System and method for controlling the amount of purge fluid delivered to cylinders of an engine based on an operating parameter of a purge pump

• US 9,771,884 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Burleigh, Darrell W., Musienko, Christopher P., Swartz, Kenneth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHARPF, SUSAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/614,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20160123254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 123520, 701102, 701115
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/2058 using information of the actual current value
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/004 Control of the valve or purge actuator, e.g. duty cycle, closed loop control of position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3082 Control of electrical fuel pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0836 Arrangement of valves controlling the admission of fuel vapour to an engine, e.g. valve being disposed between fuel tank or absorption canister and intake manifold
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/0854 Details of the absorption canister
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation

Abstract

A system according to the present disclosure includes a pump operating parameter module and a purge flow control module. The pump operating parameter module determines a value of an operating parameter of a purge pump that delivers purge fluid from a canister in an evaporative emissions system to an intake system of an engine. The operating parameter of the purge pump includes at least one of a speed of the purge pump, an amount of current supplied to the purge pump, and an amount of power supplied to the purge pump. The purge flow control module controls at least one of a purge valve and the purge pump to adjust an amount of purge fluid delivered to a cylinder of an engine based on the determined value of the operating parameter of the purge pump.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a pump operating parameter module that determines an operating parameter of a purge pump that delivers purge fluid from a canister in an evaporative emissions system to an intake system of an engine, wherein the operating parameter of the purge pump includes at least one of a speed of the purge pump, an amount of current supplied to the purge pump, and an amount of power supplied to the purge pump;

a fuel vapor content module that determines a fuel vapor content of the purge fluid based on at least one of the operating parameter of the purge pump and a pressure downstream of the purge pump, wherein the fuel vapor content is a ratio of an amount of fuel vapor in the purge fluid to an amount of the purge fluid; and

a purge flow control module that controls at least one of a purge valve and the purge pump to adjust an amount of purge fluid delivered to a cylinder of the engine based on the fuel vapor content.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter of the purge pump includes the amount of power supplied to the purge pump.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a purge flow rate module that determines a first flow rate of purge fluid flowing through the purge pump based on the purge pump power and determines a second flow rate of purge fluid flowing through the purge valve based on a purge fluid pressure.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a purge flow power module that determines a power associated with the purge fluid flowing through the purge valve based on the second flow rate and a pressure difference across the purge valve.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the fuel vapor content module determines the fuel vapor content based on the purge pump power and the purge flow power.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a purge fuel contribution module that determines a contribution of the fuel in the purge fluid flowing through the purge valve to a total amount of fuel delivered to the cylinder based on the fuel vapor content.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the purge flow control module decreases the amount of purge fluid flowing through the purge valve when the purge fuel contribution is greater than a predetermined value.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the fuel vapor content module determines the fuel vapor content based on the speed of the purge pump and at least one of the amount of power supplied to the purge pump and the pressure downstream of the purge pump.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the fuel vapor content module determines the fuel vapor content further based on a flow rate of the purge fluid.

10. The system of claim 3 wherein the fuel vapor content module determines the fuel vapor content based on the first flow rate and the second flow rate.

11. A method comprising:

determining a value of an operating parameter of a purge pump that delivers purge fluid from a canister in an evaporative emissions system to an intake system of an engine, wherein the operating parameter of the purge pump includes at least one of a speed of the purge pump, an amount of current supplied to the purge pump, and an amount of power supplied to the purge pump;

determining a fuel vapor content of the purge fluid based on at least one of the operating parameter of the pump and a pressure downstream of the purge pump, wherein the fuel vapor content is a ratio of an amount of fuel vapor in the purge fluid to an amount of the purge fluid; and

controlling at least one of a purge valve and the purge pump to adjust an amount of purge fluid delivered to a cylinder of the engine based on the fuel vapor content.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the operating parameter of the purge pump includes the amount of power supplied to the purge pump.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining a first flow rate of purge fluid flowing through the purge pump based on the purge pump power; and

determining a second flow rate of purge fluid flowing through the purge valve based on a purge fluid pressure.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a power associated with the purge fluid flowing through the purge valve based on the second flow rate and a pressure difference across the purge valve.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining the fuel vapor content based on the purge pump power and the purge flow power.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining a contribution of the fuel in the purge fluid flowing through the purge valve to a total amount of fuel delivered to the cylinder based on the fuel vapor content.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising decreasing the amount of purge fluid flowing through the purge valve when the purge fuel contribution is greater than a predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the fuel vapor content based on the speed of the purge pump and at least one of the amount of power supplied to the purge pump and the pressure downstream of the purge pump.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising determining the fuel vapor content further based on a flow rate of the purge fluid.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining the fuel vapor content based on the first flow rate and the second flow rate.

21. A system comprising:

a pump operating parameter module that determines a value of an operating parameter of a purge pump that delivers purge fluid from a canister in an evaporative emissions system to an intake system of an engine, wherein the operating parameter of the purge pump includes at least one of a speed of the purge pump, an amount of current supplied to the purge pump, and an amount of power supplied to the purge pump; and

a purge flow control module that;

determines a difference between the determined value of the operating parameter of the purge pump and a commanded value of the operating parameter; and

controls at least one of a purge valve and the purge pump to decrease an amount of purge fluid delivered to a cylinder of the engine when the difference is greater than a first value, indicating a change in an amount of fuel vapor in purge fluid flowing through the purge valve.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the purge flow control module determines the first value based on the speed of the purge pump and a flow rate of purge fluid flowing through the purge valve.

23. A method comprising:

determining a value of an operating parameter of a purge pump that delivers purge fluid from a canister in an evaporative emissions system to an intake system of an engine, wherein the operating parameter of the purge pump includes at least one of a speed of the purge pump, an amount of current supplied to the purge pump, and an amount of power supplied to the purge pump;

determining a difference between the determined value of the operating parameter of the purge pump and a commanded value of the operating parameter; and

controlling at least one of a purge valve and the purge pump to decrease an amount of purge fluid delivered to a cylinder of the engine when the difference is greater than a first value, indicating a change in an amount of fuel vapor in purge fluid flowing through the purge valve.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising determining the first value based on the speed of the purge pump and a flow rate of purge fluid flowing through the purge valve.