SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING FRICTION IN ENGINES

• US 20150059719A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bidner, David Karl
• Granted Patent: US 9,243,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/574
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/02 by means of additional source of positive or negative pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/022 using engine inlet suction
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/028 of positive pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0218 Details on the gaseous fuel supply system, e.g. tanks, valves, pipes, pumps, rails, injectors or mixers

Abstract

A vehicle system comprises an internal combustion engine including a PCV system fluidly coupled to a gaseous fuel source via a flow control valve. The gaseous fuel source may be fluidly coupled to an air inflow line of the PCV system, and the flow control valve may be configured to control a flow of gaseous fuel into the PCV system.

Claims

1. A vehicle system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including a PCV system fluidly coupled to a gaseous fuel source via a flow control valve and fluidly coupled to a fresh air intake upstream of a compressor.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the gaseous fuel source is fluidly coupled to an air inflow line of the PCV system, and wherein the flow control valve is configured to control a flow of gaseous fuel into the PCV system.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a purge canister fluidly coupled to the PCV system.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the purge canister is fluidly coupled to a fuel line.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the gaseous fuel source comprises methane.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein a gaseous fuel viscosity is lower than a viscosity of air.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising stopping the delivery of gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel source to the PCV system when the manifold vacuum is below a crankcase vacuum.

7. A method, comprising:

delivering a gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel source to a PCV system of an engine in response to a blow-by flow rate being less than a PCV valve flow rate.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

initiating the delivery of gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel source to the PCV system in response to the blow-by gas flow rate falling below the PCV valve flow rate only while a manifold vacuum is greater than a crankcase vacuum, the crankcase vacuum increasing with an increasing engine speed.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the gaseous fuel is delivered at a flow rate of a difference between the PCV valve flow rate and the blow-by gas flow rate.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising stopping the delivery of gaseous fuel from the gaseous fuel source to the PCV system when the engine is stopped.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising lowering the flow rate of the gaseous fuel in response to an air/fuel ratio leaner than a desired air/fuel ratio.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing gaseous fuel in a purge canister fluidly coupled to the PCV system and the gaseous fuel source.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising directing gaseous fuel from the purge canister to the PCV system responsive to the blow-by flow rate being less than the PCV valve flow rate, and a purge canister pressure being greater than a PCV air inlet line pressure.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising in response to a deceleration fuel shut off event,

determining an excess gaseous fuel amount delivered to the PCV system, and

lowering the flow rate of the gaseous fuel by an amount corresponding to the excess gaseous fuel amount.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the excess gaseous fuel amount in a purge canister fluidly coupled to the PCV system.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine including a PCV system fluidly coupled to a gaseous fuel source via a flow control valve, and

a controller having executable instructions to

deliver gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel source to the PCV system of an internal combustion engine responsive to a blow-by flow rate being less than a PCV valve flow rate and a manifold vacuum being greater than a crankcase vacuum.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the gaseous fuel source is fluidly coupled to a crankcase.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the flow control valve is configured to deliver the gaseous fuel at a gaseous fuel flow rate of a difference between the PCV valve flow rate and the blow-by gas flow rate.

20. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the executable instructions further comprise closing the flow control valve in response to the manifold vacuum dropping below the crankcase vacuum.