Controlling fuel-injection pumps, e.g. of the high pressure injection type and pertains in particular to mechanical controlling and linkage of mechanically controlled fuel injection pumps.

E.g. using a centrifugal governor to adjust the angular timing of pump shaft.

Hydraulic adjustment of injection timing. E.g. using a hydraulic phase shifter device between pump and pump drive or angularly adjusting a cam profile to adjust the timing.

Documents disclosing controlling the feeding of liquid fuel from storage containers to carburetors or fuel-injection apparatus are normally classified in F02D 33/003.

Valves for controlling the air or air and fuel admission into or the exhaust out of the engine and the arrangement of such valves in intake or exhaust conduits.

General aspects of valves can be found in F16K

Hand- and/or foot pedal operated engine control initiation means and control linkages between the hand and/or foot pedal and the controlled device, e.g. throttle valve, carburettor or fuel injector. The control linkage can be mechanical, e.g. combined with power drive assistance, or non-mechanical, e.g. hydraulic linkage e.g. combined with power drive assistance.

Documents disclosing electronic engine control initiation means are normally classified in F02D 11/10.

Mechanical aspects/construction of electric throttles; Links between throttle and pedal as long as it concerns the electrical aspects, or the mechanical linking of the motor to the rest, e.g. clutch etc.

Throttles characterised by the function of linking demand to actuation using:

Detection of throttle position or accelerator position

Controlling the engine output power by varying inlet or exhaust valve operating characteristics, e.g. timing. The inlet and exhaust valves within an internal combustion engine are used to control the flow of the intake and exhaust gases into and out of the combustion chamber. The timing, duration and lift of these valve has a significant impact on engine performance. In a standard engine, the valve events are fixed, so performance at different loads and speeds is always a compromise between driveability, e.g. power and torque, fuel economy and emissions. An engine equipped with a variable valve actuation system is freed from this constraint, allowing performance to be improved over the engine operating range.

Varying compression ratio to adjust internal combustion engine cylinder compression ratios. For automotive use this needs to be done dynamically in response to the load and driving demands. Higher loads require lower ratios to be more efficient and vice versa. Variable compression engines allow for the volume above the piston at TDC to be changed.

Other engines, F02B 75/00; varying inlet or exhaust valve operating characteristics, F02D 13/00; electrical control of supply of combustible mixtures, F02D 41/00.

Controlling engines by cutting out individual cylinders; Rendering engines inoperative or idling. Cylinder deactivation is used to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of an internal combustion engine during light-load operation. In typical light-load driving the driver uses only around 30 percent of an engine's maximum power. In these conditions the throttle valve is nearly closed and the engine needs to work to draw air. This causes an inefficiency known as pumping loss. Some large capacity engines need to be throttled so much at light load that the cylinder pressure at top dead centre is approximately half that of a small 4-cylinder engine. Low cylinder pressure means low fuel efficiency. The use of cylinder deactivation at light load means there are fewer cylinders drawing air from the intake manifold, which works to increase its air pressure. Operation without variable displacement is wasteful because fuel is continuously pumped into each cylinder and combusted even though maximum performance is not required.

Control systems for hybrid vehicles: B60W 20/00;

Controlling engines driving vehicles: F02D 29/00;

Starting engines: F02N 11/00.

Mechanical and control aspects of engines using gaseous fuels, solid fuels or a combination of gaseous and non gaseous fuels. The latter simultaneously or non simultaneously used. Important aspects of the group are: configuration and control of the fuel supply system, special operating modes depending on the type of fuel and measuring and estimating of the fuel and engine parameters.

Control of engines using non-liquid fuels, F02D 41/0025

The group covers the control of engines, which are supplied with non-fuel substances or anti-knock agents. This includes controlling engines wherein engines are supplied with water.

Control systems in which oxygen or secondary air and/or exhaust or other non-fuel gases are being fed to the engine in order to increase the engine output power and/or to clean the exhaust gases.

Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel, or fuel-air mixture, F02M 25/00;

Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents, F02D 41/00; Methods of operating engines involving adding non-fuel substances or anti-knock agents to combustion air, fuel or fuel-air mixtures of engines, F02B 47/00.

Control systems for controlling the power output or rotational speed of the engine by other means than the throttle valve. In case of a supercharged engine it is possible for the power output or rotational speed to be additionally influenced for example by way of a controllable valve which is arranged parallel to the compressor in the induction track of the engine.

