CA2605310A1 - Pmw controller with rpm reduction circuit - Google Patents
Pmw controller with rpm reduction circuit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2605310A1 CA2605310A1 CA002605310A CA2605310A CA2605310A1 CA 2605310 A1 CA2605310 A1 CA 2605310A1 CA 002605310 A CA002605310 A CA 002605310A CA 2605310 A CA2605310 A CA 2605310A CA 2605310 A1 CA2605310 A1 CA 2605310A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- voltage
- load
- generator
- internal combustion
- transistor
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 title description 5
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 210000003813 thumb Anatomy 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02D—CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES
- F02D29/00—Controlling engines, such controlling being peculiar to the devices driven thereby, the devices being other than parts or accessories essential to engine operation, e.g. controlling of engines by signals external thereto
- F02D29/06—Controlling engines, such controlling being peculiar to the devices driven thereby, the devices being other than parts or accessories essential to engine operation, e.g. controlling of engines by signals external thereto peculiar to engines driving electric generators
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- H02P9/00—Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output
- H02P9/04—Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02P—CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- H02P9/00—Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output
- H02P9/48—Arrangements for obtaining a constant output value at varying speed of the generator, e.g. on vehicle
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Control Of Eletrric Generators (AREA)
Abstract
A control circuit received voltage from a voltage generator driven by an internal combustion engine. The control circuit also receives an RPM signal related to the RPM of the internal combustion engine. The control circuit applies Pulse Width Modulation to the voltage output signal to reduce the average voltage to different loads thus avoiding over-loading the loads and/or reducing the necessary voltage output of the generator.
Description
PWM controller with RPM reduction circuit FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a PWM control. More specifically, the invention relates to a PWM control circuit for controlling the voltage across one or more electric loads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a PWM control. More specifically, the invention relates to a PWM control circuit for controlling the voltage across one or more electric loads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is known to adjust the output power of a battery providing power to a device, such as a spotlight, table lamp or other device using pulse width modulation (PWM) to automatically increase the duty cycle of the signal that provides power to the device to thereby maintain a constant power supply and light intensity. It is also known to manually decrease the duty cycle to reduce the intensity of the device as the battery voltage decreases. Examples of such control circuits are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,525 to Mallory and in U.S. Pat. No.
6,040,660 to Schmidt et al. Note that, in the case of the former, the light intensity is maintained at the expense of battery conservation. It would be useful if there were a device that allowed PWM from a generator for conserving energy or reducing the RPM of the internal combustion engine running the generator at the same time as protecting the device from being overpowered.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
6,040,660 to Schmidt et al. Note that, in the case of the former, the light intensity is maintained at the expense of battery conservation. It would be useful if there were a device that allowed PWM from a generator for conserving energy or reducing the RPM of the internal combustion engine running the generator at the same time as protecting the device from being overpowered.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One aspect of the present invention includes an internal combustion engine comprising a generator connected to the engine for generating a voltage for powering at least one load; a controller between the generator and the load, the controller controlling the voltage to the load; an RPM sensor for sensing a rotational speed of one of the engine and the generator, wherein the controller controls the voltage to the load dependent on the sensed RPM.
[0004] Yet another aspect of the present invention comprises an AC-DC
converter, the AC-DC converter converting an AC voltage from the generator to a DC voltage.
converter, the AC-DC converter converting an AC voltage from the generator to a DC voltage.
[0005] Another aspect of the present invention comprises a transistor, the transistor being in communication with the DC voltage from the AC-DC converter and the load, the transistor being capable of opening and closing the circuit between the generator and the load.
[0006] Yet another aspect of the present invention has the transistor and the AC-DC
converter within an ECM, the ECM receives the sensed RPM from the RPM sensor and controls the transistor to open and close the circuit to the load.
converter within an ECM, the ECM receives the sensed RPM from the RPM sensor and controls the transistor to open and close the circuit to the load.
[0007] Another aspect of the present invention includes the transistor applying a pulse width modulation (PWM) to the voltage from the AC-DC converter such that the voltage to the load is reduced from that generated by the generator.
