Systems and methods for an electrically driven direct injection fuel pump
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJoseph Lyle Thomas, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric motor to drive either a transmission fluid pump or a direct injection fuel pump. In one example, a method may include operating an electric motor to drive a direct injection fuel pump to supply fuel to a direct injection fuel rail while an engine of a start/stop vehicle is on, and operating the electric motor to drive an auxiliary transmission fluid pump to circulate transmission fluid to a transmission rotationally coupled to the engine while the engine is off during an auto-stop. In this way, the direct injection fuel pump may be electrically driven without increasing vehicle costs through adding an additional electric motor.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- during an engine-on condition of an engine of a vehicle, operating an electric motor to drive a direct injection fuel pump to supply fuel to a direct injection fuel rail and operating a motor/generator coupled to the engine;
- and
- during an engine-off condition of the engine while the vehicle remains on, operating the electric motor to drive an auxiliary transmission fluid pump to circulate transmission fluid to a transmission rotationally coupled to the engine.
A method for a vehicle, comprising:
- adjusting operation of an electric motor mechanically coupled to each of an auxiliary transmission fluid pump and a high pressure fuel pump based on whether an engine is on or auto-stopped;
- deactivating the auxiliary transmission fluid pump while the engine is on by de-energizing a first solenoid-actuated valve coupled to an inlet of the auxiliary transmission fluid pump;
- and
- deactivating the high pressure fuel pump while the engine is auto-stopped by de-energizing a second solenoid-actuated valve coupled to an inlet of the high pressure fuel pump, wherein the engine is cranked via a motor/generator different than the electric motor.
A system, comprising:
- an engine configured to receive fuel from a fuel system, the fuel system including a high pressure fuel pump and a fuel rail;
- a transmission including an engine-driven fluid pump and an auxiliary transmission fluid pump, the engine-driven fluid pump and the auxiliary fluid pump each configured to circulate transmission fluid;
- a motor/generator coupled to the engine and configured to provide torque to vehicle wheels and provides electrical power to charge a system battery;
- an electric motor rotationally coupled to the high pressure fuel pump and the auxiliary transmission fluid pump;
- and
- a controller storing executable instructions in non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to:
- shut down the engine responsive to auto-stop conditions being met, including deactivating the high pressure fuel pump, activating the auxiliary transmission fluid pump, and operating the electric motor in a transmission mode;
- and
- restart the engine responsive to auto-start conditions being met, including activating the high pressure fuel pump, operating the electric motor in a fuel mode, and deactivating the auxiliary transmission fluid pump responsive to a speed of the engine reaching a threshold speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.