IP Library Granted Patent US 8,001,834
Granted Patent B2
US 8,001,834 · App. 12/492,322 · Granted Aug 23, 2011

Method for detecting faults in the air system of internal combustion engines

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,001,834
App. No.
12/492,322
Granted
Aug 23, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for detecting faults in an air system of an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold includes, but is not limited to the steps of measuring an oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold, estimating an intake oxygen control value in the intake manifold and estimating an intake oxygen reference value in the intake manifold based on said oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold. The method further includes, but is not limited to the steps of calculating an intake deviation value as a difference between the intake oxygen control value and the intake oxygen reference value and verifying if the intake deviation value is greater than a predetermined first threshold.

Claims (76)

1. A method for detecting faults in an air system of an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring an oxygen concentration of a gas flowing in the exhaust manifold;

estimating an intake oxygen control value in the intake manifold;

estimating an intake oxygen reference value in the intake manifold based on the oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold;

calculating an intake deviation value as a difference between the intake oxygen control value and the intake oxygen reference value;

comparing the intake deviation value with a predetermined first threshold;

estimating an exhaust oxygen control value in the exhaust manifold;

calculating an exhaust deviation value as a second difference between the exhaust oxygen control value and the oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in the exhaust manifold;

comparing said exhaust deviation value with a predetermined second threshold;

determining an exhaust oxygen concentration setpoint that is indicative of the oxygen concentration in the exhaust manifold;

calculating a fresh airflow setpoint as a function of said exhaust oxygen concentration setpoint;

measuring a fresh air mass flow value;

calculating an airflow deviation as a third difference between said fresh airflow setpoint and the fresh air mass flow value;

comparing said airflow deviation with a third predetermined threshold and a fourth predetermined threshold; and

detecting faults in the air system that is based at least in part on a combination of the steps of comparing the intake deviation value with the predetermined first threshold, comparing the exhaust deviation value with the predetermined second threshold, and comparing said airflow deviation with the third predetermined threshold and the fourth predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

defining a predetermined intake oxygen concentration setpoint; and

calculating a final oxygen estimation deviation in the intake manifold as a fourth difference between the intake oxygen setpoint and the intake oxygen control value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of estimating the intake oxygen reference value in the intake manifold is performed according:

[

O

2

]

im_ECU

=

0.233

(

1

-

m

TOT

-

m

MAF

m

TOT

1

λ

)

where λ is an air to fuel ratio, and m TOT is a total air mass flow in the intake manifold.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of estimating the intake oxygen reference value in the intake manifold is performed according to:

[

O

2

]

im_ECU

=

0.233

(

1

-

η

V

P

RT

-

m

MAF

η

V

P

RT

1

λ

)

where λ is an air to fuel ratio, V is a volume of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, P is a pressure in the intake manifold, T is a temperature in the intake manifold, and η is a volumetric efficiency.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034185/0789 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0299 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025324/0555 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025315/0091 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025246/0056 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2009
From: VENNETTILLI, NANDO; MAIRA, MASSIMILIANO; BRUNO, MORENA
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023721/0970 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
Reel/Frame 023162/0048 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 023201/0118 →