Back to results
US 11,306,670 B1Granted
Systems and methods for relative humidity sensor diagnostics
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSumanth Dadam, Vinod Ravi, Edward Doemer, Robert Jentz, Adam Krach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a humidity sensor in an engine. In one example, a method may include heating intake air entering an intake passage of an engine using heat recirculated from an exhaust system of the engine. A response of the humidity sensor to the heating of the intake air may be used to assess an integrity of the humidity sensor.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- adjusting a position of a valve via a controller to heat intake air entering an intake passage of an engine using heat recirculated from an exhaust system of the engine while collecting relative humidity (RH) measurements via an RH sensor and the controller to diagnose a status of the relative humidity (RH) sensor positioned in the intake passage.
A method for testing an integrity of a relative humidity (RH) sensor, comprising:
- adjusting a position of a valve via a controller to heat a coolant using heat released from a phase change material (PCM), the PCM configured to absorb heat from exhaust devices of an engine;
- transferring the released heat from the coolant to intake air at an exhaust gas heat exchanger (EGHX);
- collecting RH measurements from the RH sensor via the controller as the heat is transferred to the intake air;
- and
- determining a ratio of a change in intake air temperature to a change in the RH measurements via the controller and comparing the ratio to a threshold ratio to determine a condition of the RH sensor via the controller.
2 more elements
An engine system, comprising:
- a relative humidity (RH) sensor positioned in an intake passage of the engine system;
- a heat exchanger arranged upstream of the RH sensor in the intake passage and in a path of intake air drawn into the intake passage;
- a heat sink in contact with an exhaust device of the engine system and fluidically coupled to the heat exchanger by coolant lines circulating a coolant between the heat exchanger and the heat sink;
- and
- a phase change material (PCM) arranged in the heat sink, the PCM configured to release heat during a phase transition induced by a change in temperature;
- wherein the released heat is transferred to the intake air via the coolant at the heat exchanger and an integrity of the RH sensor is diagnosed based on a response of the RH sensor while heating the intake air.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.