Control strategy for an internal combustion engine in a hybrid vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAllan J. Lippa, Diana D. Brehob, Jialin Yang, Lifeng Xu
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Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for operating an internal combustion engine disposed in a hybrid vehicle, in which engine operation is selected to provide secondary vehicular functions, such as cabin heating, cabin cooling, and exhaust aftertreatment of exhaust components.
Claims36
A vehicle system comprising:
- at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of said machines being an internal combustion engine;
- at least one particulate filter coupled to said engine;
- and
- an engine controller operably connected to said machines to determine when said particulate filter should be attended to and to determine whether a current engine operating condition is within an acceptable engine operating range which satisfies said particulate filter.
A vehicle system comprising:
- at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of said machines being an internal combustion engine;
- an air conditioning system coupled to said engine;
- and
- an engine controller operably connected to said machines to determine when said air conditioning system should be attended to and to determine whether a current engine operating condition is a high efficiency engine operating condition.
A vehicle system comprising:
- at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of said machines being an internal combustion engine;
- a fuel vapor purge system coupled to said engine;
- and
- an engine controller operably connected to said machines to determine when said fuel vapor purge system should be attended to and to determine whether a current engine operating condition is within an acceptable engine operating range which satisfies fuel vapor purge system.
A vehicle system comprising:
- at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of said machines being an internal combustion engine;
- a cabin heating system coupled to said engine;
- and
- an engine controller operably connected to said machines to determine when said cabin heating system should be attended to and to determine whether a current engine operating condition is within an acceptable engine operating range which satisfies said cabin heating system.
A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to control a vehicle system, the vehicle system comprises at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of the machines being an internal combustion engine, and an air conditioning compressor coupled to the engine, comprising:
- instructions for determining a demand for activating the air conditioning compressor;
- instructions for determining a high thermal efficiency engine operating condition for providing high thermal efficiency of the engine in response to said demand;
- and
- instructions for commanding said engine to attain said high thermal efficiency engine operating condition when said air conditioning compressor should be activated.
A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to control a vehicle system, the vehicle system comprises at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of the machines being an internal combustion engine with a water jacket through which an engine coolant is circulated, and a vehicle cabin heating system, the vehicle cabin heating system comprising an air to liquid heat exchanger with engine coolant circulated through the liquid side of the heat exchanger, comprising:
- instructions for determining a demand for cabin heating;
- and
- instructions for determining a high power engine operating condition which simultaneously provides high thermal efficiency of the engine and rapidly raises the temperature of the engine coolant in response to said demand.
A vehicle system comprising:
- at least two machines capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, one of said machines being an internal combustion engine;
- at least one lean NOx catalyst coupled to said engine for reducing NOx when the engine air/fuel ratio is lean of stoichiometry;
- and
- an engine controller operably connected to said machines to determine when said lean NOx catalyst should be attended to and to determine whether a current engine operating condition is within an acceptable engine operating range which satisfies said lean NOx catalyst.
A method to control a vehicle system having a primary machine, which is an internal combustion engine, at least one secondary machine and a lean NOx catalyst coupled to the engine and receiving an exhaust stream from the engine, said machines are capable of being coupled to driving wheels of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- determining that the lean NOx catalyst should be attended to;
- determining a desired engine operating condition that satisfies the lean NOx catalyst;
- and
- commanding the engine to attain said desired engine operating condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.