[0008] Yet another aspect of the present invention includes the voltage generated from the generator being approximately 55V and the transistor applying a 10-20% PWM
to the 55V
output when the RPM of one of the engine and generator is below a predetermined RPM.
to the 55V
output when the RPM of one of the engine and generator is below a predetermined RPM.
[0009] Another aspect of the present invention includes the voltage generated from the generator being approximately 55V and the transistor applying a 20-30% PWM to the 55V
output when the RPM of one of the engine and generator is above a predetermined RPM.
output when the RPM of one of the engine and generator is above a predetermined RPM.
[0010] Yet another aspect of the present invention includes the load being a fuel pump.
[0011] Another aspect of the present invention includes the load being an exhaust valve.
[0012] Yet another aspect of the present invention includes the load being a fuel injector.
[0013] Another aspect of the present invention includes the load being a heated grip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] For a better understanding of the present invention as well as other aspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] Fig. 2 shows a voltage signal having a Pulse width W and a frequency f;
and [0017] Fig. 3 shows a signal with a 20 %, 50 % and a 80 % PWM applied thereto.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) [0018] With reference to Fig. 1, a block diagram shows the components which apply a pulse with modulation (PWM) to a voltage generated by a power generator 2 to loads 14, 16 and 18. The power generator 2 is preferably interconnected with an internal combustion engine 4.
Typical power generators used with intemal combustion engines are alternators or magnetos.
Both are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. The power generator 2 generates a voltage which is fed to an ECM 8. An RPM sensor 6 is also affixed to the internal combustion engine 4 to sense the rotational speed of the engine. It is also contemplated that the RPM sensor could be coupled to the generator 2 to sense the rotational speed of the generator.
and [0017] Fig. 3 shows a signal with a 20 %, 50 % and a 80 % PWM applied thereto.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) [0018] With reference to Fig. 1, a block diagram shows the components which apply a pulse with modulation (PWM) to a voltage generated by a power generator 2 to loads 14, 16 and 18. The power generator 2 is preferably interconnected with an internal combustion engine 4.
Typical power generators used with intemal combustion engines are alternators or magnetos.
Both are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. The power generator 2 generates a voltage which is fed to an ECM 8. An RPM sensor 6 is also affixed to the internal combustion engine 4 to sense the rotational speed of the engine. It is also contemplated that the RPM sensor could be coupled to the generator 2 to sense the rotational speed of the generator.
[0019] The ECM 8 further comprises an AC-DC converter 10. In the case where a magneto is generating the power, the voltage from the magneto is AC voltage and thus has to be converted to DC voltage for typical loads found on vehicles. It is also contemplated that the AC-DC generator be located outside the ECM. A transistor 12 is also interconnected within the circuit. While the transistor is shown inside the ECM 8, it is contemplated that the transistor 12 could be housed outside the ECM 8. The transistor 12 is preferably a 10 KHz transistor, but other types can be used. The ECM 8 also receives the signal from the RPM
sensor 6.
sensor 6.
[0020] Loads 14, 16, and 18 are connected with the ECM 8. These loads could be any type of load, for example, a fuel pump for creating a pressure for pumping fuel into the engine;
an exhaust valve situated in the exhaust passage of the engine; a fuel injector for injecting fuel into the engine; headlights; taillights or heated hand and thumb grips located on the handlebars of a vehicle with the control circuit. Other loads which are typically found on a vehicle are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
an exhaust valve situated in the exhaust passage of the engine; a fuel injector for injecting fuel into the engine; headlights; taillights or heated hand and thumb grips located on the handlebars of a vehicle with the control circuit. Other loads which are typically found on a vehicle are also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
[0021] Certain loads are not designed to operate under the same voltage level as other loads. In the case where one load operates at a voltage higher than the other, either the load with the higher operating voltage will have to operate without sufficient voltage or the load with the lower operating voltage with have to operate with an over abundant voltage. In both cases, the load will not operate effectively and could cause permanent damage to the load. When two loads are operated from the same generator, and both require different operating voltages, the generator outputs the higher voltage load and the voltage must be decreased for the lower voltage load. While there are different ways to suppress the higher voltage for the lower voltage load, such as creating a resistance within the circuit thus lowering the voltage, this creates a lot of heat and thus the components which carry out these reductions must be well cooled.
