Method and device for ascertaining the flow through a timer valve

A device for determining a gas flow of a gas through a timer valve of a vehicle supporting an engine, the device comprising:

• an engine control unit carrying out a method comprising:
• detecting a pressure at a pressure sensor arranged upstream of the timer valve during an evacuation of a container arranged upstream of the timer valve;
• determining, during the evacuation, the gas flow through the timer valve based on the detected pressure upstream of the timer valve, based on a temperature of the gas in the container from a temperature sensor, and based on a volume of the gas in the container;
• comparing the gas flow determined during the evacuation and a gas flow model modeling gas flow through the timer valve;
• and
• providing the gas flow model to control a combustion of the engine and adapting the gas flow model when a discrepancy between the flow determined during the evacuation and the gas flow model;
• wherein an amount of flow that has flowed through the timer valve in a predetermined period of time is determined from the flow determined during the evacuation according to the following relationship:
• mout of tank=∫t0tend{dot over (m)}out of tankdt
• where
• {dot over (m)}out of tank is the flow through the timer valve during the evacuation and
• mout of tank is the amount of flow that has flowed through the timer valve in the time period from t0 to tend.

A method for determining a gas flow of a gas through a timer valve of a vehicle supporting an engine, the method comprising:

• detecting a pressure at a pressure sensor arranged upstream of the timer valve during an evacuation of a container arranged upstream of the timer valve;
• determining, during the evacuation, the gas flow through the timer valve based on the detected pressure upstream of the timer valve, based on a temperature of the gas in the container from a temperature sensor, and based on a volume of the gas in the container;
• comparing the gas flow ascertained during the evacuation and a gas flow model modeling gas flow through the timer valve;
• and
• providing the gas flow model to control a combustion of the engine and adapting the gas flow model when a discrepancy is detected between the flow ascertained during the evacuation and the gas flow model, wherein the gas flow through the timer valve during the evacuation is determined based on the following relationship:
• m
• out
• ⁢
• of
• ⁢
• tank
• =
• V
• gas
• ⁢
• in
• ⁢
• tank
• R
• gas
• ⁢
• in
• ⁢
• tank
• ·
• T
• gas
• ⁢
• in
• ⁢
• tank
• ·
• p
• .
• tank
• where
• {dot over (m)}out of tank is the gas flow through the timer valve during the evacuation,
• Vgas in tank is the volume of the gas in the container,
• Rgas in tank is a specific gas constant of the gas in the container,
• Tgas in tank is the temperature of the gas in the container,
• {dot over (p)}tank is a pressure gradient in the container based on data of the pressure sensor.