Techniques for coordinated variable valve timing and electronic throttle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664124-B2
Application number	US-201314076463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2013
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A method can include determining, at a controller for an engine, the controller having one or more processors, a desired air-per-cylinder (APC) for the engine based on an engine torque request. The method can include determining, at the controller, a target intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP) based on a volumetric efficiency of the engine for electronic throttle control (ETC), wherein the volumetric efficiency for ETC is based on the desired APC and an actual MAP. The method can include commanding, by the controller, a throttle of the engine to deliver the target MAP. The method can include determining, at the controller, a target position for an intake valve of the engine based on a volumetric efficiency of the engine for variable valve timing (VVT), engine speed, and the actual MAP. The method can also include commanding, by the controller, the intake valve to the target position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining, at a controller for an engine, the controller having one or more processors, a desired air-per-cylinder (APC) for the engine based on an engine torque request;
determining, at the controller, a volumetric efficiency of the engine for electronic throttle control (ETC) based on the desired APC, an optimal lift for an intake valve of a cylinder of the engine, engine speed, and an actual intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP), wherein the optimal lift for the intake valve is optimized for engine torque response;
determining, at the controller, a target MAP based on the volumetric efficiency of the engine for ETC;
determining, at the controller, a target lift for the intake valve based on a volumetric efficiency of the engine for variable valve timing (VVT), engine speed, and the actual MAP; and
performing, by the controller, coordinated control of ETC and VVT by concurrently:
(i) commanding the throttle, via closed-loop feedback based on the actual MAP, to deliver the target MAP, and
(ii) commanding the intake valve to the target lift to deliver the desired APC.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, at the controller, the optimal lift for an intake valve of the engine based on the desired APC and the engine speed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the optimal lift for the intake valve is further optimized for fuel economy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target MAP is determined based on the volumetric efficiency for ETC, the desired APC, and parameters of air in the intake manifold.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target MAP is determined using equation:

MAP
target

=

120
×
R
×
T
×
A
⁢

⁢
P
⁢

⁢

C
desired

RPM
×
D
×
V
⁢

⁢

E
ETC

,

where MAP target represents the target MAP, R represents an ideal gas constant, T represents intake air temperature, APC desired represents the desired APC, RPM represents engine speed, D represents intake air density, and VE ETC represents the volumetric efficiency for ETC.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the volumetric efficiency of the engine for VVT is determined based on the actual MAP, engine speed, and the desired APC.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein (i) the determining of the desired APC, the determining of the target MAP, and the commanding of the throttle at least partially overlaps with (ii) the determining of the target lift and the commanding of the intake valve.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coordinate control of ETC and VVT occurs during a coordinated control period during which the commanding of the throttle and the intake valve at least partially overlaps.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, after a period of the coordinated control of ETC and VVT, when the actual MAP reaches the target MAP, (a) an actual lift of the intake valve merges with (b) the optimal lift of the intake valve.

10. An engine system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine configured to generate drive torque in response to an engine torque request;
a throttle actuator configured to actuate a throttle of the engine;
a valve actuator configured to actuate an intake valve of a cylinder of the engine; and
a controller configured to:
determine a desired air-per-cylinder (APC) for the engine based on the engine torque request;
determine a volumetric efficiency of the engine for electronic throttle control (ETC) based on the desired APC, an optimal lift for the intake valve, engine speed, and an actual intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP), wherein the optimal lift for the intake valve is optimized for engine torque response
determine a target MAP based on the volumetric efficiency of the engine for ETC;
determine a target lift for the intake valve based on a volumetric efficiency of the engine for variable valve timing (VVT), engine speed, and the actual MAP; and
perform coordinated control ETC and VVT by concurrently:
(i) commanding the throttle actuator, via closed-loop feedback based on the actual MAP, to control the throttle to deliver the target MAP, and
(ii) commanding the valve actuator to position the intake valve at the target lift to deliver the desired APC.

11. The engine system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the optimal lift for the intake valve based on the desired APC and an engine speed.

12. The engine system of claim 11 , wherein the optimal lift for the intake valve is further optimized for fuel economy.

13. The engine system of claim 10 , wherein the target MAP is determined based on the volumetric efficiency for ETC, the desired APC, and parameters of air in the intake manifold.

14. The engine system of claim 13 , wherein the target MAP is determined using equation:

MAP
target

=

120
×
R
×
T
×
A
⁢

⁢
P
⁢

⁢

C
desired

RPM
×
D
×
V
⁢

⁢

E
ETC

,

where MAP target represents the target MAP, R represents an ideal gas constant, T represents intake air temperature, APC desired represents the desired APC, RPM represents engine speed, D represents intake air density, and VE ETC represents the volumetric efficiency for ETC.

15. The engine system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the volumetric efficiency for VVT based on the actual MAP, engine speed, and the desired APC.

16. The engine system of claim

Assignees

• Yu Songping
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Yu Songping

Classifications

• F02D2200/0406

  Intake manifold pressure · CPC title

• F02D2041/002

  by simultaneous control of throttle and variable valve actuation · CPC title

• Y02T10/42

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/18

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02D2200/0411

  Volumetric efficiency · CPC title