System and method for reducing friction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138772-B2
Application number	US-201414171641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2014
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for reducing friction within a transmission and an internal combustion engine including a PCV system. A gaseous fuel source is fluidly coupled to the transmission via a flow control valve and the transmission, in turn, is fluidly coupled to an air inflow line of the PCV system. The flow control valve is configured to control a flow of gaseous fuel into the transmission and there on into the PCV system and crankcase.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle system, comprising:
an engine;
a natural gas source; and
a transmission enclosed within a transmission case,
the transmission case and the transmission being fluidly coupled to the natural gas source via a flow control valve and fluidly coupled to a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) fresh air line of the engine.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the flow control valve is configured to control a flow of natural gas into the transmission.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising a purge canister fluidly coupled to the transmission and to the natural gas source.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein a viscosity of the natural gas is lower than a viscosity of air.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the natural gas source comprises methane.

6. A method for an engine, comprising:
delivering a natural gas from a natural gas source to a transmission of the engine by adjusting a control valve with a controller based on a PCV flow determined by the controller.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
initiating a delivery of natural gas from the natural gas source to the transmission via the control valve in response to a blow-by gas flow rate falling below a PCV valve flow rate as determined by the controller.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising disabling flow of natural gas into the transmission via the control valve when a manifold vacuum is greater than a crankcase vacuum as determined by the controller.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the natural gas is delivered via the valve at a flow rate of a difference between the PCV valve flow rate and the blow-by gas flow rate.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising stopping the delivery of natural gas from the natural gas source to the transmission via the control valve responsive to a determination that the engine is stopped.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising lowering the flow rate of the natural gas via the control valve in response to an air/fuel ratio with excessive lean bias as sensed by a sensor.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising in response to a deceleration fuel shut off event,
determining, via the controller, an excess natural gas amount delivered to the transmission, and
lowering a flow rate of the natural gas via the control valve by an amount corresponding to the excess natural gas amount.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising storing excess natural gas in a purge canister fluidly coupled to the transmission, a PCV system, and the natural gas source.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, in response to a vehicle stop start event,
determining, via the controller, an excess natural gas amount delivered to the transmission, and
lowering a flow rate of the natural gas via the control valve by an amount corresponding to the excess natural gas amount.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising storing excess natural gas in a purge canister fluidly coupled to the transmission, a PCV system, and the natural gas source.

16. A vehicle, comprising:
an engine including a transmission fluidly coupled to a natural gas source via a flow control valve,
the transmission being fluidly coupled to a fresh air intake line of a PCV system; and
a controller having executable instructions stored in memory to
deliver natural gas from the natural gas source to the transmission responsive to a blow-by flow rate being less than a PCV valve flow rate.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the flow control valve is configured to deliver the natural gas at a natural gas flow rate of a difference between the PCV valve flow rate and the blow-by gas flow rate.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions further comprise closing the flow control valve in response to the engine being stopped.

19. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions further comprise closing the flow control valve in response to manifold vacuum being lower than crankcase vacuum.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bidner David Karl

Classifications

• F02B2043/103

  Natural gas, e.g. methane or LNG used as a fuel · CPC title

• F02B43/10

  Engines or plants characterised by use of other specific gases, e.g. acetylene, oxyhydrogen · CPC title

• F16H57/027

  characterised by means for venting gearboxes, e.g. air breathers · CPC title

• F01M9/04 Primary

  Use of fuel as lubricant · CPC title

• F02B43/02

  Engines characterised by means for increasing operating efficiency · CPC title