Method and system for exhaust heat exchanger diagnostics

• US 9,909,541 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bevan, Karen Evelyn, Pursifull, Ross Dykstra, Uhrich, Michael James, Ulrey, Joseph Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Moulis, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/296,950
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00314 Arrangements permitting a rapid heating of the heating liquid B60H1/00492, B60H1/03 take precedence; aiding engine start by heating of engine coolants F02N19/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/025 from both the cooling liquid and the exhaust gases of the propulsion plant
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/002 the diagnostic devices measuring or estimating temperature or pressure in, or downstream of the exhaust apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/02 a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2240/22 a condensation chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2410/00 By-passing, at least partially, exhaust from inlet to outlet of apparatus, to atmosphere or to other device
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/06 the means being a temperature sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/08 the means being a pressure sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1404 Exhaust gas temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1406 Exhaust gas pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/005 for draining or otherwise eliminating condensates or moisture accumulating in the apparatus F01N3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/038 by means of perforated plates defining expansion chambers associated with condensation and collection chambers, e.g. for adiabatic expansion of gases and subsequent collection of condensed liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 5/02 the devices using heat
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/15 in relation to engine exhaust purifying apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/25 with coolers having bypasses
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/29 Constructional details of the coolers, e.g. pipes, plates, ribs, insulation or materials
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/49 Detecting, diagnosing or indicating an abnormal function of the EGR system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for carrying out on-board diagnostics of a plurality of components of an exhaust heat exchange system. In one example, degradation of one or more of a heat exchanger and a coolant system fluidically coupled to the heat exchanger may be detected based on a first temperature estimated upstream of the heat exchanger, a second temperature sensor estimated downstream of the heat exchanger, a coolant temperature, and a pressure estimated upstream of the heat exchanger. Also, degradation of a diverter valve of the heat exchange system may be detected based on inputs of a position sensor coupled to the diverter valve.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

indicating degradation of a heat exchange system diverting exhaust, via a diverter valve, from downstream of an exhaust catalyst into a heat exchanger in an exhaust bypass, the indicating based on each of a first exhaust temperature and an exhaust pressure estimated upstream of the heat exchanger, a second exhaust temperature estimated downstream of the heat exchanger, and a temperature of coolant circulating through the heat exchanger.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to the indication of degradation, disabling the diverting of exhaust through the heat exchanger in the exhaust bypass;

and enabling direct flow of exhaust to a tailpipe via a main exhaust passage, bypassing the heat exchanger.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicating is further based on an actual position of the diverter valve relative to a commanded position, the actual position estimated via a position sensor coupled to the diverter valve, the commanded position based on engine heating demand, the diverter valve coupled to a junction of an outlet of the exhaust bypass and a main exhaust passage.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the heat exchange system further includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) passage for recirculating exhaust from the exhaust bypass, downstream of the heat exchanger, to an engine intake manifold via an EGR valve, and wherein the indicating is further based on an actual position of the EGR valve.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

operating the heat exchange system in a first, heat recovery mode by actuating the EGR valve to a closed position and actuating the diverter valve to a first position to enable exhaust flow to the tailpipe via the heat exchanger;

operating the heat exchange system in a second, EGR mode by actuating the EGR valve to an open position and actuating the diverter valve to a second position to enable exhaust flow to the engine intake manifold via the heat exchanger; and

operating the heat exchange system in a third, bypass mode by actuating the EGR valve to the closed position and actuating the diverter valve to the second position to enable direct exhaust flow to the tailpipe, bypassing the heat exchanger, wherein the indicating is performed during each of the first, second, and third modes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicating includes:

when operating the heat exchange system in one of the first mode and the second mode, indicating degradation of the heat exchanger responsive to each of the second exhaust temperature being lower than an expected second exhaust temperature and the estimated exhaust pressure being higher than an expected exhaust pressure;

when operating the heat exchange system in one of the first mode and the second mode, indicating degradation of a coolant system circulating coolant through the heat exchanger responsive to the estimated coolant temperature being lower than an expected coolant temperature; and