Engines characterised by provision of pumps for charging or scavenging, F02B 33/00; engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust, F02B 37/00.

Methods and devices for controlling engine arrangements comprising at least a first and a second internal combustion engine, wherein each engine comprises a crankshaft and at least one cylinder with a piston connected to said crankshaft, a controllable clutch arranged between the crankshafts, an engine control unit (ECU) for controlling the first and second engine and sensors for monitoring at least one operating parameter for the said engines connected to the engine control unit.

Propulsion units for ships, B63H 21/00; propulsion units for trains, B61C 11/00; power plants, F01K 7/00; transmitting power from propulsion power plant to

propulsive elements, B63H 23/00.

Engines that can be operated in two directions, i.e. of which the crankshaft can turn in two directions during running of the engine. These engines require amongst others displaceable camshafts. The reversing requires a control program during which several parameters of the engine, e.g. speed, throttle- position, fuel supply should be controlled.

Ship propulsion units, B63H 21/00.

Programme-control of engines. Although operator control is suitable for automobile engines, there are many systems, such as standby emergency electric power systems, where this type of control is impractical and expensive. For these applications, automatic program control systems have been devised which perform necessary engine control functions without operator attendance. Programme-control is also used in remote starting systems for automobile engines for example heating up the passenger cabin.

F02D 13/00 – Controlling the engine output power by varying inlet or exhaust valve operating characteristics, e.g. timing

F02D 35/00 – Controlling engines, dependent on conditions exterior or interior to engines

F02D 41/00 – Electrical control of supply of combustible mixture or its constituents

F02D 43/00 – Conjoint electrical control of two or more functions

Control systems characterised by the device driven by the engine. This device can be for example a vehicle, a pump or an electric generator.

Electrical control of internal combustion engines, F02D 39/00- F02D 45/00; positive displacement machines for liquids, F04B/00; controlling electric generators, H02P.

Mechanical governors, e.g. Watt type

Electrical control of engine rotation speed, e.g. by including a speed feedback loop

Controlling the air supply, mainly by changing the throttle position, in order to control the engine speed

Throttle opening control after engine speed in idle mode; also setting of idle speed

Control whereby an electric actuator urges the throttle, or the throttle lever from its closed position

Control whereby in a bypass the air flow must be controlled after engine speed and throttle position

Control whereby throttle is used to limit engine speed.

Rotation speed control by fuel amount, e.g. Diesel governors

Feedback control of idling speed using fuel supply

Controlling the feeding of liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus or the controlling the delivery of combustion air.

Electrical control of supply of combustible mixtures, F02D 41/00; apparatus or systems for feeding liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus, F02M 37/00.

Controlling engines using information, e.g. sensor signals, about conditions exterior or interior to engines

Position feedback on an electrical actuator.

This group contains engine controls using an exhaust gas sensor. Engine control using a gas sensor for sensing composition of combustion gases is classified in F02D 41/1438.

Control of air supply as a function of an air/fuel sensor signal

Fuel supply control after an air/fuel sensor.

Carburettor control after an air/fuel sensor

Controlling the emulsifying air only wherby most of the carburettors have a sub carburettor and it is the air/fuel mixture made in this sub carburettor (easier to control) which is drawn into the main venturi of the carburettor.

Fuel flow control via a valve in series in the fuel alimentation of the said sub carburettor or via a valve controlling the supply of air above the constant level fuel reservoir. If this valve is closed, less fuel can be sucked into the engine.

Fuel flow using variable venturi carburettors, i.e. a special type of horizontal carburettor still used in the 80s.

Control according to parameters interior to the combustion chamber that may be used to influence this combustion

If the sensor is located in the combustion gases then classify in F02D 35/021 and F02D 41/1444 .

Conjoint control using ignition timing and at least another parameter, e.g. air amount or fuel injection.

Non-electrical control of four- or two-stroke engines; of engines adding the fuel substantially at the end or before the compression stroke; of free piston engines.

Controlling engines, dependent on conditions exterior or interior to engines, not otherwise provided for F02D 35/00

Electrical or electronical control of combustion engines

Non-electrical aspects of electrically controlled devices are covered by

groups F02D 1/00 - F02D 39/00 or by subclass F02M;

are covered by groups F02D 1/00 - F02D 39/00 or by subclass F02M

No classification at main group level F02D 41/00. Use residual sub-group F02D 41/3005 instead.

