Patent Application
20250215845
This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2023236634080, filed on Dec. 29, 2023, and is incorporated herein by reference.
This disclosure relates to a leak detection module (LDM) for an evaporative emissions system. In one example, the disclosure relates to an LDM that is able to measure volatile organic compounds (VOC) and transmit results to remote locations.
Evaporative emissions systems have long been required for gasoline powered vehicles. The system must undergo a periodic leak test during or after a vehicle drive cycle to ensure that fuel vapors will not leak into the atmosphere. The gasoline engine, a pump, or fuel tank temperature change is used either to create a vacuum or pressurize the system. Various valves may be closed during this test procedure to maintain system pressure, and the pressure is monitored to determine if there are any leaks.
One type of evaporative emissions system uses a leak detection module (LDM) that typically houses a pump and one or more valves that are operated during a test procedure. Two two-way valves are commonly used in an LDM to regulate flow from the pump and relative to atmosphere.
Currently, CN VI vehicles are equipped with leakage inspection technology for evaporative emission control systems. Several diagnostic solutions that are widely used in the existing technology include vacuum attenuation, EONV, DMTL, ELCM and other methods, but they all require preliminary parts development based on the vehicle. Matching and data calibration cannot be directly applied to the CN IV and CN V fuel vehicles in the market. It is not possible to inspect the leakage of the fuel evaporation control system and the excessive emission of HC compounds from the carbon canister on the existing CN IV and CN V fuel vehicles.
The disclosure can be further understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
The system 10 is configured to capture and regulate the flow of fuel vapors within the system. In one example type of system (e.g. those used in hybrid vehicles), a fuel tank isolation valve (FTIV) 24 is arranged fluidly between the fuel tank 12 and a charcoal canister 22, which captures and stores fuel vapors for later use by the engine 20. A purge valve 26 is fluidly connected between the canister 22 and the engine 20. In one example, the controller 40 regulates a position of the purge valve 26 during engine operation in response to a purge command from the engine controller 40, for example, to selectively provide the fuel vapors to the engine 20 during fuel combustion to make use of these fuel vapors. The LDM 28 may also have its own controller separate and discrete from the engine controller 40.
Regarding the evaporative emissions system, the integrity of the system 10 must be periodically tested to ensure no fuel vapor leakage. One type of system 10 uses a leak detection module (LDM) 28 (also referred to as a “leak check module”), which can be used to pull a vacuum and/or pressurize the system to determine whether a leak exists, for example, using a pressure transducer (e.g., within the LDM 28). In one example leak test procedure, the purge valve 26 is closed and the leak detection module 28 is used to evacuate or pressurize the system. Another pressure transducer 54 may be used to monitor the pressure of fuel vapors within the fuel tank 12 during other conditions. In one example, a temperature sensor 34 is arranged outside the LDM 28. The temperature sensor 34 may be useful for quantify heat transfer characteristics of the fuel vapor within the fuel tank 12 relative to surrounding atmospheric temperature.
A modified LDM 28 is installed in the system 10. The working power supply of the LDM 28 is provided by a vehicle power supply 48. The result data of the LDM 28 passes through the communication base station 50, which uploads to cloud storage data center 52. The disclosed inventive LDM 28 can be independently installed on CN IV and CN V vehicles to conduct leakage inspections of the fuel evaporation control system and excessive HC compound emission inspections from the carbon canisters 28. At the same time, results can be uploaded to the data center. The disclosed LDM 28 has the ability to independently monitor the status of the vehicle's fuel evaporation control system, independently start the diagnostic process, and independently determine whether it is leaking or exceeding the standard.
A disclosed example LDM 28 is shown in
Some customers prefer a system that operates using a vacuum, while other customers prefer a system that is pressurized. The rotational direction of the pump 30 determines whether the system is pressurized or a vacuum is applied. So, to provide a pressurized evaporative emissions system test, the pump 30 will draw air from the atmospheric port 66 direct the atmospheric air towards the charcoal canister 22. To provide a depressurized or negative pressure evaporative emissions system test (i.e., vacuum), the pump 30 will draw air from the charcoal canister 22 and out to the atmosphere through the atmospheric port 66.
A canister valve solenoid (CVS) CVS 36 is arranged in fluid communication along a first fluid passageway 61 fluidly connected between the canister and atmospheric ports 64, 66. A second fluid passageway 62 also fluidly connects the canister and atmospheric ports 64, 66. The pump 30 is arranged in fluid communication along the second fluid passageway 62 between the first and second ports 64, 66. A CVS check valve 38 is arranged in the second fluid passageway 62 and selectively blocks the canister 22 from the pump 30 and atmosphere via the second port 66.
