Vehicle management computer

• US 4,945,870 A
• Filed: 07/29/1988
• Issued: 08/07/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Company
• Inventors: Richeson, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US07/226,418
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 123/90.11, 123/90.15, 123/64, 123/179 H, 123/179 B, 123/568
• US Class Current: 123/90.11
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 69/06 for different cycles, e.g. convertible from two-stroke to four stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/02 Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0215 changing the valve timing only
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/028 for two-stroke engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0418 Air humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/04 Two-stroke combustion engines with electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/023 by determining the cylinder pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2422 Selective use of one or more tables
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3058 the engine working with a variable number of cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/004 Aiding engine start by using decompression means or variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1502 using one central computing unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for starting and accelerating a vehicle through a range of vehicle speeds during which the vehicle'"'"'s internal combustion engine is operated in a plurality of different operating modes is disclosed. The engine may first be cranked in a compressionless mode preparatory to starting and then run in a second mode at a relatively low speed for a warm-up interval as a six-stroke cycle engine where each engine cylinder cycle includes an essentially adiabatic compression and expansion. The system may then convert to a third mode of operation as a four-stroke cycle engine during normal engine operation. Different operating modes are available during this normal engine operation. Under high demand conditions, the engine may be run as a conventional inefficient but effective throttled engine or converted to operate in a fourth mode as a two-stroke cycle engine. The system responds to second engine conditions to modify the parameters in a memory table and controls the vehicle in accordance with the parameters stored in the table. Both short term modification to accommodate dynamic changes in the sensed engine conditions and long term modification to compensate for relatively slow changes in the engine and the management system are made to the information in a random access memory. The modifications may be on an overall engine basis or an individual cylinder basis.

Claims

1. The method of operating an electronically controlled valve actuating mechanism and an associated valve on a reciprocating piston four stroke cycle internal combustion engine comprising the steps of storing a plurality of different valve actuation time determining values, monitoring a plurality of current engine operating traits, selecting the value best suited to the current operating traits, and actuating the valve at the time determined by the selected value, the step of selecting including selectively modifying the values based on engine operating experience.

2. The method of operating an electronically controlled valve actuating mechanism and an associated intake valve on a reciprocating piston four stroke cycle internal combustion engine selectively in a first mode at lower engine speeds, a second mode at higher engine speeds, and a third mode at near maximum engine speeds, the first mode including increasing the portion of the cycle during which the intake valve is open as the engine speed increases, the second mode including decreasing the portion of the cycle during which the intake valve is open as the engine speed increases, and the third mode including opening and closing the intake valve in synchronism with engine speed to operate the engine as a conventional throttled engine.

3. The method of starting and accelerating a vehicle through a range of vehicle speeds during which the vehicle internal combustion engine is operated in a plurality of different operating modes by selective timing of the same engine intake and exhaust valves comprising the steps of:

cranking the engine in a compressionless mode preparatory to starting the engine;

running the engine in a second mode at a relatively low speed for a warm-up interval as a six-stroke cycle engine where each engine cylinder cycle includes an essentially adiabatic compression and expansion;

converting to a third mode of operation as a four-stroke cycle engine during normal engine operation; and

increasing the engine speed and converting to operation in a fourth mode as a two-stroke cycle engine under high demand conditions.

4. The method of operating a plurality of electronically controlled valve actuating mechanisms and a like plurality of associated valves on a multiple piston internal combustion engine comprising the steps of storing a plurality of different valve actuation time determining values, monitoring a plurality of current engine operating traits, selecting the value for a particular valve best suited to the current operating traits to control combustion chamber turbulence and burn rate thereby minimizing harmful engine emissions, and actuating said particular valve at the time determined by the selected value.

5. In a reciprocating piston device having at least one electronically controllable valve actuating mechanism, the method of operating the electronically controlled valve actuating mechanism and the associated valve comprising the steps of storing a plurality of different valve actuation time determining values, monitoring a plurality of current device operating traits, selecting the value best suited to the current operating traits to control combustion chamber turbulence and burn rate thereby allowing the use of lower octane fuels, and actuating the valve at the time determined by the selected value.

6. The method of providing enhanced low engine speed operation of an exhaust gas actuated supercharger equipped engine comprising opening the exhaust valves of the engine when the associated cylinder pressure is significantly above exhaust port pressure thereby releasing higher pressure exhaust gas to drive the supercharger.

7. The method of operating a plurality of electronically controlled valve actuating mechanisms and a like plurality of associated valves on a multiple piston internal combustion engine comprising the steps of storing a plurality of different valve actuation time determining values, monitoring a plurality of current engine operating traits including traits indigenous to individual ones of the engine cylinders, selecting the value for a particular valve best suited to the current operating traits, and actuating said particular valve at the time determined by the selected value.

8. The method of operating a plurality of cylinders of a multiple piston internal combustion engine comprising the steps of storing a plurality of different cylinder operation time determining values, monitoring a plurality of current engine operating traits including traits indigenous to individual ones of the engine cylinders, selecting the value for a particular cylinder best suited to the current operating traits, and controlling said particular cylinder at the time determined by the selected value.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the time of ignition, fuel supply, and intake and exhaust valve opening and closing times for each cylinder are controlled to optimize performance while minimizing undesirable exhaust emissions.

10. The method of operating electronically controlled valve actuating mechanisms and their associated intake and exhaust valves of a common piston on a reciprocating piston four stroke cycle internal combustion engine comprising selectively opening and closing both the intake and exhaust valves once during each complete piston reciprocation thereby operating the engine as a two-stroke cycle engine utilizing the same intake and exhaust valves as operated during four-stroke cycle operation only when the engine speed is above a predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the engine normally operates in a four stroke cycle mode and is converted to a two stroke cycle mode only when high output torque is required at an engine speed above the predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the further step of selectively maintaining both the intake and exhaust valves closed during a complete piston stroke from top dead center to bottom dead center during a portion of the engine cycle only when the engine speed is below a second predetermined value which is in turn less than said predetermined value.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the engine normally operates in a four stroke cycle mode, is converted to a two stroke cycle mode only when high output torque is required at an engine speed above the predetermined value and is converted to a six stroke cycle mode when the valves are maintained closed throughout the piston stroke only during periods of engine starting and warm-up.