Drive control device of fuel pump

• US 20070286747A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaki, Kenji, Nagase, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,011,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/410.100
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/065 at hot start or restart F02D41/067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3082 Control of electrical fuel pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/20 by changing the driving speed

Abstract

A drive control device of a fuel pump for sucking fuel in a fuel tank supplying the fuel to an internal combustion engine, and using a motor with a brush as a drive source thereof. The drive control device includes a starting current reduction control device that starts the fuel pump in a state where a drive current of the fuel pump is reduced.

Claims

1. A drive control device of a fuel pump for sucking fuel in a fuel tank, supplying the fuel to an internal combustion engine, and using a motor with a brush as a drive source thereof, comprising:

a starting current reduction control device that starts the fuel pump in a state where a drive current of the fuel pump is reduced.

2. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a power supply voltage of the fuel pump is at least approximately equal to a predetermined voltage at a time of starting the fuel pump, the starting current reduction control device performs control to reduce the drive current of the fuel pump.

3. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device determines at least one of a degree of stress of the brush and a deterioration of the brush at a time of starting the fuel pump and changes at least one of a reduction quantity and a reduction time of the drive current accordingly.

4. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device at least one of predicts and detects at least one of a rush current, a rush current peak value, and a rush current duration at a time of starting the fuel pump, and changes at least one of a reduction quantity and a reduction time of the drive current accordingly.

5. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device changes at least one of a reduction quantity and a reduction time of the drive current in a case of starting the fuel pump without driving a starter and in a case of starting the fuel pump while driving the starter.

6. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a case of starting the fuel pump while driving a starter, the starting current reduction control device starts the fuel pump without performing control of reducing a drive current of the fuel pump.

7. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an idle stop control device that stops the internal combustion engine and the fuel pump when a specified idle stop condition is satisfied while a vehicle is stopped and thereafter starts the fuel pump to automatically start the internal combustion engine when a driver performs a specified operation for starting the vehicle, and

wherein the starting current reduction control device changes at least one of a reduction quantity and a reduction time of the drive current in a case of starting the fuel pump at a time of automatically starting the internal combustion engine by the idle stop control device and in a case of starting the fuel pump at a time of normally starting the internal combustion engine.

8. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device changes the drive current by switching a resistance value of a path through which the drive current is passed.

9. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device changes the drive current by varying a duty ratio of a switching element disposed in a path through which the drive current is passed.

10. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device changes the drive current by varying a power supply voltage.

11. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed claim 1, wherein the starting current reduction control device at least one of changes a reduction quantity of the drive current, changes a reduction time of the drive current, and inhibits control of reducing the drive current according to a state of the vehicle.

12. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 11 wherein the state of the vehicle is at least one of a required engine torque, a remaining pressure of fuel, and a power supply voltage.

13. A drive control device of a fuel pump for sucking fuel in a fuel tank of a vehicle, supplying the fuel to an internal combustion engine, and using a motor provided with a brush as a drive source thereof comprising:

an idle stop control device that performs an idle stop for stopping the internal combustion engine and the fuel pump when a specified idle stop condition is satisfied while the vehicle is stopped and thereafter starts the fuel pump to automatically start the internal combustion engine when a driver performs a specified operation of starting the vehicle,

wherein the idle stop control device at least one of predicts and detects at least one of a stress applied to the brush, a degree of deterioration of the brush, a rush current, a rush current peak value, a rush current duration, a state of the internal combustion engine, and a state of the vehicle at a time of starting the fuel pump, and

wherein the idle stop control device switches between stop inhibition control of continuously driving the fuel pump without stopping the fuel pump even at a time of idle stop and control of stopping the fuel pump accordingly.

14. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an alarm device for alarming the driver an alarm in at least one of:

a case of driving the fuel pump without stopping the fuel pump at a time of the idle stop,

a case of reducing a frequency with which the fuel pump is stopped at a time of idle stop, and

a case in which a degree of deterioration of the brush is at least equal to a predetermined value.

15. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a deterioration degree estimation device for estimating a degree of deterioration of the brush according to at least one of a number of times that the fuel pump is started, a rush current at a time of startup, a rush current peak value, and a rush current duration at a time of estimating a degree of deterioration of the brush.

16. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 15, wherein the deterioration degree estimation device estimates a degree of deterioration of the brush according to an integrated value of at least one of a number of times that the fuel pump is started, a rush current at a time of startup, a rush current peak value, and a rush current duration.

17. A drive control device of a fuel pump for sucking fuel in a fuel tank, supplying the fuel to an internal combustion engine, and using a motor provided with a brush as a drive source thereof, comprising:

an idle stop control device that performs an idle stop for stopping the internal combustion engine and the fuel pump when a specified idle stop condition is satisfied while a vehicle is stopped and thereafter starts the fuel pump to automatically start the internal combustion engine when a driver performs a specified operation of starting the vehicle,

wherein the idle stop control device at least one of predicts and detects at least one of stress applied to a brush, a degree of deterioration of the brush, a rush current, a rush current peak value, a rush current duration, a state of the internal combustion engine, and a state of the vehicle at a time of starting the fuel pump, and varies a frequency, with which the fuel pump is stopped by the idle stop accordingly.

18. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 17, further comprising an alarm device for alarming the driver an alarm in at least one of:

a case of driving the fuel pump without stopping the fuel pump at a time of the idle stop,

a case of reducing a frequency with which the fuel pump is stopped at a time of idle stop, and

a case in which a degree of deterioration of the brush is at least equal to a predetermined value.

19. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a deterioration degree estimation device for estimating a degree of deterioration of the brush according to at least one of a number of times that the fuel pump is started, a rush current at a time of startup, a rush current peak value, and a rush current duration at a time of estimating a degree of deterioration of the brush.

20. The drive control device of a fuel pump as claimed in claim 19, wherein the deterioration degree estimation device estimates a degree of deterioration of the brush according to an integrated value of at least one of a number of times that the fuel pump is started, a rush current at a time of startup, a rush current peak value, and a rush current duration.