Automotive combination sensor

• US 9,617,928 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gates, Freeman Carter, Vroman, Dennis, Naddaf, Fadi Maroun, McRoy, Gitanjli
• Primary Examiner(s): VILAKAZI, SIZO BINDA
• Application Number:
  US13/869,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 12356811-56832
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2021/083 controlling exhaust gas recirculation electronically
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 21/08 the other gas being the exhaust gas of engine
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0052 Feedback control of engine parameters, e.g. for control of air/fuel ratio or intake air amount
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0072 Estimating, calculating or determining the EGR rate, amount or flow sensors in EGR systems F02M26/45
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Systems are provided for EGR mass and air mass estimation during steady state and transient operations. By utilizing a combination sensor comprising of a manifold absolute pressure sensing element and a differential pressure sensing element sharing a common pressure chamber with connections to the intake manifold, errors in EGR mass estimation may be reduced.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an intake manifold;

an exhaust gas recirculation passage coupled to the intake manifold with an exhaust gas recirculation valve;

a sensor housing coupled directly to the intake manifold, with an absolute pressure sensing element and a differential pressure sensing element sharing a connection to the intake manifold, the absolute and differential pressure sensing elements each mounted on a common substrate within the housing; and

an orifice positioned downstream of the exhaust gas recirculation valve, the differential pressure sensing element including a downstream sensing element and an upstream sensing element, the upstream sensing element coupled to an upstream area of the orifice through a separate connection, the shared connection including an internal manifold positioned on the common substrate within the sensor housing, the internal manifold coupling the absolute pressure sensing element and the downstream differential pressure sensing element and the internal manifold including at least one port communicating with an interior of the intake manifold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the separate connection is on an opposite side of the sensor housing as the shared connection;

wherein the internal manifold comprises a first end and a second end; and

wherein the internal manifold is coupled to the intake manifold via one or more connectors positioned offset from a center of the internal manifold between the first and the second ends, closer to the absolute pressure sensing element than the differential pressure sensing element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor housing is comprised of plastic, the intake manifold also comprised of plastic, the housing mounted to the intake manifold via a sealed port and an external fastener.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller with computer readable instructions for:

determining an exhaust gas recirculation amount based on outputs of the absolute pressure and the differential pressure sensing elements; and

determining an air flow based on the output of the absolute pressure sensing element and the exhaust gas recirculation amount.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the absolute pressure sensing element and the differential pressure sensing element share a common pressure chamber, the common pressure chamber coupled to the intake manifold on a first side of the common substrate within the sensor housing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the differential pressure sensing element is coupled to an upstream area of the exhaust gas recirculation valve through a separate connection.

7. A system, comprising:

an intake manifold;

a sensor housing coupled to the intake manifold and enclosing;

an inner manifold communicating with the intake manifold and first and second separate pressure sensing elements; and

a port coupling the second sensing element with an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system via a passage; and

a controller including instructions for controlling an EGR valve to adjust EGR flow based on output of the first and second sensing elements;

wherein each of the first and second sensing elements is positioned on a common board within the sensor housing, the sensor housing being a unitary housing mounted directly to the intake manifold,

wherein the port is positioned on an opposite side of the second sensing element from the inner manifold,

wherein the second sensing element is a differential pressure sensing element and the first sensing element is an absolute pressure sensing element, and

wherein the inner manifold is U-shaped and mounted onto a backside panel, which is mounted to the common board.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the port couples the second sensing element with the EGR system via the passage upstream of an orifice, the orifice positioned downstream of the EGR valve.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the inner manifold communicates with the intake manifold via a connection positioned between the first and second sensing elements, closer to the first sensing element than the second sensing element.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the inner manifold is curved between the first and second sensing element, the curve bending toward the intake manifold from the first and second sensing elements.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a cross-section of the inner manifold is uniform through the curve;

wherein an inner manifold housing comprises a first end and a second end;

wherein each of the first and second ends are curved and have a convex shape; and

wherein the first and the second sensing elements are positioned towards each of the first and second ends.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second sensing elements are located at opposite ends of the curve from one another;

and wherein the first and the second sensing elements are positioned at a same level with respect to the intake manifold.

13. A system comprising:

an intake manifold having a sensor housing mounted directly thereon, the sensor housing including an internal manifold communicating with an interior of the intake manifold and a first differential pressure sensing element and a second absolute pressure sensing element;

a connection between only the differential sensing element and an exhaust gas recirculation system upstream of a measuring orifice; and

a controller with non-transitory instructions stored in memory, including instructions for adjusting an exhaust gas recirculation valve responsive to outputs of each of the first and second pressure sensing elements,

wherein the first differential pressure and the second absolute pressure sensing elements are positioned on a board within the sensor housing,

wherein the controller further includes instructions for adjusting a fuel injection amount responsive to the first and second pressure sensing elements,

wherein the inner manifold is coupled on a first side of the board, and the connection is coupled on a second, opposite side of the board, and

wherein the inner manifold is curved with a first side of the curve having a concave surface and an opposite side of the curve having a corresponding convex surface;

wherein the inner manifold has two curved ends, each curved end having a convex surface and turned towards a top side of the board; and

wherein the top side of the board is opposite to a bottom side positioned closer to the intake manifold than the top side.