Well, that certainly sounds interesting. Great find, Jon. I only got about half way through the application before I couldn't take it any more, but I think at this point it's more important to understand the concept than exactly how the readings are generated, processed, and sent to the ECU.
What ramifications might this have on:
- The performance and emissions of future Subaru engines?
- The aftermarket's ability to generate effective engine management products?
- Those of us who enjoy tuning our own cars?
First of all, what exactly can combustion pressure tell a person who is trying to tune an engine? The first and most obvious answer is that detonation and/or pre-ignition should become very easy to spot, with the added advantage of knowing what cylinder(s) it's happening in. This in itself would be a massively helpful tool especially for tuning a highly modified engine for high output.
Although I can't explain how cylinder pressure data can be used by the ECU to affect the amounts of CO2 and other harmful emissions generated by an engine, this ability is mentioned in the patent application. I'm sure it's not too complicated, so hopefully some of the more knowledgeable members can chime in.
Tim