Glow plug heater control

• US 9,175,661 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kurtz, Eric, Tennison, Paul Joseph, May, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Solis, Erick
• Assistant Examiner(s): STAUBACH, CARL C
• Application Number:
  US13/270,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20130087129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 123/145.A, 123/179.6, 123/179.21, 123/685, 123/406.23, 701/113
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/1006 Engine torque losses, e.g. friction or pumping losses or losses caused by external loads of accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/06 for engine starting or warming up F02D41/0255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 19/02 electric, e.g. layout of circuits of apparatus having glowing plugs

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a glow plug are disclosed. In one example, current supplied to a glow plug can be controlled to promote combustion stability of a cylinder after an engine start. Engine feedgas hydrocarbons may be reduced during conditions where combustion stability may be otherwise reduced to reduce tailpipe emissions.

Claims

1. An engine system, comprising:

an engine having a combustion chamber;

a glow plug protruding into the combustion chamber; and

a controller including instructions to anticipate increasing current supplied to the glow plug in response to a difference between engine torque and driver demand torque after an engine start and after the engine reaches a threshold temperature, and where the controller includes further instructions to supply current to the glow plug in response to an amount of combustion phase retard from base combustion phase timing, the amount of combustion phase retard based on a difference between a catalyst temperature and a catalyst light off temperature, and additional instructions to increase glow plug current a predetermined amount for each crankshaft degree of combustion phase retard.

2. The engine system of claim 1, where the threshold temperature is a nominal operating temperature that is controlled such that the engine operates substantially at the threshold temperature during varying speed and load conditions, further comprising additional instructions to increase glow plug current based on an amount of time it is desirable to return a catalyst to the catalyst light off temperature after the catalyst temperature has been reduced to less than the catalyst light off temperature after catalyst temperature reached the catalyst light off temperature during a vehicle drive cycle.

3. The engine system of claim 1, further comprising additional controller instructions to increase a negative torque of a motor coupled to the engine.

4. The engine system of claim 3, further comprising additional controller instructions for adjusting the negative torque of the engine and motor so that net engine and motor torque is an operator demand torque.

5. The engine system of claim 1, further comprising additional controller instructions decreasing current supplied to the glow plug in response to engine load and a temperature of a catalyst.