Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Christopher Harold Knieper

Shiming Duan

Eugene Victor Gonze

Vijay A Ramappan

Calvin Wang

Christopher E Whitney

Paul Edward Krajewski

Michael A Smith

Yao Hu

Stephen Paul Levijoki

Matthew D Whitton

Ning Jin

Yue-Ming Chen

Gary Arthur Nichols

Keith Allen Confer

Ronald W Van Diepen

Dan H Emmert

Eric E Klauser

Charles G Emmert, Jr

Edward R Fizell

A method of diagnosing a leak in a coolant system of an automobile includes repeatedly measuring the coolant level within the coolant system at a pre-determined time interval, calculating a short term leak rate, wherein the short term leak rate is the rate of coolant leakage over a first pre-determined length of time, calculating a long term leak rate, wherein the long term leak rate is the rate of coolant leakage over a second pre-determined length of time, further wherein the second pre-determined length of time is longer than the first pre-determined length of time, identifying a coolant system leakage state based on a current coolant level within the coolant system, the short term leak rate, and the long term leak rate, and providing notification of the coolant system leakage state to an operator of the vehicle.

Coolant leak diagnosis

A method of diagnosing a mechanical coolant pump in an automobile equipped with cooling system having a mechanical coolant pump and an electric coolant pump comprises detecting when an engine of the automobile has been started, dis-engaging the electric coolant pump, engaging the mechanical coolant pump, and verifying the mechanical coolant pump is operating properly.

Cooling sysytem mechanical pump diagnosis

A method of identifying air flow faults within a cooling system of an automobile comprises measuring the temperature of coolant entering a heat exchanger for the cooling system, measuring the temperature of coolant leaving the heat exchanger, and measuring the temperature of ambient air that is flowing into the heat exchanger, calculating Actual Delta T by subtracting the temperature of coolant leaving the heat exchanger from the temperature of coolant entering the heat exchanger, calculating Expected Delta T, wherein Expected Delta T is a pre-determined value of an expected difference between the temperature of the coolant entering the heat exchanger and the temperature of the coolant leaving the heat exchanger, calculating Effective Delta T by subtracting Expected Delta T from Actual Delta T, and identifying a fault in the air flow through the heat exchanger based on the value of Effective Delta T.

Cooling system air flow diagnosis

A vehicle including a fluidic subsystem composed of an electric motor, a motor driver and a fluidic pump that is disposed in a fluidic circuit of the vehicle is described. A controller includes an instruction set that is executable to determine operating parameters associated with the fluidic subsystem, and determine a plurality of power efficiency parameters for the fluidic subsystem based upon the operating parameters. The power efficiency parameters include a hydraulic power efficiency, an electro-mechanical power efficiency and an electric power efficiency. The controller can determine a state of health for the fluidic subsystem based upon the power efficiency parameters, and detect a fault in the fluidic subsystem when the state of health is less than a threshold state of health. The fault can be communicated to a vehicle operator.

Method and apparatus to monitor an on-vehicle fluidic subsystem

A thermal management system includes an electric coolant pump, power source, and controller. The pump is in fluid communication with a heat source and a radiator, and has pump sensors for determining a pump voltage, speed, and current. The battery energizes the sensors. The controller receives the voltage, speed, and current from the sensors, determines a performance of the pump across multiple operating regions, calculates a numeric state of health (SOH) quantifying degradation severity for each of a plurality of pump characteristics across the regions, and executes a control action when the calculated numeric SOH for any region is less than a calibrated SOH threshold. The pump characteristics include pump circuit, leaking/clogging, bearing, and motor statuses. A vehicle includes an engine or other heat source, a radiator; and the thermal management system. The controller may execute a prognostic method for the electric coolant pump in the vehicle.

Prognostic system and method for an electric coolant pump

An engine coolant system includes a variable-opening valve having a plurality of tubes in fluid flow communication with an engine block and a radiator. The coolant system also includes an electrically-powered pump arranged to cycle coolant through the radiator and the engine block to regulate an engine temperature. The coolant system further includes a controller programmed to store a baseline relationship between pump speed and pump power draw using a nonlinear scale. The controller is also programmed to detect a steady state operating condition of the pump, and identify an operational relationship between real-time pump speed and a pump power draw. The controller is further programmed to detect a coolant leak based on a deviation between the baseline relationship and the operational relationship.

