Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090205612 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A SPARK-IGNITION DIRECT-INJECTION INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AT LOW LOADS - A spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine is controlled at low loads through split fuel injections and spark discharges including one injection and spark during a negative valve overlap period and another injection and spark during a compression phase of the engine cycle. | 08-20-2009 |
20090272362 | LIGHT LOAD AND IDLE HCCI COMBUSTION CONTROL BY FUEL PRESSURE MODIFICATION - A method for controlling a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition capable engine, operating with spray-guided spark ignition stratified combustion at low load, includes monitoring a speed of the engine, monitoring a load of the engine, determining a desired fuel pressure based upon the speed of the engine and the load of the engine, and utilizing the desired fuel pressure to control fuel injection into the engine, wherein the desired fuel pressure is calibrated to the speed and the load based upon increased stability of the engine at lower fuel pressures and lower soot emissions from the engine at higher fuel pressures. | 11-05-2009 |
20090272363 | EXTENSION OF THE APPLICATION OF MULTIPLE INJECTION HCCI COMBUSTION STRATEGY FROM IDLE TO MEDIUM LOAD - A method for controlling an internal combustion engine includes monitoring an engine operating state and selectively operating the engine in a multiple-injection, multiple-ignition combustion mode comprising three injection events based upon the engine operating state. The selective operation includes controlling a first injection during a recompression period of the combustion cycle, controlling a second injection event effective to establish a homogeneous fuel charge prior to a main combustion, and controlling a third injection late in the compression phase of the combustion cycle. | 11-05-2009 |
20100037858 | CONTROL STRATEGY FOR A HOMOGENEOUS-CHARGE COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINE - A method for operating a multi-cylinder spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine responsive to a low load demand includes monitoring an engine state associated with combustion for each cylinder during each combustion cycle during low load operation, determining a combustion stability index for each cylinder based upon the monitored engine state associated with combustion for the respective cylinder, and individually adjusting an initiation of a spark discharge relative to an end of a fuel injection event for each cylinder based upon the combustion stability index determined for the respective cylinder. | 02-18-2010 |
20100145594 | HIGH LOAD SI-HCCI TRANSITIION BY SELECTIVE COMBUSTION MODE SWITCHING - A method for operating a direct-injection internal combustion engine includes unevenly distributing load among a plurality of cylinders by operating a portion of the plurality of cylinders in a spark ignition mode and the remaining portion of the plurality of cylinders in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode. | 06-10-2010 |
20100222985 | METHODOLOGY FOR EXTENDING THE HIGH LOAD LIMIT OF HCCI OPERATION BY ADJUSTING INJECTION TIMING AND SPARK TIMING - A method for operating an internal combustion engine including extended operation in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode at high loads includes operating the engine in the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode including spark-assisted ignition, monitoring an engine load, monitoring an engine speed, determining the engine to be in a high ringing range based upon the engine load and the engine speed, and when the engine load is in the high ringing range, operating the engine in a reduced ringing mode. The reduced ringing mode includes modulating a fuel injection timing according to a calibrated maximum combustion chamber cooling fuel injection timing, determining a preferred combustion phasing value, and modulating a spark timing based upon the modulated fuel injection timing and the preferred combustion phasing value. | 09-02-2010 |
20100241341 | OPERATING STRATEGY FOR HCCI COMBUSTION DURING ENGINE WARM-UP - An engine operating in a spark-assisted homogeneous charge compression ignition mode during warm-up cycle is controlled using settings determined by interpolating between cold engine temperature settings fully warmed-up engine temperature settings. | 09-23-2010 |
20100242902 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION MODE TRANSITIONS IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - An internal combustion engine is operative in a spark ignition combustion mode and a controlled auto-ignition combustion mode. Operating the engine includes commanding a transition from a first combustion mode to a second combustion mode. A change in openings and closings of the intake and exhaust valves is commanded to a preferred duration of a negative valve overlap period corresponding to operating in the second combustion mode. Fuel injection parameters and spark ignition events are adjusted to effect operation in the second combustion mode only when a realized duration of the negative valve overlap period exceeds a predetermined threshold. | 09-30-2010 |
20100269771 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - An internal combustion engine includes intake and exhaust camshafts including high-lift lobes and low-lift lobes separated by a lobe separation angle. The engine transitions between operating in a controlled auto-ignition combustion mode with positive valve overlap and a controlled auto-ignition combustion mode with negative valve overlap solely by selecting the corresponding one of the high-lift lobes and the low-lift lobes. | 10-28-2010 |
