Systems and methods for decreasing torque fluctuations during cylinder deactivation and reactivation

• US 8,887,692 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Baur, Andrew W., Slade, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMAOUI, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US13/026,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198.F, 123/406.19, 123/406.23, 123/481, 123/325, 123/332, 701/112
• US Class Current: 123/406.19
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0219 by shifting the phase, i.e. the opening periods of the valves are constant
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 23/00 Controlling engines characterised by their being supercharged
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 26/05 High pressure loops, i.e. wherein recirculated exhaust gas is taken out from the exhaust system upstream of the turbine and reintroduced into the intake system downstream of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1512 with particular means concerning an individual cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A control system for an engine includes a first spark control module and a second spark control module. The first spark control module retards spark timing for M of N cylinders of the engine to a first spark timing during a period before deactivating or after reactivating the M cylinders, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to one, and wherein N is an integer greater than M. The second spark control module advances spark timing for (N−M) active cylinders of the engine to a second desired spark timing during the period before deactivating or after reactivating the M cylinders, wherein the second spark timing is greater than the first spark timing.

Claims

1. A control system for an engine, the control system comprising:

an engine module that determines whether M of N cylinders of the engine are to be deactivated or reactivated, where M is an integer greater than or equal to one, and where N is an integer greater than M;

a first spark control module that, based on the engine module determining the M cylinders of the engine are to be deactivated or reactivated, retards spark timing for the M cylinders of the engine to a first spark timing during a period before the deactivating or after the reactivating of the M cylinders of the engine; and

a second spark control module that, based on the engine module determining the M cylinders of the engine are to be deactivated or reactivated, advances spark timing for N−

M active cylinders of the engine to a second desired spark timing during the period before the deactivating or after the reactivating of the M cylinders of the engine, wherein the second spark timing is more advanced than the first spark timing.

2. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a torque split module that determines, based on a base torque request, a torque split value for the M cylinders of the engine and the N−

M active cylinders of the engine.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein:

the torque split module determines the torque split value based on a plurality of operating parameters; and

the plurality of operating parameters include minimum and maximum torque capacities at minimum and maximum spark advances allowed at current operating conditions, respectively.

4. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a torque split module that determines, based on a base torque request, a minimum torque capacity, and a maximum torque capacity, a torque split value for the M cylinders of the engine and the N−

M active cylinders of the engine, wherein the torque split value is a lesser of;

(1) a product of (i) a difference between the base torque request and the minimum torque capacity and (ii) a quotient of M and N−

M; and

(2) a difference between the maximum torque capacity and the base torque request.

5. The control system of claim 2, wherein the torque split module determines a first torque request for the M cylinders of the engine based on a difference between the base torque request and a product of (i) the torque split value and (ii) a quotient of N−

M and M.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the first spark control module determines the first spark timing based on the first torque request.

7. The control system of claim 4, wherein the torque split module determines a second torque request for the N−

M active cylinders of the engine based on a sum of the base torque request and the torque split value.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the second spark control module determines the second spark timing based on the second torque request.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein N equals a total number of cylinders in the engine, and wherein M equals one half of N.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the engine is coupled to a manual transmission.

11. A method for controlling an engine, the method comprising:

determining whether M of N cylinders of the engine are to be deactivated or reactivated, where M is an integer greater than or equal to one, and where N is an integer greater than M;

based on determining the M cylinders of the engine are to be deactivated or reactivated, retarding spark timing for the M cylinders of the engine to a first spark timing during a period before the deactivating or after the reactivating of the M cylinders of the engine; and

based on determining the M cylinders of the engine are to be deactivated or reactivated, advancing spark timing for N−

M active cylinders of the engine to a second desired spark timing during the period before the deactivating or after the reactivating of the M cylinders of the engine, wherein the second spark timing is more advanced than the first spark timing.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a torque split value for the M cylinders of the engine and the N−

M active cylinders of the engine based on a base torque request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the torque split value is determined based on a plurality of operating parameters; and

the plurality of operating parameters include minimum and maximum torque capacities at minimum and maximum spark advances allowed at current operating conditions, respectively.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a torque split value for the M cylinders of the engine and the N−

M active cylinders of the engine based on a base torque request, a minimum torque capacity, and a maximum torque capacity, wherein the torque split value is a lesser of;

(1) a product of (i) a difference between the base torque request and the minimum torque capacity and (ii) a quotient of M and N−

M; and

(2) a difference between the maximum torque capacity and the base torque request.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a first torque request for the M cylinders of the engine based on a difference between the base torque request and a product of (i) the torque split and (ii) a quotient of N−

M and M.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the first spark timing based on the first torque request.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a second torque request for the N−

M active cylinders of the engine based on a sum of the base torque request and the torque split value.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the second spark timing based on the second torque request.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein N equals a total number of cylinders in the engine, and wherein M equals one half of N.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the engine is coupled to a manual transmission.