Methods and system for stopping and starting a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060464-B2
Application number	US-201916271652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for operating an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, an engine's position is adjusted during engine stopping so that the engine may be less likely to stop at a crankshaft angle where rotating a fuel pump may increase engine cranking torque due to work performed by the fuel pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine operating method, comprising:
deactivating at least one cylinder of an engine via a controller in response to a request to stop the engine; and
reactivating the at least one cylinder of the engine via the controller in response to an estimated engine stopping position at which a fuel pump is in its compression stroke.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the fuel pump is driven via the engine.

3. The method of claim 1 , where deactivating the at least one cylinder includes ceasing to supply fuel to the at least one cylinder.

4. The method of claim 1 , where reactivating the at least one cylinder includes supplying fuel to the at least one cylinder.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a torque provided via the reactivated at least one cylinder in response to a crankshaft angle distance to a desired engine stopping position.

6. The method of claim 5 , where adjusting the torque includes adjusting a spark timing.

7. The method of claim 5 , where adjusting the torque includes adjusting a poppet valve timing.

8. The method of claim 5 , where adjusting the torque includes adjusting a throttle opening amount.

9. An engine operating method, comprising:
deactivating at least one cylinder of an engine via a controller in response to a request to stop the engine;
estimating an engine stopping position based on engine conditions at which fuel injection to the at least one cylinder of the engine is deactivated in response to the request to stop the engine; and
reactivating the at least one cylinder of the engine via the controller in response to the estimated engine stopping position being at a location at which a fuel pump is in its compression stroke.

10. The method of claim 9 , where the estimated engine stopping position is further based on engine speed.

11. The method of claim 10 , where the estimated engine stopping position is further based on engine friction.

12. The method of claim 11 , where the estimated engine stopping position is further based on engine pumping work.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising rotating and starting the engine via a belt integrated starter/generator in response to a request to start the engine.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting a torque of the reactivated at least one cylinder based on a requested engine stopping position.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising not reactivating the at least one cylinder in response to the estimated engine stopping position being at a location where the fuel pump is not in its compression stroke.

16. A system, comprising:
an engine including a belt integrated starter/generator (BISG) and a crankshaft;
a fuel pump mechanically driven by the engine; and
a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory, the controller configured to deactivate at least one cylinder of the engine in response to a request to stop the engine, estimate an engine stopping position based on engine conditions, and reactivate the at least one cylinder of the engine in response to the estimated engine stopping position being at a location at which the fuel pump is in its compression stroke.

17. The system of claim 16 , where the controller further comprises additional instructions to not reactivate the at least one cylinder in response to the estimated engine stopping position being at a location at which the fuel pump is not in its compression stroke.

18. The system of claim 17 , where the controller further comprises additional instructions to rotate the engine via the BISG in response to a request to start the engine.

19. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a solenoid valve in fluidic communication with the fuel pump.

20. The system of claim 19 , where the controller further comprises additional instructions to operate the solenoid valve synchronously with a rotation of the engine.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Christensen M Scott
• Bastanipour Michael
• Hancock David
• Gibson Alexander O'Connor

Classifications

• F02N11/04

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title

• F02D41/0002

  Controlling intake air · CPC title

• F02N11/0803 Primary

  characterised by means for initiating engine start or stop (F02N11/0814 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02D13/0203

  Variable control of intake and exhaust valves · CPC title

• F02N11/0859

  specially adapted to the type of the starter motor or integrated into it · CPC title