# US 11,078,855 B2 · Internal combustion engine and method for controlling such an internal combustion engine

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,078,855 B2
- Document ID: US11078855B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/645,895
- Filed: 2018-09-10
- Published: 2020-09-03
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-11
- Assignees: Freevalve AB
- Applicants: Freevalve AB
- Inventors: Anders Höglund; Urban Carlson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078855B2

## CPC

- F02D 13/0261: {Controlling the valve overlap}
- F02D 41/024: {to increase temperature of the exhaust gas treating apparatus}
- F02B 37/18: by bypassing exhaust {from the inlet to the outlet of turbine or to the atmosphere}
- F02B 75/02: Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke
- F02D 13/02: during engine operation
- F02D 13/0215: {changing the valve timing only}
- F02D 13/0219: {by shifting the phase, i.e. the opening periods of the valves are constant}
- F02D 13/0273: {Multiple actuations of a valve within an engine cycle}
- F02D 41/0002: {Controlling intake air}
- F02D 41/0035: {to achieve a special effect, e.g. to warm up the catalyst}
- F02D 41/006: {using internal EGR (control of valve overlap for internal EGR F02D13/0261; arrangements for internal EGR F02M26/01)}
- F02D 41/0245: {by increasing temperature of the exhaust gas leaving the engine}
- F02D 41/345: {Controlling injection timing (F02D41/365 takes precedence)}
- F02M 26/01: Internal exhaust gas recirculation, i.e. wherein the residual exhaust gases are trapped in the cylinder or pushed back from the intake or the exhaust manifold into the combustion chamber without the use of additional passages
- F02M 35/10222: {Exhaust gas recirculation [EGR]; Positive crankcase ventilation [PCV]; Additional air admission, lubricant or fuel vapour admission}
- F02M 61/145: {the injection nozzle opening into the air intake conduit}
- F01L 9/10: by fluid means, e.g. hydraulic
- F01L 9/16: Pneumatic means
- F02B 2075/027: {four}
- F02D 41/0255: {to accelerate the warming-up of the exhaust gas treating apparatus at engine start}
- F02D 2041/001: {for engines with variable valve actuation}
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An internal combustion engine includes combustion chambers, each having a controllable intake valve controlling an intake port, a controllable exhaust valve controlling an exhaust port, a piston, and a fuel injector. An intake manifold is connected to the intake port of each chamber. In catalytic converter warm-up mode, each chamber is driven in four-stroke operation including a 720 crank angle degrees cycle, and opens the intake port, starting to open in 90-180 CAD, and fully closes the intake port in 180-270 CAD, opens the exhaust port during the power stroke, starting in 405-495 CAD, opens the intake port during the exhaust stroke, starting in 610-690 CAD, and fully closes the exhaust port during the exhaust stroke in 630-710 CAD. Exhaust gas is forced into the intake manifold by the piston, mixing fuel and exhaust in the intake manifold, and fully closes the intake port in 700 to 720+20 CAD.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An internal combustion engine (1), comprising:
a set of combustion chambers (2), each combustion chamber (2) being provided with:
a controllable intake valve (7) configured for opening and closing an intake port (8),
a controllable exhaust valve (9) configured for opening and closing an exhaust port (10),
a piston (5) displaceable back and forth in said combustion chamber (2) between a top dead center (TDC) and a bottom dead center (BDC), and
a fuel injector (16); and
an intake manifold (12) connected to the intake port (8) of each combustion chamber of said set of combustion chambers (2),
wherein the internal combustion engine (1) is configured to be operated in a catalytic converter warm-up mode,
wherein each combustion chamber (2) is configured to be driven in four-stroke operation comprising a 720 crank angle degrees cycle, and
wherein the internal combustion engine (1) is configured to:
open the intake port (8), the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 90 to 180 CAD, and close the intake port (8), the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in a range 180 to 270 CAD,
open the exhaust port (10) during the power stroke, the exhaust port (10) starting to open in a range 405 to 495 CAD,
open the intake port (8) during the exhaust stroke, the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 610 to 690 CAD, and close the exhaust port (10) during the exhaust stroke, the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed in a range 630 to 710 CAD, wherein the exhaust gas is forced into the intake manifold (12) by means of the piston (5),
mix fuel and exhaust gas in the intake manifold (12), and
close the intake port (8), the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in a range 700 to 720+20 CAD.

