Engine dynamic load leveling

• US 7,730,870 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kolmanovsky, Ilya V., Gibson, Alex, Michelini, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Jr.; Willis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang; Johnny H
• Application Number:
  US11/608,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20080135021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 123/295, 123/299, 123/305, 123/348, 123/90.11, 123/90.15, 123/481, 701103-105
• US Class Current: 123/295
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2009/2126 Arrangements for amplifying the armature stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2800/00 Methods of operation using a variable valve timing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means
• 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 17/005 having direct injection in the combustion chamber
• 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: F02B 23/104 the injector being placed on a side position of the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/0253 Fully variable control of valve lift and timing using camless actuation systems such as hydraulic, pneumatic or electromagnetic actuators, e.g. solenoid valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 13/06 Cutting-out cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/001 for engines with variable valve actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2250/21 during a transition between engine operation modes or states
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0082 per groups or banks F02D41/0087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0087 Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation deceleration cut-off F02D41/123
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3035 a mode being the premixed charge compression-ignition mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders using electronic valve actuation, including operating a first portion of the cylinders in a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode, operating a second portion of the cylinders in a non-HCCI mode, and adjusting the valve timing of the second portion of cylinders to dynamically load level the engine in response to a transient torque demand. A system for controlling a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, including a first group of cylinders to operate in an HCCI mode, a second group of cylinders to operate in a non-HCCI mode, and an engine controller operably coupled to the first and second groups of cylinders, said controller to adjust the valve timing of the second group of cylinders to dynamically load level the engine in response to a transient torque demand.

Claims

1. A method for an engine having a plurality of cylinders using electronic-valve-actuation, comprising:

operating a first portion of the cylinders in a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode;

operating a second portion of the cylinders in a non-HCCI mode;

adjusting valve timing of the non-HCCI cylinders to dynamically load level the engine in response to a transient torque demand; and

after the transient torque demand, adjusting the non-HCCI cylinders to balance a load over all non-HCCI and HCCI cylinders.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a ratio of HCCI cylinders to non-HCCI cylinders depending on engine operation conditions, engine configuration, and vehicle configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-HCCI cylinders change combustion modes during the transient torque demand.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least some of the non-HCCI cylinders are direct-injection stratified-charge spark ignition cylinders, homogeneous-charge spark-ignition cylinders, or heterogeneous-charge compression-ignition cylinders.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the non-HCCI cylinders are deactivated during the transient torque demand.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the first portion and second portion of cylinders with even crank angle spacing, wherein the dynamic load leveling includes balancing the load over all non-HCCI and HCCI cylinders, where after adjusting valve timing in response to the transient torque demand, valve timing of the second portion of cylinders is adjusted to keep the non-HCCI cylinders in a selected range and valve timing of the first portion of cylinders is adjusted until the load reaches a desired balance over HCCI and non-HCCI cylinders.

7. A system for controlling a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising:

a first portion of cylinders to operate in a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode;

a second portion of cylinders to operate in a non-HCCI mode; and

an engine controller operably coupled to the first and second portions of cylinders, said controller to adjust valve timing of the second portion of cylinders to a greater extent than the first portion of cylinders to dynamically load level the engine in response to a transient torque demand, where after the transient torque demand, the controller adjusts the non-HCCI cylinders to balance a load over all non-HCCI and HCCI cylinders.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the engine controller is operably configured to adjust a ratio of HCCI cylinders to non-HCCI cylinders depending on engine operation conditions, engine configuration, and vehicle configuration.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the engine controller is operably configured to change combustion modes of the non-HCCI cylinders during the transient torque demand.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least some of the non-HCCI cylinders are direct-injection stratified-charge spark ignition cylinders, homogeneous-charge spark-ignition cylinders, or heterogeneous-charge compression-ignition cylinders.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the engine controller is operably configured to deactivate at least some of the non-HCCI cylinders during the transient torque demand.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the engine controller is operably configured to adjust the first portion and second portion of cylinders to have even crank angle spacing.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the engine controller is operably configured to phase out the even crank angle spacing as engine speed increases.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the cylinders have electronically actuated valves.

15. A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, comprising:

operating a first portion of the cylinders in a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode;

operating a second portion of the cylinders in a non-HCCI mode; and

adjusting a torque provided by the second portion of cylinders to respond to a high frequency torque demand and adjusting a torque provided by the first portion of cylinders to respond to a low frequency torque demand, where adjusting the torque provided by the second portion of cylinders includes adjusting a valve timing of the second portion of cylinders to dynamically load level the engine, where the torque adjustment in both cylinder portions includes a greater adjustment, and a faster adjustment, provided by the non-HCCI cylinders as compared to the HCCI cylinders, and where the dynamic load leveling includes balancing a load over all non-HCCI and HCCI cylinders, where after adjusting valve timing in response to the high frequency torque demand, the valve timing of the second portion of cylinders is adjusted to keep the non-HCCI cylinders in a selected range and valve timing of the first portion of cylinders is adjusted until the load reaches a desired balance over HCCI and non-HCCI cylinders.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting a ratio of HCCI cylinders to non-HCCI cylinders depending on engine operation conditions, engine configuration, and vehicle configuration.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-HCCI cylinders change combustion modes during the high frequency torque demand.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least some of the non-HCCI cylinders are direct-injection stratified-charge spark ignition cylinders, homogeneous-charge spark-ignition cylinders, or heterogeneous-charge compression-ignition cylinders.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least some of the non-HCCI cylinders are deactivated during high frequency torque demand.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising operating the first portion and second portion of cylinders with even crank angle spacing.