IP Library Granted Patent US 8,813,693
Granted Patent B2
US 8,813,693 · App. 13/269,048 · Granted Aug 26, 2014

Diagnostic system and method for a switchable water pump

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,813,693
App. No.
13/269,048
Granted
Aug 26, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes a pump control module and a pump diagnostic module. The pump control module switches a switchable water pump from off to on. The pump diagnostic module diagnoses a fault in the switchable water pump based on a first difference between an engine material temperature and an engine coolant temperature when the switchable water pump is switched from off to on. The engine coolant temperature is a temperature of coolant circulated through an engine and the engine material temperature is a temperature of at least one of an engine block and a cylinder head.

Claims (32)

1. A system comprising:

a pump control module that switches a switchable water pump from off to on; and

a pump diagnostic module that diagnoses a fault in the switchable water pump based on a change in a first difference between an engine material temperature and an engine coolant temperature during a period after the switchable water pump is switched from off to on, wherein the engine coolant temperature is a temperature of coolant circulated through an engine and the engine material temperature is a temperature of at least one of an engine block and a cylinder head.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pump diagnostic module diagnoses the fault in the switchable water pump based on a decrease in the first difference during the period.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a difference decrease module that determines the decrease in the first difference based on a second difference between a first value of the first difference during a first portion of the period and a second value of the first difference during a second portion of the period.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the pump diagnostic module diagnoses the fault in the switchable water pump when the decrease in the first difference is less than a first threshold.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the pump diagnostic module determines the first threshold based on ambient temperature.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the pump diagnostic module diagnoses a stuck-off fault when the first difference is greater than a second threshold at an end of the period.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a torque limit module that limits torque output of the engine when the stuck-off fault is diagnosed.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the pump diagnostic module diagnoses a stuck-on fault when the first difference is less than or equal to the second threshold at the end of the period.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature difference module that determines the first difference based on input received from an engine coolant temperature sensor and an engine material temperature sensor.

10. A system comprising:

a pump control module that switches a switchable water pump from off to on; and

a pump diagnostic module that diagnoses a fault in the switchable water pump based on a first difference between an engine material temperature and an engine coolant temperature when the switchable water pump is switched from off to on, wherein:

the engine coolant temperature is a temperature of coolant circulated through an engine;

the engine material temperature is a temperature of at least one of an engine block and a cylinder head; and

the pump diagnostic module refrains from diagnosing the fault in the switchable water pump when the switchable water pump is off for less than a period.

11. A method comprising:

switching a switchable water pump from off to on; and

diagnosing a fault in the switchable water pump based on a change in a first difference between an engine material temperature and an engine coolant temperature during a period after the switchable water pump is switched from off to on, wherein the engine coolant temperature is a temperature of coolant circulated through an engine and the engine material temperature is a temperature of at least one of an engine block and a cylinder head.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising diagnosing the fault in the switchable water pump based on a decrease in the first difference during the period.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining the decrease in the first difference based on a second difference between a first value of the first difference during a first portion of the period and a second value of the first difference during a second portion of the period.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising diagnosing the fault in the switchable water pump when the decrease in the first difference is less than a first threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining the first threshold based on ambient temperature.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising diagnosing a stuck-off fault when the first difference is greater than a second threshold at an end of the period.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising limiting torque output of the engine when the stuck-off fault is diagnosed.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising diagnosing a stuck-on fault when the first difference is less than or equal to the second threshold at the end of the period.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the first difference based on input received from an engine coolant temperature sensor and an engine material temperature sensor.

20. A method comprising:

switching a switchable water pump from off to on;

diagnosing a fault in the switchable water pump based on a first difference between an engine material temperature and an engine coolant temperature when the switchable water pump is switched from off to on, wherein the engine coolant temperature is a temperature of coolant circulated through an engine and the engine material temperature is a temperature of at least one of an engine block and a cylinder head; and

refraining from diagnosing the fault in the switchable water pump when the switchable water pump is off for less than a period.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034186/0776 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 28, 2012
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 028458/0184 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE MISSING ASSIGNORS THAT WERE INADVERTENTLY OMMITTED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 027541 FRAME 0230. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MISSING ASSIGNORS AS: MICHELE BILANCIA AND MORENA BRUNO. Recorded Jan 31, 2012
From: BIALAS, DANIEL A.; LEVIJOKI, STEPHEN PAUL; SIEKKINEN, JOHN W.; ANILOVICH, IGOR; BILANCIA, MICHELE; BRUNO, MORENA
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 027626/0550 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2012
From: BIALAS, DANIEL A.; LEVIJOKI, STEPHEN PAUL; SIEKKINEN, JOHN W.; ANILOVICH, IGOR
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 027541/0230 →