CN-121993307-A - Method for actuating a fuel injector, fuel system, computing unit and computer program

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for actuating a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, a fuel system and a computer program for carrying out the method. The method includes determining a target manipulation end time and a target manipulation duration of the magnetic actuator based on a target manipulation start time and a target fuel amount of the magnetic actuator, determining a cylinder pressure acting on the valve element at the target manipulation end time of the magnetic actuator, determining a valve element stroke according to the determined cylinder pressure, manipulating the magnetic actuator with the determined target manipulation duration and the determined target manipulation start time if the determined valve element stroke at the target manipulation end time corresponds to its maximum stroke, and adjusting the determined target manipulation duration and/or the determined target manipulation start time if the determined valve element stroke at the target manipulation end time is less than the maximum stroke of the valve element, and manipulating the magnetic actuator with the adjusted target manipulation duration or the adjusted target manipulation start time.

Inventors

• O. Turk
• A.S.Z. Schweinsberg
• M. Lippish

Assignees

• 罗伯特·博世有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20251104

Priority Date

20241104

Claims (15)

1. 1. A method for actuating a fuel injector (1) of an internal combustion engine, comprising a magnetic actuator (10) for actuating an outwardly opening valve element (4, 6), wherein the magnetic actuator (10) comprises a magnetic coil (3) and a magnetic armature (2) operatively connected to the valve element (4, 6), The method comprises the following steps: determining (101) a target manipulation end time and a target manipulation duration of the magnetic actuator (10) based on a target manipulation start time and a target fuel amount of the magnetic actuator (10); Determining (102) a cylinder pressure expected to act on the valve element (4, 6) at a target end of actuation of the magnetic actuator (10); Determining (103) an expected travel (H VN_EOE ) of the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of the actuation on the basis of the determined cylinder pressure expected to act on the valve element (4, 6); if at the target actuation end time the expected travel (H VN_EOE ) of the valve element (4, 6) corresponds to a maximum travel (H VN_max ), actuating (104) the magnetic actuator (10) with the determined target actuation duration and the determined target actuation start time, If at the target actuation end time the expected travel (H VN_EOE ) of the valve element (4, 6) is smaller than the maximum travel (H VN_max ) of the valve element (4, 6), the determined target actuation duration and/or the determined target actuation start time are/is adjusted (106), and the magnetic actuator (10) is actuated with the adjusted target actuation duration and/or the adjusted target actuation start time.
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the expected travel (H VN_EOE ) is determined (103) from at least one stored travel of the valve element (4, 6) during the magnetic coil holding current phase, wherein the at least one stored travel is determined (200) for a cylinder pressure acting on the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of a maneuver.
3. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one stored stroke (H VN_EOE ) is determined (200) from a degaussing duration (t L ) of a current (I MV ) in a magnetic coil (3) of the fuel injector (1).
4. 4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the at least one stored stroke (H VN_EOE ) comprises a plurality of stored strokes (H VN_EOE ) for different cylinder pressures acting on the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of the maneuver.
5. 5. A method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the at least one stored stroke (H VN_EOE ) comprises a plurality of stored strokes (H VN_EOE ) for different cylinder pressures and different fuel pressures acting on the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of the maneuver.
6. 6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, If the expected travel (H VN_EOE ) of the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of the maneuver is less than the maximum travel (H VN_max ), a deviation between an expected fuel quantity and a target fuel quantity is determined based on the expected travel (H VN_EOE ) of the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of the maneuver and the target maneuver duration and/or the target maneuver start time are adjusted (105) based on the determined fuel quantity deviation.
7. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the expected travel curve (H VN_p1 、H VN_IST_p2 ) of the valve element (4, 6) is modeled from the expected travel (H VN_EOE ) of the valve element (4, 6) at the target end of the maneuver and the deviation between the expected and target fuel amounts is determined based on the difference between the expected travel curve (H VN_p1 、H VN_IST_p2 ) and the target travel curve (H VN_SOLL ) of the valve element (4, 6).
8. 8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the target manipulation duration is adjusted by moving the target manipulation start moment.
9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the target maneuver start time and the target maneuver end time are moved by the same value.
10. 10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, which is performed for each fuel injector (1) of the internal combustion engine.
11. 11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the determined target actuation duration and/or the determined target actuation start time of each fuel injector (1) is/are adjusted individually or wherein the determined target actuation duration and/or the determined target actuation start time of all fuel injectors (1) are adjusted jointly.
12. 12. A computing unit arranged to perform all method steps of the method according to any of the preceding claims.
13. 13. A fuel system having: at least one fuel injector (1) having a magnetic actuator (10) for actuating an outwardly opening valve element (4, 6), wherein the magnetic actuator (10) has a magnetic coil (3) and a magnetic armature (2) which is operatively connected to the valve element (4, 6), and The computing unit of claim 12.
14. 14. A computer program product which, when run on a computing unit of a fuel system according to claim 13, causes the computing unit to perform all the method steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
15. 15. A machine readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program product of claim 14.