Control of intake air amount, e.g. by using:

Throttle

Swirl throttle (Dralldrossel) on the side of intake pipe or in a second special intake pipe. It makes air flow to be twisted at low speeds to promote homogenization between air and fuel mist.

Variable valve timing and/or lift

Controlling engines running with:

Control of the supply of fuel vapours which are normally drawn from a canister which adsorbs fuel vapours generated in the fuel tank

Engine conditions are taken into account and purging is controlled

Purging is used for a particular effect on the engine, e.g. to warm-up catalyst

Control of purging to achieve conditions which are suitable for engine Diagnosis. - If the expected effect due to purging does not occur, failure is determined- Switch off of purging to prevent influence on diagnosis

Details specific to the control of the purge valve itself

Control of the engine mixture is adapted to purging taking place

Details specific to the estimation, calculation or any kind of determination of the purge quantity

Electrical control of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)

Feedback control using EGR for all parameter not directly related to EGR. This might include:

intake amount amount

intake manifold pressure

air/fuel ratio

combustion timing

engine roughness

The feedback parameter should be classified in the corresponding groups as well

Special control of EGR for non-ordinary operating conditions, e.g.:

EGR control according to or during engine operation with specific combustion modes, e.g. special engines with two EGR modes on both sides of the peak of smoke which appears when the EGR rate is increased in a diesel engine or HCCI without anything specific to EGR control

Feedback control of EGR to control combustion timing e.g. in HCCI mode; F02D 41/0052

Exhaust gases are redirected into the combustion chamber or kept as residual gases during positive or negative valve overlap

Determination of the EGR rate or residual gas amount remaining in the cylinder when internal EGR is used

Only as additional information if parameter is only mentioned without details on how to determine it

something specific to external EGR, e.g. considering transport delays or when using low pressure and high pressure EGR circuits

Determination of the EGR rate in external EGR circuits

Only as additional information if parameter is only mentioned without details on how to determine it

Operation of individual engine cylinders with different operating parameters, e.g. different fuel amounts or air amounts

Multiple classification for the corresponding actuator(s) applies

Operation of cylinder groups with different operating parameters, e.g. first cylinder group operating lean and second cylinder group operating rich to achieve heating or regeneration of catalysts

This group is not used for deactivation of cylinder banks which should be classified in F02D 41/0087 only

Control to equalise engine operating parameter for all cylinders

There might be some overlap with F02D 41/1498, however F02D 41/1498 covers at least measuring/detecting roughness per se, control according to roughness when all cylinders are controlled in the same way (e.g. idling/lean rough limit). If there is roughness detection and individual control then both groups should be used. Some overlap with engine roughness

Selective activation or deactivation of cylinders: every cylinder is fed with an optimal fuel quantity for an optimal combustion or with no fuel at all. The engine power also being controlled by the number of fed cylinders and not by the throttle and the air/fuel per cylinder.

Detection of engine crank angle position and generation of synchronisation signals, i.e. information about which cylinder is in which cycle (intake, compression, expansion or exhaust cycle).

Detection and measurement of engine speed.

This group should not be used.

Generator, pump or PTO (e.g. agricultural Power Take Off) engines with an externally needed regulated speed control.

Control according to particular conditions exterior to the engine, e.g.

The conditions exterior to the engine should also be classified in F02D 2200/70.

Control of the engine in relation with gearbox and/or clutch

Special control during the gear shift. Usually torque or speed control to target values

Control of engine in order to achieve specific effect on exhaust gas treatment device, e.g. regeneration or warming-up

Borderline between F02D 41/0235 and F01N is defined based on where the intervention to achieve heating or regeneration takes place:

Engine control to increase the temperature of an exhaust gas catalyst or filteralso given for regeneration, when method for temperature increase is important

Methods for raising catalyst temperature wherein additional heat is generated by combustion inside cylinder, e.g. by early post injection and delaying (main) injection timing.

Methods for raising catalyst temperature wherein additional heat is generated in exhaust pipe or on catalyst, e.g. by late post injection with surplus of oxygen from same/other cylinder, or by driving cylinders with different air/fuel ratios so that exhaust gases from these cylinders mix in exhaust pipe.

Engine control without special control according to the type of catalyst

Parameters characterising the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus should be classified in F02D 2200/08 as well. F02D 2200/0806-F02D 2200/0811 are of particular importance for NOx traps.

Parameters characterising the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus should be classified in F02D 2200/08 as well. F02D 2200/0818 is of particular importance for the desulfurisation of NOx traps.

