311results about "Other installations" patented technology

Stable and highly efficient combustion / reaction is provided, even when fuel ratio of mixture is decreased and combustion / reaction of the lean mixture is performed in a heat engine such as a reciprocating engine, by controlling dielectric constant of mixture in a combustion / reaction chamber by introducing water and / or exhaust gas into the combustion / reaction chamber. A microwave radiation antenna for irradiation of the combustion / reaction chamber, and a discharge unit for igniting the mixture in the combustion / reaction chamber are provided. The dielectric constant of the mixture before the combustion / reaction of the mixture is controlled so that the resonance frequency of the mixture corresponds to the frequency of the microwave.

A method of operating an engine is disclosed, which includes determining a peak power condition for the engine, measuring a temperature associated with the engine at said peak power condition, comparing the temperature measured with a previously determined temperature associated with a known peak power condition of the engine, determining an offset value based on the comparison made in step, controlling at least one of an air-fuel mixture delivered to the engine or ignition spark timing based on said offset value. Various engine fuel delivery systems, carburetors, fuel injection and control systems also are disclosed.

A power supply apparatus and a power supply method are described, wherein the non-polar characteristics of the electrodes of a capacitor is utilized to improve the energy utilization efficiency of a battery through reciprocating switches of polarity connection between the battery and the capacitor. The voltages of the capacitors can also stay at a near constant level using the polarity reversal mechanism.

As one example, an engine system for a vehicle is provided, including an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder; a fuel system configured to provide a fuel to the cylinder; an ignition system including at least a spark plug; a control system configured to vary a level of ignition energy provided to the cylinder via the spark plug in response to a composition of the fuel provided to the cylinder by the fuel system. A method of operating the engine system by varying a level of ignition energy provided to the engine after a start-up is also provided.

A gate discharge resistor part is connected to the gate of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). A timer circuit has its output connected to the input of the gate discharge resistor part and the input of a gate driving circuit. When an ON signal for driving the IGBT into an ON state stays input over a predetermined time period, the timer circuit outputs an H-level signal to the gate discharge resistor part and gate driving circuit. The gate driving circuit drives the IGBT into the OFF state based on the signal from the timer circuit. The gate discharge resistor part changes its resistance from a value given by a first resistor to a value given by a composite resistance of the first and second resistors.

An interface for providing thermal overload protection includes a switching device, a temperature indicating device, a drive circuit and a thermal monitoring circuit. The thermal monitoring circuit is coupled across the temperature indicating device and provides a shutdown signal to the drive circuit when the temperature of the switching device is above a predetermined temperature level as indicated by a temperature signal provided by the temperature indicating device. The drive circuit responds to the shutdown signal by removing current sources and current sinks from a control terminal of the switching device at which point leakage currents cause the switching device to reduce a drive current to an inductive load.

An engine start control apparatus includes an intake air amount control device for controlling an amount of air supplied to a combustion chamber, a fuel supply device for injecting fuel to be fed into the combustion chamber, and an igniting device for igniting the fuel. The engine start control apparatus further includes an engine operation state detecting unit for detecting an operation state of the engine, an ignition timing retard angle processing unit configured to retard an ignition timing from a start ignition timing to an ignition timing for catalyst warming-up acceleration in response to detection that the engine operation state has shifted to an idling operation state, an intake control device operation unit for operating an intake control device so as to supply such an amount of intake air as to keep the idling operation state when the engine operation state has shifted to the idling operation state, and an injection fuel amount increasing unit for increasing an amount of fuel injected into a cylinder to be shifted to a combustion stroke so as to be combusted in the combustion stroke when the engine operation state has shifted to the idling operation state.

A power supply apparatus and a power supply method are described, wherein the non-polar characteristics of the electrodes of a capacitor is utilized to improve the energy utilization efficiency of a battery through reciprocating switches of polarity connection between the battery and the capacitor. The voltages of the capacitors can also stay at a near constant level using the polarity reversal mechanism.

A system and method for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having fuel injectors and an ionization current sensor include a high-voltage power supply connectable to, and supplying substantially the same nominal boosted voltage relative to nominal battery voltage to, the fuel injectors and ionization sensor during at least a portion of the engine operation.

A single semiconductor power module includes a power semiconductor chip including an embedded IGBT (the power semiconductor switching-device) and a control semiconductor chip. The power semiconductor chip also includes a gate series resistor integrated therein as a resistor through which the control semiconductor chip drives the power semiconductor chip. In such a configuration, a gate wire between the gate series resistor and a gate has a small lead inductance and a small parasitic capacitance with respect to the ground.

