Sensors are the components of the system that provide the inputs that enable the computer ( ECM

) to carry out the operations that make the system function correctly . In the case of vehicle sensors , it is usually a voltage that is represented by a code at the computers processor . If this voltage is incorrect the

Actuator are the devices , such as fuel injector , ignition coils , ABS modulator and etc , which are operated by outputs from ECM . This means that they are normally electromechanical devices

Sensor & actuators play a critical role in determining automotive control system performance .
Next picture shows block diagram of a typical electronic engine control system . All critical engine control functions are based on measurements made by various sensors connected to the engine . Computations made within the engine controller based on the

Typical electronic engine control system

Blue ~ actuator

Red ~ sensor

Variables to be measured in engine control : Mass Air Flow ( MAF ) rate Exhaust gas oxygen concentration (possibly heated) Throttle plate angular position Crankshaft angular position / RPM Coolant Temperature Intake air temperature Manifold absolute pressure ( MAP ) Differential exhaust gas pressure Vehicle speed Transmission gear selector position

In additional to measurements of the above variables, engine control is also monitored by switches below :

Air conditioner clutch engaged Brake on / off Wide open throttle Closed throttle

An Engine requires the correct air-fuel ratio . ECM needs a constant flow of information about the amount of air flowing to the engine . With this information , and data stored in its memory , the ECM can than send out a signal to the injectors , so

So , a mass air flow sensor is used to determine the mass of air entering an electronically fuelinjected Engine . Mass flow sensors are also used in industry to measure many fluids and gases

Output voltage vs air flow Typically the conversation of MAF to voltage is slightly nonlinear

Mass air flow sensor ( MAF )

The amount of air flowing into the intake manifold must be accurately measured . The ECM must have this information to calculate the amount of fuel to be injected . Air flow can be measured : 1 ) Directly 2 ) indirectly

Direct measurement
1 ) Vane 2 ) air-flow sensor plate 3 ) hot-wire induction 4 ) heated film

Indirect measurement
1 ) throttle position 2 ) engine speed 3 ) intake manifold vacuum or MAP

HOT WIRE TYPE

A platinum wire is in the path of the incoming air through the airflow meter . The wire is kept hot by an electric current flowing through it . However , the air flow cools the wire . The more air that passes through the air-flow meter , the more heat that is lost from the wire . The system keeps the wire at specific temperature by adjusting current flow . If more air flows through and

HOT WIRE TYPE

Atmospheric Temp. Sensor

Hot Wire

Thermister

HOT WIRE TYPE

HOT WIRE TYPE

HOT WIRE TYPE

HOT WIRE TYPE

Some of the benefits of a hot-wire MAF compared to other meter:1. Smaller overall package 2. Less expensive 3. Separate temperature and pressure sensors are not required ( to determine air mass ) There are some drawbacks :1. Dirt and oil can contaminate the hot-wire deteriorating its accuracy 2. Installation requires a laminar flow across the hot-wire

VANE TYPE
The vane type air flow meter used in some pulsed fuel injection systems such as the Bosch L system . The spring-loaded vane is in the air-intake passage of the air flow meter . Air flowing through forces the vane to swing . The more air , the more the vane swing. A vane position sensor works like the rotary throttleposition sensor . Depending on its position , it sends varying

VANE TYPE
The vane measures air volume , not mass , however by measuring the air temperature and pressure to determine air density , a true mass airflow calculation can be achieved .
The vane meter approach has some drawbacks :1. Its moving electrical contact can wear 2. Finding a suitable mounting location within a confined engine compartment is problematic 3. The vane has to be oriented with respect to gravity .