Parameters characterising the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus should be classified in F02D 2200/08 as well. F02D 2200/0812 is of particular importance for the regeneration of particle filters.

Control of engine air/fuel ratio so that amount of oxygen that is stored on (three-way)-catalyst with oxygen storage capacity meets target value.

Parameters characterising the state of the exhaust gas treating apparatus should be classified in F02D 2200/08 as well. F02D 2200/0814 and F02D 2200/0816 are of particular importance for this group.

Control for stopping the engine or during the engine stopping period

Control combining partial pressures of vapour fuel, fresh air, recycled exhaust gas, less deposited fuel to calculate real air/fuel ratio taken in each cylinder

Control using models to determine fuel film on intake and cylinder walls

Corrections during engine start or warm-up.

Corrections during engine start linked to a delay or timer.

Corrections during engine start.

Engine control during engine start when engine is cold, e.g. increase of fuel injection amount to compensate increased fuel demand.

Engine start when engine is warm or immediate restart, e.g. after stall or during engine start/stop control

Purely electrical chokes as well as mechanical automatic chokes where the bimetallic spiral or wax actuator is electrically heated when the engine has started.

Warming-up measures, e.g. fast idle to accelerate warming-up

Engine control during idling

Engine control during idling considering external loads, e.g.

Engine control during acceleration, e.g. increase of fuel injection amount to meet increased demand.

Increase of the number of injectors in intake low pressure injection to increase fuel flow

Control with extra fuel pulse at start of acceleration in addition to ordinary fuel pulses which are sequentially injected at regular intervals

The fuel being cut off in all cylinders during deceleration as long as there is no serious reason to restart.

When the engine is decelerating it is necessary to restart the engine before idle speed is reached to avoid stalling if injection is restarted too late. Transitional measures may also be taken before. Special control to bring back catalyst to normal working range

Documents giving details on the feedback loop should be put in this group and groups when it is not a PID or some basic controller, then prefer to classify in F02D 41/1473 and F02D 41/1477

Classifiy as well according to what is controlled or what is measured., e.g. F02D 41/1438, F02D 41/16

The parameters/coefficients of the controller are set/tuned on-line according to the output of the system (there must be a feedback). Also called Self-Tuning regulator.

Not to be confused with "learning" where some values are stored to be re-used. This should be classified in F02D 41/2429. A controller having different coefficients stored in a table and where the coefficients are chosen according to operating conditions should be classified in F02D 2041/1422.

Control according to a characteristic of the combustion gases.

Use of a gas concentration sensor in the intake manifold, e.g. to measure the O2/fuel ratio before the mixture enters the combustion chambers on order to avoid the two-revolutions delay.

Multiple sensor arrangements in the exhaust system, e.g. one sensor before the catalyst converter and one after to check its functioning

Downstream sensor might be used for tuning the air/fuel ratio loop based on the upstream sensor

A sensor is provided for each cylinder group or bank, e.g.in the case of V- or flat engines for example

Use of an optical sensor in the exhaust system, e.g. for smoke measurements by evaluating the color/transparency of the exhaust gases.

Engine control to achieve an air-fuel ratio deviating from the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio, e.g. by:

Two-states sensors wherein a flow of O2 ions across the porous sensor is simulated by simply sending electrons

Air/fuel ratio control circuits and its components

Air/fuel ratio control with two-state air/fuel ratio sensor wherein the air/fuel ratio sensor signal is compared with a variable reference to have a lambda regulation value different from 1

Adaptation of the comparator value to variation of sensor characteristics, e.g. with temperature or age

Air/fuel ratio control using a plurality of comparators, e.g. by selecting among them according to circumstances, to have a lambda regulation value different from 1.

Control related to the problem caused by the delay between the fuel injection and the sensing of exhaust gas properties due to travel in intake, compression, expansion, exhaust and travel in exhaust. To reduce the generated oscillation in steady some delays are introduced in the regulation loop.

Air/fuel ratio control during particular operating conditions, e.g. during transient conditions.

Deactivation of air/fuel control based on exhaust sensor measurements, e.g. during transitions

Constructional details of the air/fuel control circuit or its componentsAir/fuel ratio sensor input circuits

Control of heating of an exhaust gas sensor to its operating temperature

Detection of abnormalities in the air/fuel ratio feedback system, especially air/fuel ratio sensor failure detection, e.g. by checking its temperature, its resistivity, its speed of reaction or its output voltage range.

