Abnormality determining apparatus of fuel vapor processing system

• US 20070214876A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyahara, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.390
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system

Abstract

An abnormality determining apparatus of a fuel vapor processing system is provided. The system includes a canister for temporarily reserves fuel vapor generated within a fuel tank and a fuel vapor path for discharging the fuel vapor to an engine intake passage. When it is determined that there is a leak abnormality in the fuel vapor path, a pump is operated to discharge air from the fuel vapor path to the outside through the canister. When the pump is operated, a detector detects a pressure in the fuel vapor path as an actually measured pressure. A determining section determines whether there is a leak abnormality. The determining section sets a first determination pressure and a second determination pressure that is higher than the first determination pressure. The determining section determines that there is no leak abnormality either when a first condition is met or when a second condition is met. The first condition indicates that the actually measured pressure is less than or equal to the first determination pressure, and the second condition indicates that the actual measured pressure when changes due to the operation of the pump have subsided is less than or equal to the second determination pressure. The determining section determines that there is a leak abnormality when none of the first condition nor the second condition is met.

Claims

1. An abnormality determining apparatus of a fuel vapor processing system, wherein the system includes a canister for temporarily reserves fuel vapor generated within a fuel tank and a fuel vapor path for discharging the fuel vapor to an engine intake passage, the abnormality determining apparatus comprising:

a pump, wherein, when it is determined that there is a leak abnormality in the fuel vapor path, the pump is operated to discharge air from the fuel vapor path to the outside through the canister;

a detector that, when the pump is operated, detects a pressure in the fuel vapor path as an actually measured pressure; and

a determining section that determines whether there is a leak abnormality,

wherein the determining section sets a first determination pressure and a second determination pressure that is higher than the first determination pressure, and

wherein the determining section determines that there is no leak abnormality either when a first condition is met or when a second condition is met, the first condition indicating that the actually measured pressure is less than or equal to the first determination pressure, and the second condition indicating that the actual measured pressure when changes due to the operation of the pump have subsided is less than or equal to the second determination pressure, and

wherein the determining section determines that there is a leak abnormality when none of the first condition nor the second condition is met.

2. The abnormality determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the higher the concentration of the fuel vapor within the fuel tank at the time of starting of the operation of the pump, the lower the first determination value the determination portion sets.

3. The abnormality determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the higher the temperature of the fuel within the fuel tank, the lower the first determination value the determination portion sets.

4. The abnormality determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the smaller the amount of the remaining fuel within the fuel tank, the lower the first determination pressure the determination portion sets.

5. An abnormality determining apparatus of a fuel vapor processing system, wherein the system includes a canister for temporarily reserves fuel vapor generated within a fuel tank and a fuel vapor path for discharging the fuel vapor to an engine intake passage, the abnormality determining apparatus comprising:

a pump, wherein, when it is determined that there is a leak abnormality in the fuel vapor path, the pump is operated to discharge air from the fuel vapor path to the outside through the canister;

a detector that, when the pump is operated, detects a pressure in the fuel vapor path as an actually measured pressure;

a determining section that determines whether there is a leak abnormality, wherein the determining section determines that there is no leak abnormality when the measured pressure falls to or below a predetermined pressure; and

an inhibiting section that inhibits the execution of the leak abnormality determination for a predetermined period after the operation of the pump is started.

6. The abnormality determining apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, the higher the concentration of the fuel vapor within the fuel tank at the time of starting of the operation of the pump, the longer the predetermined period the inhibiting section sets.

7. The abnormality determining apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, the higher the temperature of the fuel within the fuel tank, the longer the predetermined period the inhibiting section sets.

8. The abnormality determining apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, the smaller the amount of the remaining fuel within the fuel tank, the longer the predetermined period the inhibiting section sets.