Oil life monitoring system for a diesel engine

• US 7,614,284 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Barkman, Richard A., Stockwell, Robert T., Quigley, David P., Andrasko, Steven J., Snider, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEVITO, ALEX T
• Application Number:
  US11/650,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 73/530.5, 73/10, 250/301
• US Class Current: 73/53.05
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/14 for indicating the necessity to change the oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/148 by considering viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

An oil life monitoring system for a diesel engine system includes a viscosity loss module, a viscosity gain module, and a remaining oil life module. The viscosity loss module determines a percentage of viscosity loss of engine oil based on fuel accumulation in the engine oil. The viscosity gain module determines a percentage of viscosity gain of engine oil based on fuel evaporation and/or soot accumulation in the engine oil. The remaining oil life module communicates with the viscosity loss module and the viscosity gain module and determines a percentage of oil life remaining based on the percentage of viscosity loss and/or the percentage of viscosity gain.

Claims

1. An oil life monitoring system for a diesel engine system, comprising:

a viscosity loss module that determines a percentage of viscosity loss of engine oil based on a post-combustion injection quantity and a post-combustion injection time wherein the post-combustion injection quantity is expelled during an exhaust stroke;

a viscosity gain module that determines a percentage of viscosity gain of engine oil based on at least one of fuel evaporation and soot accumulation in said engine oil; and

a remaining oil life module that communicates with said viscosity loss module and said viscosity gain module and that determines a percentage of oil life remaining based on at least one of said percentage of viscosity loss and said percentage of viscosity gain.

2. The oil life monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said viscosity loss occurs due to fuel accumulation caused by said post-combustion injection quantity and said post-combustion injection time when the diesel engine system is regenerating a diesel particulate filter.

3. The oil life monitoring system of claim 2 wherein said percentage of viscosity loss is based on a rate of viscosity loss.

4. The oil life monitoring system of claim 3 wherein said rate of viscosity loss is based on a viscosity loss factor.

5. The oil life monitoring system of claim 4 wherein said viscosity loss factor is based on an engine speed and an engine torque.

6. The oil life monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said viscosity gain occurs when the diesel engine system is not regenerating a diesel particulate filter.

7. The oil life monitoring system of claim 6 wherein said percentage of viscosity gain is based on a rate of viscosity gain.

8. The oil life monitoring system of claim 7 wherein said rate of viscosity gain is based on a viscosity gain due to soot in engine oil and a viscosity gain due to engine oil temperature.

9. The oil life monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said percentage of oil life remaining is stored in memory.

10. The oil life monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said remaining life oil module displays said percentage of oil life remaining when said percentage of oil life remaining is decreasing.

11. A method to monitor oil life of a diesel engine system, comprising:

determining a percentage of viscosity loss of engine oil based on a post-combustion injection quantity and a post-combustion injection time wherein the post-combustion injection quantity is expelled during an exhaust stroke;

determining a percentage of viscosity gain of engine oil based on at least one of fuel evaporation and soot accumulation in said engine oil; and

determining a percentage of oil life remaining based on at least one of said percentage of viscosity loss and said percentage of viscosity gain.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said viscosity loss occurs due to fuel accumulation caused by said post-combustion injection quantity and said post-combustion injection time when the diesel engine system is regenerating a diesel particulate filter.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining said percentage of viscosity loss based on a rate of viscosity loss.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining said rate of viscosity loss based on a viscosity loss factor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining said viscosity loss factor based on an engine speed and an engine torque.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said viscosity gain occurs when the diesel engine system is not regenerating a diesel particulate filter.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining said percentage of viscosity gain based on a rate of viscosity gain.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining said rate of viscosity gain based on a viscosity gain due to soot in engine oil and a viscosity gain due to engine oil temperature.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing said percentage of oil life remaining in memory.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying said percentage of oil life remaining when said percentage of oil life remaining is decreasing.