Control method, controller, and control program for controlling lubricating system, computer-readable medium carrying control program, lubricating system, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725550-B2
Application number	US-202017911704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2020
Priority date	Mar 16, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A lubricating system of an engine equipped with an idle reduction system includes an oil cooler, a remotely operable valve configured to open and close a bypass passage that bypasses the oil cooler, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to perform the steps of: controlling the valve so that a temperature of lubricating oil approaches a target temperature; and lowering the target temperature when an average torque of the engine is less than a predetermined threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a lubricating system of an engine equipped with an idle reduction system, the lubricating system including an oil cooler, a remotely operable valve configured to open and close a bypass passage that bypasses the oil cooler, and an electronic control unit, the method comprising the steps, performed by the electronic control unit, of:
controlling the valve so that a temperature of lubricating oil approaches a target temperature; and
lowering the target temperature when an average torque of the engine is less than a first predetermined threshold.

2. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 ,
wherein lowering the target temperature comprises lowering the target temperature when the average torque of the engine is less than the first predetermined threshold and the engine has already experienced an automatic stop by the idle reduction system in a current driving cycle.

3. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the average torque of the engine is a moving average torque of the engine over a predetermined period.

4. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 , the method further comprising the step, performed by the electronic control unit, of:
stopping lowering the target temperature when the average torque of the engine is greater than a second predete rmined threshold that differs from the first predetermined threshold after lowering the target temperature.

5. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the lubricating oil is measured by a temperature sensor.

6. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 5 , wherein the steps of controlling the valve and lowering the target temperature are performed by the electronic control unit when the temperature sensor operates properly.

7. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the idle reduction system further includes a switch for selection to activate or deactivate the idle reduction system, and
wherein the steps of controlling the valve and lowering the target temperature are performed by the electronic control unit when activating the idle reduction system is selected using the switch.

8. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is disposed upstream of the oil cooler.

9. The method for controlling the lubricating system according to claim 1 , wherein the oil cooler is water-based.

10. A controller of a lubricating system configured to perform the steps according to claim 1 .

11. A program for controlling a lubricating system, the program comprising a program code which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps according to claim 1 .

12. A computer-readable medium carrying a program for controlling a lubricating system, the program comprising a program code which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps according to claim 1 .

13. A lubricating system of an engine equipped with an idle reduction system, the lubricating system comprising:
an oil cooler;
a remotely operable valve configured to open and close a bypass passage that bypasses the oil cooler; and
an electronic control unit configured to control the valve so that a temperature of lubricating oil approaches a target temperature, and to lower the target temperature when an average torque of the engine is less than a predetermined threshold.

14. A vehicle equipped with the lubricating system according to claim 13 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Mihara Masato

Classifications

• F01M5/005 Primary

  Controlling temperature of lubricant · CPC title

• F02N11/0822

  related to action of the driver · CPC title

• F02N2200/0801

  Vehicle speed · CPC title

• F02N2200/102

  Brake pedal position · CPC title

• F01M2005/008

  Lubrication means facilitating engine starting · CPC title