CHARACTERISTIC NUMBER METHOD FOR ENGINE REAL-TIME DIAGNOSTICS APPLICATION

• US 20090076716A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Han, Zhiping
• Application Number:
  US11/857,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076716A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/115
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0097 the purifying devices are arranged in a single housing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0253 adding fuel to exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/035 with catalytic reactors , e.g. catalysed diesel particulate filters
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/106 Auxiliary oxidation catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0406 Layout of the intake air cooling or coolant circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/00 Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0215 changing the valve timing only
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0055 Special engine operating conditions, e.g. for regeneration of exhaust gas treatment apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/05 High pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust system upstream of the turbine and reintroduced into the intake system downstream of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/25 with coolers having bypasses
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/49 Detecting, diagnosing or indicating an abnormal function of the EGR system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method of internal combustion engine operation that include real time engine diagnostics to detect hardware malfunctions that combines the signals for two or more sensors to detect the severity of a hardware malfunction.

Claims

1. A method to operate an internal combustion engine equipped with an electronic control unit (ECU) having a memory, sensors in electronic communication with said electronic central unit, said method to provide real-time engine diagnostics to detect engine system hardware malfunctions, said method comprising:

determining a “

characteristic number”

designed for detecting a certain hardware malfunction from the data signal output of more than two sensors through a mathematical function structure;

CN f(sensor₁, sensor₂, . . . sensor_n)

where CN is the characteristic number, and

sensor₁, sensor₂, . . . sensor_n provide a sensed effort to track possible hardware malfunctions;

comparing the CN to the stored threshold value when the said hardware function normal to calculate a sensed effect indicative of possible hardware malfunction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said hardware is an engine component.

3. The method of claim 1, further including determining a relative change in CN according to the mathematical structure.

$\mathrm{CN}$



R 1 = ( CN 1 - ref - 

CN 1 ) ( CN 1 - ref )

where CNR₁ is relative change in CN and CN<sub>1−

ref</sub> is CN, when the said engine component is functioning normally.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including logging a possible hardware malfunction event, derating the engine and activating a warning alert.