METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COMMON RAIL FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE HEALTH DIAGNOSTIC

• US 20130013174A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Henry, Luke, Nistler, Paul Gerard, Hostettler, Harold, Gallagher, Shawn
• Granted Patent: US 9,512,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/112
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/224 Diagnosis of the fuel system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/225 Leakage detection
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0602 Fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/123 the fuel injection being cut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3854 with elements in the low pressure part, e.g. low pressure pump
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0047 Layout or arrangement of systems for feeding fuel fuel injection apparatus characterised by their conduits and venting means F02M55/00; fuel injection apparatus having a common rail F02M63/0225; arrangement of fuel conduits of low pressure fuel injection apparatus F02M69/462
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 59/366 Valves being actuated electrically

Abstract

Dynamic health assessment systems and methods related to monitoring fuel flow control are provided. In one embodiment, a method for controlling a system having an engine is provided. The method includes during a no-load condition of the engine, stopping fuel injection by a plurality of fuel injectors of the engine, closing a valve that is operable to control fuel flow to a fuel pump that pumps fuel to a common fuel rail, and setting a degradation condition in response to a fuel rail pressure decay rate of a fuel pressure in the common fuel rail being greater than a decay threshold after a first designated duration.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a system having an engine, the method comprising:

during a no-load condition of the engine, stopping fuel injection by a plurality of fuel injectors of the engine;

closing a valve that is operable to control fuel flow to a fuel pump that pumps fuel to a common fuel rail of the engine; and

setting a degradation condition in response to a fuel rail pressure decay rate of a fuel pressure in the common fuel rail being greater than a decay threshold after a first designated duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the degradation condition includes shutting down the engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the no-load condition includes an engine startup event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the no-load condition includes an engine coast down event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting the degradation condition in response to the fuel pressure being less than a rail fuel pressure threshold for a second selected duration during which an engine fuel pressure provided to an inlet of the valve is greater than an engine fuel pressure threshold and an engine speed is in a designated engine speed range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein stopping fuel injection includes turning off a fuel pump that provides fuel to an inlet of the valve.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying closure of the valve prior to initiating the first designated duration for measuring the fuel pressure decay rate of the common fuel rail.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein verifying includes starting the first designated duration in response to an electrical current of the valve being greater than an electrical current threshold.

9. A system comprising:

a low-pressure fuel pump operable to pump fuel from a fuel source at a first pressure;

a high-pressure fuel pump operable to pump fuel from the low-pressure fuel pump to increase the first pressure to a second pressure;

a valve positioned between the low-pressure fuel pump and the high-pressure fuel pump, the valve being operable to control fuel flow to the high-pressure fuel pump;

a common fuel rail fluidly coupling the high-pressure fuel pump to a plurality of fuel injectors that is operable to inject fuel to cylinders of an engine; and

a controller operable to, during a no-load condition of the engine, stop fuel injection by the plurality of fuel injectors, close the valve, and set a degradation condition in response to a fuel rail pressure decay rate of a fuel pressure in the common fuel rail being greater than a decay threshold after a first designated duration.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to shut down the engine in response to the degradation condition being set.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the no-load condition includes an engine startup event.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the no-load condition includes an engine coast down event.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to set the degradation condition in response to the fuel rail pressure being less than a rail fuel pressure threshold for a second designated duration in which an engine fuel pressure provided to an inlet of the valve is greater than an engine fuel pressure threshold and an engine speed is in a designated engine speed range.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to verify closure of the valve prior to initiating the first designated duration for measuring the fuel pressure decay rate of the common fuel rail by starting the first designated duration in response to an electrical current of the valve being greater than an electrical current threshold.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein stopping fuel injection includes turning off the low-pressure fuel pump

16. A system comprising:

a low-pressure fuel pump operable to pump fuel from a fuel source at a first pressure;

a high-pressure fuel pump operable to pump fuel from the low-pressure fuel pump to increase the first pressure to a second pressure;

a valve positioned between the low-pressure fuel pump and the high-pressure fuel pump, the valve being operable to control fuel flow to the high-pressure fuel pump;

a common fuel rail fluidly coupling the high-pressure fuel pump to a plurality of fuel injectors operable to inject fuel to cylinders of an engine; and

a controller operable, to during a no-load condition of the engine, stop fuel injection by the plurality of fuel injectors, close the valve, shut down the engine in response to a fuel rail pressure decay rate of a fuel pressure in the common fuel rail being greater than a decay threshold after a first designated duration, and shut down the engine in response to the fuel pressure being less than a fuel rail pressure threshold for a second designated duration in which the first pressure is greater than an engine fuel pressure threshold and an engine speed is in a designated engine speed range.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is operable to verify closure of the valve prior to initiating the first designated duration for measuring the fuel pressure decay rate of the common fuel rail by starting the first designated duration in response to an electrical current of the valve being greater than an electrical current threshold.

18. The fuel delivery system of claim 16, wherein the no-load condition includes an engine startup event.

19. The fuel delivery system of claim 16, wherein the no-load condition includes an engine coast down event.

20. The fuel delivery system of claim 16, wherein the decay threshold is 500 kPa, the first selected duration is 0.2 seconds, wherein the rail fuel pressure threshold is 40,000 kPa, the second selected duration is 30 seconds, the engine fuel pressure threshold is 241 kPa, and the designated engine speed range is between 35 and 325 RPM.

21. The fuel delivery system of claim 16, wherein the common fuel rail is a single-walled common fuel rail.

22. A non-transitory electronically-readable medium having one or more sets of instructions stored thereon that when accessed and executed by an electronic device cause the electronic device to:

during a no-load condition of an engine, generate one or more first signals for controlling stopping fuel injection by a plurality of fuel injectors of the engine;

generate one or more second signals for controlling closing a valve that is operable to control fuel flow to a fuel pump that pumps fuel to a common fuel rail of the engine for providing fuel to the common fuel rail; and

generate one or more third signals, for controlling operation of the engine, in response to a decay rate of a fuel pressure in the common fuel rail being greater than a decay threshold after a first designated duration.