Chrysler Corporation

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Karin Rak

Gary L Seitz

Shean P Huff

Mary Joyce

Yi Cheng

Richard K Moote

Robert J Nankee, Ii

Howard W Krausman

Mark E Hope

Jerry Kennie

Roland T Richardson

William D Rotramel

Dennis A Krozek

Christopher P Thomas

Gregory T Weber

Michael T Vincent

Ronald A Yannone, Jr

Michael W Weglarz

John M Prevost

Zhong Li

Robert T Forgiel

David P Ploucha

Patrick T McCourt

David A Barkman

Colleen M Donahue

A method of determining the quality of subsystems of an electronic engine control system is provided. The method monitors an engine parameter representative of a subsystem of interest and compares the parameter to at least one quality limit. The at least one quality limit represents an acceptable performance boundary for a fully functional engine control system. The method then indicates, based on the result of the comparison, whether the subsystem is of satisfactory quality. The method is arranged, without limitation, to determining the quality of start time, start flare, idle control during transmission shift, and speed control.

Verification engine controller software

The present invention provides a flexible fuel compensation system for determining the percent alcohol content of fuel in a flexible fueled vehicle at the instance of fueling and in an open loop operating mode. According to the invention, two estimated percent alcohol content values are calculated based on the old fuel mixture's alcohol content and two fueling possibilities. A first value is calculated for the possibility that E85 fuel was added to the tank and a second value is calculated for the possibility that E0 fuel was added to the tank. If the inferred ethanol content increases above a positive threshold during closed loop operation, the system assumes that E85 fuel has been added to the tank. Conversely, if the inferred ethanol content decreases below a negative threshold, the system assumes that E0 fuel was added to the tank. Accordingly, if the vehicle is shut down before a more accurate ethanol content determination is complete, the inferred ethanol content follows either the first or second estimated alcohol content value until the system reaches a closed loop operating condition.

Method of determining the composition of fuel in a flexible fueled vehicle after fuel blending

A method is provided for triggering a system for learning the percent alcohol content of a fuel used in a motor vehicle capable of operating on more than one type of fuel. The fuel composition learning system is triggered each time fuel is added to the vehicle's fuel tank, each time the engine is started when the fuel volume in the fuel tank falls below a given value or if a fuel level sending unit malfunction has been detected. The fuel composition learning system is also triggered if an error is detected in the value of the learned percent alcohol content of the fuel.

Method of triggering a determination of the composition of fuel in a

The present invention provides a method of controlling operating parameters of a motor vehicle capable of operating on more than one type of fuel. The methodology employs a separate idle air control enrichment fuel multiplier for optimizing idle air control operating conditions. The methodology also employs a separate transient enrichment fuel multiplier for optimizing transient operating conditions.

Fuel control enhancements for a sensorless flexible fueled vehicle

The present invention is directed towards a method of controlling combustion parameters of an internal combustion engine prior to oxygen sensor feedback availability for a flexible fueled vehicle. If the vehicle has previously been running on ethanol or has been using ethanol in the recent past, a first strategy is employed which basis engine fueling on the minimum of a theoretically appropriate fueling value and a theoretically calculated value. If the vehicle has not previously been running on ethanol or has not been using ethanol in the recent past, a second strategy is employed which basis engine fueling on the minimum of the theoretically appropriate fueling value, the theoretically calculated value and a roughness calculated value.

Method of determining the composition of fuel in a flexible fueled

The present invention provides a method of compensating for an erroring sensor in a flexible fuel compensation control system for a flexible fueled vehicle. The methodology provides a method for identifying preselected operating conditions without the output of the erroring sensor. As such, the flexible fuel compensation control system may still be employed to ensure vehicle drivability even in the absence of input from an erroring sensor.

Method of compensating for a failed sensor in a flexible fueled vehicle

The present invention provides a method of compensating for changing fuels in a flexible fueled vehicle using a fuel composition sensor. The methodology detects and models an alcohol concentration transition at fuel injector tips following a fuel addition. The methodology improves the accuracy of engine fueling during an alcohol concentration change by delaying the application of a fuel composition multiplier until the fuel analyzed by the fuel composition sensor actually reaches the injectors.

