Regulation of engine parameters in response to vapor recovery purge systems

Patent · Tue Jun 07 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6958366

Cook, J A; Hamburg, D R

A method for controlling hydrocarbon emissions from an internal combustion engine having an air/fuel intake coupled to a fuel vapor recovery system is described comprising the steps of: inducting air and fuel into the air/fuel intake; periodically purging fuel vapors from the fuel vapor recovery system into the air/fuel intake by inducting air through the fuel vapor recovery system and into the air/fuel intake; regulating the mixture of air, fuel vapor and fuel inducted into the air/fuel intake in response to an exhaust gas oxygen sensor to maintain a predetermined level of hydrocarbon emissions; generating a signal related to the concentration of fuel vapors in the fuel vapor recovery system; and controlling the flow rate of the purged fuel vapors in response to the signal to achieve an inverse relation between the purged flow rate and the fuel vapor concentration when the fuel vapor concentration is above a predetermined concentration so that the regulating step is able to maintain the predetermined level of hydrocarbon emissions during the purging step.

• Assignee: Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI
• Patent Number(s): US 4748959
• OSTI ID: 6958366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330704* -- Emission Control-- Hydrocarbons
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
EMISSION
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
EXHAUST GASES
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUIDS
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUEL-AIR RATIO
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
HYDROCARBONS
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERING
METERS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
RECOVERY
VAPORS
WASTES