Online monitoring and diagnostics in vehicle powertrains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624334-B2
Application number	US-202217865345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2022
Priority date	Nov 18, 2020
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

Methods and systems for calculating a plurality of aging factors in a system operating an engine. The calculated aging factors may include one or more of fuel injector drift, exhaust gas recirculation valve obstruction, and mass air flow sensor bias. Mass flow throughout the system, and pressures and temperatures within the system, are observed in an approach that relies on mass preservation concepts to estimate fuel injector drift, exhaust gas recirculation valve obstruction, and mass air flow sensor bias.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a system including an engine with an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and at least one fuel injector having an output subject to drift, the system also including a mas air flow (MAF) measurement device subject to bias and a fuel-air mix (FAM) measurement device; the method comprising:
calculating a mass flow into the intake manifold, using an output of the MAF device;
observing a ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold using the FAM measurement device;
determining an expected quantity of fuel from the fuel injector;
determining an intake manifold pressure in the intake manifold;
using the ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold pressure, estimating the drift of the fuel injector; and
using the ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold pressure, estimating the bias of the MAF device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the system further includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve having a factor of effective area (FEA) indicating a degree of obstruction of the EGR valve, the valve controlled by a control signal, the method further comprising:
using the ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold, the intake manifold pressure, and a value of the control signal of the EGR valve, estimating the FEA of the EGR valve.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the steps of estimating the drift of the fuel injector and estimating the bias of the MAF device further comprise using the value of the control signal of the EGR valve.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining that at least one of the estimated drift, bias, or FEA has crossed a threshold, and communicating a need for service of the system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the system is a hybrid vehicle which is operated using a power split optimization; and
the method includes updating one or more terms of the power split optimization using the drift of the fuel injector.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is a vehicle engine and associated controller.

7. A system including an engine with an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and at least one fuel injector having an output subject to drift, the system also including a mas air flow (MAF) measurement device subject to bias and a fuel-air mix (FAM) measurement device, and a controller configured to perform a method comprising:
calculating a mass flow into the intake manifold, using an output of the MAF device;
observing a ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold using the FAM measurement device;
determining an expected quantity of fuel from the fuel injector;
determining an intake manifold pressure in the intake manifold;
using the ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold pressure, estimating the drift of the fuel injector; and
using the ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold pressure, estimating the bias of the MAF device.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve having a factor of effective area (FEA) indicating a degree of obstruction of the EGR valve, the valve controlled by a control signal, and the controller is further configured to:
using the ratio of fuel to air exiting the exhaust manifold, the intake manifold pressure, and a value of the control signal of the EGR valve, estimating the FEA of the EGR valve.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein controller is configured to estimate the drift of the fuel injector and estimate the bias of the MAF device by using the value of the control signal of the EGR valve.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine that at least one of the estimated drift, bias, or FEA has crossed a threshold, and, in response thereto, to communicate a need for service of the system.

11. A hybrid electric vehicle comprising the system of claim 7 and an electric motor, wherein the electric motor is controlled using a hybrid power split optimization routine, wherein the vehicle is configured to update the hybrid power split optimization routine using the estimated fuel injector drift.

Assignees

• Garrett Transportation I Inc

Inventors

• Poloni Tomas
• Pekar Jaroslav
• Dickinson Paul

Classifications

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• F02D41/222

  relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices · CPC title

• F02D41/0072

  Estimating, calculating or determining the EGR rate, amount or flow (sensors in EGR systems F02M26/45) · CPC title

• F02D41/0007

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• F02D23/02

  the engines being of fuel-injection type · CPC title