# US 9,752,495 B2 · Method for purging condensate from a charge air cooler

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- Number: US 9,752,495 B2
- Document ID: US9752495B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/287,266
- Filed: 2016-10-06
- Published: 2017-02-23
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-29
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Chris Paul Glugla; Kristofor Robert Norman; Shuya Shark Yamada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752495B2

## CPC

- F02B 29/04: Cooling of air intake supply
- F02B 29/0468: {Water separation or drainage means}
- F02B 37/00: Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust
- F02D 37/02: one of the functions being ignition
- F02D 41/0007: {for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12)}
- F02D 41/008: {Controlling each cylinder individually}
- F02D 41/0295: {Control according to the amount of oxygen that is stored on the exhaust gas treating apparatus}
- F02D 41/04: Introducing corrections for particular operating conditions (F02D41/14 takes precedence)
- F02D 41/26: using computer, e.g. microprocessor
- F02D 41/30: Controlling fuel injection {(F02D41/182, F02D41/24 take precedence)}
- F02D 41/3029: {further comprising a homogeneous charge spark-ignited mode}
- F02P 5/04: automatically, as a function of the working conditions of the engine or vehicle or of the atmospheric conditions (dependent on position of personal controls of engine F02P5/02)
- F02P 5/045: {combined with electronic control of other engine functions, e.g. fuel injection (in general F02D37/02)}
- F02B 29/0425: {Air cooled heat exchangers}
- F02B 29/0437: {Liquid cooled heat exchangers}
- F02D 13/0219: {by shifting the phase, i.e. the opening periods of the valves are constant}
- F02D 13/0265: {Negative valve overlap for temporarily storing residual gas in the cylinder}
- F02D 41/0065: {Specific aspects of external EGR control (constructional details of EGR system F02M26/00)}
- F02D 41/3076: {with special conditions for selecting a mode of combustion, e.g. for starting, for diagnosing}
- F02D 41/402: {Multiple injections}
- F02D 2041/001: {for engines with variable valve actuation}
- F02D 2200/0414: Air temperature
- F02M 26/05: High pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust system upstream of the turbine and reintroduced into the intake system downstream of the compressor
- F02M 26/10: having means to increase the pressure difference between the exhaust and intake system, e.g. venturis, variable geometry turbines, check valves using pressure pulsations or throttles in the air intake or exhaust system
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02P: IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES ({anti-pollution means for internal-combustion engines F02B17/00}; specially adapted for rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines F02B53/12; {ignition of gas turbine plants F02C7/26; ignition of jet propulsion plants F02K9/95; starting of combustion engines F02N9/00}; ignition of combustion apparatus in general, glowing plugs F23Q; measuring of physical variables in general G01; controlling in general G05; data processing in general G06; electrical components in general see Section H; {ignition coils H01F38/12}; sparking plugs H01T13/00)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for cleaning out condensate stored at a charge air cooler. In response to increased condensate accumulation at a charge air cooler, airflow through the engine is increased to purge the condensate while an engine actuator is adjusted to maintain engine torque. Combustion stability issues of engine cylinders are addressed by adjusting fueling of each cylinder individually during condensate ingestion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An engine method, comprising:
in response to condensate level in a charge air cooler,
adjusting fuel injection timing while increasing engine airflow to a level greater than requested by a vehicle operator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting fuel injection timing includes shifting from a first injection timing providing a homogeneous cylinder air-fuel charge ignited with spark to a second injection timing providing at least some stratified cylinder air-fuel charge ignited with spark.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the first injection timing includes an intake stroke injection and wherein the second injection timing includes a compression stroke injection.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the intake stroke injection includes one of an early intake stroke injection, a mid intake stroke injection and a late intake stroke injection, and wherein the compression stroke injection includes a late compression stroke injection.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting fuel injection timing further includes adjusting a number of fuel injections per combustion event.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the number of fuel injections includes transitioning from a single intake stroke fuel injection to a split fuel injection including at least a compression stroke injection.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting fuel injection timing includes, as condensate level exceeds a threshold, increasing a number of fuel injections per engine cycle, and increasing a ratio of fuel delivered in a compression stroke relative to an intake stroke.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the increased engine airflow level is based on the condensate level in the charge air cooler.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in response to a condensate level in the charge air cooler includes in response to the condensate level being higher than a threshold level.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting to increase engine airflow level includes adjusting to increase engine airflow level to a blow-off level required to purge condensate from the charge air cooler.

### Claim 11

An engine system, comprising:
an engine including one or more cylinders;
a compressor coupled upstream of an intake throttle;
a charge air cooler coupled downstream of the compressor;
a direct fuel injector for injecting fuel into an engine cylinder; and
a controller with computer readable instructions for,
while an accelerator pedal position is maintained, in response to a condensate level at the charge air cooler being higher than a threshold,
adjusting an engine fuel injection timing to operate one or more cylinders in a lean stratified mode until the condensate level is below the threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the adjusting includes operating cylinders having lower water ingestion sensitivity in the lean stratified mode while operating cylinders having higher water ingestion sensitivity in a stoichiometric mode with an overall exhaust air-fuel ratio maintained lean, or operating cylinders having lower water ingestion sensitivity in the lean stratified mode while operating cylinders having higher water ingestion sensitivity in a rich mode with an overall exhaust air-fuel ratio maintained around stoichiometry.