Evaporated fuel treatment system for internal combustion engine

Abstract

In an evaporated fuel treatment system, a pump is operated to flow air through a specified restriction and a sensor detects a first differential pressure across the restriction. A fuel tank, a canister, and the restriction are made to communicate with each other and an air-fuel mixture containing the evaporated fuel is purged from the canister. The mixture flows through the restriction and a second differential pressure across the restriction is detected. A differential pressure ratio and an evaporated fuel concentration used for the control of a flow rate are computed from these differential pressures. When fuel swings in a period during which the second differential pressure is detected, the pressure difference ratio is not computed and the flowrate control of the air-fuel mixture is not conducted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numbers and in which:

FIG. 1 is a construction diagram showing the construction of an evaporated fuel treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of purging of evaporated fuel;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a concentration detection routine in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the progression of states of respective parts of the system during executing the concentration detection routine;

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a temporal change in a differential pressure ΔP detected by a pressure sensor;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second measurement state;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first measurement state;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a fuel swing determination routine;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a concentration detection routine executed in a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a construction diagram of an evaporated fuel treatment system according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a routine executed in place of a routine in FIG. 2 in the third embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing a concentration detection routine executed in the third embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing a concentration detection routine executed in a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing processing of abandoning a differential pressure when it is determined that fuel swings in a period during which the differential pressure is detected; and

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing processing of re-detecting a differential pressure when it is determined that fuel swings in a period during which the differential pressure is detected.

Claims

1. An evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine that introduces evaporated fuel in a fuel tank into a canister via an evaporated fuel passage to make an adsorbing material in the canister adsorb the evaporated fuel temporarily and purges the evaporated fuel adsorbed by the adsorbing material into an intake pipe of the combustion engine when the internal combustion engine is operated, the system comprising: a first pressure detection means for detecting an amount of change in pressure of an air-fuel mixture caused by a restriction in a first measurement state in which the fuel tank, the canister, and the restriction communicates with each other and in which the air-fuel mixture flows through the restriction, the air-fuel mixture containing evaporated fuel purged from the canister;a flow rate control means for controlling a flow rate of the air-fuel mixture introduced into the intake pipe from the canister on a basis of an amount of change in pressure detected by the first pressure detection means and an amount of change in pressure of an air flowing through the restriction; anda fuel swing determination means for determining whether a fuel in the fuel tank swings, whereinwhen the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings, the flow rate control means stops the control of a flow rate of the air-fuel mixture based on an amount of change in pressure of the air-fuel mixture.

2. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel swing determination means successively determines whether the fuel swings in a period during which the first pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, andafter the first pressure detection means finishes detecting an amount of change in pressure, the first pressure detection means determines whether the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings in a period during which the first pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, and the first pressure detection means abandons a detected amount of change in pressure if the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings.

3. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether the fuel swings in a period during which the first pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, andafter the first pressure detection means finishes detecting an amount of change in pressure, the first pressure detection means determines whether the fuel swing determination means determines that fuel swings in a period during which the first pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, and the first pressure detection means detects a detected amount of change in pressure again if the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings.

4. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether the fuel swings before the first pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure.

5. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings, the first pressure detection means stops an operation of measuring pressure until a specified time passes.

6. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings, the first pressure detection means stops an operation of measuring pressure until the fuel swing determination means determines that no fuel swings.

7. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second pressure detection means for detecting an amount of change in pressure of an air caused by a restriction in a second measurement state in which the air flows through the restriction and in which the restriction communicates with the fuel tank, whereinwhen the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings, the flow rate control means stops the control of a flow rate based on an amount of change in pressure of the air detected by the second pressure detection means.

8. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether the fuel swings in a period during which the second pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, andafter the second pressure detection means finishes detecting an amount of change in pressure, the second pressure detection means determines whether the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings in a period during which the second pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, and the second pressure detection means abandons the detected amount of change in pressure if the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings.

9. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fuel swing determination means successively determines whether the fuel swings in a period during which the second pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, andafter the second pressure detection means finishes detecting an amount of change in pressure, the second pressure detection means determines whether the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings in a period during which the second pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure, and the second pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure again if the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings.

10. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether the fuel swings before the second pressure detection means detects an amount of change in pressure.

11. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the fuel swing determination means determines that the fuel swings, the second pressure detection means stops an operation of measuring pressure until a specified time passes.

12. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the fuel swing detection means determines that the fuel swings, the second pressure detection means stops an operation of measuring pressure until the fuel swing determination means determines that no fuel swings.

13. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether the fuel swings on a basis of a temporal change in an amount of change in pressure of gas caused by the restriction.

14. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether the fuel swings on a basis of an amount of change in an output value of a fuel level sensor disposed in the fuel tank.

15. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel swing determination means determines whether fuel swings on a basis of an output value of an acceleration sensor mounted in a vehicle.

16. The evaporated fuel treatment system for an internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a measurement passage having a restriction;a gas flow generation means for generating a gas flow passing through the restriction disposed in the measurement passage;a pressure measurement means for measuring an amount of change in pressure caused by the restriction when the gas flow generation means generates a gas flow;a measurement passage switching means for switching the measurement passage between in the first measurement state and in the second measurement state; andan evaporated fuel concentration computation means for computing an evaporated fuel concentration of an air-fuel mixture introduced into the intake pipe from the canister on a basis of an amount of change in pressure detected by the first pressure detection means and an amount of change in pressure detected by the second pressure detection means, whereinthe flow rate control means controls a flow rate of an air-fuel mixture introduced into the intake pipe from the canister on a basis of an evaporated fuel concentration of the air-fuel mixture computed by the evaporated fuel concentration computation means.