when operating the heat exchange system in one of the first, second, and third mode, indicating degradation of the diverter valve responsive to an actual position of the diverter valve differing from an expected position of the diverter valve.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the expected second exhaust temperature is modeled based on one or more of engine load, engine temperature, engine speed, exhaust flow-rate, and coolant flow-rate through the heat exchanger, wherein the expected exhaust pressure is modeled based on one or more of engine load, engine temperature, engine speed, and exhaust flow-rate, and wherein the expected coolant temperature is modeled based on one or more of exhaust temperature, exhaust flow-rate, and coolant flow-rate.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the expected position of the diverter valve includes the first position during the first mode, and the second position during each of the second and third mode, the first position enabling exhaust flow from downstream of the catalyst to the tailpipe via the exhaust bypass, and the second position disabling exhaust flow from downstream of the catalyst to the tailpipe via the exhaust bypass.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first exhaust temperature is estimated via a first temperature sensor coupled to the exhaust bypass, upstream of the heat exchanger, wherein the second exhaust temperature is estimated via a second temperature sensor coupled to the exhaust bypass, downstream of the heat exchanger, wherein the exhaust pressure is estimated via a pressure sensor coupled to the exhaust bypass, upstream of the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant temperature is estimated via a third temperature sensor coupled to a coolant line of the coolant system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicating further includes:

while operating in the third mode,

indicating degradation of the pressure sensor responsive to a higher than threshold pressure difference between the estimated exhaust pressure and atmospheric pressure;

indicating degradation of at least one of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor responsive to a higher than threshold difference between the first exhaust temperature and the second exhaust temperature; and

indicating degradation of the third temperature sensor responsive to the estimated coolant temperature being higher than the expected coolant temperature.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein indicating degradation of the heat exchanger includes indicating the heat exchanger is clogged, wherein indicating degradation of the coolant system includes indicating one or more coolant lines are clogged, wherein indicating degradation of the diverter valve includes indicating the diverter valve is stuck in one of the open position, the closed position, and a partially open position.

12. A method, comprising:

while operating a heat exchange system to flow an entire volume of exhaust from downstream of an exhaust catalyst to a tailpipe via an exhaust bypass housing a heat exchanger,

indicating degradation of the heat exchanger responsive to each of an exhaust pressure measured upstream of the heat exchanger being higher than a first threshold pressure, and a temperature difference between a first exhaust temperature measured upstream of the heat exchanger and a second exhaust temperature measured downstream of the heat exchanger being higher than a first threshold difference;

indicating degradation of a coolant system circulating coolant through the heat exchanger responsive to coolant temperature measured at an outgoing line of the coolant system being lower than a first threshold coolant temperature; and

indicating a diverter valve coupled at a junction of the exhaust bypass and a main exhaust passage is stuck closed or partially open responsive to an actual position of the diverter valve differing from a fully open position.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

based on EGR demand, recirculating a portion of the exhaust from downstream of the heat exchanger to an engine intake manifold via an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve; and

during the recirculating, while the EGR valve is not degraded,

indicating degradation of the heat exchanger responsive to each of the exhaust pressure measured upstream of the heat exchanger being higher than a second threshold pressure, and the temperature difference between the first exhaust temperature measured upstream of the heat exchanger and the second exhaust temperature measured downstream of the heat exchanger being higher than a second threshold difference;

indicating degradation of the coolant system responsive to coolant temperature measured at the outgoing line of the coolant system being lower than a second threshold coolant temperature; and

indicating the diverter valve is stuck open or partially open responsive to the actual position of the diverter valve differing from a fully closed position.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

while operating the heat exchange system to flow exhaust from downstream of the exhaust catalyst to the tailpipe via the main exhaust passage bypassing the heat exchanger,

indicating degradation of one of a first temperature sensor coupled to the bypass passage upstream of the heat exchanger and a second temperature sensor coupled to the bypass passage downstream of the heat exchanger responsive to the temperature difference between the first exhaust temperature measured upstream of the heat exchanger and the second exhaust temperature measured downstream of the heat exchanger being higher than a third threshold difference;

