Patent · US Expired

Multi-fuel engine control with fuel control parameter lock

US4945880A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
8References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 21, 1989
Grant dateAug 7, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T10/30
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A fuel control for an engine using a liquid mixture of two fuels such as gasoline and methanol and derives a fuel control parameter from the output of a fuel composition sensor in a first mode of engine operation and locks the value of the fuel control parameter at the end of the first mode of engine operation for use throughout a second mode of engine operation including closed loop control in response to an air/fuel ratio sensor, as long as the fuel composition does not change more than a predetermined amount during the second mode. The stable operation of the fuel control in the second mode is thus protected from instabilities introduced by small fluctuations in the fuel composition signal. In an engine with adaptive learning control, the adaptive learning control mode is reserved for particularly stable modes of engine operation including closed loop stoichiometric control and thus serves well as the second mode of engine operation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.