Determining outgassing of a fuel from a lubricant within an internal combustion engine and lambda value adaptation based on the determined outgassing of fuel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9567925-B2
Application number	US-201113884979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2011
Priority date	Nov 11, 2010
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A method for determining the quantity of outgassing of a fuel from a lubricant located in an intake section housing of an internal combustion engine may include (a) setting a first coil current through the housing, (b) measuring a first output value of a lambda controller, (c) setting a second coil current through the housing, the second coil current having a different current strength than the first coil current, (d) measuring a second output value of the lambda controller and (e) determining the quantity of outgassing of the fuel based on the measured first and second output values. In addition, a method for adapting a lambda value for a fuel/air mixture to be burnt in an internal combustion engine during a lower load range may include the above-mentioned method of determining the quantity of outgassing of a fuel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine, comprising:
determining a quantity of outgassing of a fuel from a lubricant, which is located in a housing of an internal combustion engine, into an intake section of the internal combustion engine, by:
setting a first scavenging current through the housing,
measuring a first output value of a lambda controller of the internal combustion engine,
setting a second scavenging current through the housing, wherein the second scavenging current has a different flow strength compared to the first scavenging current,
measuring a second output value of the lambda controller of the internal combustion engine, and
determining the quantity of outgassing of the fuel based on the measured first output value and the measured second output value, and

controlling an operation of the internal combustion engine based on the determined quantity of the outgassing of fuel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quantity of outgassing of a fuel is determined based on a difference between the first output value and the second output value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second scavenging current has a flow strength of at least approximately zero.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first scavenging current and the second scavenging current is set by a controllable valve.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a current capacity utilization rate of the internal combustion engine, and
determining the quantity of outgassing of a fuel in response to determining that the current capacity utilization rate of the internal combustion engine is an average capacity utilization rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining the quantity of outgassing of fuel based on a correlation characteristic diagram defining a function of a mass air of flow rate of the internal combustion engine.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first output value of the lambda controller is a mean value of a multiplicity of first individual output values provided by the lambda controller during a first time period within which the first scavenging current is present.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a renewed setting of the first scavenging current,
measuring a further first output value of the lambda controller,
performing a renewed setting of the second scavenging current, and
measuring a further second output value of the lambda controller,
wherein the quantity of the outgassing of fuel is also determined based on the measured further first output value and the measured further second output value.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a current rotation speed of the internal combustion engine,
determining the quantity of outgassing of a fuel in response to determining that the current rotation speed of the internal combustion engine is within a medium rotational speed range.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first output value of the lambda controller is a mean value of a multiplicity of first individual output values which are made available by the lambda controller during a first time period within which the first scavenging current is present, and
the second output value of the lambda controller is a mean value of a multiplicity of second individual output values which are made available by the lambda controller during a second time period within which the second scavenging current is present.

Assignees

• Nilsson Lars
• Viehöver Sebastian
• Lenk Jan-Richard
• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Nilsson Lars
• Viehöver Sebastian
• Lenk Jan-Richard

Classifications

• F02M25/06

  adding lubricant vapours · CPC title

• F02D41/003 Primary

  Adding fuel vapours, e.g. drawn from engine fuel reservoir · CPC title

• F02D2250/11

  Oil dilution, i.e. prevention thereof or special controls according thereto · CPC title

• F01M13/00 Primary

  Crankcase ventilating or breathing · CPC title

• F02D41/0025

  Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures · CPC title