Method and control unit for operating a spark-ignition internal combustion engine or a dual-fuel internal combustion engine operated in the spark-ignition mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326487-B2
Application number	US-202016848279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Apr 29, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A method for operating an internal combustion engine that is supplied with lubricating oil via an oil circuit. A measurement value of the total base number and/or a measurement value of the oxidation of lubricating oil currently used in the oil circuit for the lubrication is detected. Dependent on the established measurement value of the total base number and/or dependent on the established measurement value of the oxidation an exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit is determined. Currently used lubricating oil to an extent corresponding to the exchange oil quantity is removed from the oil circuit and new lubricating oil to an extent corresponding to the exchange oil quantity is supplied to the oil circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an internal combustion engine, comprising:
supplying the internal combustion engine with lubricating oil via an oil circuit for lubrication;
detecting a measurement value of a total base number and/or a measurement value of an oxidation of a currently used lubricating oil that is in the oil circuit;
determining an exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit based at least in part on the measurement value of the total base number and/or the measurement value of the oxidation;
opening a first valve and removing a volume of the currently used lubricating oil from the oil circuit corresponding to the exchange oil quantity; and
opening a second valve and adding a volume of new lubricating oil to the oil circuit to an extent corresponding to the exchange oil quantity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting the measurement value of the total base number;
detecting the oxidation of the currently used lubricating oil in the oil circuit; and
determining the exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit based at least in part on the measurement value of the total base number and the measurement value of the oxidation.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the measurement value of the total base number of the currently used lubricating oil in the oil circuit is detected with a first sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement value of the oxidation of the currently used lubricating oil in the oil circuit is detected with a second sensor.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit is determined based at least in part on the measurement value of the total base number and/or the measurement value of the oxidation as a function of a characteristic map or a characteristic curve.

6. A control unit for operating an internal combustion engine, wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive from a sensor a measurement value of a total base number and/or receive from a sensor a measurement value of an oxidation of a currently used lubricating oil in an oil circuit configured to lubricate the internal combustion engine;
determine an exchange oil quantity based at least in part on the measurement value of the total base number and/or the measurement value of the oxidation;
emit a first control signal, the first control signal configured to control a first valve, as a function of which the currently used lubricating oil is removable from the oil circuit to an extent corresponding to the determined exchange oil quantity is removable; and
emit a second control signal, the second control signal configured to control a second valve, as a function of which new lubricating oil is suppliable to the oil circuit to an extent corresponding to the determined exchange oil quantity.

7. The control unit according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
detect a measurement value of a total base number;
detect the oxidation of the currently used lubricating oil in the oil circuit; and
determine the exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit based at least in part on the measurement value of the total base number and the measurement value of the oxidation.

8. The control unit according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
determine the exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit based at least in part on the measurement value of the total base number and/or the measurement value of the oxidation as a function of a characteristic map or a characteristic curve.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is a spark-ignition internal combustion engine or a dual-fuel internal combustion engine operated in a spark-ignition operating mode.

10. The control unit according to claim 6 , wherein the internal combustion engine is a spark-ignition internal combustion engine or a dual-fuel internal combustion engine operated in a spark-ignition operating mode.

Assignees

• Man Energy Solutions Se

Inventors

• Rohbogner Christoph
• Lange Jens
• Wilke Ingo
• Beck Andreas

Classifications

• F16N2270/50

  Condition · CPC title

• F01M11/0458 Primary

  Lubricant filling and draining · CPC title

• F16N2200/02

  Oxidation · CPC title

• F02D19/00

  Controlling engines characterised by their use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures (the non-fuel substances being gaseous F02D21/00) · CPC title

• F01M2250/00

  Measuring · CPC title