Vehicle fuel cooling

• US 10,472,877 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dudar, Aed M., Bohr, Scott Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Genna M
• Application Number:
  US15/498,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20180314248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0185 for failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/70 Temperature of vehicle part or in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/08 Failure or malfunction detecting means
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/71 responsive to temperature changes, rain, wind or noise
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/536 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/32 Engine outcoming fluid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2037/02 starting
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/00 Controlling of coolant flow
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/167 by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

An engine coolant temperature at an expected time of activation of a vehicle is predicted. Upon determining that the predicted engine coolant temperature is greater than an ambient air temperature by a temperature threshold, a vehicle component is actuated at a time determined based on the expected time of activation.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

predict an engine coolant temperature at an expected time of activation of a vehicle;

predict an ambient air temperature at the expected time of activation;

upon determining that the predicted engine coolant temperature is greater than the predicted ambient air temperature by a temperature threshold, actuate a vehicle component at a time determined based on the expected time of activation; and

perform a fuel line leak diagnostic at the expected time of activation when the predicted engine coolant temperature is within the temperature threshold of the predicted ambient air temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is a suspension and the computer is further programmed to actuate the suspension to raise a front end of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is a front hood of the vehicle and the computer is further programmed to open the front hood.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is a propulsion and the computer is further programmed to identify a roadway having a road grade greater than a road grade threshold and to actuate the propulsion to move the vehicle to the identified roadway.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is a propulsion and the computer is further programmed to determine a wind direction and to actuate the propulsion to align the vehicle along the wind direction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to collect a plurality of measurements of the engine coolant temperature and to predict the engine coolant temperature at the expected time of activation of the vehicle based on the measurements.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of measurements is collected at a predetermined period of time that is measured from one of:

a previous measurement and a time of deactivation of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to detect an insolation on the vehicle and to actuate a propulsion to move the vehicle when the insolation is above an insolation threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify a location having an insolation below the insolation threshold and to actuate the propulsion to move the vehicle to the location.

10. A method, comprising:

predicting an engine coolant temperature at an expected time of activation of a vehicle;

predicting an ambient air temperature at the expected time of activation;

upon determining that the predicted engine coolant temperature is greater than the predicted ambient air temperature by a temperature threshold, actuating a vehicle component at a time based on the expected time of activation; and

performing a fuel line leak diagnostic at the expected time of activation when the predicted engine coolant temperature is within the temperature threshold of the predicted ambient air temperature.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a suspension, and the method further comprises actuating the suspension to raise a front end of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a front hood of the vehicle, and the method further comprises opening the front hood.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a propulsion, and the method further comprises identifying a roadway having a road grade greater than a road grade threshold and actuating the propulsion to move the vehicle to the identified roadway.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle component is a propulsion, and the method further comprises determining a wind direction and to actuate the propulsion to align the vehicle along the wind direction.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising collecting a plurality of measurements of the engine coolant temperature and predicting the engine coolant temperature at the expected time of activation of the vehicle based on the measurements.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of measurements is collected at a predetermined period of time that is measured from one of:

a previous measurement and a time of deactivation of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting an insolation on the vehicle and to actuate a propulsion to move the vehicle when the insolation is above an insolation threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying a location having an insolation below the insolation threshold and to actuate the propulsion to move the vehicle to the location.