Turbocharger waste gate control

A method to operate a turbocharger in an internal combustion engine having a waste-gate disposed proximate to a turbine of the turbocharger, said waste-gate having a spring assisted waste-gate closing mechanism and a waste-gate pressure regulator valve, the method comprising:

• regulating a pressure via said waste-gate pressure regulator valve, said pressure between a boost pressure produced by said turbocharger and atmospheric pressure, said pressure used to produce a first force on a first side of a turbocharger waste-gate actuator diaphragm, a second force provided by a spring acting on a second side of said waste-gate actuator diaphragm when said waste-gate is in a closed position;
• regulating said pressure such that said first force is less than said second force until said boost pressure is at a desired boost pressure;
• and
• regulating said pressure such that said first force is greater than said second force plus a predetermined force when said boost pressure is at said desired boost pressure.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer to control a turbocharger that compresses air entering an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, said storage medium comprising:

• instructions for regulating a pressure, said pressure between a boost pressure produced by said turbocharger and atmospheric pressure, said pressure used to produce a first force on a first side of a turbocharger waste-gate actuator diaphragm, said first force in opposition to a second force provided by a spring acting on a second side of said waste-gate actuator diaphragm when said waste-gate is in a closed position;
• instructions for regulating said pressure such that said first force is less than said second force until said boost pressure is at a desired boost pressure;
• and
• instructions for regulating said pressure such that said boost pressure substantially matches the desired boost pressure when said boost pressure is at a level that allows said pressure to increase said first force to a force greater than said second force plus a predetermined force.

A system to operate a turbocharger having a spring assisted waste-gate closing mechanism in an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:

• a normally closed turbocharger waste-gate;
• a spring providing a first force to hold said turbocharger waste-gate in said normally closed position;
• an electrically actuated pressure regulation valve used to regulate a control pressure that provides a second force to said waste-gate, said second force being in opposition to said first force, said electrically actuated valve capable of regulating said control pressure between atmospheric pressure and a boost pressure generated by said turbocharger;
• and
• a controller that supplies a command to said electrically actuated pressure regulation valve that acts to limit said second force to a level that is less than said first force plus a predetermined force until said boost pressure generated by said turbocharger is at a level that allows said electrically actuated pressure regulation valve to regulate said control pressure such that said second force is greater than said first force plus said predetermined force, and said controller commanding said pressure regulation valve to regulate said control pressure to adjust an opening amount of said waste-gate when said boost pressure generated by said turbocharger is at a level that allows said electrically actuated pressure regulation valve to regulate said control pressure such that said second force is greater than said first force plus said predetermined force.