Alerting method for predictive maintenance of a high-pressure pump in an internal combustion engine

1. A method for monitoring a state of a high-pressure fuel pump of an engine and generating a warning related thereto, where the pump is equipped with a relief valve and is configured for supplying fuel under pressure to a chamber equipped with a pressure sensor, a threshold pressure defining an opening pressure of the relief valve, the method comprising:

upon cut-off of the engine, initializing a computer, during which said threshold pressure and a value of a first counter are stored in a non-transitory memory in communication with said computer;

measuring via the pressure sensor a pressure of fuel in the chamber;

incrementing the value of the first counter by one with each occurrence of said measuring yielding a result where the pressure of the fuel in the chamber is above or equal to the threshold pressure; and

triggering an alert when the value of the first counter crosses a predetermined threshold.

2. The alerting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method terminates when the alert is triggered and also when a succession of a predetermined number of measurements each yield a decreasing value for the pressure in the chamber.

3. The alerting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alert is also triggered when a succession of a predetermined number of measurements each yield a pressure value increasing above the threshold pressure.

4. The alerting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory upon cut-off of the engine is determined by performing the following steps:

successively measuring the pressure of the fuel in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure of the fuel in comparison with a measured pressure that is measured during a previous pressure measurement.

5. The alerting method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the predetermined conditions for determining the threshold pressure are as follows:

the pressure in the chamber is above a predetermined pressure,

a temperature of an engine coolant is above a predetermined maximum temperature,

a temperature of the chamber supplied by the pump is below a given minimum temperature, and

an ambient temperature is above a predetermined ambient threshold temperature.

6. The alerting method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory is determined, with the engine running, by performing the following steps:

introducing into an engine control and management system a setpoint pressure for the chamber supplied by the pump, said setpoint pressure being higher than a theoretical maximum pressure for triggering the relief valve,

successively measuring the pressure in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure in comparison with a pressure measured during a previous pressure measurement.

7. The alerting method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the predetermined conditions for determining the threshold pressure are as follows:

fuel supply to the cylinders is cut off,

a temperature of an engine coolant is below a predetermined temperature,

engine speed is below a predetermined speed, and

an ambient temperature is above a predetermined temperature.

8. An engine control and management device for monitoring a state of a high-pressure fuel pump of an engine and for generating a warning related thereto, where the pump is equipped with a relief valve and is configured for supplying fuel under pressure to a chamber equipped with a pressure sensor, a threshold pressure defining an opening pressure of the relief valve, said device comprising a computer configured to:

upon cut-off of the engine, collect and store said threshold pressure and a value of a first counter in a non-transitory memory in communication with said computer;

measure via the pressure sensor a pressure of fuel in the chamber;

increment the value of the first counter by one with each occurrence of said measuring yielding a result where the pressure of the fuel in the chamber is above or equal to the threshold pressure; and

trigger an alert when the value of the first counter crosses a predetermined threshold.

9. An internal combustion engine, comprising:

a control and management device for monitoring a state of a high-pressure fuel pump of the engine and for generating a warning related thereto, where the pump is equipped with a relief valve and is configured for supplying fuel under pressure to a chamber equipped with a pressure sensor, a threshold pressure defining an opening pressure of the relief valve, and the control and management device including a computer configured to:

upon cut-off of the engine, collect and store said threshold pressure and a value of a first counter in a non-transitory memory in communication with said computer;

measure via the pressure sensor a pressure of fuel in the chamber;

increment the value of the first counter by one with each occurrence of said measuring yielding a result where the pressure of the fuel in the chamber is above or equal to the threshold pressure; and

trigger an alert when the value of the first counter crosses a predetermined threshold.

10. The alerting method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the alert is also triggered when a succession of a predetermined number of measurements each yield a pressure value increasing above the threshold pressure.

11. The alerting method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory upon cut-off of the engine is determined by performing the following steps:

successively measuring the pressure of the fuel in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure of the fuel in comparison with a measured pressure that is measured during a previous pressure measurement.

12. The alerting method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory upon cut-off of the engine is determined by performing the following steps:

successively measuring the pressure of the fuel in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure of the fuel in comparison with a measured pressure that is measured during a previous pressure measurement.

13. The alerting method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory is determined, with the engine running, by performing the following steps:

introducing into an engine control and management system a setpoint pressure for the chamber supplied by the pump, said setpoint pressure being higher than a theoretical maximum pressure for triggering the relief valve,

successively measuring the pressure in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure in comparison with a pressure measured during a previous pressure measurement.

14. The alerting method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory is determined, with the engine running, by performing the following steps:

introducing into an engine control and management system a setpoint pressure for the chamber supplied by the pump, said setpoint pressure being higher than a theoretical maximum pressure for triggering the relief valve,

successively measuring the pressure in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure in comparison with a pressure measured during a previous pressure measurement.

15. The alerting method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory is determined, with the engine running, by performing the following steps:

introducing into an engine control and management system a setpoint pressure for the chamber supplied by the pump, said setpoint pressure being higher than a theoretical maximum pressure for triggering the relief valve,

successively measuring the pressure in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure in comparison with a pressure measured during a previous pressure measurement.

16. The alerting method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory is determined, with the engine running, by performing the following steps:

introducing into an engine control and management system a setpoint pressure for the chamber supplied by the pump, said setpoint pressure being higher than a theoretical maximum pressure for triggering the relief valve,

successively measuring the pressure in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure in comparison with a pressure measured during a previous pressure measurement.

17. The engine control and management device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the alert is also triggered when a succession of a predetermined number of measurements each yield a pressure value increasing above the threshold pressure.

18. The engine control and management device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein under predetermined conditions the threshold pressure that is stored in the memory upon cut-off of the engine is determined by the computer performing the following steps:

successively measuring the pressure of the fuel in the chamber, and

storing in the memory, as the threshold pressure, a first measured pressure corresponding to a decrease in the pressure of the fuel in comparison with a measured pressure that is measured during a previous pressure measurement.

19. The engine control and management device as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the predetermined conditions for determining the threshold pressure are as follows:

the pressure in the chamber is above a predetermined pressure,

a temperature of an engine coolant is above a predetermined maximum temperature,

a temperature of the chamber supplied by the pump is below a given minimum temperature, and

an ambient temperature is above a predetermined ambient threshold temperature.