CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE PROVIDED WITH CYLINDER HALTING MECHANISM
First Claim
1. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine, an ignition device for burning an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve, and a variable cylinder management mechanism that is capable of changing the number of operating cylinders, comprising a control unit configured to:
- make a transition to an operating mode where the number of operating cylinders is decreased through the variable cylinder management mechanism;
predict, based on an operating condition of the engine, a state where an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust atmosphere of the engine becomes lean due to a stop of the fuel injection into one or more cylinders to be halted by the transition; and
if it is predicted that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust atmosphere becomes lean, cause the fuel injection valve to inject additional fuel to the one or more cylinders to be halted after ignition performed by the ignition device in a combustion cycle where the prediction was made.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel to a combustion chamber of the engine, an ignition device for burning an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve, and a variable cylinder management mechanism that is capable of changing the number of operating cylinders is provided. The control includes making a transition to an operating mode where the number of operating cylinders is decreased through the variable cylinder management mechanism. It is predicted based on an operating condition of the engine that an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust atmosphere of the engine becomes lean due to a stop of the fuel injection into one or more cylinders to be halted by the transition. If it is predicted that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust atmosphere of the engine becomes lean, additional fuel is injected from the fuel injection valve to the one or more cylinders to be halted after ignition performed by the ignition device in a combustion cycle where the prediction is made.
36 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine, an ignition device for burning an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve, and a variable cylinder management mechanism that is capable of changing the number of operating cylinders, comprising a control unit configured to:
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make a transition to an operating mode where the number of operating cylinders is decreased through the variable cylinder management mechanism; predict, based on an operating condition of the engine, a state where an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust atmosphere of the engine becomes lean due to a stop of the fuel injection into one or more cylinders to be halted by the transition; and if it is predicted that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust atmosphere becomes lean, cause the fuel injection valve to inject additional fuel to the one or more cylinders to be halted after ignition performed by the ignition device in a combustion cycle where the prediction was made. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine, an ignition device for burning an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve, and a variable cylinder management mechanism that is capable of changing the number of operating cylinders, comprising:
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making a transition to an operating mode where the number of operating cylinders is decreased through the variable cylinder management mechanism; predicting, based on an operating condition of the engine, a state where an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust atmosphere of the engine becomes lean due to a stop of the fuel injection into one or more cylinders to be halted by the transition; and if it is predicted that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust atmosphere becomes lean, causing the fuel injection valve to inject additional fuel to the one or more cylinders to be halted after ignition performed by the ignition device in a combustion cycle where the prediction was made. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for controlling an internal combustion engine having a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine, an ignition device for burning an air-fuel mixture containing the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve, and a variable cylinder management mechanism that is capable of changing the number of operating cylinders, comprising the steps of:
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making a transition to an operating mode where the number of operating cylinders is decreased through the variable cylinder management mechanism; predicting, based on an operating condition of the engine, a state where an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust atmosphere of the engine becomes lean due to a stop of the fuel injection into one or more cylinders to be halted by the transition; and if it is predicted that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust atmosphere becomes lean, causing the fuel injection valve to inject additional fuel to the one or more cylinders to be halted after ignition performed by the ignition device in a combustion cycle where the prediction was made. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification