Detection of leaks and blockages in a vehicle exhaust system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10731587-B2
Application number	US-201815953551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2018
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a source of degradation in an exhaust system of a vehicle. In one example, a method may include actuating an electric turbocharger to rotate in a first direction to evaluate integrity of an exhaust pipe of the exhaust system and rotation the turbocharger in a second direction to assess an exhaust manifold of the exhaust system, after an engine of the vehicle is turned off. Pressures generated in the exhaust system are compared to thresholds based on barometric pressure and/or turbocharger speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
upon engine shutdown, operating an electric turbocharger to draw air into an exhaust system and indicating degradation of the exhaust system based on a comparison of a pressure in the exhaust system measured during operating the electric turbocharger to a threshold pressure that is based on a barometric pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring the barometric pressure in an exhaust manifold of the exhaust system before operating the electric turbocharger, following engine shutdown.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the electric turbocharger includes spinning a turbine of the electric turbocharger in a first, forward direction and wherein the pressure in the exhaust system is a measured exhaust pipe pressure measured via a pressure sensor arranged directly upstream of or at a particulate filter arranged in an exhaust pipe of the exhaust system, downstream of the turbine.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, upon engine shutdown and prior to spinning the turbine in the forward direction and measuring the pressure in the exhaust system, adjusting a stopping position of a crankshaft so that opening of intake and exhaust valves of each engine cylinder are overlapping so that air flows through the engine cylinders during the operating the electric turbocharger, and opening an intake throttle.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein indicating degradation includes indicating a leak in the exhaust pipe in response to the measured exhaust pipe pressure being less than a first threshold pressure, the first threshold pressure based on the barometric pressure and indicating a blockage in the exhaust pipe in response to the measured exhaust pipe pressure being greater than a second threshold pressure, the second threshold pressure based on the barometric pressure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the electric turbocharger includes spinning a turbine of the electric turbocharger in a second, reverse direction while an intake throttle is closed.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, upon engine shutdown and prior to spinning the turbine in the reverse direction and measuring the pressure in the exhaust system, adjusting a stopping position of a crankshaft so that opening of intake and exhaust valves of each engine cylinder are not overlapping so that no air flows through the engine cylinders during the operating the electric turbocharger.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pressure in the exhaust system is an exhaust manifold pressure measured in an exhaust manifold, the exhaust manifold arranged in the exhaust system, upstream of the turbine, and wherein indicating degradation includes indicating a leak in the exhaust system, upstream of the turbine, in response to the measured pressure in the exhaust system being less than a third threshold pressure, the third threshold pressure based on the barometric pressure.

9. A method, comprising,
following an engine key-off event and after a crankshaft of an engine stops spinning:
electrically driving rotation of a turbine disposed in an exhaust system of the engine in a first, forward direction and pumping air from an intake system of the engine into an exhaust pipe of the exhaust system arranged downstream of the turbine and measuring a first pressure in the exhaust pipe;
electrically driving rotation of the turbine in a second, reverse direction and pumping air from the exhaust pipe into an exhaust manifold of the exhaust system and measuring a second pressure in the exhaust manifold; and
indicating degradation of one or more of the exhaust pipe and the exhaust manifold of the exhaust system based on the first pressure and the second pressure relative to a barometric pressure.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first pressure is measured by a first pressure sensor arranged between the turbine and an emission control device positioned at a downstream end of the exhaust pipe and the second pressure is measured by a second pressure sensor positioned in the exhaust manifold.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, prior to electrically driving rotation of the turbine in the first direction, adjusting a position of the crankshaft so that opening of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of each engine cylinder overlap to allow airflow through each engine cylinder and opening an intake throttle.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to electrically driving the turbine in the first direction, closing an exhaust tuning valve positioned in the exhaust pipe, downstream of an emission control device and upstream of an outlet of the exhaust pipe.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein indicating degradation includes indicating a blockage in the exhaust pipe in response to the first pressure being higher than a first threshold pressure, the first threshold determined as a function of the barometric pressure and turbine speed of the turbine during the electrically driving rotation of the turbine in the first direction.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein indicating degradation includes indicating a leak in the exhaust pipe in response to the first pressure being lower than a second threshold pressure that is determine as a function of the barometric pressure and turbine speed of the turbine during the electrically driving rotation of the turbine in the first direction.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, prior to electrically driving rotation of the turbine in the second direction, adjusting a position of the crankshaft so that opening of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of each engine cylinder do not overlap to prevent airflow through each engine cylinder.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein indicating degradation includes indicating a leak in the exhaust manifold in response to the second pressure being lower than a third threshold pressure, the third threshold pressure determined as a function of the barometric pressure and turbine speed of the turbine during the electrically driving rotation of the turbine in the second direction.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein indicating degradation includes one or more of setting a diagnostic code in a controller of the engine and notifying an operator of a vehicle in which the engine is installed that one or more components of the exhaust system is degraded.

18. A system for an engine, comprising:
a controller with computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory that, when executed during an engine-off condition, cause the controller to:
obtain a barometric pressure after the engine stops spinning and determine one or more pressure thresholds based on the barometric pressure;
drive rotation of an electric turbocharger in a direction to draw air into an exhaust system;
measure an exhaust system pressure in an exhaust system of the engine; and
indicate degradation of the exhaust system in response to the measured exhaust system pressure being outside of the one or more pressure thresholds.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a first pressure sensor disposed in the exhaust system, downstream of a turbine of the electric turbocharger and directly upstream of a particulate filter disposed in the exhaust system, wherein the direction that the electric turbocharger is driven to rotate is a first, forward direction which draws air into the exhaust system from an intake system of the engine, and wherein the measured exhaust system pressure is measured via the first pressure sensor.

20.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Martin Douglas
• Rocci Benjamin
• Kelly Tyler

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F01N11/00 Primary

  Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus · CPC title

• F02D41/22 Primary

  Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions {(in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809)} · CPC title

• F02D41/1448

  the characteristics being an exhaust gas pressure · CPC title

• F02D41/042

  for stopping the engine · CPC title