System and method for control of volumetric efficiency in a direct injection engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11111872-B2
Application number	US-201916678411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A system and method of inducing an operational response change in an operating direct-injection internal combustion engine is provided such that the engine includes a cylinder into which liquid fuel injection is directly performed. The method starts by operating the direct-injection engine using a start of injection (SOI) protocol. At some point during operation, it is determined that a change is desired for a first parameter of engine operation that is at least partially a function of a charge provided to the cylinder (such as the torque output). In response an operational response in the engine is induced by altering the SOI protocol via a first SOI alteration that alters the volumetric efficiency of the cylinder and changes the first parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold fluidly coupled to multiple cylinders including a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the method comprising:
determining that an imbalance exists between the first cylinder and the second cylinder; and
performing a cylinder-by-cylinder volumetric efficiency adjustment to reduce the imbalance by adjusting a volumetric efficiency experienced by the first cylinder independently of a volumetric efficiency experienced by the second cylinder.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the imbalance exists between an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) fraction experienced by the first cylinder and an EGR fraction experienced by the second cylinder; and
performing the cylinder-by-cylinder volumetric efficiency adjustment to reduce the imbalance includes adjusting the EGR fraction experienced by the first cylinder independently of the EGR fraction experienced by the second cylinder.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the internal combustion engine includes an EGR loop in which recirculated exhaust flows from at least one cylinder into the intake manifold, and the method further comprises:
operating the at least one cylinder as a dedicated EGR cylinder such that exhaust from the dedicated EGR cylinder is completely recirculated into the intake manifold; and
operating the EGR loop such that the recirculated exhaust flows from the dedicated EGR cylinder into the intake manifold without fluid communication to the exhaust exiting the internal combustion engine.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising altering a start of injection (SOI) timing in the first cylinder to adjust the volumetric efficiency of the first cylinder.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein adjusting the EGR fraction experienced by the first cylinder independently of the EGR fraction experienced by the second cylinder is performed in response to a load experienced by the internal combustion engine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the imbalance exists between a torque output of the first cylinder and a torque output of the second cylinder; and
performing the cylinder-by-cylinder volumetric efficiency adjustment to reduce the imbalance includes adjusting a charge flow experienced by the first cylinder independently of a charge flow experienced by the second cylinder.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a fueling command is altered for the first cylinder to compensate for a change in the charge flow experienced by the first cylinder.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising altering a start of injection (SOI) timing in the first cylinder to adjust the volumetric efficiency of the first cylinder.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the imbalance exists between non-exhaust gas recirculation (non-EGR) air molecules received by the first cylinder and non-EGR air molecules received by the second cylinder; and
performing the cylinder-by-cylinder volumetric efficiency adjustment to reduce the imbalance includes adjusting a charge flow experienced by the first cylinder independently of a charge flow experienced by the second cylinder.

10. An injection control system of an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
a first cylinder;
a second cylinder;
an intake manifold fluidly coupled to the first cylinder and the second cylinder; and
an engine controller operable to:
determine that an imbalance exists between the first cylinder and the second cylinder; and
perform a cylinder-by-cylinder volumetric efficiency adjustment to reduce the imbalance by adjusting a volumetric efficiency experienced by the first cylinder independently of a volumetric efficiency experienced by the second cylinder.

11. The injection control system of claim 10 , wherein the imbalance exists between an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) fraction experienced by the first cylinder and an EGR fraction experienced by the second cylinder.

12. The injection control system of claim 10 , wherein the imbalance exists between a torque output of the first cylinder and a torque output of the second cylinder.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Perfetto Anthony Kyle
• Geckler Samuel C
• Stroh David
• Lana Carlos A

Classifications

• F02D2200/0406

  Intake manifold pressure · CPC title

• F02D2200/101

  Engine speed · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F02M26/47

  the characteristics being temperatures, pressures or flow rates · CPC title

• F02D41/1497

  With detection of the mechanical response of the engine · CPC title