VANE TYPE ~ OPERATION & FUNCTION

VANE TYPE

VANE TYPE

AIR FLOW SENSOR PLATE

The air-flow sensor plate is used in mechanical continuousinjection system . The plate is in the intake-air passage of the airflow meter . As air flow increases , the plate moves higher . This lifts a control plunger in the fuel distributor to allow more fuel to the injectors . The added fuel flow matches the additional air
flow

Karman vortex type

Karman vortex type ~ operation & function

Karman vortex type ~ electrical circuitry

Karman vortex type

HEATED FILM TYPE

The heated film consists of metal foil or nickel grid coated with a high-temperature material . Current flowing through the film heats it . Air flowing past the cools it . Like the heated wire , the system maintains the film at a specific temperature . The amount of current required is a measure of air flow .

HEATED FILM TYPE

HEATED FILM TYPE

Hummer H2

Nissan Sentra 2000-2002 1.8L

Toyota Corolla 2001

Peugeot 205 1.6i

the ECM can get information indirectly from : 1 ) engine speed & engine load ~ using speeddensity metering 2 ) throttle position ( TPS ) 3 ) intake manifold vacuum

how much air is entering the engine .

Throttle Position Sensor ( TPS ) A throttle position sensor is a sensor used to monitor the position of the throttle in an internal combustion engine . The sensor is usually located on the butterfly spindle so that it can directly monitor the position of the butterfly throttle valve . On some engines , when the throttle valve closes during deceleration , the ECM shuts off fuel flow . This prevent an

The ECM must always know the position of the throttle valve . The ECM must match fuel flow with air flow to feed the engine the proper air-fuel mixture There are two types of throttle position sensor :-

1 ) rotary throttle position sensor 2 ) linear throttle position sensor

Refer to rotary throttle-position sensor , it has a coil of resistance wire in the form of a half circle . One end connects to ground . The other end connects to a 5-volt source from the ECM .As the throttle-valve position changes , the viper blade moves along the coil . When the throttle valve is closed , the blade is at the grounded end of the coil . Only a small voltage signal is sent to the ECM . As the throttle valves moves towards the open

Rotary throttle position sensor

electrical schematic

Linear throttle position sensor

electrical schematic

Throttle Position Sensor ( TPS ) As the throttle position changes , the wiper blade moves which changes the voltage signal to the ECM

Intake-manifold vacuum ( MAP ) Intake manifold vacuum is measured in two ways :1 ) With a vacuum gauges 2 ) With a manifold absolute-pressure gauges ( MAP ) The vacuum gauge measures intake-manifold vacuum against atmospheric pressure ( which varies ) . The MAP gauge measures intake-manifold vacuum against a sealed-in vacuum (which does not vary) . Therefore , the MAP gauge is more accurate .

Intake-manifold vacuum ( MAP )

The crankshaft-position sensor or simply crank sensor reports 1 ) crankshaft speed ( RPM ) 2 ) piston position to the ECM / ignition module . The ECM uses this data to control fuel metering , ignition spark advance and the shifting of electronic automatic transmission and transaxles .

Angular position can be sensed on the : 1 ) crankshaft 2 ) camshaft .

The camshaft is driven from the crankshaft through a 1: 2 reduction drive train which can be gears , belt , or chain . Therefore , the camshaft rotational speed is one-half that of the crankshaft , so the camshaft angular position goes from 0 to 360 for one complete

Position of Camshaft & crankshaft

The principles in measuring rotating shafts can be illustrated as on next page . The engine is viewed from the rear side . The crankshaft angular position is the angle between the reference line and the mark on the flywheel . If the mark is directly on the zero line , this is an angular position of zero degrees . If the crankshaft rotates and the angle increases from zero

Engine crankshaft angular position measurement

It is desirable to measure engine angular position with a noncontacting sensor to avoid mechanical wear and changes in accuracy of the measurement . Two most common method for noncontact sensor as a physical basis :1 ) magnetic field 2 ) optic

crankshaft-position sensor

This sensor consists of a permanent magnet with a coil of wire wound around it . A steel disk that is mounted on the crankshaft ( usually in front of the engine ) has tabs that pass between the pole pieces of the magnet . Picture shows that the steel disk has four tabs which is appropriate for an 8-cylinder engine . This sensor is based on the concept of a magnetic circuit .

