Engine cylinder deactivation to improve vehicle interior heating and defrosting

• US 6,786,191 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Foster, Michael Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Argenbright, Tony M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Hyder
• Application Number:
  US10/304,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198.F, 123/481, 123/41.44, 123/41.1, 123/41.08, 123/41.09, 123/41.02, 123/41.51, 123/41.74
• US Class Current: 123/198.00F
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00314 Arrangements permitting a rapid heating of the heating liquid B60H1/00492, B60H1/03 take precedence; aiding engine start by heating of engine coolants F02N19/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/08 from other radiator than main radiator
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/12 using an air blower
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 13/0005 Deactivating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/0097 the purifying devices are arranged in a single housing
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/023 using means for regenerating the filters, e.g. by burning trapped particles by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0814 combined with catalytic converters, e.g. NOx absorption/storage reduction catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0821 combined with particulate filters catalysed diesel particulate filters F01N3/035
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0842 Nitrogen oxides
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0885 Regeneration of deteriorated absorbents or adsorbents, e.g. desulfurization of NOx traps
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 9/005 using models instead of sensors to determine operating characteristics of exhaust systems, e.g. calculating catalyst temperature instead of measuring it directly
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2037/02 starting
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/08 Cabin heater
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/12 with compression ignition with fuel-air charge ignited by compression ignition of an additional fuel F02B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/36 Control for minimising NOx emissions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/024 to increase temperature of the exhaust gas treating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0275 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a NOx trap or adsorbent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems

Abstract

The present invention employs cylinder deactivation hardware and control systems to increase the heat rejected to the engine cooling system to improve heating of an internal combustion engine and a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The heat rejected to the cooling system is a result of an increase in combustion temperatures in the non-deactivated cylinders, due to increased work. The invention also includes a system to reduce the cooling system heat capacity. The invention provides heat quickly after a cold start and while operating at low engine operating points. This method and system are particularly suited to compression-ignition engines and direct-injection spark ignition engines that primarily operate lean of stoichiometry.

Claims

1. A method for improving heating of a passenger compartment of a vehicle with a multi-cylinder engine, comprising:

providing said engine with a cooling system containing coolant fluid that is thermally connected to the passenger compartment of the vehicle;

monitoring a temperature of the coolant fluid of the engine;

determining a desired operating point of the engine; and

deactivating at least one cylinder based upon the temperature of the coolant fluid and the desired operating point of the engine;

wherein providing said engine with the cooling system containing coolant fluid that is thermally connected to the passenger compartment of the vehicle further comprises reducing heat capacity of the cooling system containing coolant fluid by separating flow of coolant fluid that flows predominately past non-deactivated cylinders such that only the coolant fluid that flows predominately past non-deactivated cylinders is thermally connected to the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the amount of fuel delivered to each of the non-deactivated cylinders by an amount sufficient to maintain the desired operating point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the desired operating point of the engine comprises monitoring engine load and determining operator demand for power.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating at least one cylinder comprises:

decoupling an opening mechanism of each intake valve of the at least one cylinder;

decoupling an opening mechanism of each exhaust valve of the at least one cylinder; and

,

disabling fuel delivery to the at least one cylinder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating at least one cylinder based upon the temperature of the coolant fluid comprises deactivating at least one cylinder based upon a difference between the monitored temperature of the coolant fluid and a predetermined temperature of the coolant fluid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-cylinder engine operates primarily at an air/fuel ratio that is lean of stoichiometry.

7. A system to improve passenger compartment heating of a vehicle with a multi-cylinder engine, comprising:

said engine including a cooling system containing coolant fluid and a cylinder deactivation system;

a controller operably connected to the cylinder deactivation system and a device to monitor temperature of the coolant fluid; and

,

a heating element for the passenger compartment which is thermally connected to the cooling system containing the coolant fluid;

wherein the controller is operable to determine a desired operating point of the engine, and deactivate at least one cylinder using the cylinder deactivation system based upon the temperature of the coolant fluid and the desired operating point of the engine;

such that the engine is operable to heat the heating element for the passenger compartment by heating the coolant fluid;

wherein the engine cooling system is mechanized with flow passages operable to contain coolant fluid flowing past individual cylinders, wherein the cooling system separates flow of the coolant fluid such that only the coolant fluid that flows predominately past non-deactivated cylinders when the controller has deactivated the at least one cylinder will flow to the heating element for heating the passenger compartment.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the cylinder deactivation system comprises:

a locking pin mechanism operable to disable a valve opening mechanism of an intake valve of at least one cylinder;

a locking pin mechanism operable to disable a valve opening mechanism of an exhaust valve of the at least one cylinder; and

,

a fuel injector for delivering fuel to the at least one cylinder.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the multicylinder engine operates primarily at an air/fuel ratio that is lean of stoichiometry.