Chrysler Corporation

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Ut-battelle, Inc.

Dimlerchrysler Corporation

Karin Rak

Shean P Huff

Gary L Seitz

Mary Joyce

Richard K Moote

Yi Cheng

Robert J Nankee, Ii

Jerry Kennie

Mark E Hope

Howard W Krausman

Dennis A Krozek

Roland T Richardson

William D Rotramel

John M Prevost

Maurice B Leising

Christopher James Janke

James E Parks, Ii

Zhong Li

Samuel Arthur Lewis, Sr

Ronald Lee Graves

Danny K Schuelke

Patrick T McCourt

Michael D Kass

Colt R Correa

Timothy J Theiss

Brian H West

Charles B Dupuis

Erika J Boss

Steven J Pawel

A measurement device or system configured to measure the content of biofuels within a fuel blend. By measuring a state of a responsive material within a fuel blend, a biofuel content of the fuel blend may be measured. For example, the solubility of a responsive material to biofuel content within a fuel blend, may affect a property of the responsive material, such as shape, dimensional size, or electrical impedance, which may be measured and used as a basis for determining biofuel content.

System for determining biofuel concentration

A method and system controls engine-out exhaust species of a combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders. The method typically includes various combinations of steps such as controlling combustion parameters in individual cylinders, grouping the individual cylinders into a lean set and a rich set of one or more cylinders, combusting the lean set in a lean combustion parameter condition having a lean air:fuel equivalence ratio, combusting the rich set in a rich combustion parameter condition having a rich air:fuel equivalence ratio, and adjusting the lean set and the rich set of one or more cylinders to generate net-lean combustion. The exhaust species may have elevated concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen.

Advanced engine management of individual cylinders for control of exhaust species

A method for checking the accuracy of an oxygen sensor based determination of the alcohol content of the fuel of a flexible fueled vehicle. Following the addition of fuel to the flexible fueled vehicle two alcohol concentration possibilities are calculated. The two alcohol concentration possibilities are then used to calculate thresholds for the determining if the oxygen sensor based determination falls within the thresholds. If the oxygen sensor based determination does not fall within the thresholds then action is taken to counteract an inaccurate determination of alcohol concentration.

Ethanol content rationality for a flexible fueled vehicle

A method is provided for monitoring the integrity of a fuel composition sensor in a flexible fueled vehicle. At ignition-on, the fuel composition sensor is tested for electrical and rationality viability. After ignition-on, the fuel composition is periodically, non-intrusively, tested for potential rationality errors. Should the non-intrusive testing indicate that a potential error exists, the fuel composition sensor is intrusively tested for rationality errors. If the intrusive test detects that the fuel composition sensor is malfunctioning, the engine control system converts to a limp-in mode and sets the engine operating parameters based on feedback from an exhaust gas oxygen sensor system.

Fuel composition sensor rationality test

A method according to the present invention controls engine roughness by varying the ethanol content in a fuel mixture of a flexible fuel vehicle. Initially, a trigger threshold and fix threshold are established based on engine speed and manifold pressure. The fix threshold is less than the trigger threshold. A first ethanol amount is delivered to the fuel mixture if a first measured roughness is greater than the trigger threshold. A second measured engine roughness is determined after delivering the first ethanol amount. The delivery of the first ethanol amount is stopped if the second measured roughness is greater than the trigger threshold. A second ethanol amount is delivered if the second measured roughness is less than the trigger threshold but greater than the fix threshold. A third measured roughness is then determined. Delivery of the second ethanol amount is stopped if the third measured roughness is greater than the trigger threshold. The roughness is measured and ethanol delivery modified accordingly so long as the third measured roughness is less than the trigger threshold and greater than the fix threshold.

Ethanol content learning based on engine roughness

An interactive engine and automatic transmission control system is provided wherein spark and air control are used to control engine speed to maintain a small positive torque on the transmission before and after coast down shifts. More particularly, a transmission controller is electrically coupled to an engine controller in a motor vehicle such that information can be passed therebetween. Such information includes a start of shift signal, a phase of the shift signal (i.e., clutch release phase, speed change phase, or clutch application phase), and a shift complete signal. In addition, the transmission controller identifies the type of shift that is occurring (i.e., fourth gear to third, third to second, or second to first), transmission oil temperature and the acceleration (braking) rate of the vehicle to the engine controller. During the three phases of a coast down shift, air flow control is used to supply an appropriate amount of air to the engine so that closed loop spark control can be used to adjust the speed of the engine. By maintaining the engine speed slightly above the turbine speed just before and just after a coast down shift, very little torque is transmitted through the transmission during the shift. As such, the coast down shift is practically imperceivable to the driver.

Interactive engine and automatic transmission control

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

A method is provided for controlling the combustion parameters of an internal combustion engine without a PCV solenoid during a boil-off condition. The methodology records the temperature of the engine when the vehicle is turned off. When the vehicle is restarted, the methodology determines the amount the engine has cooled since it was shut down. Based on the difference in engine temperature and the current engine temperature, the methodology determines the amount of boil-off corruption remaining. The methodology then determines a new boil-off corruption fuel multiplier based on the amount of boil-off corruption remaining. The new boil-off corruption fuel multiplier is used to modify fuel control until the boil-off condition ceases.

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

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.

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Shean P Huff