System and method for controlling canister purging

• US 9,822,718 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pursifull, Ross Dykstra, Ulrey, Joseph Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): VILAKAZI, SIZO BINDA
• Application Number:
  US14/691,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20160305352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 123516, 123518, 123519, 123520, 123521
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0406 Layout of the intake air cooling or coolant circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 33/00 Engines characterised by provision of pumps for charging or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/162 by bypassing, e.g. partially, intake air from pump inlet to pump outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• 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 41/0045 Estimating, calculating or determining the purging rate, amount, flow or concentration
• 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 25/089 Layout of the fuel vapour installation
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10222 Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10229 the intake system acting as a vacuum or overpressure source for auxiliary devices, e.g. brake systems; Vacuum chambers air storage chamber F02B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/104 Intake manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for controlling canister purge flow in a boosted engine. An example method for the boosted engine comprises, during boosted conditions, flowing stored fuel vapors from a canister into an ejector coupled in a compressor bypass passage, the flowing bypassing a canister purge valve. The method further comprises, responsive to a canister load higher than a threshold load, closing a canister vent valve coupled to the canister, and discontinuing flowing stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector.

Claims

1. A method for a boosted engine, comprising:

during boosted conditions,

flowing stored fuel vapors from a canister into an ejector coupled in a compressor bypass passage, the flowing bypassing a canister purge valve; and

responsive to a canister load higher than a threshold load,

closing a canister vent valve coupled to the canister; and

discontinuing flowing stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising closing the canister vent valve and discontinuing flowing stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector responsive to the canister load higher than the threshold load during and in response to deceleration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the canister vent valve is maintained open during a tip-in event in response to the canister load being higher than the threshold load.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising opening the canister vent valve and initiating flowing of stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector responsive to steady state driving conditions, the steady state driving conditions including cruising conditions.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising opening the canister vent valve and initiating flowing of stored fuel vapors from the canister responsive to purging conditions being met.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

during non-boosted conditions,

flowing stored fuel vapors from the canister into an intake manifold via the canister purge valve; and

not flowing stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising closing the canister vent valve in response to a leak test of an evaporative emissions system of the boosted engine, and discontinuing flowing of stored fuel vapors from the canister.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, during boosted conditions, the flowing of stored fuel vapors bypasses the canister purge valve when manifold pressure is higher than a pressure in the canister.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, during boosted conditions and when manifold pressure is lower than the pressure in the canister, opening the canister purge valve and flowing additional stored fuel vapors from the canister via the canister purge valve.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein stored fuel vapors from the canister flow into the ejector concurrently with the additional stored fuel vapors flow from the canister into an intake manifold via the canister purge valve, and wherein flowing the stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector during boosted conditions includes directing the stored fuel vapors to an inlet of a compressor.

11. A method for a boosted engine, comprising:

during boosted conditions,

maintaining open a canister vent valve;

flowing stored fuel vapors from a canister of an evaporative emissions system into an ejector coupled in a compressor bypass passage; and

adjusting the canister vent valve to a fully closed position in response to one of a canister load higher than a threshold load and a leak test of the evaporative emissions system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting the canister vent valve to the fully closed position in response to the canister load higher than the threshold load during deceleration conditions.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

during non-boosted conditions,

maintaining open the canister vent valve;

opening a canister purge valve;

flowing stored fuel vapors from the canister into an intake manifold via the canister purge valve; and

adjusting the canister vent valve to the fully closed position in response to the leak test of the evaporative emissions system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the leak test of the evaporative emissions system includes a positive pressure engine-on leak test during boosted conditions and a negative pressure engine-on leak test during non-boosted conditions.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, during non-boosted conditions, stored fuel vapors flowing from the canister into the intake manifold via the canister purge valve bypass the ejector in the compressor bypass passage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, during boosted conditions when a pressure in the intake manifold is higher than a pressure in the canister, stored fuel vapors flow from the canister into the ejector while bypassing the canister purge valve.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

during boosted conditions when the pressure in the intake manifold is lower than the pressure in the canister,

flowing a first portion of stored fuel vapors from the canister into the ejector coupled in the compressor bypass passage; and

flowing a second portion of stored fuel vapors from the canister into the intake manifold via the canister purge valve.

18. A system, comprising:

an engine;

an intake manifold;

an intake throttle;

a boost device including a compressor, the compressor positioned in an intake passage upstream of the intake throttle;

a canister purge valve comprising a solenoid valve and a sonic choke, the sonic choke coupled immediately downstream of the solenoid valve;

an inlet of the sonic choke fluidically coupled to an outlet of the solenoid valve;

an outlet of the sonic choke fluidically coupled to the intake manifold downstream of the intake throttle;

an ejector coupled in a compressor bypass passage, the compressor bypass passage not including a shut-off valve;

a motive inlet of the ejector coupled to the intake passage downstream of the compressor;

a motive outlet of the ejector coupled to the intake passage upstream of the compressor;

an evaporative emissions system including a fuel vapor canister, the fuel vapor canister fluidically communicating with each of an inlet of the canister purge valve and a suction port of the ejector;

a canister vent valve fluidically coupling the fuel vapor canister to atmosphere; and

a controller with instructions in non-transitory memory and executable by a processor for;

during boosted conditions when pressure in the intake manifold is higher than barometric pressure,

generating vacuum at the suction port of the ejector via motive flow;

drawing fresh air into the fuel vapor canister via the canister vent valve;

purging fuel vapors from the fuel vapor canister into the suction port of the ejector; and

responsive to each of deceleration conditions and a load of the fuel vapor canister being higher than a threshold load;

closing the canister vent valve to cease drawing fresh air into the fuel vapor canister; and

discontinuing purging fuel vapors from the fuel vapor canister into the suction port of the ejector.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller includes further instructions for, during non-boosted conditions when pressure in the intake manifold is lower than barometric pressure, opening the canister purge valve;

drawing fresh air into the fuel vapor canister via the canister vent valve; and

purging fuel vapors from the fuel vapor canister into the intake manifold via the canister purge valve.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller includes further instructions for closing the canister vent valve to cease drawing fresh air into the fuel vapor canister in response to initiating a leak test of the evaporative emissions system.