Method and engine controller for diagnosing waste gate valve malfunction and related power generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017089286-A1
Application number	US-201615272474-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a waste gate valve malfunction in a power generation system is presented. The method includes determining an actual pressure differential across a throttle valve. The method further includes determining an estimated pressure differential across the throttle valve based on one or more first operating parameters of the power generation system. Furthermore, the method includes determining an absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential. Moreover, the method also includes comparing the absolute difference with a threshold value and if the absolute difference is greater than the threshold value, determining an operating condition of the throttle valve. Additionally, the method includes determining whether the waste gate valve has malfunctioned based on the determined operating condition of the throttle valve. An engine controller and a power generation system employing the method are also presented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for diagnosing a waste gate valve malfunction in a power generation system, comprising:
(i) determining an actual pressure differential across a throttle valve; (ii) determining an estimated pressure differential across the throttle valve based on one or more first operating parameters of the power generation system; (iii) determining an absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential; and (iv) comparing the absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential with a threshold value, and, if the absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential is greater than the threshold value,
(a) determining an operating condition of the throttle valve; and
(b) determining whether the waste gate valve has malfunctioned based on the determined operating condition of the throttle valve.

2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising determining that the waste gate valve has malfunctioned if the operating condition of the throttle valve is normal.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the actual pressure differential comprises:
determining a first pressure upstream of the throttle valve; determining a second pressure in a flow path between the throttle valve and a combustion engine in the power generation system; and determining an absolute difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the estimated pressure differential across the throttle valve comprises using a first look-up table or a first physics based model and the one or more first operating parameters, wherein the one or more first operating parameters comprise an ambient temperature, an ambient pressure, an intercooler temperature, an engine speed, an engine load, humidity content in a gas stream, or combinations thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the operating condition of the throttle valve comprises:
determining an actual open position of the throttle valve; determining an estimated open position of the throttle valve using a second look-up table or a second physics based model based on one or more second operating parameters of a combustion engine in the power generation system; and determining an absolute difference between the actual open position and the estimated open position of the throttle valve and comparing the absolute difference between the actual open position and the estimated open position of the throttle valve with a determined throttle valve opening tolerance.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein if the absolute difference between the actual open position and the expected open position of the throttle valve is lower than the determined throttle valve opening tolerance, the operating condition of the throttle valve is determined to be normal.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more second operating parameters comprise an engine load, an engine speed, or a combination thereof.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising confirming whether the waste gate valve has malfunctioned by varying the one or more second operating parameters and repeating steps (i) to (iv).

9 . An engine controller for diagnosing a waste gate valve malfunction in a power generation system, comprising:
a memory storing one or more processor-executable routines; and one or more processors to execute the one or more processor-executable routines which, when executed, cause acts to be performed comprising:
determining an actual pressure differential across a throttle valve;
determining an estimated pressure differential across the throttle valve based on one or more first operating parameters of the power generation system;
determining an absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential; and
comparing the absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential with a threshold value, and, if the absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential is greater than the threshold value,
determining an operating condition of the throttle valve; and
determining whether the waste gate valve has malfunctioned based on the determined operating condition of the throttle valve.

10 . The engine controller of claim 9 , wherein the acts to be performed comprise determining that the waste gate valve has malfunctioned if the operating condition of the throttle valve is normal.

11 . The engine controller of claim 9 , wherein the acts to be performed for determining the actual pressure differential across the throttle valve comprise:
determining a first pressure upstream of the throttle valve; determining a second pressure in a flow path between the throttle valve and a combustion engine; and determining an absolute difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.

12 . The engine controller of claim 9 , wherein the estimated pressure differential across the throttle valve is determined using a first look-up table or a first physics based model and the one or more first operating parameters, wherein the one or more first operating parameters comprise an ambient temperature, an ambient pressure, an intercooler temperature, an engine speed, an engine load, humidity content in a gas stream, or combinations thereof.

13 . The engine controller of claim 9 , wherein the acts to be performed for determining the operating condition of the throttle valve comprise:
determining an actual open position of the throttle valve; determining an estimated open position of the throttle valve using a second look-up table or a second physics based model based on one or more second operating parameters of a combustion engine in the power generation system; and determining an absolute difference between the actual open position and the estimated open position of the throttle valve and comparing the absolute difference between the actual open position and the estimated open position of the throttle valve with a determined throttle valve opening tolerance.

14 . The engine controller of claim 13 , wherein if the absolute difference between the actual open position and the expected open position of the throttle valve is lower than the determined throttle valve opening tolerance, the operating condition of the throttle valve is determined to be normal.

15 . A power generation system, comprising:
a combustion engine disposed between an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold; a waste gate valve disposed downstream of the exhaust manifold and in fluid communication with the exhaust manifold; a throttle valve disposed upstream of the intake manifold; an engine controller operatively coupled to the throttle valve, comprising:
a memory storing one or more processor-executable routines; and
one or more processors to execute the one or more processor-executable routines which, when executed, cause acts to be performed comprising:
determining an actual pressure differential across a throttle valve;
determining an estimated pressure differential across the throttle valve based on one or more first operating parameters of the power generation system;
determining an absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential; and
comparing the absolute difference between the actual pressure differential and the estimated pressure differential with a threshold value, and, if the absolute di

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Deb Dipankar
• Aramanekoppa Sharath Sridhar
• Srinivasan Prashant
• Devarakonda Maruthi Narasinga Rao

Classifications

• F02D11/107

  Safety-related aspects · CPC title

• F02B37/18

  by bypassing exhaust {from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere} · CPC title

• F02D2200/703

  Atmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F02D2009/0227

  Atmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F02D2200/0404

  Throttle position · CPC title