal set in the simulated abnormal signal setting means so as to determine a presence of an occurrence of abnormal combustion in the selected cylinder, and a fuel cutoff instruction means for instructing a cutoff of fuel into the selected cylinder for which the occurrence of the abnormal combustion is determined, wherein the apparatus further comprises a timer for causing detection of a burning state of the selected cylinder after a predetermined time elapses from a time of cutoff of fuel into the selected cylinder by the fuel cutoff instruction means, and characterized in that the abnormal combustion control means includes an engine operation stopping means for stopping the multiple cylinder engine if the combustion of the cylinder continues on the basis of a result of detection of the burning state, but maintaining the cutoff of fuel into the cylinder while continuously operating the multiple cylinder engine with a limited output power if the combustion of the cylinder ceases.