Abnormality sensing device for evaporation fuel purge system

• US 10,294,895 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Hamanako Denso Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Hamanako Denso Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Shirai, Kosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamaoui, David E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharpf, Susan E
• Application Number:
  US14/792,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20160017849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 123520
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/004 Control of the valve or purge actuator, e.g. duty cycle, closed loop control of position
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0818 having means for pressurising the evaporative emission space
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10222 Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission

Abstract

An abnormality sensing device for an evaporation fuel purge system is equipped with a purge passage that connects a canister to an intake passage of an internal combustion engine, a purge pump, a purge control valve, and a valve component that closes and opens the purge passage at a target passage including at least a first purge passage defined between the purge control valve and the intake passage. An abnormality determining portion detects a physical quantity relevant to a pressure change in the target passage in a determination possible state where the purge control valve allows the evaporation fuel to flow through the first purge passage and where the valve component prohibits the evaporation fuel from being supplied to the intake passage.

Claims

1. An abnormality sensing device for an evaporation fuel purge system comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel;

a canister that adsorbs evaporation fuel generated in the fuel tank and that desorbs the evaporation fuel;

an intake passage of an internal combustion engine in which the evaporation fuel desorbed from the canister is mixed with fuel for combustion to be combusted;

a purge passage that connects the canister to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine;

a purge pump that pumps the evaporation fuel from the canister to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine;

a purge control valve disposed in the purge passage to control a flow of the evaporation fuel pumped by the purge pump to flow through the purge passage;

a valve component that closes and opens the purge passage to control the evaporation fuel to flow into the intake passage of the internal combustion engine at a target passage of the purge passage, the target passage including at least a first passage defined between the purge control valve and the intake passage of the internal combustion engine; and

an abnormality determining portion that determines whether there is an abnormality in the evaporation fuel purge system in a state where the evaporation fuel is pumped by the purge pump toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, wherein

the abnormality determining portion is in a determination possible state when the evaporation fuel is pumped toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine by the purge pump, when the purge control valve allows the evaporation fuel to flow through the first passage, and when the valve component prohibits the evaporation fuel from being supplied to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine,

the abnormality determining portion detects a predetermined physical quantity relevant to a pressure change in the target passage in the determination possible state, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the evaporation fuel purge system according to the predetermined physical quantity,

the purge passage comprising a second passage, the purge pump and the purge control valve being connected with each other by the second passage which is defined between the purge pump and the purge control valve, the purge passage further comprising a third passage, wherein an end of piping which defines the third passage is connected to an outflow part of the canister and the other end of the piping which defines the third passage is connected to an inflow part of the purge pump so that the third passage is defined between the canister and the inflow part of the purge pump,

the first passage is defined between an outflow part of the purge control valve and an inflow part of the valve component,

the evaporation fuel purge system further comprises a pressure sensor configured to detect the pressure in the first passage, and

the predetermined physical quantity is a consumption current or consumption voltage of the purge pump.

2. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined physical quantity also includes a pressure detected in the first passage.

3. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, wherein

the purge control valve has a valve object that is configured to operate to close the purge passage when a first purge passage adjacent to the valve component has a negative pressure by operation of the internal combustion engine.

4. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, wherein

the canister, the purge pump, and the purge control valve are connected in order.

5. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, wherein

an end of piping which defines a second purge passage is connected to an outflow part of the purge pump, and the other end of the piping which defines the second purge passage is connected to an inflow part of the purge control valve.

6. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, wherein

the valve component is controlled to open or close the purge passage by a signal output from the abnormality determining portion.

7. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor configured to detect the pressure in a first purge passage is located between the purge control valve and the valve component.

8. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cylindrical connector that has a cylindrical shape extending from the duct component which defines the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, wherein

the valve component is disposed inside of the cylindrical connector that is connected to a duct which defines the target passage, and is able to open and close a passage in the cylindrical connector.

9. The abnormality sensing device according to claim 1, the valve component is located at an intersection of the first passage and the intake passage.

10. An abnormality sensing device for an evaporation fuel purge system comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel;

a canister that adsorbs evaporation fuel generated in the fuel tank and that desorbs the evaporation fuel;

an intake passage of an internal combustion engine in which the evaporation fuel desorbed from the canister is mixed with fuel for combustion to be combusted;

a purge passage that connects the canister to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine;

a purge pump that pumps the evaporation fuel from the canister to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine;

a purge control valve disposed in the purge passage to control a flow of the evaporation fuel pumped by the purge pump to flow through the purge passage;

a valve component that closes and opens the purge passage to control the evaporation fuel to flow into the intake passage of the internal combustion engine at a target passage of the purge passage; and

an abnormality determining portion that determines whether there is an abnormality in the evaporation fuel purge system in a state where the evaporation fuel is pumped by the purge pump toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, wherein

the target passage includes

a first passage defined between the purge control valve and the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, and

a second passage defined between the purge pump and the purge control valve,

the abnormality determining portion is in a determination possible state when the evaporation fuel is pumped toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine by the purge pump, when the purge control valve allows the evaporation fuel to flow through the first passage, and when the valve component prohibits the evaporation fuel from being supplied to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine,

the abnormality determining portion detects a predetermined physical quantity relevant to a pressure change in the target passage in the determination possible state, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the evaporation fuel purge system according to the predetermined physical quantity,

when the abnormality determining portion determines that the evaporation fuel purge system is abnormal in the determination possible state, as a first passage prohibition state, the purge pump pumps the evaporation fuel toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, and the purge control valve controls the evaporation fuel not to flow through the first passage,

in the first passage prohibition state, the abnormality determining portion detects a pressure change in the second passage, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the second passage according to the pressure change, and

the abnormality determining portion determines that an abnormality is generated in the first passage when it is determined that there is no abnormality in the second passage.

11. An abnormality sensing device for an evaporation fuel purge system comprising:

a fuel tank storing fuel;

a canister that adsorbs evaporation fuel generated in the fuel tank and that desorbs the evaporation fuel;

an intake passage of an internal combustion engine in which the evaporation fuel desorbed from the canister is mixed with fuel for combustion to be combusted;

a purge passage that connects the canister to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine;

a purge pump that pumps the evaporation fuel from the canister to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine;

a purge control valve disposed in the purge passage to control a flow of the evaporation fuel pumped by the purge pump to flow through the purge passage;

a valve component that closes and opens the purge passage to control the evaporation fuel to flow into the intake passage of the internal combustion engine at a target passage of the purge passage; and

an abnormality determining portion that determines whether there is an abnormality in the evaporation fuel purge system in a state where the evaporation fuel is pumped by the purge pump toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, wherein

the target passage includes

a first passage defined between the purge control valve and the intake passage of the internal combustion engine, and

a second passage defined between the purge pump and the purge control valve,

the abnormality determining portion is in a determination possible state when the evaporation fuel is pumped toward the intake passage of the internal combustion engine by the purge pump, when the purge control valve allows the evaporation fuel to flow through the first passage, and when the valve component prohibits the evaporation fuel from being supplied to the intake passage of the internal combustion engine,

the abnormality determining portion detects a predetermined physical quantity relevant to a pressure change in the target passage in the determination possible state, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the evaporation fuel purge system according to the predetermined physical quantity,

when the abnormality determining portion determines that the evaporation fuel purge system is abnormal in the determination possible state, as a first passage confined state, the purge control valve is closed to confine the evaporation fuel in the first passage,

in the first passage confined state, the abnormality determining portion detects a pressure change in the first passage, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the first passage according to the pressure change, and

the abnormality determining portion determines that an abnormality is generated in the second passage when it is determined that there is no abnormality in the first passage.