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US 10,760,482 B1Granted
Methods and system for reducing a possibility of spark plug fouling
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsNicholas Herhusky, Scott Steadmon Thompson, John Eric Rollinger, David Lew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine and an electric machine are described. In one example, operation of the engine may be adjusted to compensate for conditions when carbon deposits may build on one or more engine spark plugs. The engine adjustments may help to remove carbon deposits from the engine's spark plugs.
Claims20
A powertrain operating method, comprising:
- characterizing each of a plurality of engine operating regions as one or more carbon building regions and one or more carbon removing regions;
- measuring an amount of time an engine operates in the one or more of the carbon building regions via a controller while the engine rotates an electric machine that provides power to external power consumers;
- and
- adjusting operation of the engine to operate in one or more of the carbon removing regions while the engine rotates the electric machine that provides power to the external power consumers in response to the amount of time exceeding a threshold.
1 more element
A powertrain operating method, comprising:
- adjusting a first value responsive to an amount of time an engine operates in one or more carbon building regions via a controller;
- adjusting a second value responsive to an amount of time an engine operates in one or more carbon removing regions via a controller;
- and
- adjusting operation of an engine via a controller to operate in the one or more of the carbon removing regions in response to the first value exceeding a first threshold and the second value not exceeding a second threshold.
1 more element
A system, comprising:
- an engine in a hybrid vehicle driveline;
- an electric machine in the hybrid driveline;
- and
- a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory to adjust operation of the engine in response to an amount of time the engine operates in one or more carbon building regions exceeding a threshold while the electric machine is electrically coupled to an external electric power consumer.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.