Fuel system diagnostics by analyzing engine cylinder pressure signal and crankshaft speed signal

• US 7,761,223 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kweon, Chol-Bum M, Haskara, Ibrahim, Wang, Yue-Yun, Matekunas, Frederic Anton, Battiston, Paul Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Jr.; Willis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Johnny H
• Application Number:
  US12/140,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20090312941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31, 701/34, 701/101, 701/102, 701/106, 701/107, 701/111, 701/112, 701/114, 701/103, 701/115, 123/434, 123/435, 123/676, 123/680, 123/691, 123/436, 731/140.6, 731/141.8, 731/143.3, 731/143.7, 731/144.3, 731/147.7, 73/350.6, 73/351.2, 731/14, 73/16, 73/22, 702/35, 702/41, 702/44, 702/182, 702/183, 702/185, 702/187, 702/188
• US Class Current: 701/114
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1015 Engines misfires
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1498 measuring engine roughness
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/22 Safety or indicating devices for abnormal conditions in air/fuel ratio feedback systems F02D41/1495, in electric control linkage F02D11/107, in purge control systems F02M25/0809
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method for distinguishing between combustion issues and sensor faults within an engine includes monitoring pressure sensor data from a cylinder within the engine, monitoring engine data describing combustion health from a source other than a pressure sensor, analyzing the pressure sensor data to diagnose an anomalous combustion event, comparing the anomalous combustion event to analysis of the engine data, and indicating a pressure sensor fault warning if the comparison diagnoses a pressure sensor fault.

Claims

1. A method for distinguishing between combustion issues and sensor faults within an engine comprising:

monitoring pressure sensor data from a cylinder within said engine;

monitoring engine data describing combustion health from a source other than a pressure sensor;

analyzing said pressure sensor data to diagnose an anomalous combustion event;

analyzing said engine data;

comparing said anomalous combustion event to said analysis of said engine data; and

indicating a pressure sensor fault warning if said comparing diagnoses a pressure sensor fault.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring engine data describing combustion health from a source other than a pressure sensor comprises monitoring crankshaft speed data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said analyzing said engine data comprises:

calculating a crankshaft speed signal power magnitude; and

determining if said crankshaft speed signal power magnitude is within an acceptable crankshaft speed signal power magnitude range.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said analyzing said engine data comprises:

calculating a crankshaft speed combustion phase; and

determining if said crankshaft speed combustion phase is within an acceptable crankshaft speed combustion phase range.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing said pressure sensor data comprises:

calculating a pressure signal power magnitude; and

determining if said pressure signal power magnitude is within an acceptable pressure signal power magnitude range.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining comprises comparing said pressure signal power magnitude to calibration data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining comprises comparing said pressure signal power magnitude to a magnitude calculated for a sequentially fired cylinder of said engine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing said pressure sensor data comprises:

calculating a pressure based combustion phase; and

determining if said pressure based combustion phase is within an acceptable pressure based combustion phase range.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining comprises comparing said pressure based combustion phase to calibration data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining comprises comparing said pressure based combustion phase to a combustion phase calculated for a sequentially fired cylinder of said engine.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing said pressure sensor data comprises:

calculating a pressure signal power magnitude;

calculating a pressure based combustion phase; and

determining if said pressure signal power magnitude and said pressure based combustion phase are within a healthy combustion operating region.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said indicating a pressure sensor fault warning comprises at least one of lighting a warning light indicator, sounding an audible warning, a displaying an indication on a human interface device, and communicating a warning over a communications network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said indicating a pressure sensor fault warning comprises recording said warning in a memory storage device.

14. A method for distinguishing between combustion issues and sensor faults within an engine comprising:

monitoring pressure sensor data from a cylinder within said engine;

monitoring crankshaft speed data;

analyzing said pressure sensor data to diagnose a pressure indicated anomalous combustion event;

analyzing said crankshaft speed data to diagnose a crankshaft speed indicated anomalous combustion event;

comparing said pressure indicated anomalous combustion event to said crankshaft speed indicated anomalous combustion event; and

indicating a pressure sensor fault warning is said comparing diagnoses a pressure sensor fault.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said analyzing said pressure sensor data comprises at least one of:

calculating a pressure signal power magnitude and determining if said pressure signal power magnitude is within an acceptable pressure signal power magnitude range; and

calculating a pressure based combustion phase and determining if said pressure based combustion phase is within an acceptable pressure based combustion phase range.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said analyzing said crankshaft speed data comprises at least one of:

calculating a crankshaft speed signal power magnitude and determining if said crankshaft speed signal power magnitude is within an acceptable crankshaft speed signal power magnitude range; and

calculating a crankshaft speed combustion phase and determining if said crankshaft speed combustion phase is within an acceptable crankshaft speed combustion phase range.

17. An apparatus for distinguishing between combustion issues and sensor faults within an engine comprising:

a pressure sensor in communication with a cylinder of said engine;

a crankshaft speed sensor;

a control module in communication with said pressure sensor and said crankshaft speed sensor, said control module analyzing data from said pressure sensor and data from said crankshaft speed sensor, determining whether data from both sensors are within acceptable combustion ranges, and indicating a pressure sensor warning if said data from said pressure sensor indicates an anomalous combustion event and said data from said crankshaft speed sensor indicates normal combustion.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein analyzing data from said pressure sensor and said crankshaft speed sensor determines at least one of a magnitude and a phase for said data from pressure sensor, and at least one of a magnitude and a phase for said data from said crankshaft speed sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein analyzing data from said pressure sensor and said crankshaft speed sensor determines a signal magnitude and a combustion phase for said data from pressure sensor, and a signal magnitude and a combustion phase for said data from said crankshaft speed sensor, wherein said acceptable combustion range comprises a region of combined signal power magnitudes and combustion phases indicating healthy combustion.