Method for diagnosing a lambda sensor during ongoing operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697930-B2
Application number	US-201415034167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 13, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a lambda sensor during ongoing operation. It includes energizing the lambda sensor using a pump current pulse additive to a pump current and a pump current counter pulse additive to the pump current and ascertaining a malfunction of the lambda sensor from voltages, which are measured at a pump cell and/or a Nernst cell of the lambda sensor during the energization by the pulses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for diagnosing a lambda sensor during ongoing operation, comprising:
energizing the lambda sensor using a pump current pulse additive to a pump current that is applied to a pump cell and a pump current counter pulse additive to the pump current, wherein one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse is applied after another one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse; and
ascertaining a malfunction of the lambda sensor from voltages which are measured at at least one of the pump cell, and a Nernst cell, of the lambda sensor, during the energizing.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse are selected in such a way that changes of a Nernst voltage of the lambda sensor are neutralized by the pump current pulse, the pump current counter pulse, and diffusion effects and flow effects occurring between the pulses.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein a delta amplitude of the pump current counter pulse is adjusted over multiple diagnosis cycles in such a way that changes of the Nernst voltage of the lambda sensor are neutralized by the pump current pulse, the pump current counter pulse, and diffusion effects and flow effects occurring between the pulses.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein at least one of: i) at least one diffusion characteristic, and ii) at least one flow characteristic, of a diffusion barrier of the lambda sensor is ascertained from a ratio between a delta amplitude of the pump current pulse and a delta amplitude of the pump current counter pulse.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a duration of the pump current pulse corresponds to a duration of the pump current counter pulse.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the delta amplitude of the pump current pulse is greater than the delta amplitude of the pump current counter pulse.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the delta amplitude of the pump current counter pulse is selected as a function of at least one of: i) at least one diffusion characteristic, and ii) at least one flow characteristic, of a diffusion barrier of the lambda sensor.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for diagnosing a lambda sensor during ongoing operation, the computer program, when executed on a computer, causing the computer to perform:
energizing the lambda sensor using a pump current pulse additive to a pump current that is applied to a pump cell and a pump current counter pulse additive to the pump current, wherein one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse is applied after another one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse; and
ascertaining a malfunction of the lambda sensor from voltages which are measured at at least one of the pump cell, and a Nernst cell, of the lambda sensor, during the energizing.

9. A control unit, which is designed for diagnosing a lambda sensor during ongoing operation, the control unit configured to:
energize the lambda sensor using a pump current pulse additive to a pump current that is applied to a pump cell and a pump current counter pulse additive to the pump current, wherein one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse is applied after another one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse; and
ascertain a malfunction of the lambda sensor from voltages which are measured at at least one of the pump cell, and a Nernst cell, of the lambda sensor, during the energizing.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse is applied immediately after another one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse.

11. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8 , wherein one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse is applied immediately after another one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse.

12. The control unit as recited in claim 9 , wherein one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse is applied immediately after another one of the pump current pulse and the pump current counter pulse.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Ledermann Bernhard

Classifications

• F02D41/1474

  by detecting the commutation time of the sensor · CPC title

• G01N27/4175 Primary

  Calibrating or checking the analyser · CPC title

• F02D41/1495

  Detection of abnormalities in the air/fuel ratio feedback system · CPC title

• F02D41/1454

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