Air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine having spark plugs with heaters
US5044331A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 1990 |
| Grant date | Sep 3, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T10/12
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An air-fuel ratio control method controls the air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine having spark plugs, and heaters for heating the air-fuel mixture in the vicinity of respective ones of the heaters, the air-fuel mixture containing a fuel which is poor in atomizing characteristic at a low temperature. The method comprises the steps of (1) determining whether or not a temperature of the engine is lower than a predetermined value, (2) determining whether or not the engine is being cranked, (3) detecting an amount of electric current flowing through each of the heaters, and (4) controlling an amount of fuel supplied to the engine based on the detected amount of electric current when it is determined that the temperature of the engine is lower than the predetermined value and at the same time the engine is being cranked.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.