OIL MAINTENANCE STRATEGY FOR ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES

• US 20170241308A1
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: DONDZILA, Erik, HALADYNA, Ted
• Application Number:
  US15/051,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20170241308A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0688 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/112 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/001 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/021 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/20 Amount of lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/905 Combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, selectively powering a heating device to augment heating of an engine oil associated with an engine of a vehicle in a manner that influences an oil quality value of the engine oil.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selectively powering a heating device to augment heating of an engine oil associated with an engine of a vehicle in a manner that influences an oil quality value of the engine oil.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising determining a measured oil quality value of the engine oil.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein determining the measured oil quality value includes estimating the measured oil quality value based on at least one operating condition of the internal combustion engine.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one operating condition is a number of cold starts of the internal combustion engine.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, comprising comparing the measured oil quality value to an oil quality target value.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, comprising continuing to actively monitor the measured oil quality value if the measured oil quality value exceeds the oil quality target value.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the heating device is powered by a battery pack.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the heating device is powered by running the engine at a power level that exceeds driver demanded power and then utilizing the excess power to power the heating device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising opening a valve to allow coolant that is heated by the heating device to be communicated to the engine in order to heat the engine oil.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, comprising closing the valve and turning the heating device OFF after a predefined amount of time.

11. A method, comprising:

warming an engine coolant with heat generated by a heating device of a conditioning system configured to condition an engine of an electrified vehicle; and

warming engine oil with the engine coolant to a temperature sufficient to remove contaminants from the engine oil.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising opening a valve of the conditioning system to communicate the engine coolant heated by the heating device to the engine.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising comparing a measured oil quality value to an oil quality target value prior to warming the engine coolant.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, comprising warming the engine coolant if the measured oil quality value is less than the oil quality target value.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, comprising turning the heating device OFF after a predefined amount of time if the measured oil quality value exceeds the oil quality target value.

16. An electrified vehicle, comprising:

a battery pack configured to selectively power a set of drive wheels;

an engine configured to selectively power said drive wheels;

a conditioning system configured to condition said engine; and

a control system configured to control said conditioning system to influence an oil quality value of oil of said engine.

17. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 16, wherein said control system includes a heating device configured to heat an engine coolant that is used to heat said oil.

18. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 17, wherein said heating device is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater.

19. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 16, wherein said control system is configured to open a valve and actuate a heating device to influence said oil quality value of said oil.

20. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 16, wherein said conditioning system includes a primary coolant loop and a secondary coolant loop.