INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONTROL FOR IMPROVED FUEL EFFICIENCY
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of working chambers to deliver a desired output wherein the internal combustion engine is a piston engine and each working cycle has four strokes, the method comprising:
- a) operating the engine in a skip fire manner that skips selected skipped working cycles and fires selected active working cycles to deliver a desired engine output, wherein decisions whether to fire or skip each working cycle are dynamically determined during operation of the engine on a working cycle by working cycle basis; and
b) deactivating skipped working chambers during selected skipped working cycles to thereby prevent pumping air through the skipped working chambers during the selected skipped working cycles.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variety of methods and arrangements for improving the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines based on skip fire operation of the engine are described. In one aspect the skip fire decisions are made on a working cycle by working cycle basis. During selected skipped working cycles, the corresponding cylinders are deactivated such that air is not pumped through the cylinder during the selected skipped working cycles. In some implementations, the cylinders are deactivated by holding associated intake and exhaust valves closed such that an air charge is not present in the working chamber during the selected skipped working cycles.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of working chambers to deliver a desired output wherein the internal combustion engine is a piston engine and each working cycle has four strokes, the method comprising:
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a) operating the engine in a skip fire manner that skips selected skipped working cycles and fires selected active working cycles to deliver a desired engine output, wherein decisions whether to fire or skip each working cycle are dynamically determined during operation of the engine on a working cycle by working cycle basis; and b) deactivating skipped working chambers during selected skipped working cycles to thereby prevent pumping air through the skipped working chambers during the selected skipped working cycles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having at least one working chamber, each working chamber being generally arranged to operate in a succession of working cycles, the method comprising:
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operating the engine in a skip fire manner in which selected active working cycles are fired and selected skipped working cycles are skipped, wherein firing decisions that determine which working cycles to fire and which working cycles to skip are made during operation of the engine on a working cycle by working cycle basis; and deactivating the associated working chamber during selected skipped working cycle such that air is not pumped through non-fired working chambers during the skipped working cycles. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An engine controller suitable for use with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder having an associated piston and being arranged to operate in a succession of working cycles having at least four strokes, the engine controller comprising:
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a skip fire controller arranged to direct operation of the engine in a skip fire mode that causes selected active working cycles to be fired and selected skipped working cycles not to be fired, the skip fire controller being arranged to make firing decisions, wherein the firing decisions are made on a working cycle by working cycle basis; and wherein the engine controller is arranged to deactivate skipped working chambers during selected skipped working cycles to thereby prevent pumping air through the skipped working chambers during the selected skipped working cycles. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification