Systems and methods for oil heater controls for an internal combustion engine system

Abstract

A system includes a heater configured to heat a fluid of a lubricant system, a controller coupled to the heater, the controller including at least one processor coupled to at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform operations including: receiving information regarding an engine operating parameter of an engine, receiving information regarding an operating parameter of the lubricant system, and activating the heater responsive to determining that at least one of the engine operating parameter or the operating parameter of the lubricant system is at or below a predefined threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a heater configured to heat a fluid of a lubricant system; and   a controller coupled to the heater, the controller comprising at least one processor coupled to at least one memory device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
 receiving information regarding an engine operating parameter of an engine; 
 receiving information regarding an operating parameter of the lubricant system; and 
 activating the heater responsive to determining that at least one of the engine operating parameter or the operating parameter of the lubricant system is at or below a predefined threshold. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform further operations comprising:
 receiving, from one or more sensors, data relating to an amount of water in the lubricant system; and   determining a water content regarding the fluid in the lubricant system based on the amount of water in the lubricant system relative to an amount of lubricant in the lubricant system.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform further operations comprising:
 increasing, based on at least one of the engine operating parameter or the operating parameter of the lubricant system, a control parameter of the heater responsive to determining that a fluid level of the fluid in the lubricant system is at or above the predefined threshold, wherein the control parameter of the heater is one or more of a temperature of the heater, a duration of operation of the heater, and a point in time at which the heater is activated.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the engine operating parameter is at least one of a duty cycle of the engine or a shutdown parameter of the engine; and   the operating parameter of the lubricant system is a predefined lifespan value of the lubricant of the lubricant system.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein increasing the control parameter of the heater further includes:
 increasing the control parameter relative to a current control parameter of the heater when the fluid level of the lubricant system is above a first predefined threshold value.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein increasing the control parameter of the heater comprises at least one of: increasing a temperature output from the heater relative to a current temperature output from the heater, increasing the duration of the operation of the heater relative to a current duration of the operation of the heater, activating the heater during a high duty cycle, or deactivating the heater during the high duty cycle. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs at least one of a time period before, during, or after shutdown of the engine. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs at a time period before shutdown of the engine responsive to determining that the fluid is purged or substantially purged from the lubricant system before an engine shutdown;
 wherein the increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs during the engine shutdown responsive to determining that fluid is purged or substantially purged from the lubricant system during the engine shutdown; and   wherein the increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs during a period of time after the engine shutdown responsive to determining that the fluid is purged or substantially purged from the lubricant system after the engine shutdown.   
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first operating parameter of an engine;   receiving a second operating parameter of a lubricant system associated with the engine; and   activating a heater associated with the lubricant system responsive at least one of the first operating parameter being at or below a first predefined threshold or the second operating parameter being at or below a second predefined threshold.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving, from one or more sensors, a first amount of water in the lubricant system; and   determining a water content regarding the lubricant system based on the first amount of water in the lubricant system relative to a second amount of lubricant in the lubricant system.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising increasing a control parameter of the heater responsive to the water content being above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein increasing the control parameter of the heater comprises at least one of:
 increasing a temperature output from the heater relative to a current temperature output from the heater;   increasing a duration of operation of the heater relative to a current duration of activation of the heater; or   activating the heater during a high duty cycle.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
 increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs at a first time period before shutdown of the engine responsive to the water content being at or below a second predefined water content threshold before shutdown of the engine;   increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs during shutdown of the engine responsive to the water content being at or below the second predefined water content threshold during shutdown of the engine; or   increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs during a second period of time after shutdown of the engine responsive to the water content being at or below the second predefined water content threshold after shutdown of the engine.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving an life value regarding lubricant in the lubricant system;   responsive to the life value being at or below a predetermined lubricant life threshold, activating the heater; and   adjusting operation of the heater based on the predetermined life value threshold relative to the life value.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first operating parameter of an engine;   receiving a second operating parameter of an oil system associated with the engine; and   activating a heater associated with the oil system responsive at least one of the first operating parameter being at or below a first predefined threshold or the second operating parameter being at or below a second predefined threshold.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:
 receiving, from one or more sensors, a first amount of water in the oil system; and   determining a water content regarding the oil system based on the first amount of water in the oil system relative to an amount of oil in the oil system.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising increasing a control parameter of the heater responsive to the water content being above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein increasing the control parameter of the heater comprises at least one of:
 increasing a temperature output from the heater relative to a current temperature output from the heater;   increasing a duration of operation of the heater relative to a current duration of activation of the heater; or   activating the heater during a high duty cycle.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising at least one of:
 increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs at a first time period before shutdown of the engine responsive to the water content being at or below a second predefined water content threshold before shutdown of the engine;   increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs during shutdown of the engine responsive to the water content being at or below the second predefined water content threshold during shutdown of the engine; or   increasing the control parameter of the heater occurs during a second period of time after shutdown of the engine responsive to the water content being at or below the second predefined water content threshold after shutdown of the engine.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first operating parameter is at least one of a duty cycle of the engine or a shutdown parameter of the engine; and   the second operating parameter is a life value of an oil of the oil system.