Automatic engine oil life determination with a factor for degradation based on an initial volume of oil

• US 8,234,915 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Schneider, Eric W., Snider, Matthew J., Staley, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kirkland, III, Freddie
• Application Number:
  US12/857,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20120042717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 731/145.5, 731/145.6
• US Class Current: 73/114.55
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 1/18 Indicating or safety devices concerning lubricant level F01M11/06, F01M11/12
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/14 for indicating the necessity to change the oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/1486 by considering duration of operation

Abstract

A method is provided for determining remaining oil life prior to an oil change in an internal combustion engine that has a sump and uses a body of oil. The method includes transferring the body of oil to the engine and determining a volume of the transferred body of oil. The method also includes determining degradation of the determined volume of oil in response to oxidation and/or decomposition. The method additionally includes determining the remaining oil life based on the determined volume and degradation of the transferred body of oil. Furthermore, the method includes activating an oil change indicator when the remaining oil life reaches a predetermined level. A system for determining a number of engine revolutions permitted on a volume of oil is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for determining remaining oil life prior to an oil change in an internal combustion engine that uses a body of oil, the method comprising:

transferring the body of oil to a sump of the engine;

determining a volume of the body of oil transferred to the sump;

determining a degradation of the determined volume of the body of oil in response to at least one of oxidation and decomposition, wherein the determined degradation is used to determine a mathematical exponential function;

determining the remaining oil life based on the determined volume and degradation of the body of oil, wherein the remaining oil life is determined via a mathematical relationship employing the exponential function to proportionally reduce the determined remaining oil life; and

activating an oil change indicator when the remaining oil life reaches a predetermined level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising resetting the oil change indicator to represent 100% of oil life remaining following the oil change.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said determining a volume of the body of oil transferred to the sump, said determining a degradation of the determined volume of oil, said determining the remaining oil life, and said activating and said resetting the oil change indicator is accomplished via a controller arranged relative to the engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a volume of the body of oil transferred to the sump includes determining a level of oil in the sump.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining a level of oil in the sump is accomplished via a sensor arranged on the engine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the remaining oil life includes determining a number of revolutions for each combustion event of the engine, and further includes determining a number of combustion events permitted using the determined volume of the body of oil transferred to the sump and the determined volume of a body of oil remaining in the sump from the transferred body of oil when the engine is running.

7. A system for determining remaining oil life prior to an oil change in an internal combustion engine that uses a body of oil, the system comprising:

an oil sump arranged on the engine to accept the body of oil;

a sensor arranged on the engine and configured to generate a signal indicative of a volume of the body of oil in the sump; and

a controller in communication with the sensor and programmed to determine the remaining oil life based on the generated signal and a determined degradation of the body of oil in the sump;

wherein;

the degradation of the determined volume of the body of oil is determined in response to at least one of oxidation and decomposition of the body of oil in the sump;

the determined degradation is used to determine a mathematical exponential function; and

the remaining oil life is determined via a mathematical relationship employing the exponential function to proportionally reduce the determined remaining oil life.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an oil change indicator, wherein the controller is configured to activate the oil change indicator when the remaining oil life reaches a predetermined level.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the oil change indicator is reset to represent 100% of oil life remaining following the oil change.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is programmed with a number of revolutions for each combustion event of the engine, and the controller additionally determines the remaining oil life based on the number of revolutions for each combustion event of the engine.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the signal indicative of a volume of the body of oil in the sump is indicative of a level of the body of oil in the sump, and the controller determines the volume based on the level.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is programmed with a number of combustion events permitted per the volume of the body of oil in the sump, and the controller additionally determines the remaining oil life based on the number of combustion events.

13. A method for determining a number of engine revolutions permitted prior to an oil change in an internal combustion engine using a body of oil and having an oil sump, the method comprising:

transferring the body of oil to the sump;

determining a volume of the body of oil transferred to the sump;

determining a degradation of the determined volume of the body of oil in response to at least one of oxidation and decomposition, wherein the determined degradation is used to determine a mathematical exponential function;

determining the number of engine revolutions based on the determined volume and degradation of the body of oil, wherein the number of engine revolutions is determined via a mathematical relationship employing the exponential function to proportionally reduce the determined number of engine revolutions; and

activating an oil change indicator when the number of engine revolutions reaches a predetermined level.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising resetting the oil change indicator to represent 100% of oil life remaining following the oil change.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of said determining a volume of the body of oil transferred to the sump, determining a degradation of the determined volume of oil in response to oxidation, said determining a number of engine revolutions, and said activating and said resetting the oil change indicator is accomplished via a controller arranged relative to the engine.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining a volume of the transferred body of oil includes determining a level of oil in the sump.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said determining a level of oil in the sump is accomplished via a sensor arranged on the engine.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining a number of engine revolutions includes determining a number of revolutions for each combustion event of the engine, and further includes determining a number of combustion events permitted using the determined volume of the body of oil.