Method for detecting the usage of a heater in a block of an internal combustion engine
US5781877A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 16, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jul 14, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 16, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF02D41/064
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method (42) is disclosed for detecting the usage of a heater (31) in a block (30) of an internal combustion engine (11). The method (42) uses temperature measurements of the engine coolant and any ambient air used to create the air/fuel mixture. Based on the difference between the temperatures, the temperatures are weighted and added to create a temperature variable. The temperature variable is used by the electronic engine control module (34) to create an air/fuel mixture which will allow the internal combustion engine (11) to start smoothly. The method (42) operates on this modified temperature; i.e., the temperature variable, which is not the temperature of the engine coolant, nor the ambient air, and allows for the stoichiometric balance of the air/fuel mixture to be modified to optimize performance of the internal combustion engine (11) during a cold start in cold weather with warm engine coolant.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.