Patent ID: 6286479
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: F02B,F02D

Abstract:
A method for determining degradation of fuel pump performance in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:sensing a signal indicative of estimated fuel values delivered by the pump, the estimated fuel values constituting a first set of fuel values influenced at least in part by a first set of operational and environmental conditions of the fuel pump;monitoring at least one variable associated with the fuel pump at the time of the sensing of the estimated fuel values delivered by the pump, said at least one variable being indicative of the first set of operational and environmental conditions of the fuel pump;providing a database of nominal fuel values based on data collected from a fleet of fuel pumps corresponding to the fuel pump whose performance is being determined, the nominal fuel values constituting a second set of fuel values relative to a second set of operational and environmental conditions for the fuel pumps;accessing the database in light of the first set of operational and environmental conditions;adjusting the respective values of one of the first and second sets of fuel values relative to the other to account for differences between the first and second sets of operational and environmental conditions; andcomparing the respective set of adjusted values against said other set of fuel values to determine the relative performance of the fuel pump to the fleet of fuel pumps for detection of incipient failures of the fuel pump.