CSC Pi-Innovo OpenECU

The purpose of this project is to develop and implement connectivity between sensor inputs and a control system using a Pi Innovo OpenECU for future use controlling a two-stroke snowmobile engine. The goal for the summer team is to evaluate functionality of the engine control unit (ECU) using a simulated engine.

=Problem Definition= The University of Idaho Clean Snowmobile Challenge team (UICSC) is in need of a more advanced engine control platform to support advancements in combustion strategies and auxiliary components directly in the ECU (such as an experimental exhaust baffle for variable back-pressure, or catalytic converter light-off control).

Background
The current engine control unit (ECU) used for the UICSC team’s two stroke snowmobile engine is functional, but limiting in light of the CSC’s experimental nature. Implementing more sophisticated engine controls could improve efficiency, emissions, and performance. One example of this is using closed-loop-feedback fueling to reach desired engine operating conditions more reliably than with open-loop fueling. With the power of the Pi Innovo ECU, future powertrain projects developed by the team will be more easily coupled with engine control. Examples include projects previously attempted such as turbocharging and controlling backpressure with a butterfly valve. To complete this project, the senior design team must manage the ECU’s input signals and use a Simulink based controller to compute the appropriate outputs.

Deliverables
 Complete base control systems  Ability to control spark timing, fuel injection timing and quantity, ratio of fuel injected by injectors in series, stratified vs homogeneous injection based on engine speed and throttle position (n-alpha)
 * Summer 2020

Ability to manipulate compensation maps for measurements such as piston head temperature, ambient pressure, ethanol percentage, etc.

Ability to drive E-TEC injectors  Complete base wiring  An organized, plug-and-play wiring harness that reaches functional parity with the wiring system for a Rotax 850cc two-stroke engine

An intuitive wiring diagram</li> </ul> </ul>

Specifications
Engine

The team will control a 2017 Rotax 850cc two stroke engine with the following specifications:


 * Two cylinders


 * Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI)


 * In-cylinder injection capable of producing homogeneous and stratified air-fuel mixtures


 * Throttle-body injection


 * Rotax Adjustable Variable Exhaust valves (RAVE valves)


 * Adjusts exhaust port timing


 * N-alpha fueling


 * Engine operating parameters such as spark timing and fuel quantity are predominantly determined in open-loop using lookup tables with axes of engine speed and throttle position.

OpenECU

Key specifications of the Pi Innovo M670 OpenECU that are advantageous to the team’s application include the following:


 * Support for two stroke operation


 * Injector support


 * Gasoline Direct Injection control strategies


 * H-bridge outputs


 * Programmable injector output signals


 * Space for extra signals and actuators with 54 input pins and 49 outputs

For complete specifications of the Pi Innovo M670 OpenECU, please refer to https://www.pi-innovo.com/product/m670/

=Design Considerations= The engine controls should be flexible enough to allow for future experimentation and add-ons. For example, building the fueling logic such that a speed-density model could be switched to at steady state operation.

The primary users of the in-progress ECU will be undergraduate students on the CSC team. Code should be structured and documented such that a beginner could understand and modify existing code easily.

=Validation=
 * [[File:DesignValidation.png]]


 * Simulated validation
 * Validating functionality of the control systems with simulated inputs using Simulink
 * Validating functionality of the wiring system using signals generated by a JimStim
 * Image010102202.png

=Project Learning= Expected Outcomes


 * An in-depth understanding on how the ECU’s inputs and outputs function in relation to the operation of an engine.


 * The ability to effectively and efficiently generate and modify code through different builds.


 * The ability to rapidly test different code builds to determine the effectiveness and reliability of each build.


 * The ability to diagnose sources of error in the code and rectify them

=Final Design=



=Future Work=
 * Testing the ECU on a running engine at idle


 * Develop new engine control strategies, including more elaborate injection control


 * Integrate auxiliary component controls into ECU


 * Integrate chassis functions and implement on chassis


 * Research and initial implementation of advanced controls
 * Catalyst temperature management/compensations research


 * Speed-density fueling with model-based feedback


 * Spark plug ionization research for in-cylinder air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) measurement


 * Ability to switch between n-alpha and speed-density fueling on the fly


 * Framework for defining control regimes based on sensor validity; n-alpha is fallback


 * Kahlman filter research

=Team Members=

=Additional Documentation=

Project Schedule



Meeting Minutes



Presentations



Client Interview