Coordination of vehicle actuators during firing fraction transitions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10259461-B2
Application number	US-201715792175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A variety of methods and arrangements are described for controlling transitions between firing fractions during skip fire or dynamic firing level modulation operation of an engine. In general, actuator first transition strategies are described in which an actuator position (e.g., cam phase, TCC slip, etc.) is changed to, or close to a target position before a corresponding firing fraction change is implemented. When the actuator change associated with a desired firing fraction change is relatively large, the firing fraction change is divided into a series of two or more firing fraction change steps. A number of intermediate target selection schemes are described as well.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of managing firing fraction transitions in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes an engine and a drivetrain that includes an adjustable slip drivetrain component, the method comprising:
while the engine is operating at a first firing fraction and the adjustable slip drivetrain component is operating at a first drivetrain slip, determining a requested second firing fraction that is different than the first firing fraction, the second firing fraction having an associated second drivetrain slip and an associated second drivetrain slip transition threshold that is higher than the first drivetrain slip;
initiating a transition from the first drivetrain slip towards the second drivetrain slip;
transitioning to a target firing fraction that is different than the first and second firing fractions, the target firing fraction (i) being selected from a set of available firing fractions capable of delivering a requested engine output, and (ii) having an associated target drivetrain slip transition threshold that is less the second drivetrain slip transition threshold; and
after transitioning to the target firing fraction, transitioning to the second firing fraction, and
wherein each firing fraction transition is constrained to only occur when an actual driveline slip is at least as high as the associated drivetrain slip transition threshold.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein when the requested second firing fraction is higher than the first firing fraction, the selected target firing fraction is the lowest available firing fraction capable of delivering the requested engine output that has an associated driveline slip transition threshold that is not more than the first drivetrain slip.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein when the requested second firing fraction is lower than the first firing fraction, the selected target firing fraction is an intermediate firing fraction between the first and second firing fractions.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the selected target firing fraction is the lowest available firing fraction capable of delivering the requested engine output that has an associated driveline slip transition threshold that is not more than the first drivetrain slip when such an intermediate firing fraction exists.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the selected target firing fraction has an associated drivetrain slip transition threshold between the first driveline slip and the second driveline slip threshold.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the adjustable slip drivetrain component is a torque converter clutch (TCC).

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein:
an engine controller that directs the firing fraction transitions has a defined set of potential operational firing fractions;
at various particular operating conditions, only an associated subset of the potential operational firing fractions are designated as candidates for use;
the firing fraction candidates for use do not always include all potential operational firing fractions that are capable of delivering the requested engine output; and
the target firing fraction is selected from the firing fraction candidates for use at current operating conditions.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein during each firing fraction transition, a commanded air charge is changed during the transition to provide the desired engine output throughout the transition.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein when the requested firing fraction changes during a transition to a new requested firing fraction, the adjustable slip drivetrain component is commanded to begin transitioning to a driveline slip associated with the new requested firing fraction.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the set of available firing fractions only includes one and fractions having a denominator that is not greater than nine.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the first firing fraction and the second firing fraction is an effective firing fraction used during multi-level skip fire or multi-charge level operation of the engine.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the method is performed while operating the engine in a skip fire or dynamic firing level modulation operational mode.

13. A method of controlling an engine in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes the engine and a drivetrain that includes an adjustable slip drivetrain component, the method comprising:
while the engine is operating at a first firing fraction having an associated first drivetrain component slip, determining a desired second firing fraction and an associated second drivetrain component slip, the second drivetrain component slip being different than the first drivetrain component slip;
initiating a transition from the first drivetrain component slip to the second drivetrain component slip;
after an actual drivetrain component slip is at or within a predetermined range of the second drivetrain component slip, transitioning to the second firing fraction, wherein the transition to the second firing fraction is initiated only after the actual drivetrain component slip is at or within the predetermined range of the second drivetrain component slip; and
directing operation of the engine during the transitions to deliver a requested output, whereby an actual commanded firing fraction gradually changes during the transition from the first firing fraction to the second firing fraction.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein at least one of the first firing fraction and the second firing fraction is an effective firing fraction used during multi-level skip fire or multi-charge level operation of the engine.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the method is performed while operating the engine in a skip fire or dynamic firing level modulation operational mode.

16. A method of controlling an engine in a vehicle having a powertrain that includes the engine and a drivetrain that includes an adjustable slip drivetrain component, the method comprising:
(a) while the engine is operating at a first firing fraction and the adjustable slip drivetrain component is operating at a first drivetrain slip, determining a requested second firing fraction that is different than the first firing fraction, the second firing fraction having an associated second drivetrain slip, the second drivetrain slip being higher than the first drivetrain slip;
(b) initiating a transition from the first drivetrain slip to the second drivetrain slip;
(c) identifying a target firing fraction that is different than the first and second firing fractions from a set of available firing fractions capable of delivering a requested engine output, the target firing fraction having an associated target drivetrain slip that is less the second drivetrain slip;
(d) transitioning to the target firing fraction, wherein the transition to the target firing fraction is constrained to only occur when an actual driveline slip is at least as high as a target driveline slip threshold associated with the target firing fraction; and
(e) after transitioning to the target firing fraction, transitioning to the second firing fraction, wherein the transition to the second firing fraction is constrained to only occur when the actual driveline slip is at least as high as a second driveline slip threshold associated with the second firing fraction; and
(f) directing operation of the engine during the transitions to deliver the requested engine output.

17. The method as

Assignees

• Tula Technology Inc

Inventors

• Serrano Louis J
• Carlson Steven E

Classifications

• B60W2710/025

  Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds · CPC title

• F02D2041/001

  for engines with variable valve actuation · CPC title

• F02P5/1504

  with particular means during a transient phase, e.g. acceleration, deceleration, gear change (during starting F02P5/1506) · CPC title

• F02P9/002

  Control of spark intensity, intensifying, lengthening, suppression (by means of current control in the storage devices F02P3/05, F02P3/09, during starting F02P15/12) · CPC title

• B60W30/188

  Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power · CPC title