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US 2013/0152894 A1Published application
Stop/start engine glow plug heater control
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsViet Quoc To, Brien Lloyd Fulton, John Richard Blankenship
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for operating a glow plug are disclosed. In one example, glow plugs of a compression ignition engine are selectively operated during automatic engine starting. The methods and systems may be useful to reduced glow plug degradation and improve emissions of an automatically started engine.
Claims20
A method for operating an engine, comprising:
- automatically stopping an engine without a dedicated driver request to stop the engine;
- and
- selectively activating a first heater that heats contents of an engine cylinder during an automatic engine start, the automatic engine start initiated without a dedicated driver engine start request.
A method for operating an engine, comprising:
- starting the engine via activating a first heater that heats contents of a cylinder during an operator initiated engine start;
- automatically stopping an engine without a dedicated driver request to stop the engine;
- and
- selectively activating the first heater and heating contents of an engine cylinder in response to an automatic engine start request, the automatic engine start request initiated without a dedicated driver engine start request, the first heater activated in further response to a temperature of the engine.
1 more element
A system, comprising:
- an engine;
- a glow plug positioned in a cylinder of the engine;
- a dedicated driver operated engine starting input device;
- a driver vehicle control input device;
- and
- a controller including instructions to start the engine in response to an operator changing a state of the dedicated driver operated engine starting input device, and instructions to automatically activate the glow plug and start the engine without the operator changing the state of the dedicated driver operated engine starting input device and in response to a state of the driver vehicle control input device.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.