Diagnostic method and device for diagnosing an intake system of an internal combustion engine

• US 8,353,198 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Burkhardt, Thomas, Dingl, Jrgen
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US12/600,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 73/47, 73/497, 731/143.1, 731/143.2, 731/143.3, 731/143.7
• US Class Current: 73/47
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/18 by bypassing exhaust from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/16 Other safety measures for, or other control of, pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An internal combustion engine has an intake system (1) and an exhaust gas system (4). An exhaust turbocharger of the internal combustion engine has a compressor (42) arranged in the intake system (1) and a turbine (48) arranged in the exhaust gas system (4) of the internal combustion engine for driving the compressor (42). In order to diagnose the intake system (1), a charge pressure (PHS_AIC_DOWN) of the compressor (42) is determined in a predetermined operating state of the internal combustion engine. A leakage of the intake system (1) downstream of the compressor (42) is recognized if the determined charge pressure (PHS_AIC_DOWN) is lower than the predetermined base charge pressure (PUT_BAS) in the predetermined operating state.

Claims

1. A diagnostic method for performing diagnostics on the intake tract of an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas turbocharger comprising a compressor disposed in the intake tract and a turbine disposed in an exhaust tract of the internal combustion engine for the purpose of driving said compressor, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a boost pressure of the compressor in a predefined operating state of the internal combustion engine,

comparing the determined boost pressure to a predefined base boost pressure in the predefined operating state, and

detecting a leak in the intake tract downstream of the compressor in response to determining that the determined boost pressure is less than the predefined base boost pressure in the predefined operating state.

2. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust tract incorporates a turbine bypass with a turbine bypass valve by means of which exhaust gas can be diverted round the turbine as a function of a degree of opening of the turbine bypass valve, and wherein the predefined operating state of the internal combustion engine is brought about by predefined actuation of a valve positioner for adjusting the position of the turbine bypass valve and by opening of the throttle valve.

3. The diagnostic method according to claim 2, wherein

a degree of opening of the turbine bypass valve depends on a balance of forces which results from an opening first force which the exhaust gas exerts on the turbine bypass valve, from a closing second force which a pressure capsule spring exerts on a pressure capsule transfer port or on a diaphragm mounted thereon which separates an ambient pressure volume from an input pressure volume inside the valve positioner, and from an opening third force which is produced by a pressure difference between an ambient pressure in the ambient pressure volume and an input pressure in the input pressure volume,

during the predefined actuation of the valve positioner the boost pressure is applied to the input pressure volume.

4. The diagnostic method according to claim 1, wherein the boost pressure and the base boost pressure are normalized to an ambient pressure and wherein the leak in the intake tract is detected on the basis of a comparison of the normalized boost pressure with the normalized base boost pressure.

5. A device for performing diagnostics on the intake tract of an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas turbocharger comprising a compressor disposed in the intake tract and a turbine disposed in an exhaust tract of the internal combustion engine for the purpose of driving said compressor,

wherein the device is operable:

to determine a boost pressure of the compressor in a predefined operating state of the internal combustion engine, and

to compare the determined boost pressure to a predefined base boost pressure in the predefined operating state, and

to detect a leak in the intake tract downstream of the compressor in response to determining that the determined boost pressure is less than the predefined base boost pressure in the predefined operating state.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the exhaust tract incorporates a turbine bypass with a turbine bypass valve by means of which exhaust gas can be diverted round the turbine as a function of a degree of opening of the turbine bypass valve, and wherein the predefined operating state of the internal combustion engine is brought about by predefined actuation of a valve positioner for adjusting the position of the turbine bypass valve and by opening of the throttle valve.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein a degree of opening of the turbine bypass valve depends on a balance of forces which results from an opening first force which the exhaust gas exerts on the turbine bypass valve, from a closing second force which a pressure capsule spring exerts on a pressure capsule transfer port or on a diaphragm mounted thereon which separates an ambient pressure volume from an input pressure volume inside the valve positioner, and from an opening third force which is produced by a pressure difference between an ambient pressure in the ambient pressure volume and an input pressure in the input pressure volume,

during the predefined actuation of the valve positioner the boost pressure is applied to the input pressure volume.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the boost pressure and the base boost pressure are normalized to an ambient pressure and wherein the leak in the intake tract is detected on the basis of a comparison of the normalized boost pressure with the normalized base boost pressure.

9. A device for performing diagnostics on the intake tract of an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas turbocharger comprising a compressor disposed in the intake tract, a turbine disposed in an exhaust tract of the internal combustion engine for the purpose of driving said compressor, and a pressure sensor determining a boost pressure of the compressor in a predefined operating state of the internal combustion engine,

wherein the device is operable to:

comparing the boost pressure determined by the pressure sensor to a predefined base boost pressure in the predefined operating state, and

detect a leak in the intake tract downstream of the compressor in response to determining that the boost pressure determined by the pressure sensor is less than the predefined base boost pressure in the predefined operating state.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the exhaust tract incorporates a turbine bypass with a turbine bypass valve by means of which exhaust gas can be diverted round the turbine as a function of a degree of opening of the turbine bypass valve, and wherein the predefined operating state of the internal combustion engine is brought about by predefined actuation of a valve positioner for adjusting the position of the turbine bypass valve and by opening of the throttle valve.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein a degree of opening of the turbine bypass valve depends on a balance of forces which results from an opening first force which the exhaust gas exerts on the turbine bypass valve, from a closing second force which a pressure capsule spring exerts on a pressure capsule transfer port or on a diaphragm mounted thereon which separates an ambient pressure volume from an input pressure volume inside the valve positioner, and from an opening third force which is produced by a pressure difference between an ambient pressure in the ambient pressure volume and an input pressure in the input pressure volume,

during the predefined actuation of the valve positioner the boost pressure is applied to the input pressure volume.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the boost pressure and the base boost pressure are normalized to an ambient pressure and wherein the leak in the intake tract is detected on the basis of a comparison of the normalized boost pressure with the normalized base boost pressure.