Fuel pump prime activated by door sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228516-B2
Application number	US-201213602628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2012
Priority date	Sep 4, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

An engine control system includes a fuel system including a first fuel pump in fluid communication with a fuel tank and a second fuel pump in fluid communication with the first fuel pump. A pump control module selectively turns on the first fuel pump when a door opens before an engine is started, the engine is not cranking and a rail pressure of the first fuel pump is less than a predetermined rail pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine control system, comprising:
a fuel system including:
a first fuel pump in fluid communication with a fuel tank; and
a second fuel pump in fluid communication with the first fuel pump; and

a pump control module that selectively turns on the first fuel pump when a door opens before an engine is started, the engine is not cranking and a rail pressure of the first fuel pump is less than a predetermined rail pressure.

2. The engine control system of claim 1 , wherein the engine is a spark ignition, direct injection (SIDI) engine.

3. The engine control system of claim 1 , wherein the pump control module selectively turns on the first fuel pump for a predetermined period.

4. The engine control system of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined period is in a range from 1-3 seconds.

5. The engine control system of claim 3 , wherein the pump control module includes:
a pressure comparing module that compares the rail pressure to the predetermined rail pressure; and
a prime actuator module that communicates with the pressure comparing module, that receives an engine off signal, a door open signal, and an engine cranking signal, and that primes the first fuel pump for the predetermined period based on the engine off signal, the door open signal, the engine cranking signal and an output of the pressure comparing module.

6. The engine control system of claim 1 , further comprising a hood switch disable module that selectively disables priming the first fuel pump by the pump control module when a hood of a vehicle is open before the engine is started.

7. A method comprising:
providing fuel to an engine using a first fuel pump in fluid communication with a fuel tank and a second fuel pump in fluid communication with the first fuel pump; and
selectively turning on the first fuel pump when a door opens before the engine is started, the engine is not cranking and a rail pressure of the first fuel pump is less than a predetermined pressure.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the engine is a spark ignition, direct injection (SIDI) engine.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising selectively turning on the first fuel pump for a predetermined period.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined period is in a range from 1-3 seconds.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising disabling priming the first fuel pump before the engine is started when a hood of a vehicle including the engine is open.

Assignees

• Kwapis Dean R
• Hattar Rafat F
• El-Jaroudi Maher
• Braman Timothy J
• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Kwapis Dean R
• Hattar Rafat F
• El-Jaroudi Maher
• Braman Timothy J

Classifications

• F02D41/3854

  with elements in the low pressure part, e.g. low pressure pump · CPC title

• F02M37/20

  characterised by means for preventing vapour lock · CPC title

• F02D13/0207

  changing valve lift or valve lift and timing · CPC title

• Y02T10/123

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02D2200/50

  said parameters being related to the vehicle or its components · CPC title