Systems and methods for dispensing oil and fuel additives

• US 8,468,982 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Johnson, Eric R., Schneider, Eric W., Olree, Robert M., Snider, Matthew J., Linden, James L., Kemp, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMAOUI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/534,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 701/101, 123/1.A, 700/283
• US Class Current: 123/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 9/02 having means for introducing additives to lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/12 peculiar to engines working with non-fuel substances or with anti-knock agents, e.g. with anti-knock fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/00 Engine-pertinent apparatus for adding non-fuel substances or small quantities of secondary fuel to combustion-air, main fuel or fuel-air mixture adding secondary air to fuel-air mixture F02M23/00; adding exhaust gases F02M26/00; fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels or on a liquid fuel and another liquid F02M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0064 for engines being fed with multiple fuels or fuels having special properties, e.g. bio-fuels; varying the fuel composition controlling engines working with pluralities of fuels F02D19/06
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 63/0225 Fuel-injection apparatus having a common rail feeding several injectors F02M63/0003 takes precedence; Means for varying pressure in common rails; Pumps feeding common rails
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An engine system includes a concentration determination module and an additive dispensing module. The concentration determination module determines an amount of an additive in at least one of an oil system of an engine and a fuel system of the engine. The additive dispensing module dispenses a supplemental additive into at least one of the oil system and the fuel system when the amount of the additive is less than or equal to a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. An engine system of a vehicle, comprising:

a concentration determination module that determines an amount of an additive in one of oil in an oil system of an engine and fuel in a fuel system of the engine based on user input, an amount of the additive stored in an additive container, and a level of the one of the oil and the fuel; and

an additive dispensing module that dispenses supplemental additive from the additive container into the one of the oil system and the fuel system when the amount of the additive is less than or equal to a predetermined amount.

2. The engine system of claim 1, wherein when the supplemental additive is dispensed into the oil system, the supplemental additive includes at least one of an antioxidant additive, a friction modifier additive, a dispersant additive, an anti-foam additive, and a detergent additive.

3. The engine system of claim 1, wherein when the supplemental additive is dispensed into the fuel system, the supplemental additive includes at least one of an additive that modifies a temperature and rate of combustion in the engine, an additive that controls fuel deposits in combustion chambers of the engine, and an additive that inhibits corrosion of the fuel system.

4. The engine system of claim 1 further comprising an additive container and a valve, wherein the additive container includes the supplemental additive, and wherein the valve isolates the supplemental additive in the additive container from the one of the oil in the oil system and the fuel in the fuel system.

5. The engine system of claim 4, wherein the additive dispensing module actuates the valve to dispense the supplemental additive into the one of the oil in the oil system and the fuel in the fuel system.

6. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the additive dispensing module actuates the valve to dispense the supplemental additive into one of an oil filter of the oil system and a fuel filter of the fuel system.

17. The engine system of claim 1 further comprising a mileage determination module that determines a first amount of the additive depleted based on a distance of operation of the vehicle after addition of the additive,

wherein the concentration determination module updates the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the first amount.

18. The engine system of claim 1 further comprising a timing determination module that determines a second amount of the additive depleted based on a period of operation of the engine after addition of the additive,

wherein the concentration determination module updates the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the second amount.

19. The engine system of claim 1 further comprising a combustion determination module that determines a third amount of the additive depleted based on a number of combustion events of the engine after addition of the additive,

wherein the concentration determination module updates the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the third amount.

20. The engine system of claim 1 further comprising:

a mileage determination module that determines a first amount of the additive depleted based on a distance of operation of the vehicle after addition of the additive;

a timing determination module that determines a second amount of the additive depleted based on a period of operation of the engine after addition of the additive; and

a combustion determination module that determines a third amount of the additive depleted based on a number of combustion events of the engine after addition of the additive,

wherein the concentration determination module updates the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the first amount, the second amount, and the third amount.

7. A method for a vehicle, comprising:

determining, by a concentration determination module, an amount of an additive in one of oil in an oil system of an engine and fuel in a fuel system of the engine based on user input, an amount of the additive stored in an additive container, and a level of the one of the oil and the fuel; and

dispensing, by an additive dispensing module, supplemental additive from the additive container into at least the one of the oil system and the fuel system when the amount of the additive is less than or equal to a predetermined amount.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the supplemental additive includes at least one of an antioxidant additive, a friction modifier additive, a dispersant additive, an anti-foam additive, and a detergent additive when dispensing the supplemental additive into the oil system.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the supplemental additive includes an additive for at least one of modifying a temperature and rate of combustion in the engine, an additive for controlling fuel deposits in combustion chambers of the engine, and an additive for inhibiting corrosion of the fuel system.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

storing the supplemental additive in an additive container; and

isolating the supplemental additive in the additive container from the one of oil in the oil system and the fuel in the fuel system using a valve.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising actuating the valve to dispense the supplemental additive into the one of the oil in the oil system and the fuel in the fuel system.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising actuating the valve to dispense the supplemental additive into one of an oil filter of the oil system and a fuel filter of the fuel system.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining a first amount of the additive depleted based on a distance of operation of the vehicle after addition of the additive; and

updating the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the first amount.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining a second amount of the additive depleted based on a period of operation of the engine after addition of the additive; and

updating the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the second amount.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining a third amount of the additive depleted based on a number of combustion events of the engine after addition of the additive; and

updating the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the third amount.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining a first amount of the additive depleted based on a distance of operation of the vehicle after addition of the additive;

determining a second amount of the additive depleted based on a period of operation of the engine after the addition of the additive;

determining a third amount of the additive depleted based on a number of combustion events of the engine after the addition of the additive; and

updating the amount of the additive in the one of the oil and the fuel based on the first amount, the second amount, and the third amount.