Method for controlling rate of purging of evaporative fuel vapors

U.S. Patent Number: 5696317

Abstract: A fuel canister (18) and fuel tank (14) are purged of any fuel vapors formed therein through a purge valve (22). A method (32) is used to purge the fuel canister (18) and fuel tank (14) in a manner which maintains the stoichiometric balance of fuel and air to be combusted by an internal combustion engine (12). Fuzzy logic is used to correlate the ratio of fuel to air (in mass per unit volume) to a duty cycle in which the purge valve (22) is opened. The fuzzy logic correlation includes the use of triangle functions having substantially similar period which are offset or skewed from each other by fifty percent. This allows each ratio value to be generated by two membership values which provides for a more accurate reading in a less complex manner.

Inventors: Rychlick; Edward George (Canton, MI)

Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc. (Dearborn, MI)

Application Number: 08/712,036

Issued: 1997-12-09

Expired: 2005-12-09

Classes: 73/118.1 ; 123/520; 701/106; 701/109; 73/117.3; 73/49.7

Field of search: 73/49.7,116,117.2,117.3,118.1 123/518,519,520 364/431.05,431.051,431.054,431.062

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