An ion current detection circuit is for detecting an ion current flowing through a spark plug for an internal combustion engine. A detection terminal is to be electrically connected to the spark plug. A reference potential is to be supplied to a reference terminal. At least one protection diode is provided between the detection terminal and the reference terminal. A current detection unit causes a detection current to flow between the detection terminal and the at least one protection diode. A current compensation unit causes a compensation current to flow between the detection terminal and the at least one protection diode.

An internal combustion engine, a method of operating the internal combustion engine, and a controller are disclosed. The method may be implemented in part by the controller and comprises determining a shaft angle of an engine shaft; supplying, to an ion sensor fluidly coupled to a combustion chamber of the engine a low voltage at a beginning of a combustion cycle to generate an ion sensor current and a high voltage during an ionization voltage window based at least in part on the shaft angle, wherein the low voltage is configured to prevent premature ignition of fuel in the combustion chamber and the high voltage exceeds the low voltage and is configured to increase the ion sensor current above a current threshold.

The occurrence of the misfire having a level at which exhaust purifying function of a catalyst is impaired (OT-level misfire) is detected. Upon the detection of the OT-level misfire, basic OT risk from the misfire is multiplied by a correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated PM amount on the catalyst. The basic OT risk from the misfire is a basic value of OT risk from the misfire which is set based on the operating condition of the engine. The correction coefficient is set to a smaller value as the accumulated PM amount increases. Therefore, the OT risk from the misfire after the multiplication decreases as the accumulated PM amount increases. When a predetermined judgement condition with the OT risk from the misfire is established, it is judged that the misfire having the level occurs.

The occurrence of the misfire having a level at which exhaust purifying function of a catalyst is impaired (OT-level misfire) is detected. Upon the detection of the OT-level misfire, basic OT risk from the misfire is multiplied by a correction coefficient corresponding to the accumulated PM amount on the catalyst. The basic OT risk from the misfire is a basic value of OT risk from the misfire which is set based on the operating condition of the engine. The correction coefficient is set to a smaller value as the accumulated PM amount increases. Therefore, the OT risk from the misfire after the multiplication decreases as the accumulated PM amount increases. When a predetermined judgement condition with the OT risk from the misfire is established, it is judged that the misfire having the level occurs.

A motor noise detecting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a signal sensing part for sensing an acoustic signal generated from an object to be tested, a data acquisition part for receiving the acoustic signal sensed by the signal sensing part and converting it into an acoustic digital signal, and a data analysis part for receiving and analyzing the acoustic digital signal to perform a detection on whether the object to be tested is abnormal. In addition, the signal sensing part includes an AE (Acoustic Emission) sensor for sensing an elastic wave included in the acoustic signal, and the data analysis part generates result data of analyzing the acoustic digital signal, analyzes the generated result data through a pre-learned model, and detects whether the object to be tested is abnormal.

An engine misfire detection device such that an engine misfire state can be accurately detected is obtained. The engine misfire detection device includes an engine rotational speed change amount detector that detects an engine rotational speed change amount, an engine rotational speed change amount threshold setter that sets a threshold with respect to the rotational speed change amount, and a misfire detector that compares the rotational speed change amount and the threshold, carries out a misfire determination on the engine when the rotational speed change amount exceeds the threshold, and carries out a misfire detection, wherein the misfire detector prohibits the misfire determination when a switching between a differentially locked state and an unlocked state is carried out.

An engine misfire detection device such that an engine misfire state can be accurately detected is obtained. The engine misfire detection device includes an engine rotational speed change amount detector that detects an engine rotational speed change amount, an engine rotational speed change amount threshold setter that sets a threshold with respect to the rotational speed change amount, and a misfire detector that compares the rotational speed change amount and the threshold, carries out a misfire determination on the engine when the rotational speed change amount exceeds the threshold, and carries out a misfire detection, wherein the misfire detector prohibits the misfire determination when a switching between a differentially locked state and an unlocked state is carried out.

Time required by a crankshaft to rotate 30° CA from a compression top dead center is defined as time T30. A CPU calculates a rotation fluctuation amount ΔT30 related to a cylinder subject to determination of a misfire by subtracting a value related to a cylinder in which a compression top dead center occurred immediately before the cylinder subject to the determination from a value related to the subject to the determination. The rotation fluctuation amount ΔT30 that corresponds to a cylinder in which a combustion operation is stopped is used as a reference value ΔT30ref. When a combustion operation is performed, it is determined that there is a misfire if the absolute value of the difference between the rotation fluctuation amount ΔT30 and the reference value ΔT30ref is less than or equal to a determination value Δth.

Time required by a crankshaft to rotate 30° CA from a compression top dead center is defined as time T30. A CPU calculates a rotation fluctuation amount ΔT30 related to a cylinder subject to determination of a misfire by subtracting a value related to a cylinder in which a compression top dead center occurred immediately before the cylinder subject to the determination from a value related to the subject to the determination. The rotation fluctuation amount ΔT30 that corresponds to a cylinder in which a combustion operation is stopped is used as a reference value ΔT30ref. When a combustion operation is performed, it is determined that there is a misfire if the absolute value of the difference between the rotation fluctuation amount ΔT30 and the reference value ΔT30ref is less than or equal to a determination value Δth.

An engine misfire detection device is mounted on a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and a generator. The internal combustion engine has a plurality of cylinders and a crankshaft and is dedicated to power generation. The generator is connected to the crankshaft via a torsional damper. The engine misfire detection device includes a generator rotation angle sensor and a processor. The generator rotation angle sensor detects the rotation angle of the generator rotating shaft. The processor is configured to execute a misfire detection process. The misfire detection process includes a first misfire detection process of determining that the internal combustion engine has misfired when an amplitude correlation value that correlates with the magnitude of amplitude of rotation speed of the generator rotating shaft and is detected by the generator rotation angle sensor is greater than a determination threshold value.