Description

Method for actuating a fuel injector, fuel system, computing unit and computer program Technical Field The present invention relates to a method for controlling a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, a computing unit and a computer program for performing the method, and a fuel system. Background Because gaseous fuels for internal combustion engines, particularly hydrogen, have a relatively low volumetric energy density, these fuels typically require high flow injectors in order to provide the amount of fuel required for maximum power within the allowable time frame of the operating cycle of the internal combustion engine. However, the large flow cross section or valve needle travel of the injectors thus produced may lead to inaccurate fuel metering when the internal combustion engine is operated at part load. In order to avoid an excessively high flow of the injector with the above-mentioned disadvantages, it is advantageous to increase the permissible time range in the operating cycle of the internal combustion engine in which fuel can be injected into the internal combustion engine, so that the actuation duration of the injector can be prolonged. The allowable time range is generally defined by the earliest possible injection start time and the latest possible injection end time. The earliest possible start of injection is due to the possible pre-ignition of the fuel-air mixture in the intake tract of the internal combustion engine. Thus, injection is typically initiated only shortly before or immediately after intake valve closure. In the presently used injector designs with outwardly opening (relative to the space closed by the valve element) valve elements, the latest possible end of injection time is limited by the magnetic force required to keep the valve element open against the rising cylinder pressure in the engine cylinder during the compression stroke. It may be advantageous here to inject fuel as late as possible in the compression stroke, since this may reduce the tendency for knocking and reduce the compression work. Disclosure of Invention According to the invention, a method for actuating a fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, a computing unit and a computer program for carrying out the method, and a fuel system are proposed, having the features of the independent claims. Advantageous designs are the subject matter of the dependent claims and the following description. The fuel system according to the invention comprises one or more fuel injectors, each having a magnetic actuator for operating an outwardly (relative to the space closed by the valve element) opening valve element. The fuel injector may in particular be a gas injector, which is provided for injecting gaseous fuel, in particular hydrogen, directly into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. Any other type of fuel injector having an outwardly opening valve element is also possible. The magnetic actuator of each fuel injector has a magnetic coil configured for application of an electrical current to open the valve element, and a magnetic armature operatively connected to the valve element. The valve element may in turn co-operate with a valve seat in the fuel injector housing. For example, the valve element may be a valve needle which has a closing element at one end, which may be designed, for example, as a valve disk and may be provided for releasing and closing the flow cross section at the valve seat. In the closed position of the fuel valve, the closing element may be held on the valve seat by a valve spring. Each fuel injector may also include a return element that maintains the magnetic armature in an idle position. The restoring element can likewise be designed as a spring, in particular as a helical spring. Furthermore, the fuel system comprises a computing unit, which may be in particular a motor controller of the internal combustion engine, and which is provided for actuating the fuel injectors. When the magnetic coil of the fuel injector is energized on the basis of a corresponding actuation signal of the computing unit, a magnetic field is formed, the magnetic force of which moves the magnetic armature in the direction of the closing element. The magnetic armature can be in contact with the valve element, so that the valve element can be lifted from the valve seat against the spring force of the valve spring, so that the flow cross section is opened. To fully open the fuel injector, the magnetic armature may move up to the travel stop. The energization of the magnet coil can be performed according to a defined current profile, which can be controlled by a computing unit. The calculation unit may, for example, determine a target manipulation start timing (at which the magnetic coil starts to be energized), a target manipulation duration (during which the magnetic coil is maintained energized), and a target manipulation end timing (at which the magnetic coil is energized ends), and output