Engine assembly with variable valve displacement on one cylinder bank and method of controlling same

An engine assembly comprising:

• an engine block having a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders;
• a crankshaft supported by the engine block and configured to be driven by torque due to combustion energy in the first and the second banks of cylinders;
• a first set of valves including inlet valves operable to control air flow into and out of the first bank of cylinders and outlet valves operable to control air flow out of the first set of valves;
• a first camshaft driven by the crankshaft and operatively connected to the inlet valves of the first set of valves to control opening and closing of the inlet valves of the first set of valves;
• a second camshaft driven by the crankshaft and operatively connected to the outlet valves of the first set of valves to control opening and closing of the outlet valves of the first set of valves;
• a second set of valves including inlet valves operable to control air flow into the second bank of cylinders and outlet valves operable to control air flow out of the second bank of cylinders;
• a controller operatively connected to the second set of valves and configured to vary the lift and duration of the inlet valves of the second bank of cylinders and to selectively deactivate the outlet valves of the second bank of cylinders to zero valve lift to thereby vary the combustion in the second bank of cylinders such that torque provided by combustion in the first and the second banks of cylinders satisfies a commanded torque;
• and
• wherein the engine block is arranged in a V formation and each of the first and the second banks of cylinders has the same number of cylinders.

A method of controlling an engine assembly having an engine block with a first and a second bank of cylinders, a crankshaft, and camshafts driven by the crankshaft;

• wherein the camshafts are operable to open and close a first set of valves that control air flow into and out of the first bank of cylinders to thereby affect drive torque provided to the crankshaft by combustion in the first bank of cylinders;
• the method comprising:
• varying at least one of lift, timing and duration of a second set of valves based on commanded torque at the crankshaft;
• and
• wherein the second set of valves controls airflow into and out of the second bank of cylinders to thereby affect drive torque provided to the crankshaft by combustion in the second bank of cylinders.