Internal combustion engine and method for operating an internal combustion engine
AssigneeVolvo Car Corporation
InventorsRob Otterspeer, Jan Olof Carlsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine and a method for operating the multi-stroke combustion engine is disclosed. The engine is provided with individual variably controlled inlet and outlet valves in each cylinder. Operation of the engine involves controlling the inlet and outlet valves so that the opening and closing of the valves are adapted to a second stroke mode that is different from a first stroke mode in which the engine is presently running. Fuel injected into the cylinders is controlled so that it is injected prior to an expansion stroke. The transition from the first stroke mode to the second stroke mode occurs independent of the operating condition of the engine throughout the entire operating range of the engine.
Claims42
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- individual variably controlled inlet and outlet valves in each cylinder, and
- a control unit for controlling the ignition,
- wherein the control unit is adapted to change the ignition order of the cylinders when the operation of the engine is converted from a first stroke mode to a second stroke mode.
A method for operating a multi-stroke combustion engine provided with individually variable controlled inlet and outlet valves in each cylinder, the method comprising the steps of:
- controlling the inlet and outlet valves so that the opening and closing of the valves are adapted to a second stroke mode different from a first stroke mode in which the engine is currently running,
- controlling the injection of fuel into the cylinders so that fuel is injected prior to an expansion stroke,
- transitioning from the first stroke mode to the second stroke mode independent of the operating condition of the engine throughout the entire operating range of the engine, and
- changing the ignition order of the cylinders so that a substantially equidistant ignition order between the cylinders is achieved for the second stroke mode.
A method for operating a multi-stroke combustion engine provided with individually variable controlled inlet and outlet valves in each cylinder, the method comprising the steps of:
- controlling the inlet and outlet valves so that the opening and closing of the valves are adapted to a second stroke mode different from a first stroke mode in which the engine is currently running,
- controlling the injection of fuel into the cylinders so that fuel is injected prior to an expansion stroke, and
- transitioning from the first stroke mode to the second stroke mode independent of the operating condition of the engine throughout the entire operating range of the engine,
- wherein the engine has five cylinders with the ignition order under four-stroke operation being 1, 2, 4, 5, 3 based on the number of cylinders, and under six-stroke operation being 1, 3, 5, 4, 2 based on the number of cylinders.
A method for operating a multi-stroke combustion engine provided with individually variable controlled inlet and outlet valves in each cylinder, the method comprising the steps of:
- controlling the inlet and outlet valves so that the opening and closing of the valves are adapted to a second stroke mode different from a first stroke mode in which the engine is currently running,
- controlling the injection of fuel into the cylinders so that fuel is injected prior to an expansion stroke,
- transitioning from the first stroke mode to the second stroke mode independent of the operating condition of the engine throughout the entire operating range of the engine, and
- transitioning from the first stroke mode to a third stroke mode,
- wherein the third stroke mode is a two-stroke operation, and
- wherein the engine has five cylinders and the ignition order under two stroke operation is 1, 2, 4, 5, 3 with respect to the number of cylinders.
A method for operating a multi-stroke combustion engine provided with individually variable controlled inlet and outlet valves in each cylinder, the method comprising the steps of:
- controlling the inlet and outlet valves so that the opening and closing of the valves are adapted to a second stroke mode different from a first stroke mode in which the engine is currently running,
- controlling the injection of fuel into the cylinders so that fuel is injected prior to an expansion stroke,
- transitioning from the first stroke mode to the second stroke mode independent of the operating condition of the engine throughout the entire operating range of the engine, and
- activating an integrated starter generator coupled to the engine when transitioning between the different stroke modes wherein substantially stable running conditions of the engine are achieved during the transition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.