20100299049 | CONTROL STRATEGY FOR OPERATING A HOMOGENEOUS-CHARGE COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINE SUBSEQUENT TO A FUEL CUTOFF EVENT - A multi-cylinder spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine is re-fired subsequent to a fuel cutoff event wherein fuel to all cylinders is cutoff. Re-firing the engine includes selectively firing individual cylinders during re-firing engine cycles exclusively at a predetermined fixed fuel mass until all cylinders have been fired at least once, whereafter subsequent firing of individual cylinders is not limited to the predetermined fixed fuel mass. | 11-25-2010 |
20110146637 | EGR CONTROL IN HCCI ENGINES - An internal combustion engine operates in an unthrottled condition during HCCI operation while preferred combustion phasing is determined. An EGR mass flow rate is commanded to correspond with the preferred combustion phasing. The EGR valve is controlled to achieve commanded EGR mass flow rate. Position of the throttle valve is controlled to achieve commanded EGR mass flow rate when the commanded EGR mass flow rate exceeds control authority of the EGR valve. | 06-23-2011 |
20110168130 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION MODE TRANSITIONS IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - An engine is transitioned from a first combustion mode to a second combustion mode. Phase and lift of the intake and exhaust valves are sequentially adjusted corresponding to intake air cylinder volume and residual gas cylinder volume corresponding to the first and second combustion modes. | 07-14-2011 |
20110184630 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ENGINE VALVE OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - An internal combustion engine system is equipped with a controllable engine valve actuation system. Controlling lift of an engine valve includes periodically monitoring engine valve lift and engine crank angle. A preferred engine valve lift profile is determined in a crank angle-domain. A preferred engine valve position is determined in the crank angle-domain. The preferred engine valve position is interpolated to determine a preferred engine valve position in the time-domain. The control circuit is actuated to control the engine valve in the time-domain. | 07-28-2011 |
20110283971 | METHOD FOR MANAGING TRANSITIONS IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES WITH COMBUSTION PHASING - A combustion mode transition control for controlling a transition between a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion mode and a spark-ignition (SI) combustion mode includes slowly transitioning intake and exhaust camshafts from initial phase settings corresponding to one of the HCCI and SI combustion modes to target phase settings corresponding to the other of the HCCI and SI combustion modes. An ignition spark timing and an injected fuel mass are coordinated with the transitioning of the intake and exhaust camshaft phase settings to substantially maintain engine load continuity during the transitioning of the intake and exhaust camshaft phase settings. | 11-24-2011 |
20110283972 | CONTROL STRATEGY FOR TRANSITIONS BETWEEN HOMOGENEOUS-CHARGE COMPRESSION-IGNITION AND SPARK-IGNITION COMBUSTION MODES - A direct-injection internal combustion engine includes an intake camshaft with a low-lift intake cam and a high-lift intake cam, a variable lift control for selectively operating an intake valve in one of a low-lift intake valve profile with the low-lift intake cam and a high-lift intake valve profile with the high-lift intake cam, a variable cam phase control operative on the intake camshaft for simultaneously controlling the phase of the low-lift intake cam and the high-lift intake cam, an ignition spark control, a fuel injection control, an exhaust gas recirculation control, and an intake throttle control. A method of operating the engine includes operating the engine in one of a) a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion mode including the low-lift intake valve profile, and b) a spark ignition (SI) combustion mode including the high-lift intake valve profile, and within a predetermined range of engine loads and camshaft phasings, wherein the low-lift intake valve profile and the high-lift intake valve profile effect a respective intake airflow in the corresponding HCCI combustion mode and SI combustion mode conducive to stable combustion exclusively through fuel and spark control. The method further includes transitioning between the HCCI and SI combustion modes exclusively through adjustments to the variable lift control, the ignition spark control, and the fuel injection control. | 11-24-2011 |
20110288742 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OPERATING IN HCCI COMBUSTION MODE - An internal combustion engine is configured to operate in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition combustion mode. Operating the internal combustion engine includes determining an integrated thermal state parameter from an aggregation of engine environment factors. A feed-forward engine control scheme is executed to determine states for engine control parameters. The states for the engine control parameters correspond to a preferred combustion phasing responsive to an operator torque request and the integrated thermal state parameter. Operation of the internal combustion engine is controlled to achieve the preferred combustion phasing using the states for the engine control parameters. | 11-24-2011 |
