Control device for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10941726-B2
Application number	US-201716341251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2017
Priority date	Nov 24, 2016
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine performing a plurality of combustion modes each having a different air-fuel ratio and compression end temperature in a cylinder 7 from each other. In the middle of switching from a first combustion mode to a second combustion mode, an intermediate combustion mode in which the compression end temperature is increased while keeping a different air-fuel ratio from the air-fuel ratio of the first combustion mode and the air-fuel ratio of the second combustion mode is performed. Accordingly, at the time of switching between an operation mode performing SI and an operation mode performing HCCI, a temperature in the cylinder 7 and an air-fuel ratio are controlled appropriately, torque fluctuations caused by misfire and abnormal combustion can be prevented appropriately, and exhaust of NOx can be restricted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
an electronic control device configured to control switching among a plurality of combustion modes each having a different air-fuel ratio and compression end temperature in a cylinder from each other,
wherein the plurality of combustion modes include a first combustion mode having a first air-fuel ratio, a second combustion mode having a second air-fuel ratio, and an intermediate combustion mode having a third air-fuel ratio,
wherein, between switching from the first combustion mode having the first air-fuel ratio to the second combustion mode having the second air-fuel ratio, the electronic control device causes the engine to be in the intermediate combustion mode having the third air-fuel ratio, and
wherein, in the intermediate combustion mode, the compression end temperature is increased and the third air-fuel ratio is different from each of the first air-fuel ratio of the first combustion mode and the second air-fuel ratio of the second combustion mode.

2. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein, in the intermediate combustion mode, the third air-fuel ratio is kept constant while increasing an air amount and the compression end temperature in the cylinder.

3. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein the air amount in the cylinder is increased by at least one of increasing intake air pressure in the cylinder and increasing an operation angle of an intake valve.

4. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein the third air-fuel ratio is maintained by retarding ignition timing while increasing the air amount and a fuel injection amount in the cylinder.

5. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first combustion mode, the first air-fuel ratio is kept at a stoichiometric ratio.

6. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the first combustion mode is a spark ignition combustion mode, the intermediate combustion mode is a homogeneous lean spark ignition combustion mode, and the second combustion mode is a compression self ignition combustion mode.

7. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according claim 1 , wherein the compression end temperature is increased by at least one of moving a closing time of an intake valve closer to a piston bottom dead center, setting an opening time of the intake valve later than a closing time of an exhaust valve causing negative overlap, and closing a bypass valve of an intercooler.

8. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein switching from the first combustion mode to the second combustion mode is performed under a non-supercharging condition.

9. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control device estimates the compression end temperature and the third air-fuel ratio based on a first measurement at an intake flow path and a measurement at an exhaust flow path, respectively.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Namba Shogo
• Saruwatari Masayuki
• ORYOJI Kazuhiro

Classifications

• F02D13/0265

  Negative valve overlap for temporarily storing residual gas in the cylinder · CPC title

• F02B29/0418 Primary

  the intake air cooler having a bypass or multiple flow paths within the heat exchanger to vary the effective heat transfer surface · CPC title

• F02P5/1516

  with means relating to exhaust gas recirculation, e.g. turbo · CPC title

• F02P5/1504

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

• F02D37/02

  one of the functions being ignition · CPC title