Approach for facilitating fuel evaporation in cylinder of an internal combustion engine

• US 7,530,342 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schamel, Andreas, Surnilla, Gopichandra
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US11/470,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20080060609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 123/299, 123/295, 123/300, 123/305, 123/478, 123/480
• US Class Current: 123/299
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/389 for injecting directly into the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/047 Taking into account fuel evaporation or wall wetting; special correction after fuel cut-off F02D41/126
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/062 for starting F02D41/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3058 the engine working with a variable number of cycles

Abstract

A method of operating an engine including at least one cylinder and a piston disposed within the cylinder, the method comprising during a first condition, injecting fuel into the cylinder and subsequently operating the piston to perform one compression stroke before combusting the injected fuel, and during a second condition, injecting fuel into the cylinder and subsequently operating the piston to perform at least two compression strokes before combusting the injected fuel.

Claims

1. A method of operating an engine including at least one cylinder and a piston disposed within the cylinder, the method comprising:

during a first condition, injecting fuel into the cylinder and subsequently operating the piston to perform one compression stroke before combusting the injected fuel; and

during a second condition, injecting fuel into the cylinder and subsequently operating the piston to perform at least two compression strokes before combusting the injected fuel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during at least said second condition, holding at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve of the cylinder in a substantially closed position during said at least two compression strokes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition includes a first type of fuel and the second condition includes a second type of fuel different than the first type of fuel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first type of fuel includes at least a first fraction of gasoline and the second type of fuel includes at least a second fraction of ethanol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first condition includes a first fuel volatility and the second condition includes a second fuel volatility less than said first fuel volatility.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and the second fuel volatility are learned from a previous engine start.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition includes a first engine temperature and the second condition includes a second engine temperature less than said first engine temperature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second condition is during a first number of cycles after a cold start of the engine and the first condition is after said second condition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition is during a first number of cycles after a start from a partially heated engine condition and the second condition is during a second number of cycles after a start from a cooler engine condition than said first condition.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during at least the second condition, injecting a first portion of the fuel into the cylinder before completion of the first compression stroke and injecting a second portion of the fuel into the cylinder after the completion of the first compression stroke and before the completion of the second compression stroke.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during a third condition, injecting fuel into the cylinder and subsequently operating the piston to perform at least three compression strokes before combusting the injected fuel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second condition includes a second fuel and the first condition includes a first fuel having greater volatility than said second fuel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel is directly injected into the cylinder by a fuel injector coupled at least partially within the cylinder.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during the second condition, varying a timing of the fuel injection based on the number of compression strokes performed by the piston.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during the second condition, varying a number of compression strokes performed by the piston in response to a timing of the fuel injection.

16. A method of operating an engine having at least a first cylinder including a first piston and a second cylinder including a second piston, the method comprising:

injecting fuel into the first cylinder and subsequently operating the first piston to perform a first number of compression strokes before combusting the fuel within the first cylinder; and

injecting fuel into the second cylinder and subsequently operating the second piston to perform a second number of compression strokes before combusting the fuel within the second cylinder.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first number of compression strokes is varied in response to the second number of compression strokes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first number of compression strokes and the second number of compression strokes are varied in response to at least one of engine temperature and a number of combustion events after an engine start.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first number of compression strokes is less than the second number of compression strokes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the fuel is injected into the first cylinder and the second cylinder during a common stroke.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the second number of compression strokes is at least two and the first number of compression strokes is one during a number of cycles after an engine start.

22. A method of operating an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder having at least one intake valve and one exhaust valve, comprising:

injecting fuel directly into the cylinder;

compressing a mixture of at least air and fuel during a first compression stroke;

compressing at least the mixture during at least a second compression stroke; and

initiating ignition within the cylinder of the mixture that was at least twice compressed.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising, substantially closing the intake and exhaust valves during at least a substantial portion of the first and the second compression strokes and reducing the number of compression strokes performed over subsequent combustion events after an engine start-up.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said initiating ignition includes achieving autoignition of the at least twice compressed mixture.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the twice compressed mixture is substantially homogeneous and includes a ratio of air and fuel that is lean of stoichiometry.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein autoignition is achieved during at least one of a start-up of the engine and a cold condition of the engine.

27. A method of operating an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder having at least one intake valve and one exhaust valve, comprising:

during an engine start;

compressing gasses in the cylinder during at least two compression strokes to increase temperature of the gasses,

adjusting valve timing during said compressing to adjust a compression temperature of the gasses;

injecting fuel directly into the cylinder; and

achieving auto-ignition within the cylinder of the at least twice compressed gasses to start the engine.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said gasses include inducted air, and said valve timing is adjusted to progressively increase temperature and control timing of said auto-ignition of the directly injected fuel.