Control using demanded and measured torque, power etc...

Detection of roughness caused by misfires due to insufficient fuel in the cylinder or due to a too late ignition not able to reach the fuel cloud. Misfire is a lack of combustion. Detection of roughness caused by different contributions of individual cylinders

Direct air mass measurement

Three types of sensors:

Computed air flow after manifold depression or throttle opening may also be here with the keyword "parameter measurement - air model"

There are two schools of injection control: the density based injection where an intake vacuum was combined with rpm after eventual temperature correction and the air-mass based injection where a direct air mass flow measure is used.

Circuits for driving injection valves but also gas exchange valves in engines

Devices and methods for diagnosing the engine or specific components, e.g. actuators or sensors

For the diagnosis, the type of the diagnosed actuator or the diagnosed sensor should be classified as well in the corresponding group, e.g.

F02D 41/30 for fuel injectors and F02D 41/1444 for exhaust sensors others than air/fuel ratio sensors

Choice of addressing parameters for parameter retrieval using maps, e.g. rpm, throttle opening and intake pressure, for example

Maps with only one input parameter

Use of interpolation for operating points which are grid points of the maps

Choice of a logarithmic or an inverted value for a parameter to save memory space

Choice of different tables according to certain criteria, e.g. fuel type, to combustion modes

Learning of engine, sensor or actuator characteristics, e.g. by learning an additive or multiplicative correction value to displace a complete table or a plurality of points of a complete table depending on the results of the learning.

Learning to consider dispersions between actuators or sensors.

Learning of control values to considers changes of engine, sensor or actuator characteristics due to aging

Rewriting part of the controller memory with new data, e.g. during engine inspections, and associated methods

Use of (semi-)permanent memories or using permanent batteries to feed normal memories

Analog or digital circuits in addition to the main control unit, e.g.

Interface circuit between the control unit and associated elements, e.g. multiplexers or signal processing units between sensors and control unit.

Gasoline engines with a stratified charge, which is usually caused by injection late in the compression stroke and subsequent ignition.

Semi-stratified mode with injections in intake and compression stroke should additionally receive F02D 41/402

Engines with stratified and homogeneous modes

Engine control for engines wherein the mixture is partly or homogeneously premixed and then ignited by compression.

Also called HCCI for homogeneous charge compression ignition.

Means used to trigger the compression-ignition in premixed charge compression ignition engines, e.g.:

A second, small injection shortly before the compression stroke TDC to get local air-fuel ratio above self-ignition limit. Said fuel might also be ignited by spark to cause pressure increase and subsequent self-ignition of the homogeneous mixture

Multiple Injections per se, e.g. with a first injection during the negative valve overlap normally called activation injection, should be classified in F02D 41/402

Engines controlled to change from 2-cycle to 4-cycle or 6-cycle mode, e.g. by changing valve actuation and injection frequency

Special measures to avoid problems during combustion mode transitions, e.g. considering the delay between different actuators

Conditions other than load/speed map for selecting one of a plurality of combustion modesAdaptation of load/speed maps for selecting combustion modes

Control of electrical low pressure pumps in common rail systems only ass additional information

Control of fuel injection into intake manifold which is not air-mass based fuel injection control, i.e. essentially air density control after intake pressure and rpm is classified here

High pressure fuel injection control, e.g. control of fuel amount of electronically controlled direct injectors.

Controlling the fuel pressure in the common rail, also setting of target values

This includes both diverting the fuel directly from the high pressure pump and the control of fuel amount directed to the pump inlet via the so-called suction control valves

The amount of fuel supplied to the high pressure pump is (indirectly) controlled using the low pressure fuel pump, fuel pressure regulators in the low pressure part of the common rail system or other elements in the low pressure circuit

Common rail pressure control via pressure relief valves.

Short actuations of the injector which cause some fuel to leak out of the injector and return to the fuel tank. These actuations are usually too short to cause fuel injector opening and therefore supply of fuel to engine.

Fuel amount control in in-line injection pumps

Fuel amount control in distributor injector pumps

This group covers only conjoint electrical control in which the control of air amount follows the control of fuel amount. Any other conjoint electrical control is not to be classified in F02D 43/00 and its subgroups but in the respective subgroups of F02D 41/00. For example, conjoint control of intake air and fuel injection, where the air control does not follow the fuel control, is covered by groups F02D 41/0002 and F02D 41/30 or their respective sub-groups.