Failure diagnostic apparatus and failure diagnostic method for in-tank canister system

• US 7,204,239 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iriyama, Yojiro
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, CARL STUART
• Application Number:
  US11/176,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20060016252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 123/520, 123/519, 123/518, 123/198.D, 123/516, 731/181, 731/16, 731/19.A
• US Class Current: 123/520
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0809 Judging failure of purge control system
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/10 submerged in fuel, e.g. in reservoir

Abstract

A blocking device provided in an evaporation passage is placed in an open state such that communication between an inside of a canister and an inside of a fuel tank is permitted, a negative pressure generating device provided in an atmospheric passage is operated, and a pressure in the fuel tank is detected, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank is determined. Then, the blocking device is placed in a blocking state, the negative pressure generating device operated, and a pressure in the canister is detected, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the canister is determined.

Claims

1. A failure diagnostic apparatus for an in-tank canister system, comprising:

a canister which is provided in a fuel tank;

an evaporation passage through which evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank is introduced into the canister;

an atmospheric air passage which permits communication between an inside of the canister and atmospheric air;

a purge passage through which the evaporated fuel in the canister is introduced into an intake system of an internal combustion engine;

a blocking device which can block a passage that permits communication between the inside of the canister and an outside of the canister;

a negative pressure generating device which applies a negative pressure to the inside of the canister;

a fuel tank pressure detecting device which detects a pressure in the fuel tank;

a canister pressure detecting device which detects a pressure in the canister; and

a controller which is configured to change an operation state of each of the blocking device and the negative pressure generating device to a predetermined operation state, and detect at least one of the pressure in the fuel tank and the pressure in the canister by using the fuel tank pressure detecting device and the canister pressure detecting device, thereby determining whether a failure has occurred in the at least one of the fuel tank and the canister whose pressure has been detected.

2. The failure diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller includes

a fuel tank failure diagnostic device which places the blocking device in an open state such that communication between the inside of the canister and an inside of the fuel tank is permitted, operates the negative pressure generating device such that the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, and detects a change in the pressure in the fuel tank by using the fuel tank pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, thereby determining whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank;

and

a canister failure diagnostic device which, after the fuel tank failure diagnostic device determines whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank, places the blocking device in a blocking state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is interrupted, operates the negative pressure generating device such that the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, and detects a change in the pressure in the canister by using the canister pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, thereby determining whether a failure has occurred in the canister.

3. The failure diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the controller includes a fuel tank non-failure verifying device which, before the fuel tank failure diagnostic device determines whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank, places the blocking device in the blocking state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is interrupted, stops an operation of the negative pressure generating device, and detects the pressure in the fuel tank by using the fuel tank pressure detecting device when the operation of the negative pressure generating device is stopped, thereby verifying that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank.

4. The failure diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the blocking device is a selector valve whose operation state can be changed between an open state and a closed state, and which is provided in the evaporation passage;

and the negative pressure generating device is a negative pressure pump which is provided in the atmospheric air passage.

5. A failure diagnostic method for an in-tank canister system comprising:

a first step in which a blocking device is placed in a blocking state such that communication between an inside of a canister and an inside of a fuel tank is interrupted, and an operation of a negative pressure generating device is stopped;

a second step in which a pressure in the fuel tank is detected by a fuel tank pressure detecting device when the operation of the negative pressure generating device is stopped, whereby a fuel tank non-failure verifying operation is performed;

a third step in which, when the pressure in the fuel tank is not close to atmospheric pressure, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank;

a fourth step in which, when it is determined in the fuel tank non-failure verifying operation that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank, the blocking device is placed in the blocking state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is interrupted, and the negative pressure generating device is operated such that a negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a fifth step in which a change in a pressure in the canister is detected by a canister pressure detecting device when the negative pressure generating device is operated such that the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the canister is determined;

a sixth step in which, when a speed of decrease in the pressure in the canister is higher than a predetermined canister failure determination decrease speed, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the canister; and

a seventh step in which, when the speed of decrease in the pressure in the canister is lower than the predetermined canister failure determination decrease speed, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the canister.

6. A failure diagnostic method for an in-tank canister system comprising:

a first step in which a blocking device is placed in an open state such that communication between an inside of a canister and an inside of a fuel tank is permitted, and a negative pressure generating device is operated such that a negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a second step in which a change in a pressure in the fuel tank is detected by a fuel tank pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank is determined;

a third step in which, when an amount of decrease in the pressure in the fuel tank is larger than a predetermined fuel tank failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank;

a fourth step in which, when the amount of decrease in the pressure in the fuel tank is smaller than the predetermined fuel tank failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the fuel tank;

a fifth step in which the blocking device is placed in a blocking state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is interrupted, and the negative pressure generating device is operated such that the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a sixth step in which a change in a pressure in the canister is detected by a canister pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the canister is determined;

a seventh step in which, in a case where it is determined in the second step, for determining whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank, that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank, when it is determined in the sixth step, for determining whether a failure has occurred in the canister, that a speed of decrease in the pressure in the canister is higher than a predetermined canister failure determination decrease speed, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the canister; and

an eighth step in which, when the speed of decrease in the pressure in the canister is lower than the predetermined canister failure determination decrease speed, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the canister.

