Engine breathing in an engine with mechanical and electromechanical valves
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDonald J. Lewis, John O. Michelini, Michael J. Cullen, John D. Russell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system to control valves of an internal combustion engine. Electromechanical valves are controlled in a manner to reduce hydrocarbon emissions of an internal combustion engine. Further, the system may contain both mechanical and electromechanical valves to reduce cost and increase performance.
Claims27
A system for selecting and controlling electrically actuated valves, the system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having at least a first and second group of cylinders, at least one group having a cylinder with at least an electrically actuated valve;
- and
- a controller operating a group of valves in said first cylinder group that is different from a group of operating valves in said second cylinder group, during a cycle of said engine, wherein the difference between said first cylinder group and said second cylinder group is at least one of a number of operating valves per cylinder, and a region of operating valves in a cylinder head, where both said first and second groups perform combustion during said cycle.
A system for selecting and controlling electrically actuated valves, the system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having a first and second group of cylinders, said first group of cylinders having valves operating in a first configuration and said second group of cylinders having valves operating in a second configuration, said cylinders in said first and second group each having a cylinder head with at least two regions, with at least two electrically actuated valves, said valves in different regions;
- and
- a controller to select at least a first valve for each cylinder of said first cylinder group, located in at least one region of said first and second region, and to select at least a second valve for each cylinder of said second cylinder group, located in another region of said first and second regions, and to operate at least one cylinder from each of said selected first and second cylinder groups with said selected valves, without operating non-selected valves, during respective cycles of said cylinder groups, where both said first and second groups perform combustion during said cycle, and said valves are intake valves.
A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to control an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, the internal combustion engine including at least a first and second group of cylinders, at least one group having a cylinder with at least an electrically actuated valve, said storage medium comprising:
- instructions to select and operate a group of valves in said first cylinder group that is different from the group of operating valves in said second cylinder group, during a cycle of said engine, wherein the difference between said first cylinder group and said second cylinder group is a number of operating valves per cylinder, where both said first and second groups perform combustion during said cycle.
A system for selecting and controlling electrically actuated valves, the system comprising:
- an internal combustion engine having a first and second group of cylinders, said first group of cylinders having valves operating in a first configuration and said second group of cylinders having valves operating in a second configuration, said cylinders in said first and second group each having a cylinder head with at least two regions, with at least two electrically actuated valves, said valves in different regions;
- and
- a controller to select at least a first valve for each cylinder of said first cylinder group, located in at least one region of said first and second region, and to select at least a second valve for each cylinder of said second cylinder group, located in another region of said first and second regions, and to operate at least one cylinder from each of said selected first and second cylinder groups with said selected valves, without operating non-selected valves, during respective cycles of said cylinder groups, where both said first and second groups perform combustion during said cycle, and said valves are exhaust valves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.