Development of a Highly Accurate Air-Fuel Ratio Control Method Based on Internal State Estimation

A fuel injection control method is developed in which the transient air-fuel ratio is accurately controlled by an internal state estimation method with dynamic characteristics. With conventional methods the air-fuel ratio control precision is limited, because the air measurement system, the air and the fuel dynamic characteristics lack precision. In this development, the factors disturbing the air-fuel ratio under transient conditions are determined by analysis of the control mechanisms.

The disturbance factors are found to be (1) the hot wire sensor has a delay time, (2) manifold air charging causes an overshoot phenomenon, (3) there is a dead time between sensing and fuel flow into the cylinder and (4) there is a delay of fuel flow into the cylinder caused by the fuel film. Compensation schemes are constructed for each of these technical problems. In particular the proposed control method estimates the manifold pressure and the fuel film which are the internal state variables of the air and fuel systems. Experiments with an engine show that the air -fuel ratio fluctuations during acceleration were reduced by 1/3 compared with the conventional method.