The time-frequency method of signal analysis in internal combustion engine diagnostics

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the study of applicability of time-frequency correlation functions to solving the problems of internal combustion engine fault diagnostics. The proposed methods are theoretically justified and experimentally tested. In particular, the method’s applicability is illustrated by the example of specially generated signals that simulate the vibration of an engine both during the normal operation and in the case of a malfunction in the system supplying fuel to the cylinders. This method was confirmed during an experiment with an automobile internal combustion engine. The study offers the main findings of the simulation and the experiment and highlights certain characteristic features of time-frequency autocorrelation functions that allow one to identify malfunctions in an engine’s cylinder. The possibility in principle of using time-frequency correlation functions in function testing of the internal combustion engine is demonstrated. The paper’s conclusion proposes further research directions including the application of the method to diagnosing automobile gearboxes.