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US 2019/0195185 A1Published application
Engine starting via electric turbocharger
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorEric Money
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for starting an engine via an electric turbocharger. In one example, a method for starting the engine via the electric turbocharger may include flowing compressed air from the electric turbocharger to cylinders of the engine to crank a crankshaft of the engine without a starter motor. The method may include adjusting an opening amount of electrically or pneumatically actuated intake valves and exhaust valves to reduce a force to crank the crankshaft.
Claims20
A method for an engine, comprising:
- during an engine start request, driving a crankshaft of the engine without combustion only by flowing compressed air from an electrically driven air compressor to cylinders of the engine and without actuating a starter motor coupled to the crankshaft.
A method for an engine, comprising:
- in response to an engine start request, flowing compressed intake air to engine cylinders from a compressor of an electric turbocharger and driving pistons disposed within the engine cylinders via only the compressed intake air for a duration, with an amount of opening of intake valves and exhaust valves coupled to the engine cylinders being adjusted throughout the duration via cams of camshafts;
- and
- transitioning from driving the pistons via only the compressed intake air to driving the pistons via combustion of fuel and air by initiating combustion within the engine cylinders following the duration.
A method for an engine, comprising:
- responsive to an engine start request:
- flowing compressed air into cylinders of a first cylinder group to drive a crankshaft of the engine via only the compressed air, the cylinders of the first cylinder group including a first plurality of intake valves and a first plurality of exhaust valves, with each intake valve of the first plurality of intake valves being in an opened position and with each exhaust valve of the first plurality of exhaust valves being in a fully closed position;
- and
- while flowing compressed air into the cylinders of the first cylinder group to drive the crankshaft, maintaining a gas pressure within cylinders of a second cylinder group at atmospheric air pressure, the cylinders of the second cylinder group including a second plurality of intake valves and a second plurality of exhaust valves, with each intake valve of the second plurality of intake valves being in a fully closed position and each exhaust valve of the second plurality of exhaust valves being in an opened position.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.