APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWER SUPPLY TO GLOW PLUG

• Main Author: TODA, Satoru
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.12.2016
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FORINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES; WEAPONS

Disclosed is a control apparatus for controlling power supply from a power source to a glow plug, including a plurality of semiconductor switching elements arranged to turn on and off power supply to the glow plug, a temperature fuse actuated by a temperature rise thereof to interrupt power supply to the semiconductor switching elements, a failure detection portion that detects the occurrence or non-occurrence of an ON failure in each of the semiconductor switching elements, and a control portion that performs drive control of the semiconductor switching elements. When the failure detection portion detects the ON failure in at least one of the semiconductor switching elements, the control portion increases the amount of heat generation of either the at least one of the semiconductor switching elements in which the ON failure is detected or any of the semiconductor switching elements in which the ON failure is not detected.