System and method for controlling fuel for reactivating engine cylinders

• US 10,337,444 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Richards, Adam J., Rollinger, John Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Vilakazi, Sizo B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Steckbauer, Kevin R
• Application Number:
  US15/446,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20170356381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/02 characterised by hand, foot, or like operator controlled initiation means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/04 using engine as brake
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/00 Controlling engines by cutting out individual cylinders; Rendering engines inoperative or idling controlling or rendering inoperative by varying inlet or exhaust valve operating characteristics F02D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/02 Cutting-out cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/023 the inactive cylinders acting as compressor other than for pumping air into the exhaust system
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/026 delivering compressed fluid, e.g. air, reformed gas, to the active cylinders other than during starting
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/04 rendering engines inoperative or idling, e.g. caused by abnormal conditions dependent on lubricating conditions F01M1/22; dependent on cooling F01P5/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/0012 with selective deactivation of cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3094 the fuel injection being effected by at least two different injectors, e.g. one in the intake manifold and one in the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 99/008 Providing a combustible mixture outside the cylinder

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, fuel supplied to cylinders being reactivated is supplied by direct fuel injectors even though the engine is operating in a region (e.g., speed and torque) where under conditions where cylinders are not being reactivated the engine injects fuel solely via port fuel injectors.

Claims

1. An engine operating method, comprising:

directly injecting fuel to a first cylinder for a first combustion event in the first cylinder after the first cylinder is deactivated during a cycle of an engine via ceasing combustion in the first cylinder, the engine continuing to rotate without stopping an entire time while the first cylinder is deactivated;

port injecting fuel to the first cylinder a first time after the first cylinder is deactivated for a second combustion event in the first cylinder after the first cylinder is deactivated; and

port injecting fuel to a second cylinder for a first combustion event in the second cylinder after the first cylinder and the second cylinder are deactivated during the cycle of the engine.

2. The method of claim 1, where fuel is not directly injected to the first cylinder for the second combustion event in the first cylinder after the first cylinder is deactivated, and where there are no combustion events in the engine between the first combustion event and the second combustion event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising port injecting fuel to the second cylinder for the second combustion event in the second cylinder after the second cylinder is deactivated.

4. The method of claim 1, where the first cylinder is deactivated via holding closed only intake valves of the first cylinder and ceasing fuel flow to the first cylinder during an entire cycle of the engine.

5. The method of claim 1, where the first cylinder is deactivated via holding closed intake and exhaust valves of the first cylinder and ceasing fuel flow to the first cylinder during an entire cycle of the engine.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reactivating the first cylinder via opening the intake valves before directly injecting fuel to the first cylinder.

7. A method for operating an engine, comprising:

in response to a rate of an increasing driver demand torque exceeding a threshold, directly injecting fuel to a cylinder for a first combustion event in the cylinder after the cylinder is deactivated via ceasing combustion in the cylinder, the engine continuing to rotate without stopping an entire time while the cylinder is deactivated; and

in response to the rate of the increasing driver demand torque being less than the threshold, port injecting fuel to a second cylinder for a first combustion event in the second cylinder after the second cylinder is deactivated via ceasing combustion in the second cylinder, the engine continuing to rotate without stopping an entire time while the second cylinder is deactivated.

8. The method of claim 7, where the cylinder is deactivated via ceasing air flow and fuel flow to the cylinder, and where a driver demand torque is based on accelerator pedal position.

9. The method of claim 7, where the increasing rate of driver demand torque is increasing from a first driver demand torque when directly injecting fuel to the cylinder and the increasing rate of driver demand torque is increasing from the first driver demand torque when port injecting fuel to the cylinder.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising reactivating the cylinder via reactivating intake valves before directly or port injecting fuel to the cylinder.

11. The method of claim 10, where reactivating intake valves includes opening intake valves.

12. The method of claim 7, where the cylinder is deactivated via closing only intake valves of the cylinder and ceasing fuel flow to the cylinder during an entire cycle of the engine.

13. The method of claim 7, where the cylinder is reactivated, and further comprising adjusting spark timing of the cylinder in response to reactivating the cylinder.

14. The method of claim 7, where at least one cylinder of the engine combusts an air-fuel mixture while the cylinder is deactivated.