METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING A MEASURE OF FUELING RATE IN THE AIR SIDE CONTROL OF AN ENGINE

• US 20070101977A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garrett Transportation I Inc. (Garrett Motion, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/679
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 29/0406 Layout of the intake air cooling or coolant circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1416 Observer
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0402 the parameter being determined by using a model of the engine intake or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0007 for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines control of the pumps per se F02B37/12
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0065 Specific aspects of external EGR control constructional details of EGR system F02M26/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/10 for acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1401 characterised by the control or regulation method F02D41/1473, F02D41/1477 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/266 the computer being backed-up or assisted by another circuit, e.g. analogue
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/403 with pilot injections
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/05 High pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust system upstream of the turbine and reintroduced into the intake system downstream of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/23 Layout, e.g. schematics
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/48 EGR valve position sensors details of the sensor installation in the valve housing F02M26/72
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for using a measure of fueling rate in the air side control of an engine. By using a measure of the fueling rate, the air side control may, for example, anticipate the future air side needs of the engine, and adjust one or more air side parameters to meet the anticipated future air side needs of the engine. This may improve the responsiveness, performance and emissions of the engine.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes one or more air-side actuators for adjusting one or more air side parameters of the engine, and further having one or more fuel injectors for injecting fuel into the engine, the method comprising the steps of:

providing one or more fuel signals;

injecting fuel into the internal combustion engine via at least one of the one or more fuel injectors in accordance with at least one of the one or more fuel signals;

at least one of said one or more fuel signals being related to a change in fuel rate of the fuel that is injected into the engine by at least one of the one or more fuel injectors; and

adjusting one or more of the air side actuators to adjust at least one of the one or more air-side parameters of the engine, wherein the step of adjusting the one or more air-side actuators is based, at least in part, on the at least one fuel signal that is related to the change in fuel rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold, and wherein the at least one air-side parameter includes the manifold air pressure (MAP) and/or manifold air flow (MAF) of the air in the air intake manifold, and wherein the adjusting step includes the step of adjusting the intake manifold pressure profile to effect the manifold air pressure (MAP) and/or manifold air flow (MAF) of the air in the air intake manifold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold, and wherein the at least one air-side parameter relates to a manifold air temperature (MAT) of air injected into the air intake manifold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an exhaust gas manifold, and wherein the at least one air-side parameter relates to a concentration and/or a component of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust gas manifold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one air-side parameter relates to an NO_x concentration and/or particulate matter (PM) concentration of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust gas manifold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting step includes the step of adjusting the one or more air-side actuators so that the NO_x and/or PM concentration in the exhaust gas does not violate a predefined constraint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold and an exhaust gas manifold, and wherein one of the one or more air-side actuators includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve that receives exhaust gas from the exhaust gas manifold and provides an amount of exhaust gas to the air intake manifold, and wherein the adjusting step includes adjusting the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold and a turbocharger fluidly coupled to the air intake manifold, and wherein the adjusting step includes the step of adjusting a turbocharger.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the turbocharger is a variable nozzle turbocharger (VNT).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the turbocharger is a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT).

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the turbocharger includes an electrical assist device, and wherein the adjusting step includes adjusting the electrical assist device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step is controlled, at least in part, using a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an exhaust gas manifold, further comprises the steps of:

sensing a current value of one or more exhaust parameters relating to a component and/or concentration of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust gas manifold; and

the adjusting step adjusting the one or more air-side actuators to effect a future value of at least one of the one or more sensed parameters.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold and an exhaust gas manifold, and wherein one of the one or more air-side actuators includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve that receives exhaust gas from the exhaust gas manifold and provides an amount of exhaust gas to the air intake manifold, and further comprising the steps of predicting a target setpoint of the EGR valve based, at least in part, on the one or more fuel signals, and then adjusting the setpoint of the EGR valve to the target setpoint of the EGR valve.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold and a turbocharger fluidly coupled to the air intake manifold, and further comprising the steps of predicting a target setpoint for the turbocharger based, at least in part, on the one or more fuel signals, and then adjusting the setpoint of the turbocharger to the target setpoint of the turbocharger.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine further includes an air intake manifold, and wherein the method further includes the step of predicting a target manifold air pressure (MAP) and/or a target manifold air flow (MAF) of the air in the air intake manifold based, at least in part, on the one or more fuel signals, and then adjusting the manifold air pressure (MAP) and/or manifold air flow (MAF) to the target manifold air pressure (MAP) and/or the target manifold air flow (MAF).

17. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having an air intake manifold, an exhaust gas manifold, one or more air-side actuators for adjusting one or more air side parameters of the engine, and one or more fuel injectors for injecting fuel into the engine, the method comprising the steps of:

injecting fuel into the internal combustion engine using at least one of the one or more fuel injectors;

providing one or more fuel signals related to the fuel injected into the engine;

predicting at least one air-side actuator target setpoint based, at least in part, on the one or more fuel signals; and

adjusting one or more of the air-side actuators to the at least one air-side actuator target setpoint.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the fuel signals is related to the change in fuel rate that is injected into the engine, and the predicting step predicts at least one air-side actuator target setpoint based, at least in part, on the at least one fuel signals that is related to the change in fuel rate.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein one of the one or more air-side actuators includes an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve that receives exhaust gas from the exhaust gas manifold and provides an amount of exhaust gas to the air intake manifold, and wherein the predicting step predicts a EGR valve target setpoint based, at least in part, on the at least one fuel signals that is related to the change in fuel rate.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the one or more air-side actuators includes a turbocharger fluidly coupled to the air intake manifold, and wherein the predicting step predicts a turbocharger target setpoint based, at least in part, on the at least one fuel signals that is related to the change in fuel rate.

21. A controller for an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes one or more air-side actuators for adjusting one or more air side parameters of the engine, and further including one or more fuel injectors for injecting fuel into the engine, the controller comprising:

a fuel control block for controlling the fuel that is provided to the engine, the fuel control block providing one or more fuel signals, wherein at least one of the one or more fuel signals is related to the fuel that is injected into the engine by the one or more fuel injectors, and wherein at least one of the one or more fuel signals is related to a change in fuel rate of the fuel that is injected into the engine; and

an air side actuator control block for controlling one or more of the air side actuators, the air side actuator control block controlling one or more of the air side actuators based, at least in part, on the at least one fuel signal that is related to the change in fuel rate.