System and method for controlling vehicle operation in response to fuel vapor purging

• US 7,497,198 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Surnilla, Gopichandra, Leone, Thomas, Phillips, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin; Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLEMAN, KEITH A
• Application Number:
  US11/370,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 123/295, 123/3, 12356811-56819, 123/672, 123/676, 180 652- 658, 701/108
• US Class Current: 123/295
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0619 Air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0685 Engine crank angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0622 Air-fuel ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0827 by monitoring engine running conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle propulsion system, comprising of an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to selectively operate in one of a plurality of combustion modes, wherein a first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and a second combustion mode is a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode, an energy storage device configured to store energy, a motor configured to absorb at least a portion of an output produced by the engine and convert said absorbed engine output to energy storable by the energy storage device and wherein the motor is further configured to produce a motor output, a fuel tank vapor purging system coupled to the engine, and a controller configured to vary fuel vapors supplied to the engine during different combustion modes of the engine.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle propulsion system, comprising:

an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to selectively operate in one of a plurality of combustion modes, wherein a first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and a second combustion mode is a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode;

an energy storage device configured to store energy;

a motor configured to absorb at least a portion of an output produced by the engine and convert said absorbed engine output to energy storable by the energy storage device and wherein the motor is further configured to produce a motor output;

a fuel tank vapor purging system coupled to the engine; and

a controller configured to vary fuel vapors supplied to the engine during different combustion modes of the engine.

2. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to vary fuel vapors by varying at least one of the amount and concentration of the fuel vapors.

3. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to vary by varying timing of fuel vapor purging.

4. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to vary fuel vapors in response to an operation of the motor.

5. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to vary fuel vapors in response to a number of activated combustion cylinders.

6. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to vary fuel vapors in response to a condition of the energy storage device.

7. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to transition the engine to the spark ignition mode prior to purging fuel vapors.

8. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to begin purging fuel vapors prior to transitioning the cylinder to the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode.

9. A hybrid vehicle propulsion system, comprising:

an engine having at least one combustion cylinder configured to selectively operate in one of a plurality of combustion modes, wherein a first combustion mode is a spark ignition mode and a second combustion mode is a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode;

an energy storage device configured to store energy;

a motor configured to absorb at least a portion of an output produced by the engine and convert said absorbed engine output to energy storable by the energy storage device and wherein the motor is further configured to produce a motor output;

a fuel tank vapor purging system coupled to the engine; and

a controller configured to vary the combustion mode of the engine in response to a condition of fuel vapors supplied to the engine.

10. The hybrid vehicle propulsion system of claim 9, wherein said condition of fuel vapors includes at least one of a concentration, an amount, a time and a temperature.

11. The propulsion system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further configured to vary the number of activated combustion cylinders in response to a condition of fuel vapors supplied to the engine.

12. The propulsion system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further configured to an operation of the motor in response to a condition of fuel vapors supplied to the engine.

13. The propulsion system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further configured to increase an amount of fuel vapors supplied to the engine prior to operating the cylinder in the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode.

14. The propulsion system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further configured to operate the cylinder in the spark ignition mode prior to increasing the amount of fuel vapors supplied to the engine.

15. A method of operating an internal combustion engine having at least one combustion cylinder and a fuel tank configured with a fuel vapor purging system, wherein said at least one combustion cylinder is configured to achieve combustion by spark ignition and homogeneous charge compression ignition, wherein the engine is configured to produce an engine output, the method comprising:

performing combustion in said at least one combustion cylinder by spark ignition;

supplying fuel vapors to said at least one combustion cylinder during said spark ignition combustion;

adjusting a fuel injection amount into said at least one combustion cylinder during said supplying of fuel vapors to said at least one combustion cylinder; and

after said adjusting, performing combustion in said at least one combustion cylinder by homogeneous charge compression ignition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said adjusting is performed in response to an output of an exhaust gas oxygen sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting a condition of the engine in response to said output of the exhaust gas oxygen sensor during said performing combustion by homogeneous charge compression ignition.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein during said supplying fuel vapors, a motor coupled to the engine is operated to absorb a portion of the engine output in response to fluctuation of the engine output.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein during said supplying fuel vapors, a motor coupled to the engine is operated to supply a motor output in response to fluctuation of the engine output.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said adjusting of a fuel injection amount includes reducing the amount of fuel delivered to said at least one combustion cylinder.