Methods and system for adjusting engine water injection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945310-B1
Application number	US-201615384223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2016
Priority date	Dec 19, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for water injection into an engine and adjusting engine operation based on engine dilution demand and engine knock. In one example, a method may include injecting water into an intake manifold via a port water injector or a manifold water injector and adjusting engine operation. Further, the method may include adjusting engine operation based on a change in engine dilution or knock.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for an engine, comprising:
responsive to water injection into an intake manifold via a port water injector, adjusting engine operation based on a change in exhaust dilution; and
responsive to water injection into the intake manifold via a manifold water injector, adjusting engine operation based on a change in intake dilution.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting engine operation based on a change in exhaust oxygen level includes adjusting engine operation based on an actual amount of water received in the engine as estimated by an exhaust oxygen sensor operating in a variable voltage mode.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein adjusting engine operation based on a change in intake dilution includes adjusting engine operation based on the actual amount of water received in the engine as estimated by one of an intake oxygen sensor operating in a nominal mode and an intake humidity sensor, each of the humidity sensor and the oxygen sensor coupled downstream of the manifold water injector in the engine intake manifold.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the adjusting is further based on a change in intake temperature, and wherein adjusting engine operation based on a change in intake temperature includes adjusting engine operation based on the actual amount of water received in the engine as estimated by a manifold charge temperature sensor coupled downstream of the manifold water injector in the engine intake manifold.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, responsive to manifold water injection reaching a limit, injecting water into an engine cylinder via a direct water injector, and adjusting engine operation based on a change in exhaust dilution estimated by the exhaust oxygen sensor operating in the variable voltage mode relative to a change in intake dilution estimated by the intake oxygen sensor operating in the variable voltage mode.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein water is injected into the intake manifold via the port water injector when engine speed is below a threshold speed and engine load is below a threshold load, wherein water is injected into the intake manifold via the manifold water injector when engine load is above the threshold load and the engine is knock limited, and wherein the manifold water injection reaching a limit includes a flow rate through the manifold water injector being at a threshold rate and a manifold water level being at a saturation limit.

7. The method of claim 1 , injecting water into the intake manifold via the port injector includes injecting water towards an intake valve when the engine is dilution limited, and injecting water away from the intake valve when the engine is knock limited.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting engine operation includes adjusting one or more of spark timing retard, EGR flow, engine fueling, and variable cam timing based on the actual amount of water received in the engine.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein as the actual amount of water received in the engine falls below a commanded amount, retarding spark timing further from a nominal spark timing, increasing EGR flow rate, engine fueling, and retarding variable cam timing from a nominal cam timing.

10. A method, comprising:
selecting a water injector from one of a port injector, a manifold injector, and a direct injector for injecting a commanded amount of water into an intake manifold;
selecting one of a plurality of engine sensors based on the water injector selection; and
adjusting engine operating parameters, following the injecting, based on output from the selected sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes an intake oxygen sensor, an exhaust oxygen sensor, a humidity sensor, a manifold temperature sensor, an intake humidity sensor, and an engine coolant temperature sensor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the adjusting includes estimating an actual amount of water received in the engine based on the output from the selected sensor and adjusting engine operating parameters as a function of the commanded amount relative to the actual amount.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein selecting the water injector includes:
at lower than threshold engine load and lower than threshold engine speed conditions, selecting the port injector; and
at higher than threshold engine load and lower than threshold engine speed conditions, selecting the manifold injector.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the water injector further includes: injecting a portion of the commanded amount via the manifold injector until a manifold injector limit is reached, and then injecting a remaining portion of the commanded amount via the direct injector.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the port injector further includes:
injecting the commanded amount, via the port injector, towards an intake valve of an engine cylinder before intake valve opening when the engine is not knock limited; and
injecting the commanded amount, via the port injector, away from the intake valve of the engine cylinder after intake valve opening when the engine is knock limited.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein selecting the sensor includes:
following the injecting via the first port injector towards the intake valve, estimating the actual water amount via one of a manifold temperature sensor, an engine coolant temperature sensor, and an intake oxygen sensor;
following the injecting via the second port injector away from the intake valve, estimating the actual water amount via the exhaust or the intake oxygen sensor;
following the injecting via the manifold injector, estimating the actual water amount via one of the manifold temperature sensor, intake humidity sensor, and the intake oxygen sensor; and
following the injecting via the direct injector, estimating the actual water amount via one of the intake oxygen sensor and the exhaust oxygen sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein estimating via the intake oxygen sensor following the injecting via the manifold injector includes operating the intake oxygen sensor in a nominal mode at a first reference voltage, wherein estimating via the intake oxygen sensor following the injecting via the direct injector includes operating the intake oxygen sensor in a variable mode at each of the first reference voltage and a second reference voltage, higher than the first reference voltage, and wherein estimating via the exhaust oxygen sensor includes operating the exhaust oxygen sensor in the variable mode at each of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting engine operation includes, as the commanded amount exceeds the actual amount, increasing an EGR flow, retarding spark timing from a nominal timing, and advancing or retarding variable cam timing from a nominal cam timing.

19. A system, comprising:
a manifold water injector for injecting water into an engine intake manifold;
a port water injector coupled to an intake port of an engine cylinder, upstream of an intake valve of the cylinder, for injecting water onto a valve surface;
a direct water injector coupled to the engine cylinder for injecting water directly into the cylinder;
a plurality of sensors including an exhaust sensor coupled to an engine exhaust manifold, and a plurality of intake sensors coupled downstream of the manifold water injector, the plurality of intake sensors including an intake oxygen sensor, a humidity sensor, and a manifold charge temperature sens

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Mcquillen Michael
• Makled Daniel A
• Hakeem Mohannad
• Surnilla Gopichandra

Classifications

• F02M35/104

  Intake manifolds · CPC title

• F02D41/0052

  Feedback control of engine parameters, e.g. for control of air/fuel ratio or intake air amount · CPC title

• F02M26/14 Primary

  in relation to the exhaust system · CPC title

• F02M26/20

  Feeding recirculated exhaust gases directly into the combustion chambers or into the intake runners · CPC title

• F01N13/10 Primary

  of exhaust manifolds {(with cooling jacket F01N3/046)} · CPC title