Apparatus and methods for protecting a catalytic converter from misfire
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsRonald Joseph Kubani, Vincent A. White, Daniel P. Grenn
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Abstract
A method of controlling engine operation in a vehicle in response to a misfire of one of a plurality of engine cylinders fueled through fuel injectors. The vehicle includes a fuel vapor storage canister. The method includes disabling at least one of the fuel injectors, using an open loop to control fuel delivery by the injectors to the cylinders, and disabling purging of the canister. The disabling and using steps are performed while the misfire continues.
Claims22
A method of controlling engine operation in a vehicle in response to a misfire of one of a plurality of engine cylinders fueled through a plurality of fuel injectors, the vehicle further including a storage canister in which fuel vapor can be collected and from which the fuel vapor can be purged for delivery to the cylinders, said method comprising:
- disabling at least one of the fuel injectors;
- using an open loop to control fuel delivery by the injectors to the cylinders;
- disabling purging of the canister, wherein said disabling and using steps are performed while the misfire continues;
- evaluating a user demand for engine power from the vehicle, using at least one of a throttle position and a pedal position of the vehicle;
- and
- reversing said disabling and using steps based on said evaluating step.
A system for controlling engine operation in a vehicle in response to a misfire of one of a plurality of engine cylinders fueled through a plurality of fuel injectors, the vehicle further including an engine exhaust catalytic converter and a storage canister in which fuel vapor can be collected and from which the fuel vapor can be purged for delivery to the cylinders, said system comprising:
- a misfire sensing module that senses the misfire;
- and
- a control module that provides a misfire diagnostic based on input from said misfire sensing module, and, based on the diagnostic and to prevent unburned fuel from entering the catalytic converter:
- disables at least one of the fuel injectors;
- uses an open loop to control fuel delivery by the injectors to the cylinders;
- and
- disables purging of the canister.
A method of controlling engine operation in a vehicle including a plurality of engine cylinders fueled through a plurality of fuel injectors, the vehicle further including a storage canister in which fuel vapor can be collected and which can be purged for delivery of the fuel vapor to the cylinders, said method comprising:
- detecting a misfire of at least one of the cylinders;
- analyzing at least one of the detected misfire and another misfire;
- and, based on said analyzing:
- disabling at least one of the fuel injectors;
- using an open loop to control fuel delivery by the injectors to the cylinders;
- disabling purging of the canister;
- determining whether the vehicle engine is operating in an operating region associated with inaccurate misfire detection;
- and
- reversing said disabling and using steps based on the determining.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.