This makes for a more complex and costly circuit.
This makes for a more complex and costly circuit.
[0022] The present invention applies pulse width modulation (PWM) to the generators' 2 voltage such that the voltage applied to a specific load is not the total voltage delivered from the generator 2. By switching the voltage on and off to the loads 14, 16, or 18 with an appropriate duty cycle, the output voltage will approximate a voltage at the desired level. In the present invention, the PWM is achieved by the transistor 12 within the ECM 8. The transistor 12 opens and closes the voltage circuit between the generator 2 and the load 14 at a specific frequency, preferably around 10 kHz. The voltage directed to the load after the transistor is thus a percentage of the voltage from the generator, the percentage being directly related to the on-time or PWM of the transistor. For example, if the transistor applies a 17% PWM to a generator output voltage of 55V, the voltage to the load will be approximately 9V.
[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, PWM is applied to an output voltage depending on a sensed RPM from sensor 6. Some loads, such as a fuel pump (not shown) and fuel injectors (not shown) are not solicited as much at low RPM's, when the engine 4 is at idle, as they are at high RPM's, when the engine is operating at wide-open-throttle. At low RPM's, i.e. below 2000 RPM, the fuel required by the engine 4 is very low, thus the fuel pump and fuel injector are not operating at max capacity and thus can operate effectively at a reduced voltage. Applying PWM to the voltage across these loads reduces the required output from the generator 2 and thus the operating RPM of the engine 4 can be lowered. This has many benefits such as less pollution and noise reduction at reduced RPM.
[0024] The ECM 8 receives the sensed RPM from the RPM sensor 6 and controls the transistor 12 to either increase or decrease the PWM of the voltage to any particular load so that the benefits of decreased engine RPM or simply a reduction in output voltage required from the generator can be achieved. PWM also enables many loads to be continuously operated at low RPM by reducing the average voltage across these loads, thus reducing the total necessary output from the generator at low engine RPM. One of the benefits of using PWM is that when the transistor opens the circuit, there is no restriction, thus no excess heat is created. When the transistor closes the circuit, the complete voltage from the generator 2 is directed to the load, thus again no restriction and no excess heat is generated. This reduces the necessity of having a complex cooling system for these components.
[0025] The PWM function will be further described with reference to Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 shows a signal with pulses 22-24. Each pulse has a width W corresponding to the time the voltage is applied to a load. The pulses repeat at a specific frequency f. The average voltage output to the load is determined by W and f. By increasing W, the average voltage to the load will also increase. By adjusting the duty cycle of the signal (modulating the width of the pulse, hence the PWM) i.e., the time fraction it is "on", the average power to the load can be varied.
Fig. 3 shows a signal at 20%, 50% and 80% duty cycle. The average voltage to the load when a 20% PWM is applied to a 12 V output is approximately 2.4 V, when a 50 % PWM is applied; the average voltage is approximately 6 V. For a load operating under 2.4 volts, a 20% PWM could be applied to a 12V output and thus the load would not be subjected to over-voltage, or if the load normally operates under 12V, but can effectively operate at 2.4 V at some particular time or RPM, the 20% PWM can be applied to reduce the necessary power output from the generator, or free some voltage for other loads.
Fig. 2 shows a signal with pulses 22-24. Each pulse has a width W corresponding to the time the voltage is applied to a load. The pulses repeat at a specific frequency f. The average voltage output to the load is determined by W and f. By increasing W, the average voltage to the load will also increase. By adjusting the duty cycle of the signal (modulating the width of the pulse, hence the PWM) i.e., the time fraction it is "on", the average power to the load can be varied.
