Method and systems for reducing charge air cooler condensate using a secondary intake throttle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228486-B2
Application number	US-201314084295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Nov 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a secondary intake throttle based on condensate formation in a charge air cooler, the secondary throttle positioned upstream of the charge air cooler. In one example, a method may include decreasing an opening of the secondary intake throttle in response to increased condensate accumulation within the charge air cooler. The method may further include adjusting a primary throttle positioned in an intake manifold based on the condensate accumulation and torque demand.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an engine having an engine controller including executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the method comprising:
determining whether condensate forming conditions are present at a charge air cooler; and
responsive to condensate forming conditions being present, adjusting a degree of opening of a secondary throttle positioned downstream of a compressor and upstream of the charge air cooler via electronic throttle control responsive to condensate forming conditions at the charge air cooler.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary throttle is further positioned upstream of a primary throttle, the primary throttle positioned in an intake manifold and downstream from the charge air cooler.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining an engine torque demand by the engine controller; and
adjusting a degree of opening of the primary throttle via the electronic throttle control based on the torque demand and the degree of opening of the secondary throttle.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a level of condensate in the charge air cooler by the engine controller;
determining a degree of opening of the primary throttle by the engine controller; and
if the level of condensate in the charger air cooler is greater than a threshold and the primary throttle is either closed or less than fully open, decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle via the electronic throttle control.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining a level of pressure in the charge air cooler, a level of humidity in the charge air cooler, and an engine torque demand by the engine controller,
wherein decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle if the level of condensate in the charger air cooler is greater than the threshold and the primary throttle is either closed or less than fully open comprises decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle by an amount which is determined based on one or more of the level of condensate in the charge air cooler, the level of pressure in the charge air cooler, the level of humidity in the charge air cooler, the torque demand, and the degree of opening of the primary throttle.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, if the level of condensate in the charger air cooler is greater than the threshold and the primary throttle is either closed or less than fully open, increasing the degree of opening of the primary throttle via the electronic throttle control while during the decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle, wherein an amount by which the degree of opening of the primary throttle is increased is based on the amount by which the degree of opening of the secondary throttle is decreased and the torque demand.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle includes decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle for a duration, the method further comprising, after the duration, increasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle to wide open throttle via the electronic throttle control and adjusting the degree of opening of the primary throttle via the electronic throttle control based on the torque demand.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising adjusting variable intake cam timing to increase intake manifold vacuum and maintain a demanded torque output during the decreasing of the degree of opening of the secondary throttle by the engine controller.

9. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a level of condensate in the charge air cooler by the engine controller; and
determining whether a command for wide open throttle is present by the engine controller;
wherein adjusting the degree of opening of the secondary throttle includes fully opening the secondary throttle with the controller via the electronic throttle control responsive to one or more of the level of condensate in the charge air cooler being less than a threshold and the command for wide open throttle being present.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining an engine torque demand by the engine controller; and
if the level of condensate in the charge air cooler is less than the threshold, and/or if the command for wide open throttle is present, adjusting a degree of opening of the primary throttle via the electronic throttle control based on the torque demand.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if condensate forming conditions are present, adjusting, by the engine controller, one or more of an engine cooling fan, a charge air cooler fan, and vehicle grille shutters in response to the condensate forming conditions.

12. A method of controlling an engine having an engine controller including executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the method comprising:
determining a level of condensate in a charge air cooler;
determining a degree of opening of a primary throttle;
determining an engine torque demand;
during a first condition when the level of condensate in the charge air cooler is greater than a threshold and the primary throttle is closed or less than fully open, decreasing a degree of opening of a secondary throttle via electronic throttle control, the secondary throttle positioned upstream of the charge air cooler; and
during a second condition when the level of condensate in the charge air cooler is less than the threshold, adjusting the degree of opening of the primary throttle via the electronic throttle control based on the torque demand.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the secondary throttle is positioned upstream of the primary throttle in an engine intake and wherein the secondary throttle is further positioned downstream from a compressor in the engine intake.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising during the first condition, increasing the degree of opening of the primary throttle via the electronic throttle control based on the torque demand and further based on an amount by which the degree the opening of the secondary throttle is decreased during the first condition by the engine controller.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising during the second condition, opening the secondary throttle to wide open throttle via the electronic throttle control by the engine controller.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising during a third condition when the level of condensate in the charge air cooler is greater than the threshold and the primary throttle is at wide open throttle not decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle and maintaining the primary throttle at wide open throttle via the electronic throttle control.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising during the third condition adjusting one or more of vehicle grille shutters, an engine cooling fan, and a charge air cooler fan to decrease the level of condensate in the charge air cooler by the controller.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle during the first condition includes decreasing the degree of opening of the secondary throttle for a duration, the duration based on one or more of the level of condensate in the charge air cooler and the torque demand.

19. A system for an engine, comprising:
an intake passage;
a turbocharger including a compressor positioned in the intake passage;
a primary throttle positioned in an intake man

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Pursifull Ross Dykstra

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02B29/0431 Primary

  Details or means to guide the ambient air to the heat exchanger, e.g. having a fan, flaps, a bypass or a special location in the engine compartment · CPC title

• F02M35/1038 Primary

  for temperature or pressure · CPC title

• F02M35/088

  Water, snow or ice proofing; Separation or drainage of water, snow or ice · CPC title

• F02D41/0007

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