Magnetic reluctance crankshaft position sensor

The response of the magnetic circuit to the magnetic field is called magnetic flux . The magnetic flux is similar to the current that flows when a resistor is connected across a battery to form a closed electrical circuit . The magnitude of the magnetic flux that flow through the magnetic circuit depends on the position of the tab , which in turn, depends on the crankshaft angular position .

Magnetic circuit of the reluctance sensor

Output voltage waveform from the reluctance crankshaft position sensor coil

The coil voltage Vo begins to increase from zero as a tab begins to pass between the pole piece , reaches a maximum , then falls to zero when the tab is exactly between the pole piece . Although the value of magnetic flux is maximum at this point , the rate of change of magnetic flux is zero ; therefore , the induced

Output voltage waveform from the reluctance crankshaft position sensor coil

Disadvantage Since the magnetic flux must be changing to induce a voltage , in the sensing coil , its output voltage is zero whenever the engine is not running , regardless of the position of the crankshaft . This is a disadvantage for this type of sensor because the engine timing cannot be set statically .

The hall element is a small , thin , flat slab of semiconductor material . When a current , I , is passed through this slab , a voltage is developed across the stab perpendicular to the direction of current flow and direction of magnetic flux . This voltage is proportional to both the current and magnetic flux density that flows through the slab . This effect , the generation of a voltage that is dependent on the

Hall-effect position sensor

In the optical crankshaft position sensor , a disk coupled to the crankshaft has holes to pass light between the LED and the phototransistor . The hole in the disk allows transmission of light through the light pipes from the light-emitting diode ( LED ) source to the phototransistor used as a light sensor . The pulse of light is detected by the phototransistor and coupled

One of the problem with optical sensors ~ they must be protected from dirt and oil , otherwise they will not work properly . Advantage ~ Sensor can sense position without the engine running and that the pulse amplitude is constant with variation of speed .

Optical position sensor

Most throttle angle sensors are essentially potentiometers . A potentiometer consists of a resistor with a movable contact , as illustrated below . The only disadvantage of the potentiometer for automotive applications is its analog output . For digital engine control , the voltage v ( a ) must be converted to digital format using an analog-to-digital converter .

Throttle angle sensor : A potentiometer

Temperature is an important parameter throughout the automotive system . In operation of an electronic fuel control system it is vital to know the temperature of the coolant , the temperature of the inlet air and the temperature of the exhaust gas oxygen sensor . We can understand basic operation of most of

A typical coolant sensor consists of a thermistor mounted in a housing that is designed to be inserted in the coolant stream . This housing is typically threaded with pipe threads that seal the assembly against coolant leakage

The sensor is typically connected in an electrical circuit as shown on picture which Rt is sensor resistant and Vt is output voltage .

The sensor output voltage varies with temperature ; that is , the output voltage decreases as the temperature increases

Electric engine-cooling fan

Coolant temperature sensor

Typical coolant temperature sensor circuit

Vt decreases as temperature Sensed by Rt increases

The sensors that we have discussed before are part of open-loop ( feedback ) control . The next sensors are for closed-loop control .

Introduction An oxygen sensor, or lambda sensor, is an electronic device that measures the proportion of oxygen (O2) in the gas or liquid being analyzed. It was developed by Robert Bosch GmbH during the late 1960s under

Lambda Sensor

lambda equation

=
= 1 , air fuel ratio at stoichiometry < 1 , rich mixture > 1 , lean mixture

The EGO has normally two type of materials :1 ) Zirconium dioxide ( ZrO2 ) 2 ) Titanium dioxide ( TiO2 )

As per shown on next picture , the voltage , Vo is generated across the ZrO2 material and this voltage depends on the exhaust gas oxygen concentration , which in turn depends on the engine air/fuel ratio .