Method of compensating for changing fuels in a flexible fueled vehicle

The present invention provides a method for controlling combustion parameters of an internal combustion engine during wide open throttle or part throttle enrichment operation. Oxygen sensor rich and lean counts above and below a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio are counted during an injector pulse width period while a fuel concentration determination is being made at wide open throttle and part throttle enrichment. The ratio of lean counts to rich counts is compared to a calibratable value for incrementing the fuel concentration delivered to the internal combustion engine. The fuel concentration is further controlled if a boil-off condition is detected.

Method of controlling the air to fuel ratio in a flexible fueled vehicle

The present invention provides a method of controlling combustion parameters of an internal combustion engine without a PCV solenoid during a boil-off condition. The methodology detects a boil-off condition and implements one of two modes of boil-off compensation depending on the active status of an inferred alcohol content multiplier update system. The methodology also determines the nature of the air-flow through the internal combustion engine and determines the level of boil-off corruption present and the time when the corruption is complete. After the boil-off condition is determined to be complete, control of the combustion parameters are returned to a normal regime of a flexible fuel compensation system using the inferred alcohol content from the employed mode of boil-off compensation.

Method of compensating for boil-off alcohol in a flexible fueled vehicle

The present invention provides a flexible fuel compensation system for controlling operating parameters of an internal combustion engine based on a learned value of the percent alcohol content of the fuel using an oxygen feedback system. The methodology determines a fuel composition multiplier based on the percent alcohol content and implements gasoline operating parameters for the internal combustion engine if the fuel composition multiplier is less than a first threshold value, mixed gasoline/alcohol operating parameters if the fuel composition multiplier is greater than the first threshold value, and high concentration alcohol operating parameters if the fuel composition multiplier is greater than a second threshold value for a number of comparison checks. After a predetermined period, the fuel composition multiplier is updated and re-compared to the first and second thresholds and the appropriate one of the aforementioned operating parameters is implemented. A third update of the fuel composition multiplier is made if the determined fuel composition multiplier is less than the actual percent alcohol content of the fuel by more than a given amount.

The present invention provides a method for determining ethanol thresholds for a flexible fuel control system for a motor vehicle capable of operating on more than one type of fuel. Preferably, the ethanol threshold is determined from an off-idle purge-free cell from a matrix of fuel adaptive memory cells normally used to compensate for car-to-car variations in required fueling. The ethanol threshold is periodically reduced to compensate for levels of alcohol creep indicated by the amount of purge-free adaptive memory elevation. If the learned value of percent alcohol content of the fuel is less than the ethanol threshold, gasoline operating parameters are implemented for the internal combustion engine. The off-idle purge-free cell also provides a basis for interpolating an on-board diagnostic (OBDII) ethanol threshold. As such, the OBDII monitors are only enabled if the learned value of percent alcohol content of the fuel is less than the OBDII ethanol threshold.

Method of determining ethanol thresholds in a flexible fueled vehicle

The present invention provides a method for controlling the combustion parameters of an internal combustion engine with an oxygen sensor prior to a closed loop operating condition. If the output voltage of the oxygen sensor indicates a lean air to fuel ratio condition, the percent alcohol content is incremented to a limit based on an E85 possibility curve. If the voltage output of the oxygen sensor indicates a rich air to fuel ratio condition, the percent alcohol content is decremented to a limit based on an E0 possibility curve. After the end of the fuel blending period or when the internal combustion engine reaches a closed loop mode, control of the combustion parameters of the internal combustion engine are returned to normal regime oxygen sensor feedback control.

A method and corresponding system for optimizing performance of an internal combustion engine. The present invention senses gases emitted from engine combustion chambers via a first gas sensor and senses gases emitted from said engine combustion chambers subsequent to said gases passing through an engine catalytic converter via a second gas sensor. The temperatures of said first and second gas sensors are then sensed through data output from first and second gas sensors and temperature sensors. The first and second gas sensors are linearized in response to the sensed temperatures of the first and second gas sensors. The fuel level input into the engine combustion chambers is adjusted in response to linearizing of the first and second gas sensors.

Growing community of inventors

Chelsea, MI, United States of America

Gary L Seitz