indicating degradation of a pressure sensor coupled to the bypass passage upstream of the heat exchanger responsive to a pressure difference between the exhaust pressure and atmospheric pressure being higher than a threshold pressure difference;

indicating degradation of a third temperature sensor coupled to the coolant line responsive to the coolant temperature measured at the outgoing line of the coolant system being lower than a third threshold coolant temperature; and

indicating the diverter valve is stuck open position or partially open responsive to the actual position of the diverter valve differing from the fully closed position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first threshold exhaust pressure is higher than the second threshold exhaust pressure, the first threshold temperature difference is higher than the second threshold temperature difference, the second threshold temperature difference is higher than the third threshold temperature difference, the first threshold coolant temperature is substantially equal to each of the second threshold coolant temperature and the third threshold coolant temperature.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the fully open position of the diverter valve enables exhaust flow from the exhaust bypass to the main exhaust passage and the fully closed position of the diverter valve disables exhaust flow from the exhaust bypass to the main exhaust passage.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising, responsive to the indication of degradation of one or more of the heat exchanger and the coolant system, shifting the diverter valve to the fully closed position and closing the EGR valve to disable exhaust flow through the exhaust bypass.

18. An engine system, comprising:

an engine intake manifold;

an engine exhaust system with an exhaust passage and a bypass passage, the exhaust passage including one or more exhaust catalysts and a muffler, the bypass passage coupled to the exhaust passage from downstream of the one or more exhaust catalysts to upstream of the muffler, the bypass passage including a heat exchanger;

a first temperature sensor coupled to the bypass passage upstream of the heat exchanger for estimating a first exhaust temperature;

a second temperature sensor coupled to the bypass passage downstream of the heat exchanger for estimating a second exhaust temperature;

a pressure sensor coupled to the bypass passage upstream of the heat exchanger for estimating an exhaust pressure;

a coolant system with an incoming coolant line and an outgoing coolant line for circulating coolant through the heat exchanger, the coolant system further coupled to each of an engine block and a heater core, the outgoing coolant line including a coolant temperature sensor for estimating a coolant temperature;

a diverter valve coupling an outlet of the bypass passage to the exhaust passage;

a position sensor coupled to the diverter valve for estimating a diverter valve position;

an EGR passage with an EGR valve for recirculating exhaust gas from the bypass passage, downstream of the heat exchanger, to the intake manifold; and

a controller with computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory for;

shifting the diverter valve to a first position and closing the EGR valve to operate the exhaust system in a first mode with exhaust flowing from downstream of the exhaust catalyst to upstream of the muffler via the bypass passage;

shifting the diverter valve to a second position and opening the EGR valve to operate the exhaust system in a second mode with exhaust flowing from the bypass passage to the engine intake manifold via the EGR passage;

shifting the diverter valve to a second position and closing the EGR valve to operate the exhaust system in a third mode with exhaust flowing directly from downstream of the exhaust catalyst to upstream of the muffler bypassing the heat exchanger; and

while operating in one of the first mode and the second mode,

indicating degradation of the heat exchanger responsive to each of a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature being higher than a threshold difference, and the second temperature being lower than a threshold temperature; and

responsive to the indication of degradation, transitioning to the third mode.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller includes further instructions for:

indicating degradation of the diverter valve in response to an estimated diverter valve position including the second position or a position in between the first position and the second position while operating in the first mode; and

indicating degradation of the diverter valve in response to the estimated diverter valve position including the first position or a position in between the first position and the second position during one of the second mode and the third mode.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller includes further instructions for:

during operation in the third mode,

indicating degradation of at least one of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor based on an absolute temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature being higher than a threshold temperature difference;

indicating degradation of the pressure sensor based on the absolute difference between the estimated exhaust pressure and the atmospheric pressure being higher than a threshold pressure difference; and

indicating degradation of the coolant temperature sensor based on a higher than threshold coolant temperature.