초록 ▼

An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an air intake passage fluidly connected to each combustion chamber and a source of fuel. The system includes a multipoint fuel injector associated with each combust

An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an air intake passage fluidly connected to each combustion chamber and a source of fuel. The system includes a multipoint fuel injector associated with each combustion chamber in which the multipoint fuel injector has an inlet connected to the fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected to the intake air passageway adjacent its associated combustion chamber. A cold start fuel injector also has an inlet connected to the fuel source and an outlet connected through a cold start passageway with each combustion chamber. A processing circuit selectively activates the multipoint fuel injectors as well as the cold start fuel injector. The processing circuit determines the air/fuel mixture introduced by the cold start fuel injector into each combustion chamber during engine startup and then selectively activates the multipoint fuel injectors to achieve a predetermined air/fuel mixture in each combustion chamber during engine startup. The processing circuit also variably retards the ignition of the combustion charge within at least one of the combustion chambers to achieve faster heating of a catalytic converter. Furthermore, the cold start fuel injector is optionally activated in a plurality of spaced subpulses for each combustion charge provided to each combustion chamber.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an intake air passage fluidly connected each combustion chamber and a source of fuel, said fuel control system comprising: a multipoint fuel injector

We claim: 1. An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an intake air passage fluidly connected each combustion chamber and a source of fuel, said fuel control system comprising: a multipoint fuel injector associated with each combustion chamber, each multipoint fuel injector having an inlet connected to said fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected to said intake air passageway adjacent its associated combustion chamber, a cold start fuel injector having an inlet connected to said fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected through a cold start passageway with each combustion chamber, processing means for selectively activating each of said multipoint fuel injectors and said cold start fuel injector, said processing means having means for determining the air/fuel mixture introduced by said cold start fuel injector into at least one combustion chamber during engine startup, said processing means having means responsive to said determining means for selectively activating each said multipoint fuel injector to achieve a predetermined air/fuel mixture in each combustion chamber during engine startup. 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said determining means determines the air/fuel mixture introduced by said cold start fuel injector into each combustion chamber during startup. 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the engine includes a main drive shaft and comprising: a position sensor which provides an output signal representative of the angular position of the main shaft, said output signal from said position sensor being connected as an input signal to said processing means, said processing means comprises means responsive to said output signal from said position sensor for determining the rotary speed of the main shaft, wherein said processing means begins activation of said multipoint fuel injectors and said cold start fuel injector at a predetermined rotary speed of the main shaft during engine startup. 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 and comprising a spark ignition system having a spark igniter associated with each combustion chamber, and means for retarding activation of the spark igniter for at least one combustion chamber during engine startup. 5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said retarding means comprises means for retarding an ignition timing of at least one of the spark igniters during engine startup so that the ignition timing of said at least one spark igniter is different than the other spark igniters. 6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said processing means activates said cold start fuel injector for at least two spaced pulses per combustion charge per cylinder. 7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said processing means activates said cold start fuel injector for at least three spaced pulses per combustion charge per cylinder. 8. An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an intake air passage fluidly connected each combustion chamber, a cold start fuel passageway having an inlet and an outlet, the cold start fuel passageway outlet being fluidly connected to the combustion chambers and a source of fuel, said fuel control system comprising: a multipoint fuel injector associated with each combustion chamber, each multipoint fuel injector having an inlet connected to the fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected to said intake air passageway adjacent its associated combustion chamber, each said multipoint fuel injector, upon activation, injecting fuel into its associated combustion chamber, a cold start fuel injector having an inlet connected to said fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet of the cold start fuel passageway, said cold start fuel injector, upon activation, introducing a fuel charge into the inlet of the cold start fuel passageway, processing means for producing a predetermined combustible charge in each combustion chamber during engine startup by selectively activating said multipoint fuel injectors during engine startup to provide fuel to each combustion chamber sufficient to compensate for any transport delay of the fuel charge from the cold start fuel injector through the cold start fuel passageway. 9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein the engine includes a main shaft and wherein said processing means initiates activation of said cold start fuel injector and said multipoint fuel injectors at a predetermined rotational speed of said main shaft. 10. The invention as defined in claim 8 and comprising a spark ignition system having a spark igniter associated with each combustion chamber, and means for retarding activation of the spark igniter for at least one combustion chamber during engine startup. 11. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said retarding means comprises means for retarding an ignition timing of at least one of the spark igniters during engine startup so that the ignition timing of said at least one spark igniter is different than the other spark igniters. 12. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said processing means activates said cold start fuel injector for at least two spaced pulses per combustion charge per cylinder. 13. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said processing means activates said cold start fuel injector for at least three spaced pulses per combustion charge per cylinder. 14. A method for managing fuel delivery in an internal combustion engine having multiple combustion chambers during engine startup, said engine having a main shaft and a multipoint fuel injection associated with each combustion chamber and a cold start fuel injector which, upon activation, provides a fuel charge to at least a plurality of combustion chambers through a cold start fuel passageway, said method comprising the steps of: determining the rotational speed and angular position of the main shaft, activating the cold start fuel injector when the main shaft reaches a predetermined rotational speed, calculating the air/fuel charge provided to each combustion chamber by the cold start fuel injector as a function of the angular position of the main shaft and time of activation of the cold start fuel injector, and selectively activating at least one multipoint fuel injectors in response to said calculating step to achieve a predetermined combined fuel charge from said cold start fuel injector and said multipoint fuel injectors in each combustion chamber. 15. The invention as defined in claim 14 and comprising the step of retarding combustion in at least one combustion chamber during engine startup. 16. The invention as defined in claim 15 wherein said retarding step further comprises the step of retarding combustion in at least one combustion chamber in an amount different than the other combustion chambers. 17. The invention as defined in claim 14 wherein said activating step comprises the step of activating the cold start fuel injector in a plurality of pulses for the fuel charge provided to each combustion chamber by the cold start fuel injector. 18. The method of claim 14 wherein said activating step further comprises the step of selectively activating each said multipoint fuel injectors in response to said calculating step to achieve a predetermined combined fuel charge from said cold start fuel injector and said multipoint fuel injectors in each combustion chamber. 19. An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an intake air passage fluidly connected each combustion chamber, a spark igniter associated with each combustion chamber and a source of fuel, said fuel control system comprising: means for providing fuel to the combustion chambers during engine startup, means for selectively activating the spark igniters associated with combustion chambers to initiate fuel combustion in the combustion chambers, means for selectively retarding activation of at least one of the spark igniters during engine startup in an amount different than the other spark igniters. 20. The invention as defined in claim 19 wherein the internal combustion engine includes two banks of cylinders and wherein said selective retarding means selectively retards two aligned cylinders in opposite banks of the engine. 21. An engine startup fuel control system for use with an internal combustion engine of the type having a plurality of combustion chambers, an intake air passage fluidly connected each combustion chamber, a cold start fuel passageway having an inlet and an outlet, the cold start fuel passageway outlet being fluidly connected to the combustion chambers and a source of fuel, said fuel control system comprising: a multipoint fuel injector associated with each combustion chamber, a cold start fuel injector having an inlet connected to said fuel source and an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet of the cold start fuel passageway, said cold start fuel injector, upon activation, introducing a fuel charge into the inlet of the cold start fuel passageway, means for activating said cold start fuel injector in a plurality of pulses to produce the fuel charge for each combustion cycle of each combustion chamber.