Resonator Vacuum Storage for Evaporative Emissions Diagnosis

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for diagnosing a breach in an evaporative emissions system are costly, particularly due to the need for an electrically driven vacuum pump, and are not feasible when the engine is not running.

Innovation Solution

The method involves reducing pressure within the evaporative emissions system by pneumatically coupling a resonator to a carbon-filled canister, utilizing stored vacuum from the engine to diagnose breaches without an electric pump, and using a single differential pressure sensor to further reduce costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an electrically driven vacuum pump is used to diagnose breaches in the evaporative emissions system, then the system can be diagnosed when the engine is not running, but the cost of the system increases substantially

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebreach detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The resonator uses the engine's own vacuum to diagnose breaches in the evaporative emissions system. The engine creates vacuum during its operation, which is stored in the resonator and then used to test for breaches, eliminating the need for an external vacuum pump and reducing system cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The resonator stores vacuum that is generated by the engine in advance. This pre-stored vacuum is then available for diagnosing breaches in the evaporative emissions system when needed, allowing the diagnostic function to operate independently of the engine's current state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a pump is used to reduce pressure within the evaporative emissions system for breach detection, then breach diagnosis can be performed, but the system cost increases substantially

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebreach detection accuracyVSAvoiddiagnostic system cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical vacuum pump system with a resonator that utilizes the engine's natural vacuum generation. The resonator captures and stores the vacuum created by the engine's intake stroke, then releases it to perform breach detection, substituting a complex mechanical pumping system with a simpler resonant storage mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Use of energy by moving object

If the evaporative emissions system is diagnosed when the engine is running, then vacuum can be generated, but the diagnosis cannot be performed during the diurnal cycle when regulating entities require the engine to be off

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevacuum generationVSAvoiddiagnostic timing flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The resonator captures and stores vacuum during engine operation in advance, so that when the engine needs to be off for diurnal cycle compliance, the stored vacuum is already available for breach detection. This preliminary vacuum capture enables diagnostic flexibility across different operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The resonator acts as an intermediary between the engine's vacuum generation and the breach detection function. It decouples these two functions in time, allowing vacuum to be generated when the engine is running and stored, then used later when the engine is off, providing temporal flexibility for diagnostics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

This approach reduces the cost of diagnosing the evaporative emissions system, allows for diagnosis without an electric pump, and can be performed during a diurnal cycle when the engine is not running, providing a cost-effective and efficient method for detecting system breaches.

Implementation Method 1

vacuum that is generated by an internal combustion engine may be stored in a resonator

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum storage:

Implementation Method 2

opening a canister purge valve to pneumatically couple a resonator to a carbon filled canister

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPneumatic coupling:

Implementation Method 3

utilize a single differential pressure sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure differential detection:

Data Source

PatentUS11549468B2Method and system for diagnosing an evaporative emissions system

Publication Date: 2023.01.10 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

Methods and systems are presented for diagnosing a breach of an evaporative emissions system. The methods and systems include repurposing a resonator as a vacuum reservoir to reduce a pressure of an evaporative emissions system so that it may be determined if there is or is not a breach of the evaporative emissions system.