US 10,330,034 B2Granted

Device and method for predicting the exhaust gas recirculation rate

AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC

InventorsThomas Alan Brewbaker, Christian Winge Vigild, Daniel Roettger, Michiel J. Van Nieuwstadt

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A device for predicting an exhaust gas recirculation rate of an internal combustion engine, which comprises an inlet system and at least one exhaust gas recirculation valve, is described. The device comprises a sensor arranged in the inlet system for determining the composition of the gas, a sensor for determining the position of the exhaust gas recirculation valve, and an evaluation apparatus. The evaluation apparatus is configured to determine and output a prediction of the exhaust gas recirculation rate based on a corrected estimate of the exhaust gas recirculation rate, wherein the estimate is based on the position of the exhaust gas recirculation valve and is corrected based on the composition of the gas as determined using the sensor.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

an inlet system coupled to an internal combustion engine;
an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve coupled between an exhaust of the engine and the inlet system;
and
a device comprising a microcomputer, where the device predicts an EGR rate based on a composition of gas in the inlet system and a position of the EGR valve, the composition of the gas and the position of the EGR valve based on sensor output received at the device, wherein the EGR rate is predicted by determining an estimated EGR rate and correcting the estimated EGR rate, the estimated EGR rate determined based on the position of the EGR valve, and the estimated EGR rate corrected based on the composition of the gas;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the device, the controller comprising computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to:
receive the predicted EGR rate from the device;
and
adjust the position of the EGR valve responsive to the predicted EGR rate differing from a desired EGR rate.

6 more elements

A system for a vehicle, comprising:

an internal combustion engine, including a plurality of cylinders, coupled to an inlet system and an exhaust system;
an air filter coupled to the inlet system;
a turbocharger comprising a turbine arranged in the exhaust system and a compressor arranged in the inlet system;
a low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for recirculating exhaust from downstream of the turbine in the exhaust system to upstream of the compressor and downstream of the air filter in the inlet system via an EGR passage;
an EGR valve coupled to the EGR passage, configured to restrict or enable EGR flow;
a device for predicting an EGR flow rate comprising a gas composition sensor, an EGR valve position sensor, and an evaluation apparatus, where the evaluation apparatus is a microcomputer;
an intake temperature sensor and an absolute pressure sensor coupled to the inlet system;
an engine speed sensor;
and
a control system holding one or more computer readable instructions stored on one or more non-transitory memories that, when executed, cause the control system to:
determine a requested EGR rate based on engine speed and load;
open the EGR valve to a position corresponding to the requested EGR rate;
determine an actual position of the EGR valve;
determine an estimated EGR rate based on the actual position of the EGR valve;
determine a composition of gas in the inlet system downstream of the EGR valve;
correct the estimated EGR rate based on the composition of gas in the inlet system downstream of the EGR valve;
determine a predicted EGR rate as the correction of the estimated EGR rate based on the composition of gas in the inlet system downstream of the EGR valve;
and
adjust the position of the EGR valve responsive to a difference between the predicted EGR rate and the requested EGR rate.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/495,403Filed 24 Apr 2017
Priority: DE 10 2016 207 35829 Apr 2016
Published: US 2017/0314483 A12 Nov 2017
Granted: 25 Jun 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

F02D 41/0072
Specific aspects of external EGR control: estimating, calculating or determining the EGR rate, amount or flow
F02D 41/144
Characterised by the position of the sensor: sensor in intake manifold
F02D 41/1448
Characterised by the characteristics of the combustion gases: the characteristics being an exhaust gas pressure
F02D 41/1454
Characterised by the characteristics of the combustion gases: the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio