METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING ENGINE OIL DEGRADATION

Abstract

Method for detecting engine oil deterioration, wherein the method comprises: Acquisition (S10) of engine speed, RPM, engine load, and engine oil temperature, Temp. Calculating a change measure of a deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) of the engine oil per engine revolution using the measured engine speed, engine load and engine oil temperature, and Calculating (S20) an engine oil deterioration degree at a current time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying an engine speed during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr) by the calculated change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) to a previous engine oil deterioration degree, wherein the change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) is calculated according to the following equation 1: f (RPM, L oad, T emp) = a 0 + a 1 (1 RPM) + a 2 (1 L oad 9.81 + 100) + a 3 × T emp + a 4 × T emp 2 where RPM refers to the engine speed (revolutions / min), Load to the engine load (Nm), Temp to the engine oil temperature (°C) and a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4 to coefficients.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for detecting engine oil deterioration, and in particular a method and a system for detecting engine oil deterioration that can predict a deterioration state of the engine oil (e.g. viscosity change, contamination, etc.) and that can be applied to various types of vehicles. BACKGROUND

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information in connection with the present disclosure and may not represent prior art.

[0003] In the case of a vehicle's engine oil, the oil deteriorates with prolonged use, gradually changing from alkaline to acidic. Since the total base number (TBN) in the oil decreases with use, the degree of deterioration can be accurately determined by measuring the TBN. However, the equipment required to measure TBN is difficult to install on a vehicle, and therefore various alternative techniques have been proposed.

[0004] As an example, a method is proposed for measuring a change in oil viscosity using a pressure sensor that measures a pressure difference of an oil channel or an outlet pressure of an oil pump, based on the fact that viscosity increases when the oil deteriorates, but this cannot necessarily be estimated, since the deterioration of the oil occurs according to a pressure difference and the method is not generalizable due to a serious deviation in the measurement.

[0005] For example, DE 196 54 450 A1 discloses a method and a system for determining the timing of engine oil maintenance, taking into account recorded engine operating parameters, wherein the method comprises: recording an engine speed, an engine load, and an engine oil temperature, and calculating a remaining mileage taking into account the recorded engine speed, engine load, and engine oil temperature.

[0006] Furthermore, a system and a method for determining an oil change interval using engine operating parameters such as engine temperature and engine speed are known from, for example, DE 199 63 204 B4 or DE 36 08 237 C2.

[0007] Furthermore, a method for determining an oil change interval is known from, for example, DE 10 2019 102 435 A1, wherein an oil quality is determined as a function of oil temperature and engine torque. BRIEF EXPLANATION

[0008] According to the invention, a method for detecting engine oil deterioration with the features of claim 1 and a system for detecting engine oil deterioration with the features of claim 7 are described. Further embodiments of the method and the system are described in the respective dependent claims. That is to say, the present disclosure provides a method and a system for detecting engine oil deterioration, wherein a deterioration state of the engine oil (hereinafter also referred to as: oil) can be accurately predicted using a simple method and can be applied to various vehicle types, such as a vehicle with an internal combustion engine (hereinafter also referred to as: engine) and a hybrid vehicle.

[0009] Thus, a method for detecting engine oil deterioration according to the present disclosure comprises: measuring or detecting an engine speed (hereinafter also referred to as RPM), an engine load (hereinafter also referred to as Load), and an engine oil temperature (hereinafter also referred to as Temp); calculating a change measure of a deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) of the engine oil per engine revolution using the measured engine speed, load, and engine oil temperature; and calculating the degree of engine oil deterioration at a current or present time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying the engine speed during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr) by the calculated change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) to a previous degree of engine oil deterioration.

[0010] The change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) is calculated using the following equation 1: f(RPM,Load,Temp)=a0+a1(1RPM)+a2(1Load9,81+100)+a3×Temp+a4×Temp2 where RPM refers to the engine speed (revolutions / min), Load to the engine load (Nm; 9.81 Nm = 1 kgf·m), Temp to the engine oil temperature (°C) and a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4 to coefficients.