20110288747 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE IN A HOMOGENEOUS-CHARGE COMPRESSION-IGNITION COMBUSTION MODE - A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes determining an actual combustion heat release during ongoing engine operation, calculating an expected combustion heat release corresponding to engine operation associated with the actual combustion heat release during ongoing engine operation, determining a difference between the actual combustion heat release and the expected combustion heat release, and operating the internal combustion engine in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition combustion mode to achieve a preferred combustion phasing during each combustion cycle in response to the difference between the actual combustion heat release and the expected combustion heat release. | 11-24-2011 |
20110288750 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COUPLED TO A PASSIVE SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION AFTERTREATMENT SYSTEM - A direct-injection internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to a passive SCR system including a three-way catalytic converter upstream to an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction catalyst. Transition from an HCCI combustion mode to an SI combustion mode includes determining a preferred air/fuel ratio to achieve a minimum fuel consumption and maintain combustion stability at an acceptable level for a predetermined engine operating point during the SI combustion mode. A fuel injection timing, an engine spark timing and an engine valve lift are substantially immediately controlled from respective HCCI combustion mode settings to respective SI combustion mode settings. A transition to the preferred air/fuel ratio is coordinated with a transition of an engine valve phase from a respective HCCI combustion mode setting to a respective SI combustion mode phase setting. | 11-24-2011 |
20110290224 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION SYSTEMS - A control system for an engine includes a feedback determination module, a feed-forward determination module, and a valve control module. The feedback determination module generates an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) feedback value based on engine speed and a difference between desired and measured combustion phasing. The feed-forward determination module generates an EGR feed-forward value based on a difference between desired and measured mass air flow (MAF) rates. The valve control module controls an EGR valve based on the EGR feedback and feed-forward values, an intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP), an engine speed, and an exhaust back pressure (EBP). | 12-01-2011 |
20110295487 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED TRANSITIONS BETWEEN ENGINE COMBUSTION MODES - A control system for a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine includes a timing adjustment module and a combustion control module. The timing adjustment module, per combustion event, advances timings of N fuel injections and retards timings of M fuel injections and spark during a transition from HCCI combustion to mixed-mode combustion. The combustion control module subsequently retards the timings of the N fuel injections and advances the timings of the M fuel injections and the spark to desired timings, respectively, wherein the N fuel injections and the M fuel injections occur sequentially during each combustion event of the HCCI engine, and wherein N and M are integers greater than or equal to zero. | 12-01-2011 |
20120103304 | COMBUSTION BALANCING CONTROL STRATEGY USING NORMALIZED INSTANTANEOUS HEAT RELEASE IN HCCI ENGINES - A method for controlling combustion in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine operating in a controlled auto-ignition mode includes providing combustion control parameters, determining peak cylinder pressures and crank angle location of the peak cylinder pressures. Cylinder volumes at the peak cylinder pressures and at intake valve closings are determined and cylinder pressures at intake valve closings are determined. A combustion parameter for each cylinder is calculated based upon the peak cylinder pressure, the cylinder pressure at the intake valve closing, the crank angle location of the peak cylinder pressure, the cylinder volume coincident with the peak cylinder pressure, and the cylinder volume at the intake valve closing. A target combustion parameter is determined and the calculated combustion parameter for each cylinder is compared to the target combustion parameter. The provided combustion control parameters for each cylinder are adjusted to balance the combustion parameter across all cylinders based on the comparison. The engine is controlled based on the adjusted provided combustion control parameters. | 05-03-2012 |
20120118267 | COMBUSTION PHASING CONTROL IN SPARK-ASSISTED HCCI COMBUSTION MODE - A method for controlling combustion in a multi-cylinder spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine includes determining a desired combustion phasing for maintaining acceptable combustion properties, monitoring combustion phasing of each cylinder, selecting a target combustion phasing corresponding to one of the cylinders having a most retarded combustion phasing, adjusting spark timing in each cylinder not having the most retarded combustion phasing to achieve the target combustion phasing to balance the combustion phasing in all the cylinders at the target combustion phasing, and adjusting an external EGR percentage to converge the balanced combustion phasing in all the cylinders toward the desired combustion phasing. | 05-17-2012 |
20120118275 | TRANSIENT CONTROL STRATEGY IN SPARK-ASSISTED HCCI COMBUSTION MODE - A method for controlling a multi-cylinder direct-injection internal combustion engine includes establishing an external exhaust gas recirculation valve from a present position to a target position to achieve a target exhaust gas recirculation, and synchronizing combustion initiation timing with actual exhaust gas recirculation as actual exhaust gas recirculation changes from a first exhaust gas recirculation value corresponding to the present position of the external exhaust gas recirculation valve to a second exhaust gas recirculation value corresponding to the target position of the external exhaust gas recirculation valve. | 05-17-2012 |
