Method for determining fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161775-B2
Application number	US-201615380305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A method can be used for determining fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, in real time. The method includes determining a fuel injection quantity of the internal combustion engine based on an oxygen concentration signal from an oxygen sensor and a MAF signal from a mass airflow (MAF) sensor. The MAF sensor is coupled to the intake line and is configured to measure and monitor the mass flow rate of intake air flowing through the intake line. The method further includes determining, via an engine control module (ECM), an instantaneous fuel flow of the internal combustion engine based on the fuel injection quantity. The method further includes communicating, via the ECM, the instantaneous fuel flow to a body control module (BCM) and determining, via the BCM, an average fuel economy of the internal combustion engine based on the fuel flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising:
calculating, via an engine control module (ECM) of an engine assembly, a fuel injection quantity of the internal combustion engine based on an oxygen concentration signal from an oxygen sensor and a MAF signal from a mass airflow (MAF) sensor only when none of a plurality of predetermined conditions exists, the plurality of predetermined condition includes: (a) the oxygen sensor is not active, (b) the oxygen sensor is faulty, and (c) a temperature of the oxygen sensor is less than a predetermined temperature threshold, wherein the internal combustion engine is part of the engine assembly, the engine assembly includes an exhaust line in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine, the oxygen sensor is coupled to the exhaust line and is configured to measure and monitor an oxygen concentration of exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust line, the engine assembly includes an intake line in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine, the MAF sensor is coupled to the intake line and is configured to measure and monitor a mass flow rate of intake air flowing through the intake line, wherein calculating the fuel injection quantity includes:
determine a fuel injection quantity flow, wherein the determining the fuel injection quantity flow includes:
determine a fuel-to-air ratio based on the oxygen concentration signal received from the oxygen sensor;
multiply the mass airflow of the intake air flowing through the intake line, as determined by the MAF sensor, times the fuel-to-air ratio, as determined based on the oxygen concentration signal received from the oxygen sensor, in order to determine the fuel injection quantity flow;

measure time, using an internal clock of the ECM, from a moment when the internal combustion engine starts running; and
multiply the measured time times the fuel injection quantity flow in order to determine the fuel injection quantity;

determining, via the ECM, an instantaneous fuel flow of the internal combustion engine based on the fuel injection quantity;
communicating, via the ECM, the instantaneous fuel flow to a body control module (BCM) of the vehicle;
determining, via the BCM, an average fuel economy of the internal combustion engine based on the instantaneous fuel flow, wherein the average fuel economy is a fuel efficiency described in terms of a relationship between a distance traveled by the vehicle and an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle; and
displaying the average fuel economy on a display of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the average fuel economy is a ratio of a distance traveled by the vehicle divided by a fuel consumed in volume by the internal combustion engine during a traveled distance.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining, by the ECM, an accumulated fuel consumption based on the oxygen concentration signal from the oxygen sensor, the MAF signal from the MAF sensor, and a position signal from an actuator position sensor of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining, by the ECM, an accumulated fuel consumption per engine cycle based on the oxygen concentration signal from the oxygen sensor, the MAF signal from the MAF sensor, and the position signal from the actuator position sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining, by the ECM, the instantaneous fuel flow based on the fuel injection quantity, wherein the instantaneous fuel flow is a ratio of a fuel volume consumed by the vehicle divided by time.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising communicating the accumulated fuel consumption to the BCM.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising communicating the instantaneous fuel flow to the BCM.

8. The method of claim 7 , receiving, by the BCM, an odometer signal from an odometer of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the odometer signal is indicative of the distance traveled by the vehicle, and the average fuel economy is based on the distance traveled by the vehicle and the accumulated fuel consumption.

10. A vehicle, comprising:
an engine assembly including:
an internal combustion engine;
an intake line in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine, wherein the intake line is configured to transport intake air into the internal combustion engine;
an exhaust line in fluid communication with the internal combustion engine, wherein the exhaust line is configured to transport exhaust gases out of the internal combustion engine;
an oxygen sensor coupled to the exhaust line and configured to measure an oxygen concentration of exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust line, wherein the oxygen sensor is configured to generate an oxygen concentration signal indicative of an oxygen concentration of the exhaust gases;
a mass airflow (MAF) sensor coupled to the intake line and configured to measure a mass airflow of the intake air flowing through the intake line, wherein the MAF sensor is configured to generate a MAF signal indicative of the mass airflow of the intake air flowing through the intake line;
an engine control module (ECM) is in communication with the oxygen sensor such that the ECM is configured to receive the oxygen concentration signal, and the ECM is in communication with the MAF sensor such that the ECM is configured to receive the MAF signal;

a vehicle body assembly including:
a body control module (BCM) in communication with the ECM;
an instrument panel in communication with the BCM, wherein the instrument panel includes a display;
wherein the ECM is specifically programmed to:
calculate a fuel injection quantity of the internal combustion engine based on an oxygen concentration signal from an oxygen sensor and a MAF signal from a mass airflow (MAF) sensor only when none of a plurality of predetermined conditions exists, the plurality of predetermined condition includes: (a) the oxygen sensor is not active, (b) the oxygen sensor is faulty, and (c) a temperature of the oxygen sensor is less than a predetermined temperature threshold, wherein calculating the fuel injection quantity includes:
determine a fuel injection quantity flow, wherein determining the fuel injection quantity flow includes:
 determine a fuel-to-air ratio based on the oxygen concentration signal received from the oxygen sensor;
 multiply the mass airflow of the intake air flowing through the intake line, as determined by the MAF sensor, times the fuel-to-air ratio, as determined based on the oxygen concentration signal received from the oxygen sensor, in order to determine the fuel injection quantity flow; and
measure time, using an internal clock of the ECM, from a moment when the internal combustion engine starts running; and
multiply the measured time times the fuel injection quantity flow in order to determine the fuel injection quantity;

determine an instantaneous fuel flow of the internal combustion engine based on the fuel injection quantity; and
communicate the instantaneous fuel flow to the BCM;

wherein the BCM is specially programmed to:
determine an average fuel economy of the vehicle based on the instantaneous fuel flow, wherein the average fuel economy is a fuel efficiency of the vehicle described in terms of a relationship between a distance traveled by the vehicle and an amount of fuel consumed by the vehicle; and
command the display on the instrument panel to display the average fuel economy.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the average fuel economy is a ratio of a distance traveled by the vehicle divided by a fuel consumed in v

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Ferrara Umberto
• Tordin Serena

Classifications

• G01M15/104

  using oxygen or lambda-sensors (testing catalytic converters F01N3/18, F01N11/007) · CPC title

• F02D2200/0625

  Fuel consumption, e.g. measured in fuel liters per 100 kms or miles per gallon · CPC title

• F02B77/084

  indicating economy · CPC title

• F02D41/1454

  the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio · CPC title

• G01F1/69 Primary

  of resistive type · CPC title