[0011] The procedure may also include, for example: displaying or issuing a warning to the driver to change the engine oil if the accumulated engine oil deterioration level at the current time is a predetermined value or more.

[0012] Alternatively, the method can, for example, utilize the remaining service life or shelf life of the engine oil based on the degree of oil deterioration and can also display relevant information to the driver according to the usable remaining service life or shelf life of the engine oil. For this purpose, the method may preferably further include, for example: determining the usefulness or usability of a remaining service life of the engine oil using a predetermined reference index value for the maximum degree of deterioration and the accumulated degree of engine deterioration at the current time, and displaying a warning to the driver to change the engine oil when the usable remaining service life is at or below a predetermined value.

[0013] Furthermore, the method may preferably include, for example: utilizing the remaining service life (e.g., determining a usable remaining service life) of the engine oil based on at least one vehicle driving time and / or one vehicle distance traveled, to complement a method for calculating the remaining service life of the oil based on the degree of oil deterioration, and may, for example, determine a minimum value for the remaining service life of the engine oil by comparing the remaining service life of the engine oil that is usable at the current time using the degree of engine oil deterioration with the remaining service life of the engine oil that is usable based on at least one of the vehicle driving time or the vehicle distance traveled, and may also display the engine oil change warning to the driver if the determined remaining service life of the engine oil is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

[0014] The degree of engine oil deterioration can, for example, be preferably stored in an EEPROM of an engine control unit, so that it cannot be deleted even when the engine is switched off.

[0015] Furthermore, the engine oil deterioration level can be reset, e.g., as a predetermined initial value of the oil determination level (X(0)) (e.g., an initial value for the deterioration level), by operating a diagnostic device or pressing an input button of an instrument cluster during an engine oil change.

[0016] Furthermore, a system for detecting engine oil deterioration according to the present disclosure, for solving the problem, comprises: an engine information acquisition unit that measures or detects an engine speed (RPM), a load (Load), and an engine oil temperature (Temp); a deterioration factor calculation unit that calculates the rate of change of a deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) of the engine oil per engine revolution using the engine speed, load, and engine oil temperature collected or detected by the engine information acquisition unit; and an oil remaining service life utilization unit (e.g., a unit that determines a service life, such as...).the remaining oil life (determined), which calculates a remaining engine oil life using the change measure of the deterioration factor calculated by a deterioration factor calculation unit, where the remaining oil life utilization unit calculates the degree of engine oil deterioration at a current time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying engine revolutions during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr) by the calculated change measure of the deterioration factor to a previous engine oil deterioration degree. The change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) is calculated using the following Equation 1:. f(RPM,Load,Temp)=a0+a1(1RPM)+a2(1Load9,81+100)+a3×Temp+a4×Temp2 where RPM refers to the engine speed (revolutions / min), Load to the engine load (Nm), Temp to the engine oil temperature (°C) and a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4 to coefficients.

[0017] Preferably, the system for detecting engine oil deterioration may further include, for example, a display or output unit that sends an oil change warning according to the usability result of the oil remaining life usability unit.

[0018] Preferably, the oil remaining service life utilization unit may further comprise: at least one oil change mileage-based oil remaining service life utilization unit, which determines the usable remaining service life of the engine oil based on the distance driven by a vehicle, and one oil change cycle-based oil remaining service life utilization unit, which determines the usable remaining service life of the engine oil based on the driving time of the vehicle; and the engine oil deterioration detection system may further comprise an oil remaining service life determination unit, which determines a minimum value of the remaining service life of the engine oil as the usable remaining service life of the engine oil, calculated using the change measure of the deterioration factor, which is calculated by the deterioration factor calculation unit, and the remaining service life of the engine oil.which are determined by the oil remaining service life unit based on the oil change mileage and the oil remaining service life unit based on the oil change cycle.

[0019] According to the method and system for detecting engine oil deterioration as disclosed herein, it is possible to accurately predict the current oil condition using the deterioration factor, the linear increase of which has been confirmed to correspond to the increase in engine speed under the same operating conditions (speed, load, oil temperature).

[0020] According to the method and system for detecting engine oil deterioration as disclosed herein, by calculating the remaining oil life by accumulating the degree of oil deterioration based on the engine speed, it (the method and system for detecting engine oil deterioration) is applicable regardless of the engine's idling cycle, and it is possible to accurately predict the oil condition not only for the internal combustion engine vehicle, but also for the intermittently powered hybrid vehicle in addition to the general use of the internal combustion engine.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the method and system for detecting engine oil deterioration as disclosed herein, it is possible to predict the degree of oil deterioration in real time based on the operating conditions, even without separate additional measuring equipment, and to inform the driver of the predicted oil change time, thereby avoiding engine damage caused by not changing the engine oil and preventing the engine oil from being changed unnecessarily often.

[0022] Further areas of application will become apparent from the description given here. It should be understood that the description and the specific examples serve only for illustration and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. DRAWINGS

[0023] To better understand the revelation, various embodiments thereof are now described, with reference to the accompanying drawings as examples, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system for detecting engine oil deterioration in an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the flow for calculating the degree of oil deterioration in the method and system for detecting engine oil deterioration in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the method for detecting engine oil deterioration in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or use. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals denote similar or corresponding parts and features.

[0026] A technique for measuring capacitance by attaching an electrode to measure the extent of the change in a pole group caused by oil deterioration has been presented in the past, but there are various factors that influence the capacitance, and the extent of the change is also very small, so there is a measurement error limit, making it unsuitable for installation in the actual vehicle.

[0027] Alternatively, a technique was introduced for measuring the absorption of the engine oil using near-infrared rays with a wavelength of 1000 nm or more and determining a deterioration state of the engine oil according to an increase rate of absorption.

[0028] However, a separate infrared emitter (and a corresponding infrared sensor) capable of emitting near-infrared radiation and a system for separately converting the near-infrared radiation into an electrical signal are also required. The absorption characteristics can vary depending on the type of oil supplied, and it may not be straightforward to respond to different oil types, as initial absorption data for the various oils are necessary.

[0029] Fig. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system for detecting engine oil deterioration according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] As in the Fig. Figure 1 shows that a system for detecting engine oil deterioration according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure essentially comprises an engine information acquisition unit 100, which detects an engine speed (RPM), a load (Load) and an engine oil temperature (Temp), a deterioration factor calculation unit 200, which calculates the change in a deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) of the engine oil per engine revolution (e.g., crankshaft thereof) using the engine speed, load and engine oil temperature detected by the engine information acquisition unit 100, and an oil deterioration-degree-based oil remaining service life utilization unit 310, which calculates the remaining service life of the engine oil using the change in the deterioration factor calculated by the deterioration factor calculation unit 200.

[0031] The engine information acquisition unit 100 has the task of recording the engine speed, the load and the engine oil temperature via a sensor unit 110 and transmitting it to the deterioration factor calculation unit 200.

[0032] Here, the sensor unit 110 is formed from a multitude of sensors for detecting vehicle speed, engine speed, engine oil temperature, throttle valve opening, and similar parameters.

[0033] Preferably, the engine speed can be detected by an engine speed measuring sensor, in order to measure the engine speed by generating a predetermined signal each time the crankshaft rotates, such as a Hall sensor.

[0034] The load can be measured directly by a torque sensor, or by detecting the engine speed and the degree of throttle opening, an electronic control unit of a vehicle can also calculate the load according to the detected result through modeling.

[0035] In addition, the engine oil temperature can be measured by a temperature sensor installed in a circulation loop of the engine oil.