EGO Mounting & Structure

A simplified explanation of EGO sensor operation is based on the distribution of oxygen ions . An ion is an electrically charged atom. Oxygen ions have two excess electrons and each electron has a negative charge ; thus , oxygen ions are negatively charged . The ZrO2 has the tendency to attract the oxygen ions , which accumulate on the ZrO2 surface just inside the platinum electrode . The platinum plate on the air reference side of the ZrO2 is exposed to the much higher concentration of oxygen ions than exhaust gas inside . The air reference side becomes electrically more negative than the

EGO mounting & structure

Characteristic of oxygen sensor

Electrical circuitry

For a rich mixture there is a relatively low oxygen concentration in the exhaust and a higher EGO sensor output . For a lean mixture the exhaust gas oxygen concentration is relatively high ( meaning that the difference between exhaust gas and atmospheric oxygen concentration is lower ) , resulting in a relatively low EGO sensor output voltage .

Typical EGO sensor characteristics

The sensor output doesnt change at exactly at the same point for increasing / decreasing air/fuel ratio . This phenomenon is called hysteresis

Typical influence of mixture and temperature on voltage on EGO output voltage

Typical voltage switching characteristics of EGO sensor Temperature affects switching times and output voltage . The time per division is twice as much for the display at 350 degree as at 800 degree . This means that the switching times are roughly 0.1 second at 350 , whereas at 800 they are about 0.05 second . This is a 2:1 change in switching times due to changing

Typical voltage switching characteristics of EGO sensor

During combustion , sometimes occurs undesirable knock , most commonly with high manifold pressure and excessive spark advance . It is important to detect knock and avoid excessive knock ; otherwise there may be damage to the engine .

Inside the knock sensor is a piezoelectric element . Piezoelectric elements generate a voltage when pressure or a vibration is

Knock sensor

In additional to the set of sensors , electronic engine is critically dependent on a set of actuators to control air/fuel ratio , ignition and EGR . In general , an actuator is device that receives an electrical input and produces a mechanical or thermal output . Example of actuators include various types of electric motors ,

Schematic drawing of a solenoid

Magnetic field creates movement for the units

A fuel injector is a solenoid-operated valve . The valve opens and closes to permit or block fuel flow to the engine . The valve is attached to the movable element of the solenoid and is switched by the solenoid activation .

The injector is open when the applied voltage is on and closed when the applied voltage is off .

Schematic drawing of fuel injector

Please refer next picture :The ratio of on time t to the period of the pulse T is called duty cycle . The fuel injector is energized for time t to allow fuel spray from the nozzle into the air stream going to the intake manifold . The injector is deenergized for the reminder of the period . Therefore :1 ) a low duty cycle is used for a high air/fuel ratio ( lean mixture )

Pulse mode fuel control signal to fuel injector ( for lean mixture )

Pulse mode fuel control signal to fuel injector ( for rich mixture )

EGR is utilized to reduce NOx emission . When the correct amount of EGR has been determined by the controller based on measurements from the various engine control sensors , the controller sends an electrical signal to the EGR actuator . There are many EGR configurations .One on them is shown on the next picture .

This actuator is a vacuum-operated diaphragm with a spring that holds the valve closed if no vacuum is applied . The vacuum is applied by the intake manifold and controlled by solenoid valve . Whenever the solenoid is energized , the EGR valve is opened by the applied vacuum . The amount of valve opening is determined by the average pressure on the vacuum side of the diaphragm . When the EGR

EGR Actuator Control

The equivalent of an actuator for the ignition system on the engine is the combination of 1 ) the spark plug 2 ) the ignition coil 3 ) driver electronic circuits This is the subsystem that receives the electrical signal from the engine controller and delivers as its output the spark that ignites the mixture during the end of the compression stroke .

A relative huge current flow through the primary coil , P . At appropriate time for ignition , the controller switches off the base current , causing the transistor to be non conducting . At this time , the primary current drop to zero very quickly , causing the magnetic strength to drop rapidly . It generates a very high voltage ( 30,000 to 50,000 volts ) , which , in turn , creates the spark across the spark plug electrode.

Electronic ignition