VIRTUAL ENGINE OIL QUALITY SENSOR

• US 20090145211A1
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Schneider, Eric W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,179,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/114.550
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/042 by monitoring a single specific parameter not covered by groups G01M15/06 - G01M15/12

Abstract

A method for diagnosis of oil quality within an internal combustion engine includes analyzing input data from an oil level sensor and generating a warning if the input data includes an oil level change indicative of a sub-standard oil quality condition.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosis of oil quality within an internal combustion engine, comprising:

analyzing input data from an oil level sensor; and

generating a warning if said input data includes an oil level change indicative of a sub-standard oil quality condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sub-standard oil quality condition comprises oil oxidation;

wherein said input data comprises a rate of oil consumption; and

wherein said generating comprises indicating a warning condition if said rate of oil consumption increases by a threshold oil consumption rate increase.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said threshold oil consumption rate increase is defined by said rate of oil consumption increasing and exceeding a selected value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said threshold oil consumption rate increase is defined as a selected change in said rate of oil consumption above a minimum value in said input data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sub-standard oil quality condition comprises oil contamination;

wherein said input data comprises a measured oil-contaminant volume; and

wherein said generating comprises indicating a warning condition if said measured oil-contaminant volume gradually increases by more than a threshold volume change.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said warning comprises communication over a communications network.

7. A method for on-board diagnosis of oil quality within an internal combustion engine, comprising:

analyzing input data from an oil level sensor;

generating an oxidation warning if said input data shows a rate of oil consumption increase in excess of a threshold oil consumption rate increase; and

generating a contamination warning if said input data shows a gradual increase in a oil level in excess of a threshold volume change.

8. An apparatus for diagnosing quality of oil within an internal combustion engine, comprising:

an oil level sensor; and

a control module that generates a warning if input data from said oil level sensor indicates a sub-standard oil quality condition.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said sub-standard oil quality condition comprises oil oxidation;

wherein said input data comprises a rate of oil consumption; and

wherein said warning is generated when said rate of oil consumption increases more than a threshold oil consumption rate increase.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said threshold oil consumption rate increase is defined by said rate of oil consumption increasing and reaching a selected value.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said threshold oil consumption rate increase is defined as a selected change in said rate of oil consumption above a minimum value in said input data.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said sub-standard oil quality condition comprises oil contamination;

wherein said input data comprises a measured oil-contaminant volume; and

wherein said warning is generated if said measured oil-contaminant volume exceeds an expected oil volume by more than a threshold volume difference.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said warning comprises communication over a communications network.