[0036] The information collected by the engine information acquisition unit 100 about the engine speed, load and engine oil temperature is transferred to the deterioration factor calculation unit 200 to calculate the change in the deterioration factor (X) of the engine oil per engine revolution.

[0037] The deterioration of engine oil is influenced by engine speed, load, and engine oil temperature. Furthermore, engine oil deterioration occurs through the formation of nitride and oxide. Accordingly, the present disclosure sets the deterioration factor (X) for indicating the deterioration state of the oil to an average value of oxidation, determined by the amount of oxide present in the engine oil, and nitrification, determined by the amount of nitride. In addition, the rate of change of the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution is set to a value expressed by a function f (rpm, load, temperature) that relates to engine speed, load, and engine oil temperature.In particular, the change in the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution is calculated using the information on engine speed, load and engine oil temperature acquired by the engine information acquisition unit 100 and the following equation 1. f(RPM,Load,Temp)=a0+a1(1RPM)+a2(1Load9,81+100)+a3×Temp+a4×Temp2

[0038] RPM refers to the engine speed (revolutions / min), Load to the load (Nm), Temp to the engine oil temperature (°C), and a0, a1, a2, a3, a4 are coefficients.

[0039] Equation 1 is obtained through data analysis of the relationship between oxidation and nitration with respect to the degree of oil deterioration, engine speed, load, and engine oil temperature, where the coefficients a0, a1, a2, a3, and a4 are obtained by approximating (fitting) test data using the least squares (e.g., error) method. For the same engine, the values ​​of the five coefficients are fixed as constants.

[0040] The oil remaining service life unit 300 calculates the engine oil deterioration rate at the current time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying the change measure of the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution, calculated using Equation 1 in the deterioration factor calculation unit 200, by the engine revolutions during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr), to the previous engine oil deterioration rate.

[0041] This means that the method for detecting engine oil deterioration according to the present disclosure does not accumulate the above value based on time, but rather accumulates the above value based on engine speed when calculating the degree of oil deterioration using the deterioration factor (X). The reason for this is that engine oil deteriorates primarily during the engine's lubrication process, and therefore, the number of engine revolutions actually made is more important for oil deterioration than the time elapsed since an engine oil change or the distance driven.

[0042] According to the research of the inventors of the present disclosure, it is shown that the deterioration factor (X), which is the average value of the oxidation and nitration of the oil, changes linearly with the change in engine speed under the same operating conditions (speed, load and oil temperature).

[0043] Accordingly, in the method for detecting engine oil deterioration according to the present disclosure, the change in the deterioration factor (X) for determining the degree of oil deterioration is expressed in the form of a differential equation which is changed on the basis of the engine speed (r) - and not time - as expressed in Equation 2 below. dXdr=f(RPM,Load,Temp)

[0044] To perform the calculation in the vehicle's engine control unit (ECU), equation 3 below is obtained by discretizing equation 2. Here, Δr refers to the rate of change (increase) of the engine speed during a predetermined sampling interval. X(r+Δr)−X(r)Δr=f(RPM,Loac,Temp)

[0045] If equation 3 is combined in such a way that the value of the deterioration factor (X(r+Δr)) is shifted to the left when the motor is rotated with or by Δr, equation 4 is obtained below. X(r+Δr)=X(r)+Δr×f(RPM,Load,Temp)

[0046] According to Equation 4, the value of the deterioration factor (X(r+Δr)), when the engine is rotated with Δr, calculates the degree of deterioration of the engine oil at the current time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying the engine revolutions during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr) by the rate of change of the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution relative to the previous degree of engine deterioration (X(Δr)). Furthermore, an initial value for the degree of oil deterioration (X(0)) is set as a predetermined value, obtained by activating a diagnostic device or a menu in the vehicle's instrument cluster during (e.g., initial) oil filling and at each oil change, and is written to an EEPROM in the engine control unit.

[0047] For example, if a sampling time is set to 1 second and one operation is performed per second, the motor speed for 1 second (Δr), which represents the sampling cycle, can be expressed by equation 5 below. Here, k represents an accumulated time (s). Δr=r(k+1)−r(k)

[0048] Furthermore, as expressed in Equation 6, the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) after (k+1) seconds is calculated as a value obtained by adding the value of the deterioration factor X(k) before k seconds to the product of the engine speed for 1 second (Δr) and the rate of change of the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution (f (RPM, Load, Temp)). X(k+1)=X(k)+Δr×f(RPM,Load,Temp)

[0049] As described above, with a sampling cycle of 1 second, the degree of engine oil deterioration is calculated every 1 second.

[0050] Since oil deterioration progresses relatively slowly, it is not necessary to perform the procedure for every engine revolution. That is, to calculate the degree of oil deterioration, it is necessary to perform the procedure in each specific sampling cycle, and the sampling cycle can be appropriately adjusted according to the operational capabilities of the engine control unit.

[0051] Fig. Figure 2 shows the procedure for calculating the degree of oil deterioration, which is carried out by the oil remaining service life determination unit 400 using the deterioration factor calculated by the deterioration factor calculation unit 200, in conjunction with the example mentioned above, where the sampling cycle is 1 second.

[0052] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, when the information on the engine speed (RPM), the load (Load) and the engine oil temperature (Temp) is collected by the engine information acquisition unit 100 at k seconds, the change measure of the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution at k seconds is calculated using the corresponding information.

[0053] Furthermore, as in Fig. Figure 2 shows that when the accumulated crankshaft revolutions at the current time ((k+1) seconds) pass through a time delay box (e.g., a time delay element), the accumulated revolutions from 1 second prior are compared to the accumulated revolutions from 1 second prior. Subtracting these accumulated crankshaft revolutions from the currently accumulated crankshaft revolutions, the engine speed (Δr) of the crankshaft per 1 second is calculated. Furthermore, the deterioration factor (X(k)) at (k+1) seconds is calculated by adding the value of the deterioration factor ((X(k)) at k seconds to a value obtained by multiplying the rate of change of the deterioration factor (X) per engine revolution at k seconds by the engine speed of the crankshaft per 1 second (Δr).Meanwhile, the oil deterioration factor (oil deterioration level) is preferably stored in the EEPROM of the engine control unit (ECU) so that it is not erased even when the engine is switched off. Furthermore, the oil deterioration level value is reset during an engine oil change, by operating a diagnostic device, or by using the vehicle's instrument cluster.

[0054] When the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) is calculated at the current time, the oil deterioration-based oil remaining service life utilization unit 310 operates the remaining service life of the engine oil using the deterioration factor (X).

[0055] Preferably, the oil deterioration-based oil remaining service life unit 310 can determine a case in which the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) at the current time is a predetermined value or greater than the time at which the engine oil is to be changed. Accordingly, in this case, as described later, the oil deterioration-based oil remaining service life unit 310 can cause a display unit 500 to display a warning to the driver about the engine oil change.

[0056] The oil deterioration-based oil remaining service life utilization unit 310 stores a predetermined reference index value for the maximum deterioration level and can predict remaining service life by the ratio between the reference index value for the maximum deterioration level and the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) at the current time. Accordingly, if the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) at the current time reaches a certain ratio or higher with respect to the reference index value for the maximum deterioration level, the oil deterioration-based oil remaining service life utilization unit 310 can cause the display unit 500 to show the driver the engine oil change warning.Furthermore, even if the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) does not reach the specified ratio at the current time, the oil deterioration degree-based oil remaining service life unit 310 can, for the purpose of information transmission, cause the display unit 500 to display the estimated remaining service life of the current engine oil.

[0057] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the remaining oil life utilization unit 300 may, in addition to the remaining oil life utilization unit 310 described above, be based on the degree of oil deterioration, an oil change cycle-based remaining oil life utilization unit 320 and / or an oil change mileage-based remaining oil life utilization unit 330 to predict the remaining life of the engine oil.

[0058] The oil change cycle-based oil remaining life utilization unit 320 calculates an accumulated driving time of the vehicle after an engine oil change via the runtime operation of the engine control unit (ECU) and predicts the remaining life of the engine oil by comparing the accumulated driving time with a predetermined maximum oil change time cycle.

[0059] The oil change mileage-based oil remaining life utilization unit 330 calculates an accumulated distance traveled by the vehicle after an engine oil change over the operating time of the engine control unit (ECU) and predicts the remaining oil life by comparing the accumulated distance traveled with a predetermined maximum oil change mileage.

[0060] An oil remaining life determination unit 400 determines a final remaining life of the engine oil based on the usability result from the oil remaining life usability unit 300.

[0061] Preferably, the oil remaining service life determination unit 400 can determine the remaining service life that is calculated as the final remaining service life of the engine oil by the oil remaining service life utilization unit 310, which is based on the degree of oil deterioration.

[0062] Alternatively, if the Oil Life Usability Unit 300 includes, in addition to the Oil Deterioration Rate-Based Oil Life Usability Unit 310, the Oil Change Cycle-Based Oil Life Usability Unit 320 and / or the Oil Change Mileage-Based Oil Life Usability Unit 330, the Oil Life Determination Unit 400 determines the final remaining life, which corresponds to a minimum value, by comparing the remaining life determined by each of the Oil Deterioration Rate-Based Oil Life Usability Unit 310, the Oil Change Cycle-Based Oil Life Usability Unit 320 and / or the Oil Change Mileage-Based Oil Life Usability Unit 330.

[0063] In the case of a vehicle with a long idling cycle or a hybrid vehicle in which the engine operates intermittently, predicting the remaining service life using the oil change cycle or oil change mileage may be inaccurate. Accordingly, the Oil Remaining Service Life Determination Unit 400 preferably determines as the final remaining service life the smallest value among the remaining service lives determined by the Oil Deterioration Rate-Based Oil Remaining Service Life Utilization Unit 310, the Oil Change Cycle-Based Oil Remaining Service Life Utilization Unit 320, and / or the Oil Change Mileage-Based Oil Remaining Service Life Utilization Unit 330.

[0064] When determining the final remaining service life, the oil remaining service life determination unit 400 enables the display unit 500 to report an alarm to the driver in connection with the determined remaining service life.

[0065] The oil remaining life determination unit 400 allows the display unit 500 not only to indicate when the oil change time is due, but also to divide the oil change time into several steps (e.g., a warning interval indicating the need for an oil change and an execution interval in which the oil change must be performed) to trigger the alarm predictably. This means that by dividing the oil change time into a primary and a secondary period, it is possible to notify the driver each time the determined remaining life reaches the respective warning life reference values.

[0066] The display unit 500 performs a warning function when the engine oil change time is due, based on the degree of engine oil deterioration detected by the method for detecting engine oil deterioration according to the present disclosure. Furthermore, as described above, it is also possible to perform a function of progressively managing the remaining service life and change time of the engine oil. Preferably, the display unit 500 can be an instrument cluster installed on (e.g., in front of) a driver's seat, and relevant information can be displayed via a pop-up on the instrument cluster.

[0067] Each of the components, such as the engine information acquisition unit 100, the deterioration factor calculation unit 200, the remaining oil life utilization unit 300, and the remaining oil life determination unit 400, which constitute the system for detecting engine oil deterioration, can also be implemented in the form of a computer located in the vehicle. In this case, the program for implementing this control function can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the medium can be implemented by reading and executing it in a computer system. Furthermore, the "computer system" referred to here is a computer system embedded in the vehicle, which is assumed to include hardware such as an operating system or peripheral devices.Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a storage device such as a floppy disk, an optical magnetic disk, a portable medium such as a ROM or CD-ROM, or a hard disk embedded in the computer system. Additionally, the term "computer-readable recording medium" means that the program is held dynamically and for a short time, such as in a communication line when transmitting a program over a network like the internet, or in a communication line such as a telephone line, where the program is also held for a specific period of time, such as in volatile memory within the computer system used as a server or client.Furthermore, the program can serve to implement some of the above-mentioned functions, or it can be implemented in combination with a program in which the above-mentioned function is already recorded in the computer system.

[0068] A preferred exemplary embodiment of the method for detecting engine oil deterioration according to the present disclosure is described below with reference to Fig. 3 described in detail. Fig. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting engine oil deterioration according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] Once the initial engine oil fill is complete, or if the engine oil is changed, the oil deterioration factor is reset to a predetermined initial value (X(0)) by activating the diagnostic tool or the vehicle's instrument cluster menu. The degree or extent of engine oil deterioration caused by the in Fig. The 3 described methods for detecting engine oil deterioration will be recorded from this point onwards.

[0070] For this purpose, the collection or recording of engine information (S10) is carried out first, which is collected by the engine information acquisition unit 100 by measuring or recording the engine speed, the load and the engine oil temperature.

[0071] Furthermore, the deterioration factor calculation unit 200 calculates the engine oil deterioration rate based on the engine speed, load, and engine oil temperature recorded in S10. To this end, the deterioration factor calculation unit 200 first calculates the rate of change of the engine oil deterioration factor per engine revolution (f(RPM, Load, Temp)) (S20). Additionally, the engine information acquisition unit 100 is used to collect information about the engine revolutions (RPM) that occur during a predetermined sampling cycle (e.g., 1 second).Furthermore, the engine oil deterioration rate (the change measure of the deterioration factor) during the predetermined sampling cycle is calculated using the change measure of the deterioration factor of the engine oil per engine revolution and the engine speeds generated during the predetermined sampling cycle, and the current value of the oil deterioration rate (X(k+1)) is calculated by accumulating the engine oil deterioration rate to the previous value of the deterioration rate (X(k)).

[0072] Since the specific calculation methods for the magnitude of the change in the deterioration factor of the engine oil per engine revolution and the degree of oil deterioration have been described in detail above, a repeating description is omitted.

[0073] When the engine oil deterioration rate is calculated, the oil remaining service life utilization unit 300 and the oil remaining service life determination unit 400 calculate and determine the remaining service life of the engine oil.

[0074] If it turns out that the current value of the engine oil deterioration level (X(k+1)) calculated in S20 exceeds a predetermined reference value, it can preferably be determined that the service life of the corresponding engine oil is exhausted, and in this case the display unit 500 can be controlled to display the engine oil change warning to the driver (S50).

[0075] Alternatively, if the current value of the oil deterioration level (X(k+1)) calculated in S20 exceeds the predetermined reference value, the remaining service life can be determined by the ratio of the comparison result by comparing the current value of the oil deterioration level (X(k+1)) with a predetermined reference index value for the maximum deterioration level (S30).

[0076] Furthermore, by comparing the remaining usable service life of the engine oil with a predetermined value (S40), if the remaining service life of the engine oil is less than the predetermined value, i.e., if the value of the deterioration factor (X(k+1)) at the current time reaches a certain ratio or more in relation to the reference index value for the maximum degree of deterioration, the display unit 500 is controlled to issue an oil change warning to the driver (S50).

[0077] To supplement the method for calculating the remaining service life of the engine oil based on the engine oil deterioration rate, the procedure may preferably also include, as described above, the utilization or usability of the remaining service life of the engine oil based on at least one of the vehicle's driving time or distance. In this case, in S30, by comparing the remaining service life of the engine oil used at the current time using the engine oil deterioration rate with the remaining service life of the engine oil used based on the vehicle's driving time or distance, the minimum value is determined as the remaining service life of the engine oil, so that it becomes the oil remaining service life to be compared with the predetermined value in S40.

