Method of controlling the operation of an air charging system of an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167788-B2
Application number	US-201615289497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2016
Priority date	Oct 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed to control the operation of an air charging system of an internal combustion engine. A plurality of output parameters of the air charging system are monitored. An error is calculated between the monitored output parameters and a target value thereof. The calculated errors are applied to a linear controller that yields a virtual input used to calculate a plurality of input parameters for the air charging system. The input parameters is used to determine the position of a corresponding actuator of the air charging system for operating the actuators according to the determined position thereof. The inputs parameters are calculated with a non-linear mathematical model of the air charging system configured such that the virtual inputs are in a linear relation with only one of the output parameters and vice versa.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling the operation of an air charging system of an internal combustion engine having an intake duct, a turbocharger with an exhaust gas turbine and a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) loop, comprising:
monitoring at least three output parameters of the air charging system, wherein the at least three output parameters includes a manifold pressure and a residual gas function in the internal combustion engine;
calculating an error between each one of the monitored output parameters and a target value thereof;
applying each one of the calculated errors to a linear controller for yielding three virtual inputs;
calculating at least three input parameters for the air charging system, using the three virtual inputs with a non-linear mathematical model of the air charging system configured such that each one of the virtual inputs is in a linear relation with only one of the output parameters and vice versa, wherein the at least three input parameters includes an intake mass flow rate;
determining a position of a corresponding actuator of the air charging system using each one of the at least three input parameters, wherein the corresponding actuators include a first actuator for an intake valve in the intake duct, a second actuator for a valve in the HP-EGR loop and a third actuator for the turbine; and
operating each one of the corresponding actuators according to the determined position thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the input parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of an exhaust mass flow rate through the exhaust gas recirculation valve, a parameter indicative of an air mass flow rate through the air intake valve, and a parameter indicative of an exhaust mass flow rate through a turbine of the variable-geometry turbocharger.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the output parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of an exhaust manifold pressure, a parameter indicative of an intake manifold pressure and a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in the intake manifold.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the actuators of the air charging system further comprise an LP-EGR valve actuator.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the input parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of an air mass flow rate through the air intake valve, a parameter indicative of a flow effective area of the first exhaust gas recirculation valve, a parameter indicative of a power rate of a turbine of the variable-geometry turbocharger, and a parameter indicative of a flow effective area of the second exhaust gas recirculation valve.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the output parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of a pressure within an intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in the intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a compression rate caused by a compressor of the variable-geometry turbocharger, and a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in an intake duct upstream of the compressor.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the input parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of an air mass flow rate through the air intake valve, a parameter indicative of a flow effective area of the first exhaust gas recirculation valve, a parameter indicative of a flow effective area of a turbine of the variable-geometry turbocharger, and a parameter indicative of a flow effective area of the second exhaust gas recirculation valve.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the output parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of a pressure within an intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in the intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a pressure within an intake duct between a compressor of the variable-geometry turbocharger and the air intake valve, and a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in the intake duct upstream of the compressor.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the output parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of a pressure within an intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in the intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a pressure within an exhaust manifold, and a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in an intake duct upstream of the compressor.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the output parameters of the air charging system comprise a parameter indicative of a pressure within an intake duct between a compressor of the variable-geometry turbocharger and the air intake valve, a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in the intake manifold, a parameter indicative of a pressure within an exhaust manifold, and a parameter indicative of a residual gas fraction in an intake duct upstream of the compressor.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each one of the calculated errors is applied to a proportional-integrative controller for yielding the virtual input.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each one of the calculated errors is applied to a proportional-integrative-differential controller for yielding the virtual input.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer code, which when executed on a computer, is configured to perform the method according to claim 1 .

14. An electronic control unit for an air charging system of an internal combustion engine having an intake duct, a turbocharger with an exhaust gas turbine and a high-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) loop, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
monitor at least three output parameters of the air charging system, wherein the at least three output parameters includes a manifold pressure and a residual gas function in the internal combustion engine;
calculate an error between each one of the monitored output parameters and a target value thereof;
apply each one of the calculated errors to a linear controller for yielding three virtual inputs;
calculate at least three input parameters for the air charging system, using the three virtual inputs with a non-linear mathematical model of the air charging system configured such that each one of the virtual inputs is in a linear relation with only one of the output parameters and vice versa, wherein the at least three input parameters includes an intake mass flow rate;
determine a position of a corresponding actuator of the air charging system using each one of the at least three input parameters, wherein the corresponding actuators include a first actuator for an intake valve in the intake duct, a second actuator for a valve in the HP-EGR loop and a third actuator for the turbine; and
operate each one of the corresponding actuators according the determined position thereof.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Conte Giuseppe
• Pedicini Carmen
• Alfieri Vincenzo

Classifications

• F02D41/0077

  Control of the EGR valve or actuator, e.g. duty cycle, closed loop control of position (EGR valve position sensor F02M26/48) · CPC title

• F02D41/18

  by measuring intake air flow · CPC title

• F02D33/02

  of combustion-air · CPC title

• F02B37/22

  by varying cross-section of exhaust passages or air passages {, e.g. by throttling turbine inlets or outlets or by varying effective number of guide conduits} (F02B37/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D41/0007 Primary

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title