Linear valve actuator system and method for controlling valve operation

• US 9,739,229 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SentiMetal Journey, LLC
• Original Assignee: SentiMetal Journey, LLC
• Inventors: Hutchins, Richard H., Edmonds, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Ching
• Application Number:
  US14/642,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20150240736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 123 9011, 25112901
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/34 characterised by the provision of means for changing the timing of the valves without changing the duration of opening and without affecting the magnitude of the valve lift
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2009/2103 comprising one coil
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2009/2107 being disposed coaxially to the armature shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/40 Methods of operation thereof; Control of valve actuation, e.g. duration or lift
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/1401 characterised by the control or regulation method F02D41/1473, F02D41/1477 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/263 the program execution being modifiable by physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/345 Controlling injection timing F02D41/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0655 Lift valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0658 Armature and valve member being one single element
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0675 Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/18 Circuit arrangements for obtaining desired operating characteristics, e.g. for slow operation, for sequential energisation of windings, for high-speed energisation of windings

Abstract

The system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a stationary coil linear motor to drive a valve with a stem comprising a ferromagnetic property. The linear motor moves the valve in response to control governed by an electronic valve control computer. The valve is movable between a closed position at a selectable rate of both acceleration and speed for a selectable distance (“lift”) to a second selectable open position, including all position variations between the fully open and fully closed states. Valve position, velocity and acceleration can be varied both during a valve stroke and from one stroke to the next, as controlled by the logic programmed on a non-transitive memory of the electronic valve control computer.

Claims

1. A control method for a valve, the method comprising:

providing a stationary coil adapted to control linear movement of the valve;

applying a first variable voltage having a first polarity to the stationary coil to decelerate a linear movement of the valve until the valve reaches a predetermined open position less than or equal to a fully open position; and

applying a second variable voltage having a second polarity, opposite the first polarity, to the stationary coil such that one or more polarity reversals soft seat the valve and hold it in a closed position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading valve timing sequence data from a memory module.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising writing data from a plurality of sensors to a memory module.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising updating a firing sequence data in the memory module.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing valve position, and calculating valve velocity and acceleration values for use by a processor programmed with a control logic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading position data from a valve position sensor disposed along a stem of the valve.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a processor programmed with control logic such that the position data is processed to calculate a velocity of the valve.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising a processor programmed with control logic such that the position data is processed to calculate an acceleration of the valve.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or more operating sensors in operable communication with a processor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more operating sensors are adapted to read data selected from a group consisting of:

fuel injector data, exhaust data, air flow data, spark data, crank shaft data, throttle data, oxygen data, and temperature data.

11. A control method for a valve, the method comprising:

applying a first voltage at a first polarity to a stationary coil to accelerate the valve in an opening direction at a first opening acceleration rate;

applying to the stationary coil a second voltage at a polarity opposite the first polarity to decelerate the valve until it reaches a predetermined open position less than or equal to a fully open position;

holding the valve at the predetermined open position;

applying to the stationary coil a third voltage at a polarity opposite the first polarity to accelerate the valve member in a closing direction with a first closing acceleration rate;

applying to the stationary coil a fourth voltage at a polarity opposite the third polarity to decelerate the valve until it reaches a predetermined closing position adjacent a valve seat; and

applying to the stationary coil a fifth voltage at a polarity opposite the first polarity such that one or more polarity reversals soft seat the valve and hold it in a closed position.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising reading valve timing sequence data from a memory module, and initiating the application of the first and third voltages based upon the read valve timing sequence data.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising writing data from a plurality of sensors to a memory module.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating a firing sequence data in the memory module.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sensing valve position, and calculating valve velocity and acceleration values for use by a processor programmed with a control logic.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising one or more operating sensors in operable communication with a processor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more operating sensors are adapted to read data selected from a group consisting of:

fuel injector data, exhaust data, air flow data, spark data, crank shaft data, throttle data, oxygen data, and temperature data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising processing rule-based logic provided with the processor.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising processing rule-based logic provided with a processor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the rule-based logic is used to control actuation parameters for the valve.