Abstract:
Method for diagnosing evaporative losses from a fuel tank (3) of an internal combustion engine (1); the method of diagnosis consisting of: isolating the tank (3); pressurizing/depressurizing the tank (3) by means of a pneumatic machine (12) driven by an electric motor (13); measuring the time profile of at least one characteristic value of the electric motor (13); calculating the frequency range of the characteristic value of the electric motor (13); and diagnosing the rate of evaporative loss from the tank (3) as a function of the frequency range of the characteristic value of the electric motor (13).
Abstract:
A method of controlling an internal combustion engine (2) having at least one cylinder (3) defining a variable-volume combustion chamber; and a rotating crankshaft (15) powered by a piston (14) sliding inside the cylinder (3); the control method including the steps of: determining a recording window (W) expressed in engine angle degrees (α) and having a start engine angle (α start ) and a stop engine angle (α stop ); acquiring and memorizing the intensity (S) of sound pressure waves, generated by the internal combustion engine (2) as a function of an engine angle (α), by means of at least one sound pressure sensor (21a) and within the recording window (W); and estimating the value of at least one operating parameter of a part of the internal combustion engine (2) by analysing the intensity (S) of the sound pressure waves in the recording window (W).
Abstract:
Control method in the case of a fault in an internal combustion engine (5); the control method provides for the phases of: cyclically checking the correct functioning of a connection between an electronic control unit (18) and an electric drive (24) of an electric actuator (19) coupled to a butterfly valve (12) to control the position of the same butterfly valve (12), switching off the electric drive (24) in the case of interruption in the connection between the electronic control unit (18) and the electric drive (24) so that the butterfly valve (12) sets itself in a predefined limp-home position, and piloting the engine (5) in the case of interruption in the connection between the electronic control unit (18) and the electric drive (24) to keep the number of revs constant and equal to a predefined emergency value. The electric drive switches off autonomously or via a second electric cable between the ECU and the electric drive.
Abstract:
Method for finding the angular acceleration of a drive shaft (4) of an internal combustion engine (1) by means of a gear wheel (5) integral with said drive shaft (4); the method making provision to identify, in each complete revolution of the drive shaft (4), a number of angular measurement lines, to measure the time (Ti) used by the drive shaft (4) to pass over each angular measurement line using the signal supplied by the gear wheel (5), to add algebraically, to the time used by the drive shaft (4) to pass over each angular measurement line, a corresponding correction coefficient (K i ) that takes account of any asymmetries in the gear wheel (5), and to determine the value (acc) of angular acceleration of the drive shaft (4) as a function of the time (T i ) used by the drive shaft (4) to pass over each angular measurement line; the value of the correction coefficients (K i ) is determined in the course of an engine fuel cut-off phase (1).
Abstract:
A method for diagnosing a gaseous fuel feeding circuit (2) in an internal combustion engine (1); the feeding circuit (2) is provided with a gaseous fuel tank (5), a high-pressure branch (3) which is fed directly by the tank (5), a low-pressure branch (4), and a pressure reducer (8) interposed between the high-pressure branch (3) and the low-pressure branch (4); the diagnostic method includes the steps of reading the current value of a number of characteristic magnitudes of the gaseous fuel present in the feeding circuit (2) during the normal operation of the internal combustion engine (1); diagnosing the presence of a fault of the feeding circuit (2) by using the current value of the characteristic magnitudes of the gaseous fuel present in the feeding circuit (2) during the normal operation of the internal combustion engine (1); determining the expected value of at least one diagnostic parameter during a step of designing and developing; calculating the current value of the diagnostic parameter by using the current value of the characteristic magnitudes of the gaseous fuel present in the feeding circuit (2) during the normal operation of the internal combustion engine (1); comparing the expected value and the current value of the diagnostic parameter during the normal operation of the internal combustion engine (1); and diagnosing the presence of a fault in the feeding circuit (2) when the expected value of the diagnostic parameter is significantly different from the current value, during the normal operation of the internal combustion engine (1).
Abstract:
Control method for a vehicle (1) with an engine (5) in the case of a fault that advises/imposes driving the vehicle (1) with reduced performance; the control method provides for the phases of: diagnosing the fault, limiting the maximum performance of the vehicle (1) by degrading the performance of an engine (5) of the vehicle (1) and giving the driver of the vehicle (1) advance warning of the imminent operation of performance degradation on the engine (5) before effectively degrading the performance of the engine (5).
Abstract:
A system is described for the diagnosis of a driver (D) of the type adapted to detect one or more circuit anomalies which can occur in the said driver, including:
voltage comparator circuits (10, 20) adapted to generate diagnostic logic signals (F 1 , F 2 , F 3 ) each indicative of the existence of a corresponding type of anomaly; and a coding circuit (M, SM) adapted to receive these diagnostic signals (F 1 , F 2 , F 3 ) and to output information relating to an overall operating state of the circuit. The coding circuit (M, SM) includes a first portion adapted to provide at its output first logic signals (SHB, SHG, OL) indicative of the last anomaly occurred since a system reset operation, and a second portion for coding such first logic signals (SHB, SHG, OL). The second portion includes a sequential logic network (SM) adapted to:
receive the first logic input signals (SHB, SHG, OL) and at least one second logic signal (IN) indicative of the current operating phase of the driver (D); and achieve, as a function of the said first and second logic signals (SHB, SHG, OL; IN) a stable internal state such as to determine at the output information in the form of an N bit coded word representative of an occurred anomaly, of a condition of absence of anomaly in the current operating phase, or of a condition of absence of anomaly in any operating phase.