Fuel vapor purging diagnostics

• US 7,900,608 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bohr, Scott, Peters, Mark William, Shimon, Richard, Jentz, Robert Roy, Pursifull, Ross Dykstra
• Primary Examiner(s): Moulis; Thomas N
• Application Number:
  US12/900,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 152 Days
• Field of Search: 123/516, 123518-520, 731/143.1, 731/143.3, 731/143.9
• US Class Current: 123/518
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring reverse flow of fuel vapors and/or air through a vehicle fuel vapor recovery system, said fuel vapor recovery system coupled to an engine intake of a boosted internal combustion engine. One example method comprises, during boost, when the fuel vapor recovery system is commanded to be sealed from the intake, indicating degradation based on a pressure value at a venturi in the fuel vapor recovery system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring reverse flow of fuel vapors and/or air through a vehicle fuel vapor recovery system, said fuel vapor recovery system coupled to an engine intake of a boosted internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

during boost, when the fuel vapor recovery system is commanded to be sealed from the intake, indicating degradation based on a pressure value at a venturi in the fuel vapor recovery system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel vapor recovery system includes a canister purge valve coupled between a fuel vapor canister and the engine intake, the canister purge valve adjusting flow from the fuel vapor recovery system to the engine intake, and wherein commanding the fuel vapor recovery system to be sealed from the intake includes commanding the canister purge valve to be closed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein indicating degradation based on the pressure value includes indicating degradation when the pressure value is greater than a threshold, the threshold adjusted responsive to a boost pressure.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the pressure value includes a fuel vapor recovery system pressure, the fuel vapor recovery system pressure estimated by a fuel tank pressure transducer coupled to a mouth of the venturi, the fuel tank pressure transducer coupled between the engine intake and a fuel tank.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the pressure value includes an absolute pressure difference between a first pressure value estimated before sealing the system from the intake and a second pressure value estimated after sealing the system from the intake.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the pressure value includes a rate of pressure change.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein indicating degradation further comprises setting a diagnostic code, the method further comprising disabling boost responsive to the indication of degradation.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the fuel vapor recovery system includes a tank isolation valve coupled between the fuel vapor canister and a fuel tank, the method further comprising commanding the tank isolation valve to be closed.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein indicating degradation based on the pressure value includes indicating degradation when the pressure value is lower than a threshold, the threshold adjusted responsive to a boost pressure, and wherein the pressure value includes an actual pressure difference between a first pressure value estimated before sealing the system from the intake and a second pressure value estimated after sealing the system from the intake.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the fuel vapor recovery system is coupled to the atmosphere via a vent, the method further comprising, commanding the fuel vapor recovery system to be sealed from the atmosphere.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fuel vapor recovery system further includes a canister vent valve in the vent, wherein commanding the fuel vapor recovery system to be sealed from the atmosphere includes commanding the canister vent valve to be closed.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating degradation based on a pressure value at the venturi in the fuel vapor recovery system includes, determining a presence and direction of flow at the venturi based on the pressure value at the venturi, and indicating degradation based on the presence of a reverse flow at the venturi.

9. A system, comprising:

an engine comprising an intake;

a boosting device with a compressor configured to provide a boost to the engine intake;

a fuel vapor recovery system coupled to the engine intake, said fuel vapor recovery system including a pressure transducer coupled to a venturi, a fuel vapor canister, a canister purge valve, a check valve, and a canister vent valve; and

a control system configured to,

command the fuel vapor recovery system to be at least partially un-sealed from the intake during at least a boosted condition; and

indicate degradation of the check valve based on the pressure transducer.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the canister vent valve is positioned in a vent that couples the fuel vapor recovery system to the atmosphere, and wherein the pressure transducer is positioned between the fuel vapor canister and the canister vent valve.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein commanding the fuel vapor recovery system to be at least partially un-sealed from the intake includes commanding the canister purge valve to be at least partially open.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein indicating degradation based on the pressure transducer includes indicating degradation when a pressure difference between a pressure value estimated by the pressure transducer and a barometric pressure is greater than a threshold, the threshold adjusted responsive to a boost pressure.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein indicating degradation further comprises setting a diagnostic code, the control system further configured to disable boost responsive to the indication of degradation.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the fuel vapor recovery system further includes a tank isolation valve coupled between the fuel vapor canister and a fuel tank, and wherein the control system is further configured to command the tank isolation valve to be closed.

22. The system of claim 9, wherein the canister purge valve is positioned in a purge line that couples the fuel vapor recovery system to the engine intake, and wherein the pressure transducer is positioned between the fuel vapor canister and the canister purge valve.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein indicating degradation based on the pressure transducer includes indicating degradation when a pressure difference between a pressure value estimated by the pressure transducer and an engine intake manifold pressure is greater than a threshold, the threshold adjusted responsive to a boost pressure.

15. A method of monitoring reverse flow of fuel vapors and/or air through a vehicle fuel vapor recovery system coupled to a boosted engine intake, the fuel vapor recovery system including a fuel tank pressure transducer coupled to a venturi, comprising:

during boost, when the fuel vapor recovery system is commanded to be sealed from the intake, indicating degradation based on a presence of a flow through the venturi of the fuel vapor recovery system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the fuel vapor recovery system includes a canister purge valve coupled between a fuel vapor canister and the engine intake, the canister purge valve adjusting flow between the fuel vapor recovery system and the engine intake, and wherein commanding the fuel vapor recovery system to be sealed from the intake includes commanding the canister purge valve to be closed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein indicating degradation based on the presence of a flow includes indicating degradation based on a pressure value estimated by the pressure transducer in the fuel vapor recovery system being lower than a threshold.

24. A system, comprising:

an engine comprising an intake;

a boosting device with a compressor configured to provide a boost to the engine intake;

a fuel vapor recovery system coupled to the engine intake, said fuel vapor recovery system including a pressure transducer coupled to a venturi, a fuel vapor canister, a canister purge valve, and a canister vent valve; and

a control system configured to,

command the fuel vapor recovery system to be sealed from the intake during at least a boosted condition; and

indicate degradation of the canister purge valve based on the pressure transducer.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein commanding the fuel vapor recovery system to be at sealed from the intake includes commanding the canister purge valve to be closed.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the canister vent valve is positioned in a vent that couples the fuel vapor recovery system to the atmosphere, and wherein the pressure transducer is positioned between the fuel vapor canister and the canister vent valve.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein indicating degradation based on the pressure transducer includes indicating degradation when a pressure difference between a pressure value estimated by the pressure transducer and a barometric pressure is greater than a threshold, the threshold adjusted responsive to a boost pressure.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the canister purge valve is positioned in a purge line that couples the fuel vapor recovery system to the engine intake, and wherein the pressure transducer is positioned between the fuel vapor canister and the canister purge valve.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein indicating degradation based on the pressure transducer includes indicating degradation when a pressure difference between a pressure value estimated by the pressure transducer and an engine intake manifold pressure is greater than a threshold, the threshold adjusted responsive to a boost pressure.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein indicating degradation further comprises setting a diagnostic code, the control system further configured to disable boost responsive to the indication of degradation.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the fuel vapor recovery system further includes a tank isolation valve coupled between the fuel vapor canister and a fuel tank, and wherein the control system is further configured to command the tank isolation valve to be closed.