Fig. 3 shows a signal at 20%, 50% and 80% duty cycle. The average voltage to the load when a 20% PWM is applied to a 12 V output is approximately 2.4 V, when a 50 % PWM is applied; the average voltage is approximately 6 V. For a load operating under 2.4 volts, a 20% PWM could be applied to a 12V output and thus the load would not be subjected to over-voltage, or if the load normally operates under 12V, but can effectively operate at 2.4 V at some particular time or RPM, the 20% PWM can be applied to reduce the necessary power output from the generator, or free some voltage for other loads.
[0026] This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, equivalent arrangements or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features herein before set forth and followed in the spirit and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (12)
1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
a generator connected to the engine for generating a voltage for powering at least one load;
a controller between the generator and the load, the controller controlling the voltage to the load;
an RPM sensor for sensing a rotational speed of one of the engine and the generator, wherein the controller controls the voltage to the load dependent on the sensed RPM.
a generator connected to the engine for generating a voltage for powering at least one load;
a controller between the generator and the load, the controller controlling the voltage to the load;
an RPM sensor for sensing a rotational speed of one of the engine and the generator, wherein the controller controls the voltage to the load dependent on the sensed RPM.
2. The internal combustion engine of claim 1, further comprising an AC-DC
converter, the AC-DC converter converting an AC voltage from the generator to a DC voltage.
converter, the AC-DC converter converting an AC voltage from the generator to a DC voltage.
3. The internal combustion engine of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a transistor, the transistor being in communication with the DC voltage from the AC-DC converter and the load, the transistor being capable of opening and closing the circuit between the generator and the load.
4. The internal combustion engine of claim 3, wherein the transistor is a 10 KHz transistor.
5. The internal combustion engine of claim 4, wherein the transistor and the AC-DC
converter are within an ECM, the ECM receives the sensed RPM from the RPM
sensor and controls the transistor to open and close the circuit to the load.
converter are within an ECM, the ECM receives the sensed RPM from the RPM
sensor and controls the transistor to open and close the circuit to the load.
6. The internal combustion engine of claim 5, wherein the transistor applies a pulse width modulation (PWM) to the voltage from the AC-DC converter such that the voltage to the load is reduced from that generated by the generator...
7. The internal combustion engine of claim 6, wherein the voltage generated from the generator is approximately 55V and the transistor applies a 10-20 % PWM to the 55V output when the RPM of one of the engine and generator is below a predetermined RPM.
8. The internal combustion engine of claim 6, wherein the voltage generated from the generator is approximately 55V and the transistor applies a 20-30% PWM to the 55V output when the RPM of one of the engine and generator is above a predetermined RPM.
9. The internal combustion engine of any one of claims 7 and 8, wherein the load is a fuel pump.
10. The internal combustion engine of any one of claims 7 and 8, wherein the load is an exhaust valve.
11. The internal combustion engine of any one of claims 7 and 8, wherein the load is a fuel injector.
12. The internal combustion engine of any one of claims 7 and 8, wherein the load is a heated grip.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002605310A CA2605310A1 (en) | 2007-09-28 | 2007-09-28 | Pmw controller with rpm reduction circuit |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002605310A CA2605310A1 (en) | 2007-09-28 | 2007-09-28 | Pmw controller with rpm reduction circuit |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2605310A1 true CA2605310A1 (en) | 2008-01-09 |
Family
ID=38920874
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002605310A Abandoned CA2605310A1 (en) | 2007-09-28 | 2007-09-28 | Pmw controller with rpm reduction circuit |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2605310A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2580443A4 (en) * | 2010-06-10 | 2018-04-04 | Honeywell International Inc. | Control methodologies for throttle-loss recovering turbine generator systems for spark-ignition engines |
-
2007
- 2007-09-28 CA CA002605310A patent/CA2605310A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2580443A4 (en) * | 2010-06-10 | 2018-04-04 | Honeywell International Inc. | Control methodologies for throttle-loss recovering turbine generator systems for spark-ignition engines |
| EP2580441A4 (en) * | 2010-06-10 | 2018-04-11 | Honeywell International Inc. | System and method for throttle-loss recovery and electrical power generation in a spark-ignition engine |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued | ||
| FZDE | Discontinued |
Effective date: 20100928 |