Coordinated multivariable control of fuel and air in engines

A method for controlling a diesel engine system, the diesel engine system including a diesel engine having a fuel-side and an air-side, the fuel-side of said diesel engine including at least one fuel injector, the air-side of said diesel engine including an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and a turbine adapted to drive a compressor for providing compressed air to the intake manifold, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a combined fuel and air-side controller adapted to coordinate both the fuel-side and air-side control of the engine;
• sensing one or more fuel-side parameters and one or more air-side parameters;
• and
• outputting a fuel profile signal and one or more air-side control signals for controlling at least a part of the fuel-side and at least a part of the air-side of the engine;
• wherein the combined fuel and air-side controller includes a multivariable Model Predictive Controller that includes a fuel-side map and an air-side map, the fuel and air-side maps adapted to translate a pedal position signal and/or pedal rate signal into one or more fuel-side set points and one or more air-side parameters for use by the combined fuel and air-side controller.

A method for controlling a diesel engine system, the diesel engine system including a diesel engine having a fuel-side and an air-side, the fuel-side of said diesel engine including at least one fuel injector, the air-side of said diesel engine including an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, an adjustable exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve adapted to receive exhaust gas via the exhaust manifold and provide a selective amount of exhaust gas to the intake manifold determined by a set position of the EGR valve, and a turbine adapted to drive a compressor for providing compressed air to the intake manifold, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a combined fuel and air-side controller adapted to coordinate both the fuel-side and air-side control of the engine;
• sensing one or more fuel-side parameters and one more air-side parameters, the one or more air-side parameters including a sensed NOx and/or PM emissions parameter;
• outputting a fuel profile signal and one or more air-side control signals for controlling at least a part of the fuel-side and at least a part of the air-side of the engine;
• and
• setting a current set position for the turbine and/or a current set position of the EGR valve to effect a future value of at least one of the one or more fuel and/or air-side parameters, wherein the current set position(s) is/are dependent on the one or more sensed fuel and/or air-side parameters including the sensed NOX and or PM emissions parameter.

A method for controlling a diesel engine system, the diesel engine system including a diesel engine having a fuel-side and an air-side, the fuel-side of said diesel engine including at least one fuel injector, the air-side of said diesel engine including an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, a turbine adapted to drive a compressor for providing compressed air to the intake manifold, and an exhaust gas recirculation valve adapted to receive exhaust gas via the exhaust manifold, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a combined fuel and air-side controller adapted to coordinate both the fuel-side and air-side control of the engine;
• sensing one or more fuel-side parameters and one or more air-side parameters, the one or more air-side parameters including a sensed NOx and/or PM emission parameter;
• setting a current set position for the turbine and a current set position of the exhaust gas recirculation valve to effect a future value of at least one of the one or more fuel and/or air-side parameters, the current set positions for the turbine and exhaust gas recirculation valve depending at least in part on one or more sensed fuel and air-side parameters;
• predicting a current set point for the turbine and a current set point for the exhaust gas recirculation valve based at least in part on said NOX and/or PM emission parameter;
• and
• outputting a fuel profile signal and one or more air-side control signals for controlling at least a part of the fuel-side and at least a part of the air-side of the engine.

An engine system, comprising:

• an engine having a fuel side and an air side, the fuel side of said engine including at least one fuel injector, the air side of said engine including an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, and a turbine adapted to drive a compressor for providing compressed air to the intake manifold;
• at least one sensor for sensing one or more fuel-side parameters and one or more air-side parameters of the engine;
• a combined fuel and air-side controller adapted to output a fuel profile signal and at least one air-side control signal based at least in part on the fuel-side parameters and air-side parameters received by the at least one sensor;
• and
• one or more actuators for controlling at least part of the operation of the engine based on the outputted fuel profile signals and the air-side control signals;
• wherein the combined fuel and air-side controller includes a Model Predictive Controller adapted to compute both the fuel and air-side parameters using a central optimization algorithm or routine.