System and method for controlling operation of an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631569-B2
Application number	US-201414450493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2014
Priority date	Aug 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method involves comparing a determined operating parameter of an engine, with a predefined operating parameter. The method further involves controlling a fuel source and an ignition source of the engine so as to operate at least one engine cylinder in a skip fire mode for at least one cycle of a crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter. The controlling involves transitioning the fuel source from a normal mode to the skip fire mode for the at least one cycle of the crank shaft either before transitioning the ignition source from the normal mode to the skip fire mode or when the ignition source is operated in the normal mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
comparing a determined operating parameter of an engine, with a predefined operating parameter; and
controlling a fuel source and an ignition source of the engine so as to operate at least one engine cylinder in a skip fire mode for at least one cycle of a crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter; wherein the controlling comprises:
transitioning the fuel source from a normal mode to the skip fire mode for the at least one cycle of the crank shaft either before transitioning the ignition source from the normal mode to the skip fire mode or when the ignition source is operated in the normal mode, wherein the fuel source comprises a plurality of first fuel injectors, the ignition source comprises a plurality of second fuel injectors, and the engine is a dual fuel engine.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the determined operating parameter from a sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined operating parameter comprises a determined air-fuel ratio and the predefined operating parameter comprises a predefined air-fuel ratio.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined operating parameter comprises at least one of a determined engine speed and determined engine power and the predefined operating parameter comprises at least one of a predefined engine speed and predefined engine power.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling the plurality of first fuel injectors for injecting a first fuel and one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of a second fuel for the at least one cycle of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling one fuel injector from the plurality of first fuel injectors for skipping injection of the first fuel and the one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of the second fuel for another cycle after the at least one cycle of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling one fuel injector from the plurality of first fuel injectors for skipping injection of the first fuel and the one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of the second fuel for subsequent alternate cycles after the at least one cycle of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling the plurality of first fuel injectors for injecting the first fuel and the one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of the second fuel for alternate cycles of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling the plurality of first fuel injectors for injecting a first fuel and the plurality of second fuel injectors for injecting a second fuel during a transition from the normal mode to the skip fire mode.

10. A computer readable medium, having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, causes a controller for an engine to perform a method, the method comprising:
comparing a determined operating parameter of the engine with a predefined operating parameter; and
controlling a fuel source and an ignition source so as to operate at least one engine cylinder in a skip fire mode for at least one cycle of a crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter, wherein the controlling comprises:
transitioning the fuel source from a normal mode to the skip fire mode for the at least one cycle of the crank shaft either before transitioning the ignition source from the normal mode to the skip fire mode or when the ignition source is operated in the normal mode, wherein the fuel source comprises a plurality of first fuel injectors, the ignition source comprises a plurality of second fuel injectors; and the engine is a dual fuel engine.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises receiving the determined operating parameter from a sensor.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the determined operating parameter comprises a determined air-fuel ratio and the predefined operating parameter comprises a predefined air-fuel ratio.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the determined operating parameter comprises at least one of a determined engine speed and determined engine power and the predefined operating parameter comprises at least one of a predefined speed and predefined power.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling the plurality of first fuel injectors for injecting a first fuel and one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of a second fuel for the at least one cycle of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling one fuel injector from the plurality of first fuel injectors for skipping injection of the first fuel and the one injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of the second fuel for another cycle after the at least one cycle of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling one fuel injector from the plurality of first fuel injectors for skipping injection of the first fuel and the one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of the second fuel for subsequent alternate cycles after the at least one cycle of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling the plurality of first fuel injectors for injecting the first fuel and the one fuel injector from the plurality of second fuel injectors for skipping injection of the second fuel for alternate cycles of the crank shaft when the determined operating parameter is greater than the predefined operating parameter.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling the plurality of first fuel injectors for injecting a first fuel and the plurality of second fuel injectors for injecting a second fuel during a transition from the normal mode to the skip fire mode.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Klingbeil Adam Edgar
• Jackson Jennifer Lynn
• Mischler James Robert
• Fisher Kevin Michael

Classifications

• F02D41/1454

  the characteristics being an oxygen content or concentration or the air-fuel ratio · CPC title

• F02M43/00

  Fuel-injection apparatus operating simultaneously on two or more fuels, or on a liquid fuel and another liquid, e.g. the other liquid being an anti-knock additive · CPC title

• F02P15/02

  Arrangements having two or more sparking plugs · CPC title

• F02M43/04

  Injectors peculiar thereto · CPC title

• F02D41/26 Primary

  using computer, e.g. microprocessor · CPC title