Development of Harsh Environment MEMS Sensors for Greener Internal Combustion Engines

本发明的主要目的是实现对传统和“更环保”内燃机（ICE）中的燃烧过程的成本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。内燃机缸内参数的监测和控制是一个昂贵和侵入性的过程，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。用于生产ICE的当前发动机管理系统（EMS）通过将在气缸外（例如，在歧管和排气处）进行的测量与从实验室测试发动机获得的预加载数据进行比较来推断燃烧的特性，并且因此易于出错。虽然正在开发有前途的非侵入式缸内传感器技术以控制ICE的生产（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>5% FSO）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.