A system for monitoring and cleaning a spark plug is disclosed. In one example, an amount of carbonaceous soot at the center electrode ceramic of the spark plug is determined in response to a voltage of a sense resistor that is in electrical communication with the spark plug. The system may institute spark plug cleaning after carbonaceous soot is detected so that the possibility of engine misfire may be reduced.

A system and method of managing the energy stored in a single ignition coil of a distributor inductive ignition for an engine. The engine comprises a plurality of cylinders and the ignition coil has a primary coil current. The ignition coil has a stored energy and a released energy during an ignition period. A pre-dwell time period and a pre-dwell current level is determined. The stored energy of the ignition coil and the released energy of the ignition coil are balanced during the ignition period at least in part by dwelling the primary coil current in the ignition coil at substantially the pre-dwell current level.

When an ECU applies to an igniter a plurality of pulse signals, the duty ratio of which is lower than a predetermined duty ratio, as a lock release signal, a latch circuit of a lock inhibition circuit stops applying a shut-off signal to a shut-off circuit thereby to release a lock condition of an IGBT. A drive main circuit thus restarts current supply to the IGBT. A condition detection circuit outputs to the ECU a condition signal corresponding to the current supplied while the IGBT is turned on.

An engine ground system for increasing the potential of an engine. This is an engine ground system wherein intermediate portions of a ground wire one end of which is electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal of a battery are electrically connected to engine ground points and the other end of the ground wire is grounded to the car body. The engine ground points can be an engine cylinder head, an intake manifold clamping member, a cylinder head cover, and a throttle body (7b). Further, a plug cap ground wire is connected between the plug cap clamping member and the intake manifold clamping member.

An electronic system to discharge a transformer in case of a failure during a charging phase of the transformer. The system includes the transformer having a primary winding with a first terminal connected to a battery voltage and with a second terminal for generating a primary voltage signal, includes a switch serially connected to the primary winding and having a control terminal carrying a control voltage signal for opening or closing the switch and includes an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit further includes a current generator and a voltage clamping.

A device and a method are described for bidirectional single-wire data transmission of information between a control unit and at least one peripheral unit, having the following steps: generating a first current flow from the control unit to the peripheral unit during first time slots via a single-wire line to transmit voltage-coded or current-coded information from the control unit to the peripheral unit; and / or generating a second current flow from the peripheral unit to the control unit during second time slots via the single-wire line to upload voltage-coded or current-coded information from the peripheral unit to the control unit; the first and second time slots being implemented so they do not mutually overlap; and / or generating, in the first and / or second time slots, additional information to be transmitted and / or uploaded, which is transmitted as digital or analog signals by modulating the current or the voltage of the single-wire line and is analyzed in the control unit or the peripheral unit.

An electronic circuit for driving a load includes a primary coil coupled to a secondary coil. The secondary coil is coupled to the load. A switching device is electrically connected to the primary coil. A control circuit is coupled to the switching device and inhibits current flow through the switching device if an electrical signal applied to the switching device by the primary coil is indicative of the secondary coil being in an open condition.

A switching control system and method is provided that optimizes switching efficiencies for power switching applications including automotive ignition systems, solenoid drivers, motor drivers and power regulation systems. In an ignition system, a coil current switching magnitude is controlled at the start of ignition coil charging, thereby avoiding an untimely spark event. When the transistor threshold voltage is reached, the collapse rate of the ignition system transistor collector voltage is reduced by reducing the gate charging current. The reduced collector voltage slew rate results in a reduced primary and secondary coil output voltage. After the collector voltage collapses, a continued rapid charge is provided to place the transistor in a hard saturation bias condition. In an aspect, the present invention dynamically determines the threshold voltage of a power transistor. A mirror capacitor substantially matches a transistor gate voltage and a signal is generated when the mirror capacitor voltage proportionally exceeds the transistor gate voltage as a consequence of the transistor reaching a threshold voltage.

Aspects of the invention are directed to an ignition semiconductor device that includes an output IGBT for ON-OFF control of a primary current in an ignition coil and a current control circuit for controlling a magnitude of the primary current in the ignition coil, the current control circuit being operated by the voltage between the gate terminal and the emitter terminal. The current control circuit can include a sense IGBT, a sense resistance, a gate resistance, a reference voltage, level shift circuits, a self shut down signal generator, a self shut down circuit, an operational amplifier, a MOSFET, a gate voltage control circuit , a pulse generation circuit, and a switching circuit. The self shut down signal generator, on detecting an abnormal state, can deliver a self shut down signal and the pulse generation circuit can generate a pulse signal to short-circuit the switching circuit.

