METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AN OXYGEN SENSOR

• US 20140288804A1
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pursifull, Ross Dykstra
• Granted Patent: US 9,163,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/104
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0032 Controlling the purging of the canister as a function of the engine operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0052 Feedback control of engine parameters, e.g. for control of air/fuel ratio or intake air amount
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/144 Sensor in intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1441 Plural sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1454 the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1455 with sensor resistivity varying with oxygen concentration F02D41/1456 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1456 with sensor output signal being linear or quasi-linear with the concentration of oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3005 Details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Various systems and methods are described for an engine system with an exhaust gas recirculation system and catalyzing and non-catalyzing intake oxygen sensors. In one example, the catalyzing oxygen sensor is utilized to measure and control exhaust gas recirculation while fuel vapor purge is measured and controlled based on the catalyzing and non-catalyzing sensors.

Claims

1. A method for an engine system, comprising:

based on outputs from a catalyzing sensor and a non-catalyzing sensor, indicating an intake oxygen concentration and a fuel vapor concentration;

adjusting exhaust gas recirculation responsive to the oxygen concentration; and

adjusting fuel injection responsive to the fuel vapor concentration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a sensing element of the catalyzing sensor is coated with platinum.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a sensing element of the non-catalyzing sensor is coated with silver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen concentration is based on output from the non-catalyzing sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel vapor concentration is based on output from the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel vapor concentration is based on a difference between the outputs of the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor when fuel vapor purge is on and exhaust gas recirculation is on.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising diagnosing the sensors when fuel vapor purge is off and exhaust gas recirculation is on.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor are positioned in a single sensor housing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel vapor concentration is based on a difference between the outputs of the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor when fuel vapor purge is on and exhaust gas recirculation is off

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor are positioned in an intake manifold of the engine system, downstream of an exhaust gas recirculation inlet.

11. A method, comprising:

controlling fuel vapor purge based on outputs from a catalyzing oxygen sensor and a non-catalyzing oxygen sensor, the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor housed in a single sensor housing positioned in an engine intake system; and

controlling exhaust gas recirculation based on output from the non-catalyzing oxygen sensor, the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor housed in a single sensor housing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the catalyzing sensor is coated with platinum and the non-catalyzing sensor is coated with silver.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising, while fuel vapor purge is off and exhaust gas recirculation is on, diagnosing the catalyzing sensor based on the non-catalyzing sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising, while fuel vapor purge is off and exhaust gas recirculation is on, diagnosing the non-catalyzing sensor based on the catalyzing sensor.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling fuel injection based on the sensor outputs includes controlling fuel injection responsive to an indication of fuel vapor purge based on a difference between the catalyzing sensor output and the non-catalyzing sensor output.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling fuel injection based on the sensor outputs when fuel vapor purge is on.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling fuel vapor purge based on output from a catalyzing oxygen sensor and a non-catalyzing oxygen sensor includes controlling fuel vapor purge based on a difference between output from the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor.

18. A system, comprising:

an engine with an intake passage and an exhaust passage;

an exhaust gas recirculation system coupled between the intake passage and the exhaust passage;

a catalyzing oxygen sensor and a non-catalyzing oxygen sensor positioned in the intake passage and configured to output indications of oxygen concentration and fuel vapor concentration; and

a control system in communication with the sensors, the control system including non-transitory instructions to adjust an amount of exhaust gas recirculation based on the indication of oxygen concentration and adjust one or more of fuel vapor purge and fuel injection based on the indication of fuel vapor concentration.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the indication of oxygen concentration is based on the non-catalyzing sensor and the indication of fuel vapor concentration is based on a difference between the catalyzing sensor and the non-catalyzing sensor.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising instructions for diagnosing the sensors when exhaust gas recirculation is on and fuel vapor purge is off.