Limp-home method for safeguarding the catalyst of an internal combustion engine in case of a defective controlled grille shutter and vehicle thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599050-B2
Application number	US-201414889646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2014
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle is disclosed which includes: an engine; a catalyst purifying exhaust gas of the engine; a grille shutter adjusting an opening area of a radiator grille; and an electronic control unit configured to: (a) control an injection quantity of fuel to be supplied to the engine, (b) detect a malfunction of the grille shutter in a state where the grille shutter is closed, and (c) increase the injection quantity when the malfunction is detected in comparison to when the malfunction is not detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a catalyst purifying exhaust gas of the engine;
a grille shutter adjusting an opening area of a radiator grille; and
an electronic control unit configured to:
(a) control an injection quantity of fuel to be supplied to the engine,
(b) detect a malfunction of the grille shutter in a state where the grille shutter is closed, and
(c) increase the injection quantity when the malfunction is detected than that when the malfunction is not detected.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit calculates an increase coefficient of the injection quantity against a basic injection quantity according to an estimated temperature of the catalyst;
the electronic control unit controls a temperature of the catalyst to maintain the estimated temperature of the catalyst within a predetermined range by applying the increase coefficient; and
the electronic control unit controls a temperature of the catalyst to decrease when the malfunction is detected than that when the malfunction is not detected.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the electronic control unit changes a relationship between a threshold temperature to which the increase coefficient is applied and the estimated temperature of the catalyst when the malfunction is detected.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the electronic control unit changes a value of the increase coefficient when the malfunction is detected.

5. A control method of a vehicle including an engine, a catalyst purifying exhaust gas of the engine, a grille shutter adjusting an opening area of a radiator grille, and an electronic control unit, the control method comprising:
controlling, by the electronic control unit, a fuel injection valve to control an injection quantity of fuel to be supplied to the engine;
detecting, by the electronic control unit, a malfunction of the grille shutter in a state where the grille shutter is closed; and
controlling, by the electronic control unit, the fuel injection valve to increase the injection quantity when the malfunction is detected than that when the malfunction is not detected.

Assignees

• Sugimoto Hitoki
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sugimoto Hitoki

Classifications

• F02D2200/0804

  Estimation of the temperature of the exhaust gas treatment apparatus · CPC title

• F01N9/00

  Electrical control of exhaust gas treating apparatus (monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00; conjoint electrical control of two or more combustion engine functions F02D43/00) · CPC title

• F01N2260/022

  using air · CPC title

• Y02T10/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F01N3/206

  Adding periodically or continuously substances to exhaust gases for promoting purification, e.g. catalytic material in liquid form, NOx reducing agents · CPC title