20120255520 | PISTON FOR ROBUST AUTO-IGNITION - A piston for an internal combustion engine is located within a cylinder of the engine. The piston includes a dish-shaped depression in a surface of the piston exposed to a combustion chamber of the cylinder providing a recess from a nominal top of the piston. The depression includes a depression boundary located at the nominal top of the piston and proximate to an outer diameter of the piston, an apex, and inclined walls connecting the apex to the depression boundary. | 10-11-2012 |
20120316757 | COMBUSTION PHASING CONTROL METHODOLOGY IN HCCI COMBUSTION - Controlling combustion in a spark-ignition direction-injection internal combustion engine includes providing an initial injected fuel mass timing and an initial spark ignition timing. A combustion phasing error is monitored and compared with each of the initial injected fuel mass timing and the initial spark ignition timing. An adjusted injected fuel mass timing and an adjusted desired spark ignition timing is determined based on the comparing for maintaining a desired combustion phasing. | 12-13-2012 |
20130018565 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENGINE OPERATION IN HOMOGENEOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGNITION AND SPARK IGNITIONAANM Yun; HanhoAACI Oakland TownshipAAST MIAACO USAAGP Yun; Hanho Oakland Township MI USAANM Wermuth; NicoleAACI MunchenAACO DEAAGP Wermuth; Nicole Munchen DEAANM Najt; Paul M.AACI Bloomfield HillsAAST MIAACO USAAGP Najt; Paul M. Bloomfield Hills MI USAANM Kang; Jun-MoAACI Ann ArborAAST MIAACO USAAGP Kang; Jun-Mo Ann Arbor MI USAANM Brown; Barry L.AACI Lake OrionAAST MIAACO USAAGP Brown; Barry L. Lake Orion MI US - A method to control an internal combustion engine includes controlling the engine in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode and depending upon the operating range of the engine operating both intake and exhaust valves with one of a high-lift profile or a low lift profile or the exhaust valves with a low-lift profile and the intake valves with a high-lift profile. | 01-17-2013 |
20130024091 | METHODOLOGY TO COMPENSATE THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY AND ALTITUDE ON HCCI COMBUSTION - A method for controlling combustion in a spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine includes monitoring an engine operating mode and an ambient parameter, determining a deviation of the ambient parameter relative to a nominal ambient parameter, determining a nominal desired engine operation parameter based on engine speed and load, determining and adjusted desired engine operation parameter based on the nominal desired engine operation parameter and said deviation of the ambient parameter, and controlling the engine based on the engine operating mode and one of the nominal desired engine operation parameter and adjusted desired engine operation parameter. | 01-24-2013 |
20130080026 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING COMBUSTION NOISE IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - An internal combustion engine operates in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition combustion mode. A method for controlling the internal combustion engine in response to a fast transient event from a low-load state to a high-load state includes operating the engine with a negative valve overlap between an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and determining a preferred combustion phasing responsive to the high-load state. A preferred EGR mass and a preferred intake valve timing corresponding to the preferred combustion phasing are determined A first intake valve timing is determined in response to a difference between the preferred EGR mass and an actual EGR mass. The intake valve timing is controlled in response to a difference between the preferred intake valve timing and the first intake valve timing. | 03-28-2013 |
20130174805 | SPARK IGNITION TO HOMOGENOUS CHARGE COMPRESSION IGINITION TRANSITION CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A system for a vehicle includes a mode control module and a valve control module. The mode control module selectively sets an ignition mode for an engine to one of a spark ignition (SI) mode and a homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode. In response to the ignition mode transitioning from the SI mode to the HCCI mode during a first engine cycle, the valve control module operates an exhaust valve in a high lift mode during a second engine cycle, operates an intake valve in a low lift mode during the second engine cycle, and operates the exhaust and intake valves in the low lift mode during a third engine cycle. The first engine cycle is before the second engine cycle, and the second engine cycle is before the third engine cycle. | 07-11-2013 |
20130197781 | METHOD TO COMPLETE A LEARNING CYCLE OF A RECURSIVE LEAST SQUARES APPROXIMATION - A method to control a non-linear system includes operating a learning cycle to approximate characteristics of the system and, once the learning cycle is complete, operating the system based upon the characteristics. The learning cycle includes monitoring operation of the system, approximating the characteristics of the system with a recursive least squares approximation based upon the monitored operation, comparing variance of the operation to a threshold variance, and completing the learning cycle based upon the variance exceeding the threshold variance. | 08-01-2013 |