A New Physics-Based Misfire Detection Technique for a SI Engine

Control and detection of misfire is an essential part of on-board diagnosis of modern SI engines. This study proposes a novel model-based technique for misfire detection of a multi-cylinder SI engine. The new technique uses a dynamic engine model to determine mean output power, which is then used to calculate a new parameter for misfire detection. The new parameter directly relates to combustion period and is sensitive to the engine speed fluctuations caused by misfire. The new technique only requires measured engine speed data and it is computationally viable for use in a typical ECU. The new technique is evaluated experimentally on a 4-cylinder 1.6-liter SI engine. Three types of misfires are studied including single, continues, and multiple events. The steady-state and transient experiments were done for a wide range of engine speeds and engine loads, using a vehicle chassis dynamometer and on-road vehicle testing. The validation results show the new technique is capable to detect all the three types of misfire with up to 97 percent accuracy during steady-state conditions. The new technique is augmented with a compensation factor to improve the accuracy of the technique for transient operations. The resulting technique is shown to be capable of detecting misfire during both transient and steady-state engine conditions.