US-12624670-B2 - Injector controller

US12624670B2US 12624670 B2US12624670 B2US 12624670B2US-12624670-B2

Abstract

A controller includes a processor and memory. The memory stores, as a crank angular range in which fuel injection from the injector is permitted, a first injection range specified in the crank angular range from a start time of an intake stroke to an end time of the intake stroke and a second injection range specified in the crank angular range from a start time of a compression stroke to an end time of the compression stroke. The processor executes a first injection process that causes the injector to perform fuel injection in the first injection range and a second injection process that causes the injector to perform fuel injection in the second injection range B. The second injection range is discontinuous with the first injection range and is narrower than the first injection range.

Inventors

Shinichi Mitani

Assignees

TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241203
Priority Date: 20231205

Claims (8)

1 . An injector controller configured to control an injector performing fuel injection into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine from a side corresponding to top dead center of a piston, the injector controller comprising: a processor; and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store, as a crank angular range in which fuel injection from the injector is permitted, a first injection range specified in advance in a crank angular range from a start time of an intake stroke to an end time of the intake stroke and a second injection range specified in advance in a crank angular range from a start time of a compression stroke to an end time of the compression stroke, the processor is configured to execute a first injection process that causes the injector to perform fuel injection in the first injection range, and a second injection process that causes the injector to perform fuel injection in the second injection range, and the second injection range is discontinuous with the first injection range and is narrower than the first injection range, wherein the processor is configured to execute: a total injection amount calculating process that calculates a total fuel injection amount for the cylinder during a single cycle of the internal combustion engine based on an operating state of the internal combustion engine; a base value calculating process that calculates a base injection amount, a first injection count, and a second injection count for injecting the total injection amount during the single cycle of the internal combustion engine, the base injection amount being a base value of a fuel injection amount injected by the injector per injection, the first injection count being a base value of number of times the injector performs fuel injection in the first injection range, and the second injection count being a base value of number of times the injector performs fuel injection in the second injection range; when a first completion condition refers to completion of injection of a first total amount within the first injection range, the first total amount being a total fuel injection amount determined from the base injection amount and the first injection count and redistributed to the first injection range, prior to executing the first injection process, a first determining process that determines whether the first completion condition is satisfied under a first assumption that the base injection amount, being a fuel injection amount per injection injected in the first injection range, is injected at the first injection count; and when a second completion condition refers to completion of injection of a second total amount within the second injection range, the second total amount being a total fuel injection amount determined from the base injection amount and the second injection count and redistributed to the second injection range, prior to executing the second injection process, a second determining process that determines whether the second completion condition is satisfied under a second assumption that the base injection amount, being a fuel injection amount per injection injected in the second injection range, is injected at the second injection count, wherein when the first completion condition is not satisfied under the first assumption, in the first injection process, the fuel injection amount per injection is changed from the base injection amount to a change value so that injection of the first total amount completes within the first injection range at a first change count that is less than the first injection count, and the injector injects fuel of the change value at the first change count, and when the second completion condition is not satisfied under the second assumption, in the second injection process, the fuel injection amount per injection is changed from the base injection amount to a change value so that injection of the second total amount completes within the second injection range at a second change count that is less than the second injection count, and the injector injects fuel of the change value at the second change count.
2 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein a crank angular range from the start time of the intake stroke to a start of the first injection range is referred to as a first predetermined range, a crank angular range from an end of the first injection range to a start of the second injection range following the first injection range is referred to as a second predetermined range, a crank angular range from an end of the second injection range to an end time of the compression stroke is referred to as a third predetermined range, and a sum of the first predetermined range and the third predetermined range is greater than the second predetermined range.
3 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein the end of the second injection range is located closer to the end time of the intake stroke than the start of the first injection range is.
4 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein the start of the second injection range is located closer to the end time of the intake stroke than the end of the first injection range is.
5 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein in the first injection process, fuel injection is started at a retard side with respect to a center of the first injection range fewer times than at an advance side with respect to the center of the first injection range.
6 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein in the second injection process, fuel injection is started at an advance side with respect to a center of the second injection range fewer times than at a retard side with respect to the center of the second injection range.
7 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein the first injection process includes causing the injector to perform multiple fuel injections in the same first injection range so that an amount of fuel injected by a final one of the fuel injections in the first injection range is less than an amount of fuel injected by an initial one of the fuel injections in the first injection range.
8 . The injector controller according to claim 1 , wherein the second injection process includes causing the injector to perform multiple fuel injections in the same second injection range so that an amount of fuel injected by an initial one of the fuel injections in the second injection range is less than an amount of fuel injected by a final one of the fuel injections in the second injection range.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-205271, filed on Dec. 5, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND 1. Field The present disclosure relates to an injector controller. 2. Description of Related Art Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-241626 discloses an internal combustion engine including cylinders, pistons, and injectors. Each cylinder is a space for burning an air-fuel mixture of intake air and fuel. The pistons are respectively arranged in the cylinders. Each piston reciprocates in the cylinder in accordance with the combustion of the air-fuel mixture. Each injector directly injects fuel into the cylinder from a side corresponding to top dead center of the piston. SUMMARY This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. As described in the above publication, in the technique for directly injecting fuel into the cylinder, the fuel may collect on a top surface of the piston and a wall surface of the cylinder. The fuel collected on the top surface of the piston facilitates production of particulate matter during combustion in the combustion stroke. The fuel remaining on the wall surface of the cylinder is, for example, vaporized in the cylinder in the exhaust stroke. The fuel vaporized in the exhaust stroke is discharged out of the cylinder as unburned hydrocarbon. To reduce both the particulate matter and the unburned hydrocarbon, there is need for a technique that controls the amount of fuel collected on the top surface of the piston and the amount of fuel collected on the wall surface of the cylinder under an excessive amount. In an aspect of the present disclosure, an injector controller is configured to control an injector performing fuel injection into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine from a side corresponding to top dead center of a piston. The injector controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to store, as a crank angular range in which fuel injection from the injector is permitted, a first injection range specified in advance in a crank angular range from a start time of an intake stroke to an end time of the intake stroke and a second injection range specified in advance in a crank angular range from a start time of a compression stroke to an end time of the compression stroke. The processor is configured to execute a first injection process that causes the injector to perform fuel injection in the first injection range and a second injection process that causes the injector to perform fuel injection in the second injection range. The second injection range is discontinuous with the first injection range and is narrower than the first injection range. Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an internal combustion engine. FIG. 2 is schematic diagram showing a first injection range and a second injection range. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a process of a specific injection control. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a process of a first preparation process. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a process of a second preparation process. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of an injection pattern. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of an injection pattern. Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative size, proportions, and depiction of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience. DETAILED DESCRIPTION This description provides a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described. Modifications and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Sequences of operations are exemplary, and may be changed as apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Descriptions of functions and constructions that are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be omitted. Exemplary embodiments may have different forms, and are not limited to the examples described. However, the examples described are thorough and complete, and convey the full scope of the disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art. In this specification, “at least one of