Generally, when the LDM 28 is not performing a leak check of the fuel system 10, the CVS 36 and the CVS check valve 38, which are arranged in the housing 46, are in an open position to allow air to pass between the charcoal canister port 64 and the atmospheric port 66. This enables the system 10 to draw air from the atmosphere (e.g., during vapor purge) or expel air to the atmosphere (e.g., during refueling), as needed. In the example, the first and second solenoid valves 36, 38 are 2-position valves having open and closed positions, and are normally open when the solenoid valves are de-energized. When the LDM 28 is performing a leak test of the of the fuel system 10, the CVS 36 is in a closed position, and the CVS check valve 38 remains in the open position. Once the desired system pressure is reached, both the CVS 36 and CVS check valve 38 are closed. The pressure transducer 32 is arranged to read the pressure in the system.
The disclosed LDM 28 has two functional aspects. First, the LDM 28 is operable to detect leaks in the evaporative emissions system 10, which is typical function of such a device. Second, the LDM 28 is also designed to determine the overall functionality of the emissions system itself and its effectiveness in mitigating undesired emissions (e.g., volatile organic compounds (VOCs)). To that end, the disclosed LDM 28 additionally includes a pressure sensor 54, a VOC gas sensor 56, a mass flow sensor 58, and a controller 60. The VOC gas sensor 56 can measure the concentration of hydrocarbons (HC). The mass flow sensor 58 is a bidirectional mass flow meter and can sense the direction of air flow. The controller 60 includes data processing, device control, and wireless data transmission functions.
Regarding the leak detection function, the LDM 28 includes three operational states including first state corresponding to a non-operational state in which both the first and second solenoid valves 36, 38 are open (
In a second state (a pressure mode during a testing state), when the LDM 28 receives a leakage diagnosis request, the timer of the controller 60 records that T0 time has passed since the last diagnosis. Once the conditions for re-diagnosis are verified as being satisfied, the LDM 28 starts the leakage diagnosis. The first solenoid valve 36 is closed and the second solenoid valve 38 is open (
A third state (
The LDM 28 evaluates the quality of emissions by obtaining the flow signal from the carbon canister port 64 to the atmosphere port 66 through the flow sensor 58 during an emissions discharge. The controller 60 records the time from the last flow signal to the current time, and determines that the carbon canister desorption has been completed and the standby time has been met. Next, the VOC gas sensor 56 detects the ppm concentration value of HC compounds escaping through the charcoal canister 22 during T2, and converts it into an AD output signal (in volts) to the controller 60. An example graph of such values is shown in
The controller 40, controller 60 and OBDII system 42 may be integrated or separate. In terms of hardware architecture, such the controllers can include a processor, memory, and one or more input and/or output (I/O) device interface(s) that are communicatively coupled via a local interface. The local interface can include, for example but not limited to, one or more buses and/or other wired (e.g., CAN, LIN and/or LAN) or wireless connections. The local interface may have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers to enable communications. Further, the local interface may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the aforementioned components.
The controllers may be a hardware device for executing software, particularly software stored in memory. The processor can be a custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the controllers, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set) or generally any device for executing software instructions.
The memory can include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, VRAM, etc.)) and/or nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, etc.). Moreover, the memory may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. The memory can also have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the controller.
The software in the memory may include one or more separate programs, each of which includes an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. A system component embodied as software may also be construed as a source program, executable program (object code), script, or any other entity comprising a set of instructions to be performed. When constructed as a source program, the program is translated via a compiler, assembler, interpreter, or the like, which may or may not be included within the memory.
When the controllers are in operation, its processor can be configured to execute software stored within the memory, to communicate data to and from the memory, and to generally control operations of the computing device pursuant to the software. Software in memory, in whole or in part, is read by the processor, perhaps buffered within the processor, and then executed.
Through the combination of pressure sensor 54, VOC gas sensor 56, mass flow sensor 58, controller 60, in addition to the commonly used normally open CVS 36, normally open CVS check valve 38, and pump 30, the existing CN IV and CN V vehicles can be monitored. The fuel evaporation system 10 performs leakage diagnosis and HC emission diagnosis. The built-in controller 60 of the LDM 28 can independently monitor the status of the vehicle's fuel evaporation control system, independently start the diagnostic process, independently determine whether there is leakage or exceed the standard, and upload the determination results to a remote data center.
It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment, other arrangements will benefit herefrom. Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will still benefit from the present invention.
Although the different examples have specific components shown in the illustrations, embodiments of this invention are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from one of the examples in combination with features or components from another one of the examples. For example, the disclosed pump may be used in applications other than vehicle evaporative systems.
Although an example embodiment has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of the claims. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023236634080 | Dec 2023 | CN | national |
