Internal combustion engine and combustion control method
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F02P-019/00
F02B-011/00
F02M-027/00
출원번호
US-0749323
(2007-05-16)
등록번호
US-7392795
(2008-07-01)
우선권정보
JP-2006-137483(2006-05-17)
발명자
/ 주소
Nagamine,Morihiro
Kakuho,Akihiko
Shiraishi,Taisuke
Takahashi,Eiji
출원인 / 주소
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
대리인 / 주소
Global IP Counselors, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
8인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
An internal combustion engine is provided that basically comprises a combustion chamber, an electric discharge unit and a controller. The combustion chamber receives a mixture of fuel and air that is caused to undergo compression self ignition. The electric discharge unit is provided inside the comb
An internal combustion engine is provided that basically comprises a combustion chamber, an electric discharge unit and a controller. The combustion chamber receives a mixture of fuel and air that is caused to undergo compression self ignition. The electric discharge unit is provided inside the combustion chamber to generate an electric discharge for conducting combustion inside the combustion chamber. The controller is configured to control a voltage applied to the electric discharge unit. The controller is configured to control the electric discharge unit such that a non-thermal plasma can be formed without incurring a transition to arc discharging, and to control the quantity and distribution of an activated air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber in accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a combustion chamber in which a mixture of fuel and air is caused to undergo compression self ignition; an electric discharge unit provided inside the combustion chamber to generate an electric discharge for conducting combustion insi
What is claimed is: 1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a combustion chamber in which a mixture of fuel and air is caused to undergo compression self ignition; an electric discharge unit provided inside the combustion chamber to generate an electric discharge for conducting combustion inside the combustion chamber; and a controller device configured to control a voltage applied to the electric discharge unit, the controller being configured to control the electric discharge unit such that a non-thermal plasma can be formed without incurring a transition to arc discharging, and to control the quantity and distribution of an activated air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber in accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 2. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the quantity and distribution of the activated air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber by controlling an applied voltage of the voltage applied to the electric discharge unit and an voltage application time that the voltage is applied. 3. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the applied voltage and the voltage application time such that an amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit is substantially constant regardless of the operating condition. 4. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage application time and the applied voltage based on detection of an engine load as the operating condition such that the voltage application time is set longer and the applied voltage is set smaller when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region. 5. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage application time and the applied voltage based on detection of an engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the voltage application time is set longer and the applied voltage is set smaller when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range, and such that the voltage application time is set shorter and the applied voltage is set larger when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range. 6. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage application time and the applied voltage based on detection of an engine load and an engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the voltage application time is set longer and the applied voltage is set smaller when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range, and such that the voltage application time is set shorter and the applied voltage is set larger when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range. 7. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to change an amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit in accordance with the operating condition. 8. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to set the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit based on detection of an engine load as the operating condition such that the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit is set to a larger value when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region. 9. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to set the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit based on detection of an rotational speed as the operating condition such that the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit is set to a smaller value when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range. 10. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to set the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit based on detection of an engine load and an engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit is set to a larger value when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range, and such that the amount of energy imparted to the electric discharge unit is set to a smaller value when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range. 11. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage application time based on detection of the engine load as the operating condition such that the voltage application time is set longer when the engine load is detected as being in the low load region. 12. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to set the applied voltage based on detection of the engine load as the operating condition such that the applied voltage is set larger when the engine load is detected as being in the low load region. 13. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage application time based on detection of the engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the voltage application time is set longer when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in the low speed range. 14. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to set the applied voltage based on detection of the engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the applied voltage is set smaller when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in the low speed range. 15. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to set the voltage application time based on detection of the engine load and the engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the voltage application time is set to a longer value when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range, and such that the voltage application time is set shorter and the applied voltage is set larger when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range. 16. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to set the applied voltage based on detection of the engine load and the engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that the applied voltage is set to larger when the engine load is detected as being in the low load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in the high speed range, and such that the applied voltage is set smaller when the engine load is detected as being in the high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range. 17. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control device arranged to control the distribution of the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber, which has been activated by the electric discharge unit, based on a gas flow motion inside a cylinder such that the air-fuel mixture selectively becomes homogeneous or stratified. 18. