A Review of Recent Advancements in Knock Detection in Spark Ignition Engines

Abstract

In gasoline engines, the combustion process involves a flame’s propagation from the spark plug to the cylinder walls, resulting in the localized heating and pressurization of the cylinder content ahead of the flame, which can lead to the autoignition of the gasoline and air. The energy release from the autoignition event causes the engine cylinder to resonate, causing an unpleasant noise and eventual engine damage. This process is termed as knock. Avoiding knock has resulted in limiting the maximum engine pressures, and hence limiting the maximum efficiencies of the engine. Modern engines employ knock sensors to detect resonances, adjusting the spark plug timing to reduce pressures and temperatures, albeit at the expense of engine performance. This paper sets out to review the different signals that can be measured from an engine to detect the start of knock. These signals traditionally consist of the in-cylinder pressure, the vibrations of the engine block, and acoustic noise. This paper reviews each of these techniques, with a focus on recent advances. A number of novel methods are also presented, including identifying perturbations in the engine speed or exhaust temperature; measuring the ion charge across the spark plug leads; and using artificial intelligence to build models based on engine conditions. Each of these approaches is also reviewed and compared to the more traditional approaches. This review finds that in-cylinder pressure measurements remain as the most accurate for detecting knock in modern engines; however, their usage is limited to research settings. Meanwhile, new sensors and processing techniques for vibration measurements will more accurately detect knock in modern vehicles in the short term. Acoustic measurements and other novel approaches are showing promise in the long term.