Method and apparatus for deactivating and reactivating cylinders for an engine with displacement on demand

• US 6,615,804 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Matthews, Gregory Paul, Folkerts, Charles Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): SOLIS, ERICK R
• Application Number:
  US09/847,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20020162540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 123/481, 123/406.23, 123/198.F, 123/399
• US Class Current: 123/481
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 17/02 Cutting-out cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/141 using a feed-forward control element
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/21 during a transition between engine operation modes or states
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/187 using a hot wire flow sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1504 with particular means during a transient phase, e.g. acceleration, deceleration, gear change during starting F02P5/1506
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

An engine control system including a variable displacement internal combustion engine, a plurality of cylinders located in the internal combustion engine, a plurality of fuel injectors for providing fuel to the plurality of cylinders, a plurality of valves coupled to the plurality of cylinders, the plurality of valves controlling the air flow in and out of the cylinders, an actuation apparatus for actuating the plurality of valves, an intake manifold coupled to the internal combustion engine, a throttle coupled to the intake manifold, a controller electronically coupled to the fuel injectors, an accelerator pedal position sensor electronically coupled to the controller, and where the controller determines the number of the cylinders to provide with fuel and air and a desired engine output torque based on at least the accelerator pedal position sensor and the controller controls the throttle to control the amount of air entering the intake manifold, where the controller is capable of eliminating torque disturbances upon changes in displacement of the engine.

Claims

1. An engine control system comprising:

a variable displacement internal combustion system;

a plurality of cylinders located in said variable displacement internal combustion engine;

a plurality of fuel injectors for providing fuel to said plurality of cylinders;

a plurality of valves coupled to said plurality of cylinders, said plurality of valves controlling the air flow in and out of said plurality of cylinders;

an actuation apparatus for actuating said plurality of valves;

an intake manifold coupled to said variable displacement internal combustion engine;

a throttle coupled to said intake manifold;

a controller electronically coupled to said fuel injectors;

a mass flow air model contained in said controller for modeling the air flow into said variable displacement internal combustion engine in a fully displaced operating mode and a partially displaced operating mode;

an accelerator pedal position sensor electronically coupled to said controller; and

wherein said controller determines the number of said cylinders to provide with fuel and air and a desired engine output torque based on at least said accelerator pedal position sensor, and said controller controls said throttle to control the amount of air entering said intake manifold based upon said mass flow air model, whereby said controller is capable of eliminating torque disturbances upon changes in displacement of said variable displacement internal combustion engine.

2. The engine control system of claim 1 further comprising spark plugs for igniting said fuel provided by said fuel injectors.

3. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein said throttle is an electronic throttle.

4. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein said accelerator pedal position sensor is an encoder.

5. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein said variable displacement internal combustion engine is a gasoline engine.

6. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein said variable displacement internal combustion engine includes at least two cylinders.

7. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein said variable displacement internal combustion engine is a V8 engine.

8. The engine control system of claim 1 wherein said actuation apparatus includes a decoupling apparatus that may couple and decouple from said plurality of valves.

9. The engine control system of claim 1 further including an airflow sensor to detect airflow through said intake manifold.

10. A method of controlling a variable displacement engine comprising:

providing fuel injectors for the engine;

providing spark plugs for the engine;

providing an electronic control module;

providing a mass flow air model in the electronic control module;

providing an electronic throttle;

providing an accelerator pedal position sensor;

providing an air flow sensor;

varying the displacement of the engine by deactivating at least one of the fuel injectors and the spark plugs for the engine;

measuring the air flow into the engine with the air flow sensor;

determining a first desired torque using accelerator pedal position and engine speed; and

adjusting the electronic throttle to smooth engine disturbances caused by varying the displacement of the engine based upon the mass flow air model.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising adjusting spark advance to smooth engine disturbances caused by varying the displacement of the variable displacement internal combustion engine.

12. A method of controlling a variable displacement internal combustion engine comprising:

providing fuel injectors for the variable displacement internal combustion engine;

providing an electronic control module;

providing an electronic throttle;

providing an accelerator pedal position sensor;

providing an air flow sensor;

varying the displacement of the variable displacement internal combustion engine by deactivating at least one of said fuel injectors and said spark plugs for the variable displacement internal combustion engine;

measuring the speed of the variable displacement internal combustion engine;

determining a first desired torque using accelerator pedal position and engine speed;

determining a first mass-air/cylinder value needed to generate said first desired torque for the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is partially displaced using the engine speed;

determining a second mass-air/cylinder value needed to generate said first desired torque for the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is fully displaced using said engine speed;

generating a first intake manifold dynamic model to determine a first desired mass-air/cylinder value for the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is partially displaced;

generating a second intake manifold dynamic model to determine a second mass-air/cylinder value for the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is fully displaced;

converting said first or second desired mass-air/cylinder value to a desired dynamic mass-air/cylinder value;

measuring the mass-air/cylinder into the variable displacement internal combustion engine with said air flow sensor;

determining the difference between said desired dynamic mass-air/cylinder value and said measured mass-air/cylinder to generate an error value;

acting on said error with a controller to produce a first throttle value; and

adding a second throttle value to said first throttle value to generate a throttle position command.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said air flow sensor is a hot wire anemometer.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said air flow sensor is a manifold pressure sensor, whereby a sensed pressure is processed into an air flow value.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said second throttle value is generated by the method comprising the steps of:

computing a first steady-state torque value produced by the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is partially displaced using said desired dynamic mass-air/cylinder value and the engine speed;

computing a second steady-state torque value produced by the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is fully displaced using said desired dynamic mass-air/cylinder value and the engine speed;

generating a first torque dynamic model to determine a first dynamic torque value for the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is partially displaced using said first steady-state torque value and said engine speed;

generating a second torque dynamic model to determine a second dynamic torque value for the variable displacement internal combustion engine when it is fully displaced using said second-steady state torque value and said engine speed;

delaying said first or second dynamic torque value to generate a delayed dynamic torque value;

determining the difference between said first desired torque value and said delayed dynamic torque value to generate a spark advance value; and

generating a spark advance control value using said engine speed and said measured airflow to vary the torque output of the variable displacement internal combustion engine.