System and method for controlling a firing sequence of an engine to reduce vibration when cylinders of the engine are deactivated

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9249748-B2
Application number	US-201313798574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2012
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A system according to the present disclosure includes a spectral density module and a firing sequence module. The spectral density module determines a spectral density of engine speed. The firing sequence module selects a first set of M cylinders of an engine to activate, selects a second set of N cylinders of the engine to deactivate, and selects a firing sequence to activate the first set of M cylinders and to deactivate the second set of N cylinders. M and N are integers greater than or equal to one. The firing sequence specifies whether each cylinder of the engine is active or deactivated. Based on the spectral density, the firing sequence module adjusts the firing sequence to adjust M and N and/or to adjust which cylinders of the engine are included in the first set and which cylinders of the engine are included in the second set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a spectral density module that determines a spectral density of engine speed;
a firing sequence module that:
selects a first set of M cylinders of an engine to activate based on a driver torque request;
selects a second set of N cylinders of the engine to deactivate based on the driver torque request;
selects a firing sequence to activate the first set of M cylinders and to deactivate the second set of N cylinders, wherein the firing sequence specifies whether each cylinder of the engine is active or deactivated; and
based on the spectral density, adjusts the firing sequence to at least one of:
adjust which cylinders of the engine are included in the first set and which cylinders of the engine are included in the second set; and
adjust M and N, wherein M and N are integers greater than or equal to one.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the firing sequence module adjusts the firing sequence to adjust which cylinders of the engine are included in the first set and which cylinders of the engine are included in the second set when the spectral density is greater than a predetermined value.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:
the firing sequence module switches at least a portion of the firing sequence between an alternating pattern and a consecutive pattern when the spectral density is greater than the predetermined value;
the firing sequence alternates between a firing cylinder and a non-firing cylinder when the firing sequence has the alternating pattern; and
the firing sequence includes at least one of consecutive firing cylinders and consecutive non-firing cylinders when the firing sequence has the consecutive pattern.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the firing sequence module adjusts the firing sequence to adjust M and N when the spectral density is greater than a first predetermined value.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the firing sequence module adjusts the firing sequence to decrease N when the spectral density is greater than the first predetermined value.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the firing sequence module selectively adjusts the firing sequence to increase N when the spectral density is greater than the first predetermined value.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:
the firing sequence module selectively adjusts the firing sequence to increase N when the spectral density is less than a second predetermined value; and
the second predetermined value is less than the first predetermined value.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the firing sequence module:
predicts a torque capacity of the engine after N is increased to a first quantity; and
adjusts the firing sequence to increase N to the first quantity when the torque capacity is greater than the driver torque request.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the spectral density is an energy spectral density representing an amount of energy associated with crankshaft movement with respect to an inverse of the engine speed.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the spectral density is a power spectral density representing an amount of power associated with crankshaft movement with respect to an inverse of the engine speed.

11. A method comprising:
determining a spectral density of engine speed;
selecting a first set of M cylinders of an engine to activate based on a driver torque request;
selecting a second set of N cylinders of the engine to deactivate based on the driver torque request;
selecting a firing sequence to activate the first set of M cylinders and to deactivate the second set of N cylinders, wherein the firing sequence specifies whether each cylinder of the engine is active or deactivated; and
based on the spectral density, adjusting the firing sequence to at least one of:
adjust which cylinders of the engine are included in the first set and which cylinders of the engine are included in the second set; and
adjust M and N, wherein M and N are integers greater than or equal to one.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising adjusting the firing sequence to adjust which cylinders of the engine are included in the first set and which cylinders of the engine are included in the second set when the spectral density is greater than a predetermined value.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising switches at least a portion of the firing sequence between an alternating pattern and a consecutive pattern when the spectral density is greater than the predetermined value, wherein:
the firing sequence alternates between a firing cylinder and a non-firing cylinder when the firing sequence has the alternating pattern; and
the firing sequence includes at least one of consecutive firing cylinders and consecutive non-firing cylinders when the firing sequence has the consecutive pattern.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising adjusting the firing sequence to adjust M and N when the spectral density is greater than a first predetermined value.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting the firing sequence to decrease N when the spectral density is greater than the first predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising selectively adjusting the firing sequence to increase N when the spectral density is greater than the first predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising selectively adjusting the firing sequence to increase N when the spectral density is less than a second predetermined value, wherein the second predetermined value is less than the first predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
predicting a torque capacity of the engine after N is increased to a first quantity; and
adjusting the firing sequence to increase N to the first quantity when the torque capacity is greater than the driver torque request.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the spectral density is an energy spectral density representing an amount of energy associated with crankshaft movement with respect to an inverse of the engine speed.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the spectral density is a power spectral density representing an amount of power associated with crankshaft movement with respect to an inverse of the engine speed.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Verner Douglas R

Classifications

• F02P9/00

  Electric spark ignition control, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F02P9/005

  by weakening or suppression of sparks to limit the engine speed · CPC title

• F02D41/0097

  using means for generating speed signals · CPC title

• F02D2041/288

  for performing a transformation into the frequency domain, e.g. Fourier transformation · CPC title

• F02D41/1497

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