### Claim 2

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine (1) that includes a set of combustion chambers (2) and an intake manifold (12), each combustion chamber (2) being provided with:
a controllable intake valve (7) configured for opening and closing an intake port (8),
a controllable exhaust valve (9) configured for opening and closing an exhaust port (10),
a piston (5) displaceable back and forth in said combustion chamber (2) between a top dead center (TDC) and a bottom dead center (BDC), and
a fuel injector (16),
the intake manifold (12) connected to the intake port (8) of each combustion chamber of said set of combustion chambers (2),
the internal combustion engine (1) being operated in a catalytic converter warm-up mode, wherein each combustion chamber (2) is driven in four-stroke operation comprising a 720 crank angle degrees cycle,
wherein the method comprises:
opening the intake port (8), the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 90 to 180 CAD, and closing the intake port (8), the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in a range 180 to 270 CAD;
opening the exhaust port (10) during the power stroke, the exhaust port (10) starting to open in a range 405 to 495 CAD;
opening the intake port (8) during the exhaust stroke, the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 610 to 690 CAD, and closing the exhaust port (10) during the exhaust stroke, the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed in a range 630 to 710 CAD, wherein the exhaust gas is forced into the intake manifold (12) by means of the piston (5);
mixing fuel and exhaust gas in the intake manifold (12); and
closing the intake port (8), the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in a range 700 to 720+20 CAD.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 120 to 180 CAD.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein, during the exhaust stroke, the intake port (8) starts to open in a range 665 to 690 CAD and the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed in a range 675 to 710 CAD.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further comprising:
injecting fuel into the intake manifold (12), the fuel injection taking place in a range that starts when the intake port (8) becomes fully closed during the compression stroke, and that stops when the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in connection with the end of the cycle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the fuel injection takes place in a range that starts when the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed during the exhaust stroke, and that stops when the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in connection with the end of the cycle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the fuel injection takes place within 60 CAD.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust port (10) starts to open in a range 450 to 495 CAD.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the moment the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed during the exhaust stroke, and the moment the intake port (8) starts to open during the exhaust stroke, takes place within 40 CAD.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the intake port (8) starts to open in a range 610 to 670 CAD, and the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed in a range 630 to 690 CAD.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein at least two combustion chambers (2) of the set of combustion chambers are activated and at least one combustion chamber (2) of the set of combustion chambers is deactivated when the internal combustion engine (1) is operated in said catalytic converter warm-up mode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2,
wherein the internal combustion engine (1) is further provided with a pressure booster (15) constituted by a turbocharger,
and wherein the method further comprises:
evacuating the exhaust gas from the combustion chamber (2) via the exhaust port (10) to bypass the pressure booster (15).

### Claim 13

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program comprising instructions for controlling an internal combustion engine (1), the internal combustion engine comprised of an intake manifold (12) and a set of combustion chambers (2), each combustion chamber (2) being provided with a controllable intake valve (7) configured for opening and closing an intake port (8), a controllable exhaust valve (9) configured for opening and closing an exhaust port (10), a piston (5) displaceable back and forth in said combustion chamber (2) between a top dead center (TDC) and a bottom dead center (BDC), and a fuel injector (16), the intake manifold (12) connected to the intake port (8) of each combustion chamber of said set of combustion chambers (2),
the internal combustion engine (1) being operated in a catalytic converter warm-up mode, wherein each combustion chamber (2) is driven in four-stroke operation comprising a 720 crank angle degrees cycle,
the instructions of the computer program configured to cause the internal combustion engine to:
open the intake port (8), the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 90 to 180 CAD, and closing the intake port (8), the intake port (8) becomes fully closed in a range 180 to 270 CAD;
open the exhaust port (10) during the power stroke, the exhaust port (10) starting to open in a range 405 to 495 CAD;
open the intake port (8) during the exhaust stroke, the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 610 to 690 CAD, and closing the exhaust port (10) during the exhaust stroke, the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed in a range 630 to 710 CAD, wherein the exhaust gas is forced into the intake manifold (12) by means of the piston (5);
mix fuel and exhaust gas in the intake manifold (12); and
close the intake port (8), the intake port (8) becoming fully closed in a range 700 to 720+20 CAD.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the intake port (8) starting to open in a range 150 to 180 CAD.

### Claim 15 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein, during the exhaust stroke, the intake port (8) starts to open in a range 665 to 690 CAD and the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed in a range 675 to 710 CAD.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the fuel injection takes place within 40 CAD.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the moment the exhaust port (10) becomes fully closed during the exhaust stroke, and the moment the intake port (8) starts to open during the exhaust stroke, takes place within 20 CAD.

### Claim 18 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the exhaust port (10) starts to open in a range 450 to 495 CAD.

### Claim 19 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the exhaust port (10) starts to open in a range 450 to 495 CAD.

### Claim 20 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the exhaust port (10) starts to open in a range 450 to 495 CAD.