Aged exhaust gas oxygen sensor simulator

• US 5,522,250 A
• Filed: 04/06/1995
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Schubert, Thomas A., Korte, Edward L., Gee, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/418,227
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 73/1 G, 73/866.4, 73/118.1
• US Class Current: 73/1.07
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1495 Detection of abnormalities in the air/fuel ratio feedback system
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00

Abstract

An aged exhaust gas oxygen sensor (EGO) simulator is inserted between an exhaust gas oxygen sensor and an electronic control module for testing the response of fuel control and emission systems to various amounts of exhaust gas oxygen sensor aging/degrading. The sensor signal is input to a summing amplifier where a delay signal is added. Positive and negative summing amplifier outputs go through vernier and decade controls, which add delay, and then to a variable gain inverter. The difference signal is integrated and output to the summing amplifier as the delay signal and output to a ground offset control for shifting the waveform up and down before going out to the control module. The vernier and decade controls add delays to mimic an aged/degraded exhaust gas oxygen sensor.

Claims

1. An aged exhaust gas oxygen sensor simulator for inserting between an exhaust gas oxygen sensor and an electronic control module for testing the response of fuel control and emission systems to various levels of exhaust gas oxygen sensor degrading, comprising:

input means for receiving a sensor signal from said exhaust gas oxygen sensor;

a summing amplifier adding said sensor signal and a delay signal and producing a summed signal at its output

a variable gain inverter having an inverting input, a noninverting input and an output;

a first control means connecting said summing amplifier output to said variable gain inverter inverting input for simulating a rich to lean transition

a second control means connecting said summing amplifier output to said variable gain inverter input for simulating a lean to rich transition; and

an integrator receiving said variable gain inverter output and delivering said delay signal to said summing amplifier and said electronic control module.

2. A simulator, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first control means includes:

first, second and third resistors connected in parallel to said inverting input of said variable gain inverter; and

a switch for selectively connecting one of said first, second and third resistors to said summing amplifier.

3. A simulator, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said second resistor has a resistance value on the order of ten times greater than a resistance value of said first resistor, and said third resistor has a resistance value on the order of ten times greater than the resistance value of said second resistor.

4. A simulator, as set forth in claim 2, including fourth, fifth and sixth resistors connected in parallel to said noninverting input of said variable gain inverter, said switch grounding one of said fourth, fifth and sixth resistors in gang operation with a respective one of said first, second and third resistors.

5. A simulator, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said fourth, fifth and sixth resistors have resistance values equal to the resistance values of said first, second and third resistor, respectively.

6. A simulator, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first control means includes:

a potentiometer having a tap coupled to said variable gain inverter.

7. A simulator, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first control means includes:

first, second and third resistors connected in parallel to said inverting input of said variable gain inverter;

a potentiometer between said summing amplifier and ground and having a tap; and

a switch selectively connecting one of said first, second and third resistors to said tap.

8. A simulator, as set forth in claim 1, including a bypass switch for electrically removing said simulator from between said exhaust gas oxygen sensor and said electronic control module.

9. A simulator, as set forth in claim 1, including:

means for producing a ground offset signal; and

a second summing amplifier adding said delay signal and said ground offset signal and producing a summed output signal that mimics a degraded exhaust gas oxygen sensor.

10. A simulator, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said means for producing a ground offset signal includes a switch operable to simulate an exhaust gas oxygen sensor failure.

11. A simulator, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said means for producing a ground offset signal includes a potentiometer having a tap coupled to said second summing amplifier.

12. A simulator, as set forth in claim 1 wherein said input means matches an impedance said exhaust gas oxygen sensor signal encounters when said exhaust gas oxygen sensor is connected directly to said electronic control module to thereby prevent distortion of said sensor signal.

13. A device for simulating characteristics of a degraded exhaust gas oxygen sensor (EGO) for testing the response of fuel control and emission systems to various levels of EGO degrading, said EGO producing a sensor signal having lean-to-rich and rich-to-lean response rates, said device comprising:

input means for matching impedances of said EGO and said device and preventing distortion of said sensor signal, said input means outputting a conditioned sensor signal;

first means for adding said conditioned sensor signal and a delay signal and producing a summed signal;

a variable gain inverter having an inverting input and an output;

a first control means coupling said summed signal from said adding means to said inverting input of said variable gain inverter for adjusting said lean-to-rich and rich-to-lean response rates;

a second control means connected to said adding means and said first control means for adjusting said lean-to-rich and rich-to-lean response rates; and

an integrator connected to said output of said variable gain inverter and outputting said delay signal having lean-to-rich and rich-to-lean response rates simulating characteristics of a degraded EGO.

14. A device, as set forth in claim 13, including:

means for producing a ground offset signal; and

second means for adding said delay signal and said ground offset signal and producing a summed output signal having a leading edge and a trailing edge simulating characteristics of a degraded EGO.

15. A device, as set forth in claim 14, including a switch operable to simulate an EGO failure.

16. A device, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said device receives an input signal from said EGO and delivers an output signal, and including a bypass switch for electrically isolating said device so that said input signal from said EGO is the output signal.