Engine diagnostic system and an associated method thereof

• US 9,617,940 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Klingbeil, Adam Edgar, Dillen, Eric Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): DALLO, JOSEPH J
• Application Number:
  US14/459,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 7311425, 7311422, 7311402, 7311406, 7311407, 7311445, 7311448, 7311471
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/061 by controlling fuel injectors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0623 Failure diagnosis or prevention; Safety measures; Testing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0692 Arrangement of multiple injectors per combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/027 using knock sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1446 the characteristics being exhaust temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/221 relating to the failure of actuators or electrically driven elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3005 Details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A method involves controlling a fuel injector to inject a first quantity of a fuel into a cylinder from a plurality of cylinders, of an engine and detecting a first value of a parameter associated with the engine. The method further involves controlling the fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the fuel different from the first quantity of the fuel, into the cylinder of the engine and detecting a second value of the parameter associated with the engine. The method also involves comparing the first value with the second value and detecting a hardware anomaly associated with the engine based on the comparison of the first value with the second value.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling a fuel injector to inject a first quantity of a fuel into a cylinder of a plurality of cylinders, of an engine;

detecting a first value of a parameter associated with the engine;

controlling the fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the fuel different from the first quantity of the fuel, into the cylinder of the engine;

detecting a second value of the parameter associated with the engine;

comparing the detected first value with the detected second value; and

detecting a hardware anomaly associated with the engine based on the comparison of the detected first value with the detected second value, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of an exhaust gas temperature, an amount of exhaust emissions, and an injection duration for a remaining number of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises the exhaust gas temperature and the hardware anomaly comprises an exhaust gas temperature sensor anomaly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises the amount of exhaust emissions and the hardware anomaly comprises an exhaust emission sensor anomaly.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises the injection duration for a remaining number of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders and the hardware anomaly comprises a fuel injector anomaly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel comprises a first fuel, the engine comprises a dual fuel engine, and the fuel injector comprises a first fuel injector.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

controlling the first fuel injector to inject a first quantity of the first fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the first value of the parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

controlling the first fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the first fuel different from the first quantity of the first fuel, into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the second value of the parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling a second fuel injector to inject a constant quantity of a second fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting a normality of the first fuel injector if the detected first value is different from the detected second value and the hardware anomaly of the first fuel injector if the detected first value is approximately equal to the detected second value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling the second fuel injector to inject a first quantity of the second fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the first value of the parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling the second fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the second fuel different from the first quantity of the second fuel, into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the second value of the parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling the first fuel injector to inject a constant quantity of the first fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a normality of the second fuel injector if the detected first value is different from the detected second value and the hardware anomaly of the second fuel injector if the detected first value is approximately equal to the detected second value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising disabling the first fuel injector and controlling the second fuel injector to increase a quantity of the second fuel injected into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting the hardware anomaly comprising a knock sensor anomaly if a knock sensor detects an engine knock.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the fuel injector and detecting the hardware anomaly comprising a knock sensor anomaly if a knock sensor detects an engine knock.

17. A computer readable medium, having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, causes a processor-based unit for an engine to perform a method, the method comprising:

controlling a fuel injector to inject a first quantity of a fuel into a cylinder of a plurality of cylinders, of an engine;

receiving a detected first value of a parameter associated with the engine, from a parameter sensor;

controlling the fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the fuel different from the first quantity of the fuel, into the cylinder of the engine;

receiving a detected second value of the parameter associated with the engine, from the parameter sensor;

comparing the detected first value with the detected second value; and

detecting a hardware anomaly associated with the engine based on the comparison of the detected first value with the detected second value, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of an exhaust gas temperature, an amount of exhaust emissions, and an injection duration for a remaining number of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the fuel comprises a first fuel, the engine comprises a dual fuel engine, and the fuel injector comprises a first fuel injector.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling the first fuel injector to inject a first quantity of the first fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the first value of the parameter.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling the first fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the first fuel different from the first quantity of the first fuel, into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the second value of the parameter.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises controlling a second fuel injector to inject a constant quantity of a second fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises detecting a normality of the first fuel injector if the detected first value is different from the detected second value and the hardware anomaly of the first fuel injector if the detected first value is approximately equal to the detected second value.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling the second fuel injector to inject a first quantity of the second fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the first value of the parameter.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling the second fuel injector to inject a second quantity of the second fuel different from the first quantity of the second fuel, into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine; and

detecting the second value of the parameter.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises controlling the first fuel injector to inject a constant quantity of the first fuel into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein method further comprises detecting a normality of the second fuel injector if the detected first value is different from the detected second value and the hardware anomaly of the second fuel injector if the detected first value is approximately equal to the detected second value.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises disabling the first fuel injector and controlling the second fuel injector to increase a quantity of the second fuel injected into the cylinder of the dual fuel engine.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises detecting the hardware anomaly comprising a knock sensor anomaly if a knock sensor detects an engine knock.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises disabling the fuel injector and detecting the hardware anomaly comprising a knock sensor anomaly if a knock sensor detects an engine knock.

30. A system comprising:

an engine comprising a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of fuel injectors coupled to the corresponding plurality of cylinders;

a controller coupled to the plurality of fuel injectors;

wherein the controller is configured to;

control a fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors to inject a first quantity of a fuel into a cylinder of the plurality of cylinders, of the engine;

receive a detected first value of a parameter associated with the engine, from a parameter sensor;

control the fuel injector of the plurality of fuel injectors to inject a second quantity of the fuel different from the first quantity of the fuel, into the cylinder of the engine;

receive a detected second value of the parameter associated with the engine, from the parameter sensor;

compare the detected first value with the detected second value; and

detect a hardware anomaly associated with the engine based on the comparison of the detected first value with the detected second value, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of an exhaust gas temperature, an amount of exhaust emissions, and an injection duration for a remaining number of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders.