Electronic Oil Pump Viscosity Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mechanical oil pumps in snowmobiles provide lubricant linearly proportional to engine speed, leading to excessive lubricant consumption and higher exhaust emissions, as they fail to account for varying power output, altitude, temperature, and lubricant viscosity, especially in two-stroke engines operating under different conditions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic oil pump with a feedback mechanism that adjusts its stroke time to determine lubricant viscosity, allowing an electronic control unit (ECU) to limit engine speed to ensure sufficient lubricant supply, thereby optimizing lubricant delivery based on actual engine requirements and viscosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a mechanical oil pump driven by the engine is used, then the lubricant supply is directly proportional to engine speed, but this results in excessive lubricant consumption and higher exhaust emissions when actual lubricant requirements are lower
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical oil pump driven by the engine with an electronic oil pump controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU receives signals from various sensors (throttle position, engine speed, temperature, altitude) and independently controls the oil pump's operation, substituting the direct mechanical coupling with an electronic control system. This allows the lubricant supply to be decoupled from engine speed and optimized based on actual lubricant requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the ECU continuously monitors engine operating conditions through multiple sensors (throttle position, engine speed, temperature, altitude) and adjusts the electronic oil pump's operation accordingly. The system receives feedback from the engine's actual state and modifies lubricant supply in real-time to match actual requirements, preventing both over-supply and under-supply of lubricant.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the electronic oil pump adjusts stroke time to determine lubricant viscosity, then lubricant delivery is optimized based on actual requirements, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic control unit (ECU) serves multiple functions: it controls the electronic oil pump operation, processes signals from multiple sensors (throttle position, engine speed, temperature, altitude), determines lubricant viscosity based on stroke time measurements, and adjusts lubricant supply accordingly. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single control unit, the system achieves high adaptability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters of the electronic oil pump (stroke time, pumping frequency, pump speed) based on detected lubricant viscosity and engine operating conditions. The ECU measures the time required to complete a pumping stroke and uses this information to determine viscosity, then adjusts pump parameters in real-time to optimize lubricant delivery efficiency under varying conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The electronic oil pump system effectively reduces lubricant consumption and exhaust emissions by providing the right amount of lubricant at the right time, accounting for engine power output, altitude, temperature, and viscosity, improving engine efficiency and reducing unnecessary lubricant combustion.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical actuator operatively connected to the at least one piston for moving the at least one piston to the full stroke position
Implementation Method 2
When the at least one piston is in the full stroke position, an electrical path between the first and second electrical leads is closed. When the at least one piston is in a position other than the full stroke position, the electrical path between the first and second electrical leads is opened.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic oil pump has at least one lubricant inlet, at least one lubricant outlet, at least one piston being movable between a full stroke position and a fully retracted position, an electrical actuator operatively connected to the at least one piston, a first electrical lead connected to a first element of the pump for electrically connecting the first element to an electronic control unit (ECU), and a second electrical lead connected to a second element of the pump for electrically connecting the second element to the ECU. When the at least one piston is in the full stroke position, an electrical path between the first and second electrical leads is closed. When the at least one piston is in a position other than the full stroke position, the electrical path is opened. A method of controlling an engine having the oil pump is also disclosed.