7. A failure diagnostic method for an in-tank canister system comprising:

a first step in which a blocking device is placed in an open state such that communication between an inside of a canister and an inside of a fuel tank is permitted, and a negative pressure generating device is operated such that a negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a second step in which a change in a pressure in the fuel tank is detected by a fuel tank pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank is determined;

a third step in which, when an amount of decrease in the pressure in the fuel tank is larger than a predetermined fuel tank failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank;

a fourth step in which, when the amount of decrease in the pressure in the fuel tank is smaller than the predetermined fuel tank failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the fuel tank;

a fifth step in which the blocking device is placed in a blocking state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is interrupted, and the negative pressure generating device is operated such that the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a sixth step in which a change in a pressure in the canister is detected by a canister pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister in the fifth step, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the canister is determined;

a seventh step in which, in a case where it is determined in the second step, for determining whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank, that a failure has occurred in the fuel tank, when it is determined in the sixth step, for determining whether a failure has occurred in the canister, that an amount of decrease in the pressure in the canister is larger than a predetermined canister failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the canister; and

an eighth step in which, when it is determined in the seventh step that the amount of decrease in the pressure in the canister is smaller than the predetermined canister failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the canister.

8. A failure diagnostic method for an in-tank canister system comprising:

a first step in which a blocking device is placed in a blocking state such that communication between an inside of a canister and an inside of a fuel tank is interrupted, and an operation of a negative pressure generating device is stopped;

a second step in which a pressure in the fuel tank is detected by a fuel tank pressure detecting device when the operation of the negative pressure generating device is stopped in the first step, whereby a fuel tank non-failure verifying operation is performed;

a third step in which, when the pressure in the fuel tank is not close to atmospheric pressure, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank;

a fourth step in which, in a case where it is determined in the fuel tank non-failure verifying operation in the second step that the pressure in the fuel tank is close to atmospheric pressure, the blocking device is placed in an open state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is permitted, and the negative pressure generating device is operated such that a negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a fifth step in which a change the pressure in the fuel tank is detected by the fuel tank pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister in the fourth step, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the fuel tank is determined;

a sixth step in which, when an amount of decrease in the pressure in the fuel tank is larger than a predetermined fuel tank failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank;

a seventh step in which, when the amount of decrease in the pressure in the fuel tank is smaller than the predetermined fuel tank failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the fuel tank;

an eighth step in which, when it is determined in the sixth step that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank, or after the fuel tank non-failure verifying operation is performed in the second step, the blocking device is placed in the blocking state such that communication between the inside of the canister and the inside of the fuel tank is interrupted, and the negative pressure generating device is operated such that the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister;

a ninth step in which a change in a pressure in the canister is detected by a canister pressure detecting device when the negative pressure is applied to the inside of the canister in the eighth step, whereby whether a failure has occurred in the canister is determined;

a tenth step in which, in a case where it is determined in the fuel tank-non failure verifying operation in the second step and the fifth step that a failure has not occurred in the fuel tank, when it is determined in the ninth step, for determining whether a failure has occurred in the canister, that a speed of decrease in the pressure in the canister is higher than a predetermined canister failure determination decrease speed, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the canister;

an eleventh step in which, when the speed of decrease in the pressure in the canister is lower than the predetermined canister failure determination decrease speed, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the canister;

a twelfth step in which, in a case where it is determined in the fuel tank non-failure verifying operation in the fifth step that a failure has occurred in the fuel tank, when it is determined in the ninth step, for determining whether a failure has occurred in the canister, that an amount of decrease in the pressure in the canister is larger than a predetermined canister failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has not occurred in the canister; and

a thirteenth step in which, when the amount of decrease in the pressure in the canister is smaller than the predetermined canister failure determination decrease amount, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the canister.

9. A failure diagnostic apparatus for an in-tank canister system, comprising;

a canister provided in a fuel tank;

an evaporation passage through which evaporated fuel generated in the fuel tank is introduced into the canister;

an atmospheric air passage for permitting communication between an inside of the canister and atmospheric air;

a purge passage through which the evaporated fuel in the canister is introduced into an intake system of an internal combustion engine;

blocking means capable of blocking a passage that permits communication between the inside of the canister and an outside of the canister;

negative pressure generating means for applying a negative pressure to the inside of the canister;

fuel tank pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the fuel tank;

canister pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the canister; and

control means for changing an operation state of each of the blocking means and the negative pressure generating means to a predetermined operation state, and for detecting at least one of the pressure in the fuel tank and the pressure in the canister by using the fuel tank pressure detecting means and the canister pressure detecting means, thereby determining whether a failure has occurred in the at least one of the fuel tank and the canister whose pressure has been detected.