Development of Harsh Environment MEMS Sensors for Greener Internal Combustion Engines

本提案的主要目标是实现对传统和“绿色”内燃机（ICEs）燃烧过程的经济有效的实时缸内监测和控制。这将通过开发可靠的缸内多功能微机电系统（MEMS）传感器来实现。对内燃机缸内参数的监测和控制是一项成本高昂且具有侵入性的过程，需要高度精确的测量（误差<0.5% FSO -满量程输出），并且通常仅限于研究和测试发动机。目前用于生产内燃机的发动机管理系统（EMS）通过比较气缸外（例如在歧管和排气处）的测量结果与实验室测试发动机获得的预加载数据来推断燃烧特性，因此容易出错。尽管有前途的非侵入式缸内传感器技术正在开发用于控制生产ICEs（例如离子电流传感器，压电压力传感器，光学传感器等）。其实施的主要障碍是成本、准确性（误差在5%左右）和缺乏耐用性。

The primary objective of the present proposal is to enable cost-effective real-time in-cylinder monitoring and control of the combustion process in conventional and "greener" internal combustion engines (ICEs). This will be done through the development of reliable in-cylinder multifunctional Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors. Monitoring and control of in-cylinder parameters of ICEs is a costly and intrusive process, requires highly accurate measurements (error <0.5% FSO - full scale output), and has usually been restricted to research and test engines. Current Engine Management Systems (EMS) for production ICEs infer the characteristics of the combustion through comparison of measurements done outside the cylinder (e.g. at the manifold and exhaust) with pre-loaded data obtained from laboratory test engines and are therefore, prone to error. Although promising non-intrusive in-cylinder sensor technologies are being developed for control of production ICEs (e.g. ion current sensors, piezoelectric pressure sensors, optical sensors, etc.). Major barriers for their implementation are cost, accuracy (errors >5% FSO) and lack of durability.