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US 10,883,433 B2Granted
Systems and methods for oxygen sensor light-off
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsChristopher Paul Glugla, Kenneth Ellison, Hao Zhang, John Roth, Gopichandra Surnilla, John Virga, Richard E. Soltis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for a battery supplying power to an exhaust oxygen sensor heater. In one example, a method may include estimating a power delivered to the heater during heating of the sensor and in response to a power delivered from a battery being lower than a threshold, adjusting a battery charging strategy prior to an immediately subsequent engine start.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- in response to a power delivered from a battery, as estimated based on a drop in voltage during heating of an exhaust gas oxygen sensor, adjusting, via an electronic controller storing executable instructions in non-transitory memory, a battery charging strategy, and, in response to an estimated voltage recovery time being higher than a threshold time, engaging an alternator to supply power to the heater during an immediately subsequent engine start.
An engine method, comprising:
- while heating an oxygen sensor via a heater powered by a battery,
- during a first condition, increasing, via an electronic controller storing executable instructions in non-transitory memory, a battery charging power prior to an immediately subsequent engine start and shedding electric load on the battery from one or more vehicle electric power consumers during heating of the oxygen sensor;
- during a second condition, indicating, via the electronic controller, degradation of the battery;
- and
- during a third condition, maintaining, via the electronic controller, the battery charging power prior to the immediately subsequent engine start.
2 more elements
An engine system, comprising:
- a controller storing executable instructions in non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to:
- during a cold-start,
- supply voltage from a battery to a heater coupled to an oxygen sensor, housed in an exhaust passage, configured to measure an amount of oxygen in exhaust gas, to increase a temperature of the oxygen sensor to a light-off temperature;
- estimate a drop in voltage from a nominal battery voltage;
- estimate a recovery time for the voltage to increase to the nominal voltage;
- estimate a power supplied to the heater based on the drop in voltage, the nominal voltage, and the recovery time;
- and
- indicate the battery to be degraded in response to the power supplied being lower than a threshold power.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.