Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

James Eric Anderson

Thomas George Leone

Gopichandra Surnilla

Mohannad Hakeem

Michael Howard Shelby

Philip R Troyk

John Nelson

Vlado Markovac

Eric Matthew Kurtz

Shuya Shark Yamada

Kenneth James Miller

Diana D Brehob

Christian Winge Vigild

Werner Willems

Alexander Stoll

Christopher Polonowski

David Joseph Dronzkowski

Michael Kruntovski

Timothy John Wallington

Thomas Loch

Nan Robarge

Chad Boarman

Jonathan James Pilbeam

Methods and systems are provided for improving the manner in which different fuel types are used under different driving scenarios. In one example, a method may include determining a travel route based on a particular transportation request input by a customer into a software application, where the software application selects a vehicle from a plurality of available vehicles to fulfill the transportation request based on a relative fuel octane content of fuel stored by the available vehicles. In this way, appropriate fuel type usage for different driving scenarios may be improved, and non-appropriate fuel type usage may be avoided.

Systems and methods for fuel purchase decision assistance

A method may comprise: positioning a pressure control valve (PCV) at an outlet of a fuel rail; positioning a volume control valve (VCV) at an inlet of a high pressure pump; and in response to an exhaust particulate matter (PM) level deviating from a target PM level, adjusting a fuel ratio of a first fuel and a second fuel delivered to an engine, and opening one of the PCV and the VCV. In this way, the fuel oxygen content may be adjusted to maintain a PM at or below a target level without a DPF over a broad range of engine designs and operating conditions, while maintaining fuel economy.

System and methods for reducing particulate matter emissions

Examples are provided for estimating an amount of fuel in an engine oil and an effect of the fuel on a gas sensor. In one example, an apparatus may include an analyzer to analyze an engine fluid and a computing device operably coupled to the analyzer, the computing device storing non-transitory instructions executable to determine fuel dilution in engine oil based on speciation of hydrocarbons in fuel in the engine oil determined based on output received from the analyzer.

Method and system for an oxygen sensor

Methods are provided for reliably self-testing a water injection system that injects water into the engine responsive to engine operating conditions such as knock, the water injection system refilled manually or via the collection of water on-board the vehicle. Responsive to a water injection error, learned based on a change in a defined set of engine parameters while ramping water injection during selected conditions, the presence of clogging in a water line may be determined. Based on a degree of clogging, subsequent water injection may be appropriately adjusted.

Method and system for engine water injection

An air filtration system for a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle includes a filter bed positioned downstream from a blower motor and upstream from one or more vents. The air filtration system additionally includes a heater coupled to the filter bed, a sensor configured to measure a functional capacity of the filter bed, and a controller configured to regenerate the filter bed using the heater as initiated by the real-time sensor.

Automotive interior air quality carbon canister status and replacement/regeneration control

Systems and methods for separating higher octane fuel from a fuel mixture are presented. In one example, higher octane fuel is separated from lower octane fuel and allowed to condense in a fuel tank holding higher octane fuel so that parasitic engine losses are not increased by having to separate higher octane fuel from lower octane fuel a second time. The approach may be applied to fuel systems that include multiple fuel tanks storing different types of fuel.

Fuel separation system for reducing parasitic losses

Systems and methods for separating higher octane fuel from a fuel mixture are presented. In one example, fuel vapors may be limited or constrained from migrating to fuel tanks storing lower octane fuels. The systems may vent fuel vapors from a plurality of fuel tanks to a single fuel vapor storage canister. Alternatively, the systems may vent fuel vapors from the plurality of fuel tanks to a plurality of fuel vapor storage canisters.

Fuel separation via fuel vapor management systems

Various systems and methods are described for reducing engine oil dilution in a boosted engine. One method comprises, when engine oil dilution is higher than a first threshold and engine oil temperature is below a temperature threshold, adjusting a position of an air induction system (AIS) throttle, generating a vacuum, and providing the vacuum to a crankcase of the boosted engine to enhance fuel evaporation from engine oil. The providing of vacuum may be discontinued when engine oil dilution is lower than the first threshold and/or when engine oil temperature rises above the temperature threshold.

Method for reducing engine oil dilution

Methods and systems are provided for estimating a fuel concentration in engine oil in an engine crankcase. In one example, an engine controller may adjust engine operation such as EGR flow and engine fueling based on the estimated fuel concentration in engine oil. The fuel concentration may be based on an output of an intake oxygen sensor when purge and EGR flow are disabled, engine oil temperature, and fuel composition.

Methods and systems for determining a fuel concentration in engine oil using an intake oxygen sensor

A method for controlling an engine supplied with multiple fuels in which the vapor purge flow into the engine from multiple vapor storage devices each coupled to a respective, but equal number of multiple fuel tanks controlled to have the same proportion of total vapors purged as a proportion of liquid fuel delivered to the engine from said respective one of the said multiple fuel tanks. The method includes increasing the delivery of fuel from one of the multiple fuel tanks containing fuel with the highest-octane rating of all the fuel tanks when the vapor storage canister coupled to the fuel tank with the highest-octane fuel is not being purged of its fuel vapors. Additionally, the method further comprises a feedback control responsive to an exhaust gas oxygen sensor to adjust said fuel delivered from said multiple fuel tanks to the engine to maintain engine air-fuel ratio around stoichiometry.

Vapor purging octane separation system

Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a knock control fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, and CMCV, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients.

Method and system for controlling fuel usage

A fuel compensation factor (FCF) is determined to account for the amount of oxygenated fuel blended in diesel fuel. In one embodiment, the FCF is based on an expected exhaust gas oxygen concentration compared to an actual exhaust gas oxygen concentration. The FCF is used to estimate an amount of oxygenated fuel in the blend. Such estimate can be used to adjust the exhaust temperature model, which is used at least in determining the temperature in aftertreatment devices, the fuel dilution model which affects oil change recommendations, and the diesel particulate filter loading model which affects regenerations. Biodiesels are more prone to waxing at lower temperatures. The estimated amount of biodiesel and the temperature in the injection system are used to prevent and/or delay starting when it is predicted that too much wax exists in the fuel system.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

James Eric Anderson