Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Robert Matthew Marzonie

Michael John Cullen

Paul Charles Mingo

Jeffrey Allen Doering

Alan Robert Dona

Ronald A Yannone, Jr

Eric J Grant

Alastair William Parke

Jon Dixon

Xiaoying Zhang

Patrick Edward Smithberger

Joseph N Ulrey

Michael A Weyburne

Scott Richard Hughes

Patrick J Eggers

Richard W Sbaschnig

Todd Leonard Rachel

Carole Marie Choe

A method (42) is disclosed for detecting the usage of a heater (31) in a block (30) of an internal combustion engine (11). The method (42) uses temperature measurements of the engine coolant and any ambient air used to create the air/fuel mixture. Based on the difference between the temperatures, the temperatures are weighted and added to create a temperature variable. The temperature variable is used by the electronic engine control module (34) to create an air/fuel mixture which will allow the internal combustion engine (11) to start smoothly. The method (42) operates on this modified temperature; i.e., the temperature variable, which is not the temperature of the engine coolant, nor the ambient air, and allows for the stoichiometric balance of the air/fuel mixture to be modified to optimize performance of the internal combustion engine (11) during a cold start in cold weather with warm engine coolant.

Method for detecting the usage of a heater in a block of an internal

A method and system for determining and controlling the fuel mass to be delivered to an individual cylinder of an internal combustion engine during engine transients compensates for fuel transport dynamics and the actual fuel injected into the cylinder. A plurality of engine parameters are sensed, including cylinder air charge. An initial base desired fuel mass is determined based on the plurality of engine parameters. An initial transient fuel mass is also determined based on prior injection history for that cylinder. A desired injected fuel mass to be delivered to the cylinder is determined based on the initial base desired fuel mass and the initial transient fuel mass. These same calculations are then used to compensate for changes to the base desired fuel mass while the fuel injection is in progress, resulting in an updated desired injected fuel mass. Finally, the injection history for that cylinder is updated to account for the actual desired fuel mass delivered to the cylinder.

Method and system for controlling fuel delivery during transient engine

A method and system for controlling fuel delivery to an individual cylinder of an internal combustion engine during engine cranking compensates for fuel transport dynamics and the actual fuel injected into the cylinder. A plurality of engine parameters are sensed, including engine temperature, inducted air mass per cylinder and number of engine intake events since cranking. A temperature of the engine stored at key-off is determined. A new puddle mass estimate for the cylinder is determined based on the decay ratio of the new puddle mass estimate to the prior puddle mass estimate stored before key-off utilizing the temperature of the engine stored at key-off. A desired fuel mass to be injected into the cylinder is then determined based on the new puddle mass estimate and the plurality of engine parameters.

Method and system for controlling fuel delivery during engine cranking

A managed fuel air control system is provided that transitions between a closed loop stoichiometric A/F mode and an open loop lean A/F mode of operation. When conditions permit open loop lean operation, the engine A/F is ramped from stoichiometric to the desired lean A/F. Periodically, while operating in the open loop lean mode, the system returns to the closed loop stoichiometric mode to update an open loop correction factor used during the open loop lean mode. The time at stoichiometric is usually limited to the time it takes to correct errors in calibration data that have occurred during open loop operation. During lean operation, the adaptive corrections learned at stoichiometric A/F are applied.

method and apparatus for improving vehicle fuel economy

An adaptive closed loop fuel control system generates an index of maturity value which indicates the extent to which parameters which characterize an individual engine have been learned and stored for future use in a non-volatile memory. A timer produces the index of maturity value by measuring the elapsed time during which the fuel control system has successfully operated the engine at or near stoichiometry within a predetermined range of engine speed and load conditions. A backup mechanism counts the number of HEGO sensor state changes as the closed loop controller operates in an adaptive mode, setting the index of maturity to a predetermined value even when the measured adaptation time fails to indicate an adequate amount of adaptive operation. The index of maturity value alters the mode of operation of the fuel control mechanism to provide robust rich operation prior to adaptation and a more aggressive lean mode operation after the adaptive parameters have been developed which permit optimized operation in the presence of air-to-fuel ratio production variability.

Engine control system for producing and responding to an index of

An electronic ignition timing system which cooperates with an adaptive closed loop fuel control system to provide more rapid heating of an exhaust catalyst by retarding the ignition tinning during colds starts only after an index of maturity value has been generated to indicate that fuel control parameters which characterize an individual engine have been adaptively learned and are available to operate the engine with a lean mixture during cold idling conditions. The index of maturity value alters the mode of operation of the fuel control mechanism to provide robust rich operation prior to adaptation and a more aggressive lean mode operation after the adaptive parameters have been developed which permit optimized operation, and alters the ignition timing to retard the spark to more rapidly heat the exhaust catalyst. A mechanism responsive to the estimated temperature of the catalyst restores the spark advance when the catalyst has been heated, and also restores the spark advance when the throttle is depressed.

Ignition timing control system for varying cold start spark advance

A method, for use with a vehicle including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having exhaust valves, for controlling the temperature of the exhaust valves during fuel cutoff modes of engine operation utilizing a bit pattern representation of the engine cylinders. The method includes cutting off the fuel delivered to the cylinders in an indexed cylinder firing pattern to vary which cylinders receive fuel, so as to maintain acceptable exhaust valve temperature levels. The method may also include operating the engine with a lean air/fuel ratio, so as to maintain acceptable catalytic converter temperature levels.

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Northville, MI, United States of America

Robert Matthew Marzonie