# US 2013/0152905 A1 · Hydrocarbon sensor for purging canister of extended range electric vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152905 A1 - Document ID: US20130152905A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/714,560 - Filed: 2012-12-14 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19 - Assignees: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. - Inventors: Brian G Woods; David W Balsdon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152905A1 ## CPC - F02M 33/04: returning to the intake passage - B60K 6/46: Series type - B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} - G01N 29/024: by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves - B60K 15/03519: {Valve arrangements in the vent line} - B60K 2015/03514: {with vapor recovery means} - B60K 2015/03571: {Venting during driving} - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - G01N 2291/0212: Binary gases - G01N 2291/02809: Concentration of a compound, e.g. measured by a surface mass change - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y10S 903/904: Component specially adapted for hev - F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract An evaporative fuel vapor control system (10) for extended range electric vehicle includes a fuel supply (18) for storing fuel that generates fuel vapor, an internal combustion engine (16) supplied with fuel from the fuel supply, a vapor canister (20) in fluid communication with the fuel supply to retain fuel vapor and being in fluid communication with the engine, a hydrocarbon sensor (24) to determine when hydrocarbon saturation is occurring in the canister, a vapor control valve (22) associated with the vapor canister. A controller (26) is electrically connected with the hydrocarbon sensor and with the control valve such that when the controller receives a signal from the hydrocarbon sensor indicating that the engine should be started to purge the canister, the controller is constructed and arranged to cause the control valve to control a flow of fuel vapor from the purge passage while the engine is operating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An evaporative fuel vapor control system for extended range electric vehicle (EREV), the system comprising: a fuel supply for storing fuel that generates fuel vapor in the fuel supply, an internal combustion engine constructed and arranged to be supplied with fuel from the fuel supply, a vapor canister having a vapor passage disposed in fluid communication with the fuel supply to retain fuel vapor from the fuel supply and having a purge passage in fluid communication with the engine, a hydrocarbon sensor constructed and arranged to determine when hydrocarbon saturation is occurring in the canister, a vapor control valve disposed in the purge passage between the engine and the vapor canister, and a controller electrically connected with the hydrocarbon sensor and with the control valve such that when the controller receives a signal from the hydrocarbon sensor indicating that the engine should be started to purge the canister, the controller is constructed and arranged to cause the control valve to control a flow of fuel vapor from the purge passage while the engine is operating. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon sensor is associated with a passage connected with the vapor canister. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the hydrocarbon sensor is an ultrasonic sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the hydrocarbon sensor includes a transducer constructed and arranged to provide an ultrasonic signal in the passage and to monitor a runtime of an acoustic wave signal generated by the ultrasonic signal and reflected by the passage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the wave signal is constructed and arranged to be about 1 mV in amplitude. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is an engine control unit of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, in combination with the EREV, wherein the EREV has an electric motor for powering the vehicle, the electric motor being constructed and arranged to remain operating while the engine is operating to purge the canister. ### Claim 8 A method of purging hydrocarbons from a vapor canister of an extended range electric vehicle (EREV), the method comprising: providing an (EREV) having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, the electric motor being constructed and arranged to power the vehicle and the engine being constructed and arranged to power the vehicle when a battery charge of the electric motor is not sufficient for powering the vehicle, providing a fuel supply for storing fuel that generates fuel vapor in the fuel supply, the fuel supply supplying fuel to the engine, providing a vapor canister having a vapor passage disposed in fluid communication with the fuel supply to retain fuel vapor from the fuel supply and having a purge passage in fluid communication with the engine; determining, with a hydrocarbon sensor, when hydrocarbon saturation is occurring in the canister, while the electric motor is powering the vehicle, starting the engine when hydrocarbon saturation in the canister is determined to be occurring, and while the engine is operating, purging hydrocarbons from the vapor canister via the purge passage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step includes: providing an ultrasonic signal in a passage associated with the vapor canister, and monitoring a runtime of an acoustic wave signal generated by the ultrasonic signal and reflected by the passage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein a concentration of hydrocarbons in the vapor canister is determined by cgas mixture=2d/tabs where c is the concentration of hydrocarbons in the canister, d is a diameter of the passage, and t is the runtime of the wave signal.