Control apparatus for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473045-B2
Application number	US-201314767383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2013
Priority date	Feb 25, 2013
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A control apparatus is applied to an internal combustion engine that is capable of implementing reduced-cylinder operation and all-cylinder operation. When the internal combustion engine is stopped during implementation of reduced-cylinder operation, and then the internal combustion engine is restarted in reduced-cylinder operation with the same cylinders as idling cylinders, the initial crank angle when cranking starts is controlled so that the position of the piston of at least one among the idling cylinders is in the vicinity of its top dead center.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine that has a plurality of four or more cylinders, the control apparatus implementing both a reduced-cylinder operation in which a portion among the plurality of cylinders is idled by stopping respective intake valves and exhaust valves in a closed state while a remaining cylinder operates and an all-cylinder operation in which all of the plurality of cylinders operate, the control apparatus comprising:
an electronic control unit
configured to control a start of the internal combustion engine by controlling an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to crank the internal combustion engine,
configured to set an initial crank angle which is a crank angle when cranking is started to restart the internal combustion engine from a stopped state, and
when the internal combustion engine is stopped during the reduced-cylinder operation and the internal combustion engine is restarted in the reduced-cylinder operation with same cylinders as idling cylinders, configured to set the initial crank angle so at least one cylinder among the idling cylinders is substantially at top dead center when cranking is started to restart the internal combustion engine.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
with the internal combustion engine, during the reduced-cylinder operation, piston positions are the same for the idling cylinders and for working cylinders; and
the electronic control unit controls the initial crank angle so that, when cranking starts, piston positions of the working cylinders reach bottom dead center through respective intake strokes after piston positions of the idling cylinders have first arrived at top dead center.

3. A control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
with the internal combustion engine, during the reduced-cylinder operation, the piston positions of the idling cylinders and working cylinders are different; and
the electronic control unit controls the initial crank angle so that piston positions of the working cylinders are substantially at bottom dead center.

4. A control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to, after the cranking starts, implement at least one time intake stroke for the idling cylinders by opening and closing the intake valve of the idling cylinders.

5. A control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to, during a stopping process of the internal combustion engine, implement at least one time exhaust stroke for the idling cylinders by opening and closing the exhaust valve of the idling cylinders.

6. A control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the electronic control unit implements at least one time exhaust stroke for the idling cylinders after fuel injection has stopped.

7. A control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cylinder is adjusted to be substantially at top dead center when the internal combustion engine is stopped.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aikawa Hidefumi

Classifications

• F02D2041/0092

  Synchronisation of the cylinders at engine start · CPC title

• F02D17/00 Primary

  Controlling engines by cutting out individual cylinders; Rendering engines inoperative or idling (controlling or rendering inoperative by varying inlet or exhaust valve operating characteristics F02D13/00) · CPC title

• F02D29/02

  peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers · CPC title

• F02D41/008

  Controlling each cylinder individually · CPC title

• F02D2041/0095

  Synchronisation of the cylinders during engine shutdown · CPC title