Exhaust temperature controls for engine operation with cylinder deactivation

A system comprising:

• an internal combustion engine and a controller operatively coupled with the internal combustion engine, wherein the controller is configured to:
• perform a cylinder deactivation operation while running the engine;
• select at least one of a plurality of temperature maintenance actions to increase an exhaust temperature including
• (a) determining whether a first one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is available,
• (b) if the first one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is available, evaluating whether a temperature change provided by the first one of the temperature maintenance actions satisfies at least one target criterion including evaluating a predicted or estimated timing or rate of change in exhaust temperature magnitude relative to a timing or rate of change target, and
• (c) if either the first one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is not available or the temperature change provided by the first one of the temperature maintenance actions does not satisfy the target criterion, evaluating whether a second one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is available;
• and
• perform the at least one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions effective to increase the exhaust temperature.

A method of controlling an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

• performing a cylinder deactivation operation while running the engine;
• selecting at least one of a plurality of temperature maintenance actions to increase an exhaust temperature including
• (a) determining whether a first one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is available,
• (b) if the first one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is available, evaluating whether a temperature change provided by the first one of the temperature maintenance actions satisfies at least one target criterion including evaluating a predicted or estimated timing or rate of change in exhaust temperature magnitude relative to a timing or rate of change target, and
• (c) if either the first one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is not available or the temperature change provided by the first one of the temperature maintenance actions does not satisfy the target criterion, evaluating whether a second one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions is available;
• and
• performing the at least one of the plurality of temperature maintenance actions effective to increase the exhaust temperature.