ELECTRIC FUEL TRANSFER PUMP DIAGNOSTIC

• US 20090306873A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Zhong, Rogers, Gary L., Turley, Michael A., Kegebein, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/101
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/003 Controlling the feeding of liquid fuel from storage containers to carburettors or fuel-injection apparatus control of electrical fuel pumps F02D41/3082, controlling fuel flow to a common rail F02D41/3845; Failure or leakage prevention; Diagnosis or detection of failure; Arrangement of sensors in the fuel system; Electric wiring; Electrostatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/08 for idling F02D41/06, F02D41/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0088 Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/18 characterised by provision of main and auxiliary pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86187 Plural tanks or compartments connected for serial flow

Abstract

An engine control system having primary and secondary fuel tanks comprises a fuel monitoring module and a transfer pump (TP) diagnostic module. The fuel monitoring module determines a measured fuel level of the secondary fuel tank based on a fuel level signal received from a fuel level sensor when a fuel TP is on for greater than a predetermined time period required for the fuel TP to reduce the measured fuel level from a predetermined fuel level to below the predetermined fuel level. The TP diagnostic module diagnoses a condition of the fuel TP based on the measured fuel level.

Claims

1. An engine control system having primary and secondary fuel tanks, comprising:

a fuel monitoring module that determines a measured fuel level of the secondary fuel tank based on a fuel level signal received from a fuel level sensor when a fuel transfer pump (TP) is on for greater than a predetermined time period required for the fuel TP to reduce the measured fuel level from a predetermined fuel level to below the predetermined fuel level; and

a TP diagnostic module that diagnoses a condition of the fuel TP based on the measured fuel level.

2. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising an enablement module that enables the fuel monitoring module in an absence of active faults, wherein the active faults include at least one of component diagnostic trouble codes, fuel level sensor out of range codes, and vehicle speed fault codes.

3. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising an enablement module that enables the fuel monitoring module in an absence of a request for control of the fuel TP by another device.

4. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising an enablement module that enables the fuel monitoring module when an engine is on.

5. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising an enablement module that comprises a timer, that determines an on time period based on the timer when the fuel TP is on, and that enables the fuel monitoring module when the on time period is greater than the predetermined time period.

6. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising an enablement module that enables the fuel monitoring module when an engine is at idle.

7. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising an enablement module that comprises a timer, that determines an idle time period based on the timer when an engine is at idle, and that enables the fuel monitoring module when the idle time period is greater than a predetermined time period that indicates a stable state of movement of fuel in the secondary fuel tank.

8. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the TP diagnostic module signals a fail state of the fuel TP when the measured fuel level is greater than or equal to the predetermined fuel level.

9. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the TP diagnostic module signals a pass state of the fuel TP when the measured fuel level is less than the predetermined fuel level and when an initial fuel level of the secondary fuel tank is greater than or equal to the predetermined fuel level.

10. The engine control system of claim 9 wherein the fuel monitoring module determines the initial fuel level based on the fuel level signal when an engine is initially turned on.

11. A method of operating an engine control system having primary and secondary fuel tanks, comprising:

determining a measured fuel level of the secondary fuel tank based on a fuel level signal received from a fuel level sensor when a fuel transfer pump (TP) is on for greater than a predetermined time period required for the fuel TP to reduce the measured fuel level from a predetermined fuel level to below the predetermined fuel level; and

diagnosing a condition of the fuel TP based on the measured fuel level.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the measured fuel level in an absence of active faults, wherein the active faults include at least one of component diagnostic trouble codes, fuel level sensor out of range codes, and vehicle speed fault codes.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the measured fuel level in an absence of a request for control of the fuel TP by another device.

14. The method of claim 11 determining the measured fuel level when an engine is on.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining an on time period based on a timer when the fuel TP is on; and

determining the measured fuel level when the on time period is greater than the predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the measured fuel level when an engine is at idle.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining an idle time period based on a timer when an engine is at idle; and

determining the measured fuel level when the idle time period is greater than a predetermined time period that indicates a stable state of movement of fuel in the secondary fuel tank.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising signaling a fail state of the fuel TP when the measured fuel level is greater than or equal to the predetermined fuel level.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising signaling a pass state of the fuel TP when the measured fuel level is less than the predetermined fuel level and when an initial fuel level of the secondary fuel tank is greater than or equal to the predetermined fuel level.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising determining the initial fuel level based on the fuel level signal when an engine is initially turned on.