Engine cooling systems and methods

A coolant control system of a vehicle includes an adjusting module that: (i) receives an engine output coolant temperature measured at a coolant output of an internal combustion engine; (ii) adjusts the engine output coolant temperature based on a reference temperature to produce a first adjusted coolant temperature; (iii) receives an engine input coolant temperature measured at a coolant input of the internal combustion engine; and (iv) adjusts the engine input coolant temperature based on the reference temperature to produce a second adjusted coolant temperature. The coolant control system also includes a difference module that determines a difference between the first and second adjusted coolant temperatures. The coolant control system also includes a pump control module that controls a coolant output of a coolant pump based on the difference between the first and second adjusted coolant temperatures.

Coolant temperature correction systems and methods

A system includes a coolant management module that, determines whether an engine of a vehicle is off, determines, in response to a determination that the engine is off, whether a heater associated with the engine is on, receives one of a plurality of engine coolant temperature (ECT) measurements and a respective location associated with the received ECT measurement, and communicates the respective location and an instruction to direct engine coolant flow from the respective location to one of the heater and engine. The system also includes a coolant control module that selectively actuates one or more coolant control valves based on the respective location and the instruction.

Engine off cooling strategy

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a pump control module, an actuator control module, and a torque reserve module. The pump control module switches a water pump between on and off. The water pump circulates coolant through an engine when the water pump is on. The actuator control module controls a first actuator of the engine based on a first torque request and that controls a second actuator of the engine based on a second torque request. The torque reserve module adjusts a torque reserve before the water pump is switched on or off based on a change in engine load expected when the water pump is switched on or off. The torque reserve is a difference between the first torque request and the second torque request.

System and method for controlling torque output of an engine when a water pump coupled to the engine is switched on or off

A method of commanding a synchronous gear shift begins by receiving a request to shift from a third gear to a first gear, and skipping a second gear having a gear ratio between the gear ratio of the first gear and the gear ratio of the third gear. Subsequently the method includes: reducing a torque command to a predetermined value; opening a clutch disposed on the input shaft of the transmission to decouple the transmission from the engine; transitioning the engine from a torque-control mode into a speed-control mode; commanding the engine to rotate at a speed dictated by the motion of the vehicle and the gear ratio of the first gear; closing the clutch to couple the transmission and the engine; and transitioning the engine back into the torque-control mode.

Automatic transmission synchronous gear shift

A system for measuring air flow rate in a duct includes an air flow sensor and an air flow conditioning device for collecting and accelerating a portion of the total air stream to the sensor, which may be means as known in the art. The conditioning device includes two opposed converging walls defining a nozzle, preferably a venturi, the sensor being disposed in the throat of the nozzle. The surfaces of the venturi walls are textured to trip the boundary layer near the wall surface into turbulence to maintain attachment of flowing air to the walls even when the angle of attack of the air is significantly non-axial. The wall texturing may be random or may be an organized pattern. A further embodiment includes a second flow conditioner/sensor in parallel with the first whereby an averaged flow measurement is taken for a more accurate reading.

Air flow measurement system having reduced sensitivity to flow field changes

A method for throttle progression control to minimize tip-in noise of an internal combustion engine by allowing the engine to receive only the required air for the commanded engine acceleration. The method comprises the steps of a) providing an electronically controlled throttle body and valve, b) providing an electronic control module, c) determining the engine air flow required to satisfy a desired engine acceleration, d) providing an input to the electronic control module corresponding to the engine air flow required, e) programming the electronic control module to limit the inflow of air during engine acceleration to match the engine air flow required for achieving said desired engine acceleration, and f) actuating the throttle body and valve to provide the limited air flow through the throttle body during the desired engine acceleration.

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Chesaning, MI, United States of America

Christopher Harold Knieper