An engine control unit with distributed processing includes a main ECU and remote modules with sensor inputs and ignition and injector outputs. A bidirectional asynchronous CAN data bus and a square wave timing signal operatively connect the components. Synchronous ignition and ignition data and asynchronous sensor and control data are concurrently transmitted between components using CAN messaging. Synchronicity is accomplished using the timing signal. The rising edge of each pulse triggers dwell and injection start times, and the falling edge triggers ignition. Injection and dwell time values, the cylinders to dwell and fire, and the injectors to energize, are transmitted using CAN messaging. The remote modules process the control messages and timing signal and generate the appropriate ignition, injector, and pulse width modulation control signals. Alternatively, time stamp capabilities of the CAN bus topology are used for synchronization. The system and methodology simplify interconnection, using fewer wires and enhancing aesthetics.

A combustion control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a spark plug for performing spark ignition of an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, a plurality of coil pairs for generating spark discharge in the spark plug, and a fuel injection valve capable of injecting atomized fuel. Atomized fuel is injected into the intake passage, and a homogeneous lean air-fuel mixture is formed in the combustion chamber. The air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is controlled to be leaner than a predetermined lean air-fuel ratio. A spark discharge start timing and a spark discharge continuation time period are controlled using the plurality of coil pairs. The spark discharge start timing is set to a timing advanced from the spark discharge start timing for igniting a stratified lean mixture, such that the air-fuel ratio in the vicinity of the spark plug is relatively small.

A method and system for operating an engine wherein ignition of the engine is activated according to a predetermined timing schedule that references engine speed, and the ignition is suppressed above a predetermined engine speed threshold to allow engine speed to fall below the predetermined engine speed threshold. Thereafter, ignition is reactivated according to timing that is retarded relative to the predetermined timing schedule for a predetermined number of engine revolutions substantially when the engine speed has fallen below the predetermined engine speed threshold, thereby mitigating undesirable spikes in combustion chamber maximum pressure.

An internal-combustion-engine electronic control system according to the present invention is provided with a power switching device that applies or shuts off a primary current of an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine so that at the secondary side of the ignition coil, there is generated a voltage for making an ignition plug of the internal combustion engine produce a spark discharge; and a control unit that turns on or off the power switching device. The internal-combustion-engine electronic control system is characterized in that the control unit is provided with a circuit unit that makes the power switching device softly shut off so as to prevent the ignition plug from producing the spark discharge, and in accordance with the characteristics of the power switching device, the control unit changes the characteristics of the soft shutoff halfway through the shutoff operation.

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.

A system and method for operating a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having at least two spark plugs per cylinder include selectively isolating all but one spark plug associated with the cylinder at least during an ionization current sensing period to reduce or eliminate interference among ionization current signals flowing through more than one spark plug.

A control apparatus for an ignition system of an internal combustion engine which can appropriately judge deterioration of a spark plug is disclosed. The ignition system includes a spark plug and a Zener diode. These are connected in parallel. In the ignition system, a constant-voltage path whose one of two ends is grounded is connected to the connecting path which connects the center electrode of the spark plug to a secondary coil. The constant-voltage path includes a Zener diode and a resistor. In a case where electric current is detected at the resister in a term from the start of current supply to a primary coil to the end, the control apparatus judges the spark plug being deteriorated.

The invention relates to a spark duration time monitoring circuit for an engine electronic control ignition system. The spark duration time monitoring circuit is characterized in that a time processing unit channel of a central processing unit is connected with the grid electrode of a switching element IGBT through a drive circuit of the switching element IGBT; the collector electrode of the switching element IGBT is connected with the first end of an ignition primary coil; the second end of the ignition primary coil is connected with a vehicle-mounted direct-current power source; the collector electrode voltage of the switching element IGBT is connected to a time processing unit input port of the central processing unit after passing the spark duration time monitoring circuit, the central processing unit regulates the charging time, namely ignition energy of the primary coil in real time according to the monitored spark duration time, and the spark duration time is controlled within a certain range (please see the range in the specification). By means of feedback signals of the spark duration time monitoring circuit of the ignition system, the charging time, namely the ignition energy of the primary coil is regulated in real time, the spark duration time is controlled within a certain range, and the purposes that it is guaranteed that mixed gas in an air cylinder is completely burned every time when ignition of an engine is carried out, and the situation that erosion of electrodes of a sparking plug is accelerated due to tool much ignition energy is provided and the service life of the sparking plug is shortened is avoided are achieved.