Carbon monoxide detecting system for internal combustion engine-based machines

• US 10,563,596 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wischstadt, Gregory A., Schroeder, Adam M., Horn, Mitchell L., Schmidt, Brandon, Cole, Kevin, Tesch, Tod R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US15/942,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20180291822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/048 Portable engine-generator combinations
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/086 Sensor arrangements in the exhaust, e.g. for temperature, misfire, air/fuel ratio, oxygen sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1453 the characteristics being a CO content or concentration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices

Abstract

An internal combustion engine-based system includes an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine-based system includes an engine interrupt connected to the engine. The engine interrupt is configured to selectively stop the operation of the engine. The internal combustion engine-based system includes a controller in communication with the engine interrupt. The internal combustion engine-based system includes a carbon monoxide detector in communication with the controller. The controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine when the carbon monoxide detector provides the controller with signals that are representative of a carbon monoxide level proximate the internal combustion engine that together form a trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over a set time interval.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine-based system comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an engine interrupt connected to the engine, wherein the engine interrupt is configured to selectively stop the operation of the engine;

a controller in communication with the engine interrupt; and

a carbon monoxide detector in communication with the controller, wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine when the carbon monoxide detector provides the controller with signals that are representative of a carbon monoxide level proximate the internal combustion engine that together form a trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over a set time interval.

2. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the controller monitors carbon monoxide levels and uses a regression analysis to determine the trend of monitored carbon monoxide levels, and wherein a signal is sent to the engine interrupt by the controller when the slope of a regression line computed by the regression analysis is positive over the set time interval.

3. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 2, wherein the time interval is between about 15 seconds and about 60 minutes.

4. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the controller is a PID controller.

5. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the carbon monoxide detector automatically ceases the operation of the internal combustion engine when communication between the carbon monoxide detector and the controller is interrupted.

6. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the secondary sensor is at least one of a carbon monoxide sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, and a timer.

7. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to cease the operation of the engine when the controller determines signals from the carbon monoxide detector exceed a minimum noise threshold.

8. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine is integral in a generator, wherein the generator is configured to transform mechanical power created by the internal combustion engine into electrical power.

9. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a predetermined shutoff threshold that indicates the trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over the set time interval, wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine when the predetermined shutoff threshold is exceeded.

10. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 9, wherein the controller alters the predetermined shutoff threshold that indicates the trend of building carbon monoxide amounts over the set time interval based on historic signals received from the carbon monoxide detector.

11. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the controller uses the engine interrupt to stop the operation of the engine if at least one of a magnitude and a rate of change of the carbon monoxide level represented by the signals from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds at least one of a predetermined shutoff threshold.

12. The internal combustion engine-based system of claim 1, wherein the carbon monoxide detector is integrated with the internal combustion engine so that if the carbon monoxide detector is tampered with, the internal combustion engine ceases to operate.

13. A data storage device storing data instructions that, when executed by a controller of a carbon monoxide detector, causes the controller to:

receive an indication of a carbon monoxide level over a period of time from a carbon monoxide detector proximate an internal combustion engine;

determine whether a rate of change of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds at least one predetermined shutoff threshold; and

activate a shutdown action when the at least the rate of change of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds the at least one predetermined shutoff threshold.

14. The data storage device of claim 13, wherein the data instructions further cause the controller to:

determine whether a magnitude of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds at least a second predetermined shutoff threshold; and

activate a shutdown action when the at least the magnitude of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds at least the second predetermined shutoff threshold.

15. A generator comprising:

an internal combustion engine that generates mechanical power;

an alternator that receives the mechanical power from the internal combustion engine and transforms at least a majority of the mechanical power into electrical energy;

an output interface that provides the electrical energy to an external device for powering the external device;

a controller in communication with the internal combustion engine;

a carbon monoxide detector in communication with the controller, wherein the carbon monoxide detector indicates a carbon monoxide level, wherein the controller activates a shutdown action to stop the operation of the internal combustion engine when the carbon monoxide indicates a trend of building carbon monoxide level over a set time interval.

16. A method of operating an internal combustion engine-based system, the method comprising:

detecting a carbon monoxide level proximate an internal combustion engine over a period of time using a carbon monoxide detector;

determining that at least a rate of change of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds at least one predetermined shutoff threshold; and

activating a shutdown action when the at least the rate of change of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds the at least one predetermined shutoff threshold, wherein the shutdown action is configured to stop operation of the internal combustion engine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the rate of change of the carbon monoxide level is an acceleration of the carbon monoxide level.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a first value representative of the rate of change of the carbon monoxide level over a first period of time;

determining if the first value exceeds a first predetermined threshold value; and

activating the shutdown action if the first value exceeds the first predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating a second value representative of the rate of change of the carbon monoxide level over a second period of time, wherein the second value is different from the first value and wherein the second period of time is greater than the first period of time;

determining if the second value exceeds a second predetermined threshold value; and

activating the shutdown action if the second value exceeds the second predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising activating at least one of a visual and audio alarm when the at least the rate of change of the carbon monoxide level from the carbon monoxide detector exceeds the at least one predetermined shutoff threshold.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the at least one predetermined shutoff threshold based at least partially signals received from an additional sensor.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the at least one predetermined shutoff threshold based at least partially on historic signals received from the carbon monoxide detector.