Vehicle fuel maintenance systems and methods

• US 9,688,270 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Amin, Md Shahnoor
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/866,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20170088124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22, 180 651
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/18 for avoiding ageing of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/211 Fuel quality, e.g. water content due to age of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

A method comprises on board a hybrid vehicle and executed by a vehicle controller on board the hybrid vehicle, determining a pH based on a pH sensor positioned in a fuel system; and in response to a first condition comprising the pH being less than a first threshold pH, disabling an electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with an engine. In this way, a risk of engine degradation due to fuel degradation can be reduced.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

on board a hybrid vehicle and executed by a vehicle controller on board the hybrid vehicle,

measuring a pH of fuel by a pH sensor positioned in a fuel supply system supplying fuel to an engine of the hybrid vehicle; and

in response to a first condition comprising the pH being less than a first threshold pH, disabling an electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition further comprises the pH being less than the first threshold pH for a first threshold time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to the pH being greater than a second threshold pH, enabling the electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with one or more of the electric motor and the engine.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, in response to a fuel volume decreasing below a first threshold volume, enabling the electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with one or more of the electric motor and the engine.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in response to the pH being less than the first threshold pH and the first condition being satisfied for a duration greater than a second threshold time, disabling the engine and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the electric motor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to a second condition including a fuel age being greater than a threshold age, disabling the electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the engine.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the fuel age based on an elapsed time from a last fuel refill.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second condition further includes a pH sensor malfunctioning.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, in response to the second condition and the fuel volume decreasing below a second threshold volume, enabling the electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with one or more of the electric motor and the engine.

10. A method for a hybrid vehicle having a controller, comprising providing the controller with executable instructions to:

measure a fuel pH by a fuel pH sensor positioned in a fuel system supplying fuel to an engine of the hybrid vehicle; and

execute a first fuel maintenance mode in response to the fuel pH being less than a first threshold pH for a first threshold time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein executing the first fuel maintenance mode comprises disabling an electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the engine.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising deactivating the first fuel maintenance mode in response to the fuel pH increasing above a second threshold pH.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising deactivating the first fuel maintenance mode in response to a fuel volume decreasing below a first threshold volume.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising disabling the engine and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the electric motor in response to executing the first fuel maintenance mode for a duration exceeding a second threshold time and the fuel pH being below the first threshold pH.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising executing a second fuel maintenance mode in response to a malfunction of the fuel pH sensor.

16. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

an electric motor;

a fuel system fluidically coupled to the engine;

a pH sensor positioned in the fuel system; and

a controller, with executable instructions to;

measure a fuel pH by a fuel pH sensor, and

execute a first fuel maintenance mode in response to the fuel pH being less than a first threshold pH for a first threshold time.

17. The hybrid vehicle of claim 16, wherein executing the first fuel maintenance mode comprises disabling the electric motor and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the engine.

18. The hybrid vehicle of claim 17, further comprising executable instructions at the controller to deactivate the first fuel maintenance mode in response to the fuel pH increasing above a second threshold pH.

19. The hybrid vehicle of claim 18, further comprising executable instructions at the controller to deactivate the first fuel maintenance mode in response to a fuel volume being less than a first threshold volume.

20. The hybrid vehicle of claim 19, further comprising disabling the engine and propelling the hybrid vehicle with the electric motor in response to executing the first fuel maintenance mode for a duration beyond a threshold duration.