Method for controlling the supply of oil to an internal combustion engine, comprising a procedure for detecting a potentially dangerous condition for the correct operation of an internal combustion engine (1). Said condition is the clogging of an oil filter (3) upstream of the engine (1) or the excessive presence of fuel in the lubricant oil. The detection procedure comprises the steps of: changing the flow rate of oil that transits through the filter (3) and that is processed by a pump (2) for lubricating the engine (1); detecting the time that passes between changing the oil flow rate and a detection of a pre-established variation in a parameter connected at least with the pressure downstream of said filter (3), said variation being determined by said change of the flow rate, said filter (3) being placed upstream of the engine (1); comparing said time with pre-established values.

An oil dilution rate calculation system of an internal combustion engine acquires a blowby gas flow ratio showing the ratio of the flow of blowby gas to the flow of gas to the combustion chamber and an output current of the air-fuel ratio sensor during fuel cut control in which the internal combustion engine stops the feed of fuel to the combustion chamber and at a plurality of points of time of different flows of blowby gas passing through the blowby gas passage and flowing to the downstream side of the throttle valve in the intake passage, and calculate an oil dilution rate based on the acquired blowby gas flow ratio and output current.

A control device for a variable-capacity oil pump provided in an engine using alcohol-containing fuel includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) estimate an alcohol concentration in oil of the engine, and (ii) correct a capacity of the oil pump to be increased in a correction condition as compared with a case where the correction condition is not established when the correction condition is established. The correction condition is that an estimated alcohol concentration is a predetermined concentration or more and a temperature of the oil is a predetermined temperature or more.

An oil dilution rate calculation system of an internal combustion engine acquires a blowby gas flow ratio showing the ratio of the flow of blowby gas to the flow of gas to the combustion chamber and an output current of the air-fuel ratio sensor during fuel cut control in which the internal combustion engine stops the feed of fuel to the combustion chamber and at a plurality of points of time of different flows of blowby gas passing through the blowby gas passage and flowing to the downstream side of the throttle valve in the intake passage, and calculate an oil dilution rate based on the acquired blowby gas flow ratio and output current.

A working fluid monitoring system for monitoring a working fluid of working fluid system of a piece of equipment is provided. The working fluid monitoring system can include a filter member having an inlet, an outlet, and a filter media disposed between the inlet and the outlet. The filter member can be configured to permit fluid communication of the working fluid of the working fluid system from the inlet, through the filter media, and out the outlet of the filter member. A sensor is in operable communication with the working fluid within the filter member and is configured to monitor in situ a parameter of the working fluid and/or the working fluid system.

Methods and systems are provided for filtering an oil dilution amount based on a current value of the oil dilution amount. In one example, filtering the oil dilution amount may include decreasing a sensitivity of filtering at lower oil dilution below a threshold; otherwise, increasing the sensitivity of filtering. The sensitivity of the filtering may be decreased by implementing a larger time constant, while the sensitivity of the filtering may be increased by implementing a smaller time constant.

A method for determining the composition of a fuel in a lubricant in an internal combustion engine in disclosed. The composition of a fuel having at least a first portion of a first fuel component and a second portion of a second fuel component is predefined. The mass flow with which the fuel is introduced into the lubricant in an introduction phase or discharged from the lubricant and from the housing in a discharge phase is determined. The composition of the mass flow is determined from a first mass flow of the first fuel component and a second mass flow of the second fuel component, which are determined based on a) an introduction parameter in the introduction phase or a discharge parameter in the discharge phase, and b) the first portion of the first fuel component and the second portion of the second fuel component in the fuel.

An example oil system is provided, including at least one oil chamber forming an oil sump, an oil reservoir, which is arranged separately from the oil chamber, and at least partially arranged at the same geodetic height as the oil chamber, and at least one fluid connection which connects the oil chamber to the oil reservoir. An electric shut-off unit may block the fluid connection of the oil chamber to the oil reservoir in a blocking state and at least partially release the same in a release state. In order to extend oil changing intervals, a number of regeneration operations and an estimate of an instantaneous degree of dilution of oil present in the oil chamber, may be used for activating the electric shut-off unit to connect or block the fluidic connection between the oil chamber and the oil reservoir.

A method for operating a motor vehicle provided with a hybrid drive apparatus. The hybrid drive device is equipped with an internal combustion engine that can be operated with a fuel, as well as with an electric engine, and a lubricant is supplied at least intermittently to the internal combustion engine. At the same time, a lubricant dilution value is determined with a dilution of the lubricant so that the internal combustion engine is started when a first threshold value is exceeded by the lubricant dilution value, and when the motor vehicle is located on a regeneration route of an anticipated driving route of the motor vehicle and the regeneration route is sufficient to reduce the lubricant dilution value by a specified value.

Methods and systems are provided for filtering an oil dilution amount based on a current value of the oil dilution amount. In one example, filtering the oil dilution amount may include decreasing a sensitivity of filtering at lower oil dilution below a threshold; otherwise, increasing the sensitivity of filtering. The sensitivity of the filtering may be decreased by implementing a larger time constant, while the sensitivity of the filtering may be increased by implementing a smaller time constant.