SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ENGINE AIR FLOW

• US 20160177849A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Surnilla, Gopichandra, Doering, Jeffrey Allen, Shelby, Michael Howard, Smith, Stephen B., Hakeem, Mohannad
• Granted Patent: US 9,803,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/16 by bypassing charging air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0219 by shifting the phase, i.e. the opening periods of the valves are constant
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 21/08 the other gas being the exhaust gas of engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0418 Air humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/703 Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 23/02 the engines being of fuel-injection type
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/153 dependent on combustion pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating an engine during conditions where ambient humidity changes over time are presented. In one non-limiting example, an engine air flow limit is adjusted to increase engine air flow during high humidity conditions such that an engine may provide equivalent torque output during the high humidity conditions as compared to when the engine is operated during low humidity conditions.

Claims

1. An engine operating method, comprising:

adjusting an engine air flow threshold via a controller responsive to ambient humidity; and

operating an engine responsive to the adjusted engine air flow threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, where the engine air flow threshold is a maximum engine air flow threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting engine torque responsive to the engine air flow threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, where engine torque is limited responsive to the engine air flow threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, where the ambient humidity is based on output of a humidity sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, where the engine air flow threshold is a basis for adjusting engine air flow.

7. The method of claim 6, where engine air flow is adjusted to a value equal to the engine air flow threshold during conditions when driver demand torque is greater than a threshold torque.

8. An engine operating method, comprising:

adjusting an engine air flow threshold via a controller responsive to ambient humidity; and

adjusting an actuator responsive to the engine air flow threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, where the actuator is a camshaft phaser.

10. The method of claim 8, where the actuator is a throttle.

11. The method of claim 8, where the actuator is a turbocharger waste gate actuator.

12. The method of claim 8, where the actuator is a turbocharger vane actuator.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting the actuator to hold engine air flow to the engine air flow threshold in response to a torque request greater than a threshold.

14. The method of claim 8, where the engine air flow threshold is a maximum engine air flow.

15. A vehicle system, comprising:

an engine including an air flow actuator;

a humidity sensor; and

a controller including instructions stored in a non-transitory memory for adjusting an engine air flow threshold responsive to ambient humidity determined from the humidity sensor, and instructions for constraining engine air flow to be less than or equal to the engine air flow threshold.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15, further comprising instructions to increase the engine air flow threshold for increasing ambient humidity.

17. The vehicle system of claim 16, where the air flow actuator is a turbocharger waste gate and where an opening amount of the turbocharger waste gate is increased responsive to increasing ambient humidity.

18. The vehicle system of claim 16, where the air flow actuator is a throttle and where a throttle opening amount is increased responsive to increasing ambient humidity.

19. The vehicle system of claim 15, where the engine air flow threshold is a basis for limiting engine boost.

20. The vehicle system of claim 19, further comprising additional instructions to advance spark timing responsive to the engine air flow threshold.