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 17, further comprising a combustion state selecting device configured to change the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber between a homogeneous state and a stratified state, and the controller being configured to control the electric discharge unit and the combustion state selecting device such that the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber, which is activated by the electric discharge unit, is more homogeneous when an engine load is detected as being in a low load region than in cases when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region and more stratified when the engine load is detected as being in the high load region than in cases when the engine load is detected as being in the low load region. 19. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 17, further comprising a combustion state selecting device configured to change the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber between a homogeneous state and a stratified state, and the controller being configured to control the electric discharge unit and the combustion state selecting device such that the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber, which is activated by the electric discharge unit, is more stratified when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range than in cases when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high low speed range and more homogeneous when the engine rotational speed is detected the high speed range than in cases when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in the low speed range. 20. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 17, further comprising a combustion state selecting device configured to change the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber between a homogeneous state and a stratified state, and the controller being configured to control the electric discharge unit and the combustion state selecting device such that the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber, which is activated by the electric discharge unit, is more homogeneous when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range than in cases when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range and more stratified when the engine load is detected as being in the high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in the low speed range than in cases when the engine load is detected as being in the low load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in the high speed range. 21. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, further comprising an additional electric discharge unit positioned comparatively near an end portion of the combustion chamber, and the controller being configured to control an applied voltage of the voltage applied to each of the electric discharge units and an voltage application time that the voltage is applied in accordance with the operating condition. 22. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber based on detection of an engine load as the operating condition such that both the electric discharge units are used to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber when the engine load is detected as being in a low load region, and such that only the additional electric discharge unit positioned at the end portion of the combustion chamber is used to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region. 23. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 21, wherein the controller being configured to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber based on detection of an engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that only the additional electric discharge unit positioned at the end portion of the combustion chamber is used to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range, and such that both the electric discharge units are used to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber when the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range. 24. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 21, wherein the controller being configured to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber based on detection of an engine load and an engine rotational speed as the operating condition such that both the electric discharge units are used to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber when an engine load is detected as being in a low load region and an engine rotational speed is detected as being in a high speed range and such that only the additional electric discharge unit positioned at the end portion of the combustion chamber is used to activate the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber when the engine load is detected as being in a high load region and the engine rotational speed is detected as being in a low speed range. 25. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to selectively switch, based on the operating condition, between a compression self ignition control executed using an electric discharge from the electric discharge unit and a spark ignition control executed using an arc discharge device. 26. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to selectively switch, based on the operating condition, between a compression self ignition control executed using an electric discharge from the electric discharge unit and a spark ignition control executed using an electric discharge from the electric discharge unit alone. 27. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to selectively switch, based on the operating condition, between a compression self ignition control executed using an electric discharge from the electric discharge unit, a spark ignition control executed using an electric discharge from the electric discharge unit alone, and a spark ignition control executed using an arc discharge device. 28. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 25, further comprising a variable compression ratio mechanism configured to variably control a cylinder volume at top dead center, the controller being configured to control the variable compression ratio mechanism to reduce a compression ratio when the engine is switched from a compression self ignition control in which the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder is ignited by compression self ignition to an spark ignition control in which the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder is ignited with an arc discharge. 29. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 25, further comprising a variable valve timing mechanism configured to variably control an operating time of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, the controller being configured to control the variable valve timing mechanism to reduce an effective compression ratio when the engine is switched from a compression self ignition control in which the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder is ignited by compression self ignition to an spark ignition control in which the air-fuel mixture inside the cylinder is ignited with an arc discharge. 30. An internal combustion engine comprising: means for forming a combustion chamber in which a mixture of fuel and air is caused to undergo compression self ignition; electric discharge means for generating an electric discharge to conduct combustion inside the combustion chamber; and means for controlling a voltage applied to the electric discharge means to control the electric discharge means such that a non-thermal plasma can be formed without incurring a transition to arc discharging, and to control the quantity and distribution of an activated air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber in accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. 31. A combustion control method for performing compression self ignition comprising forming an air-fuel mixture in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine; compressing the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder of the internal combustion engine to undergo compression self ignition; forming a non-thermal plasma without incurring a transition to arc discharging using an electric discharge unit provided inside a combustion chamber of the engine; and controlling a quantity and a distribution of the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber, which is activated by the electric discharge unit, in accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Suckewer, Szymon; Suckewer, Artur Peter, Combustion enhancement system and method.
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