Claims

[1] Method for detecting engine oil deterioration, wherein the method comprises: Acquisition (S10) of engine speed, RPM, engine load, and engine oil temperature, Temp. Calculating a change measure of a deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) of the engine oil per engine revolution using the measured engine speed, engine load and engine oil temperature, and Calculating (S20) an engine oil deterioration degree at a current time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying an engine speed during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr) by the calculated change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) to a previous engine oil deterioration degree, wherein the change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) is calculated according to the following equation 1: f(RPM,Load,Temp)=a0+a1(1RPM)+a2(1Load9,81+100)+a3×Temp+a4×Temp2 where RPM refers to the engine speed (revolutions / min), Load to the engine load (Nm), Temp to the engine oil temperature (°C) and a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4 to coefficients. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: Displaying (S50) an engine oil change warning to a driver when the accumulated engine oil deterioration level at the current time is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. [3] A method according to any of the preceding claims, the method further comprising: Use (S30) of remaining engine oil life using a predetermined reference index value for the maximum deterioration level and the accumulated engine oil deterioration level at the current time, and Display (S50) an engine oil change warning to a driver when the remaining usable service life is less than or equal to a predetermined value. [4] The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: Benefit (S30) of the remaining service life of the engine oil based on at least one of the driving time of a vehicle or the distance driven by the vehicle, Determining (S40) a minimum remaining engine oil life value by comparing the remaining engine oil life using the current degree of engine oil deterioration with the remaining engine oil life based on at least one of the vehicle's driving time or distance, and Displays (S50) of the engine oil change warning for the driver when the determined remaining service life of the engine oil is less than or equal to the predetermined value. [5] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: storing the degree of engine oil deterioration in an electrically erasable, programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) of an engine control unit. [6] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: resetting the engine oil deterioration level by actuating a diagnostic device or an input button of an instrument cluster during an engine oil change. [7] A system for detecting engine oil deterioration, comprising: an engine information acquisition unit (100) configured to acquire an engine speed, RPM, an engine load, Load, and an engine oil temperature, Temp, a deterioration factor calculation unit (200) which is set up to calculate a measure of change of a deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) of the engine oil per engine revolution using the engine speed, the engine load and the engine oil temperature, and an oil remaining useful life unit (300) that is set up to: to calculate the remaining service life of the engine oil using the calculated change measure of the deterioration factor, and to calculate the degree of engine oil deterioration at a current time by accumulating a value obtained by multiplying an engine speed during a predetermined sampling cycle (Δr) by the calculated change measure of the deterioration factor, relative to a previous degree of engine oil deterioration, where the change measure of the deterioration factor (f (RPM, Load, Temp)) is calculated according to the following equation 1: f(RPM,Load,Temp)=a0+a1(1RPM)+a2(1Load9,81+100)+a3×Temp+a4×Temp2 where RPM refers to the engine speed (revolutions / min), Load to the engine load (Nm), Temp to the engine oil temperature (°C) and a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4 to coefficients. [8] System according to claim 7, wherein the system further comprises: a display unit (500) configured to display an oil change warning according to a usability result of the oil remaining service life usability unit (300). [9] System according to claim 8, wherein the oil remaining life utilization unit (300) further comprises at least one oil change mileage-based oil remaining life utilization unit (330) for the remaining life of the engine oil, configured to determine the usable remaining life of the engine oil based on a distance driven by a vehicle, or an oil change cycle-based oil remaining life utilization unit (320) for the remaining life of the engine oil, configured to determine the usable remaining life of the engine oil based on a driving time of the vehicle, and wherein the system further comprises: an oil remaining life determination unit (400) which is set up to determine that the minimum value of the remaining life of the engine oil, calculated on the basis of the change measure of the deterioration factor calculated by the deterioration factor calculation unit (200), is the remaining life of the oil.

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