Vehicle pneumatic booster system operating method and apparatus

A method of operating a vehicle equipped with a pneumatic booster system, said pneumatic booster system being configured to inject compressed air into an intake of an engine of the vehicle during a pneumatic boost event and configured to adjust at least two of compressed air injection rate, duration and timing of at least two air injection pulses within said pneumatic boost event, the method comprising the acts of:

• initiating the pneumatic boost event to inject compressed air into the engine;
• determining whether an amount of torque being produced by the engine exceeds a predetermined torque output level;
• and
• sending a signal from a transmission controller to a controller of the pneumatic boost system requesting adjustment of the compressed air injection to permit the transmission controller to execute an upshift of a transmission of the vehicle from a current gear ratio to a higher gear ratio if the amount of torque being produced by the engine exceeds the predetermined torque output level.

A system for increasing vehicle performance using pneumatic boosting, comprising:

• an engine having an intake, an exhaust and an exhaust gas recirculation passage for recirculation of a portion of exhaust gases from the engine from the exhaust to the intake;
• an air control device located in the intake, the air control device including
• an intake block-off element located in an intake passage of the air control device, the intake block-off element being arranged to move at least between open and closed positions to selectively block or allow air flow through the air control device toward the engine,
• at least one compressed air injection passage open to the intake on an engine side of the intake block-off element, the compressed air passage having at least one compressed air flow control valve arranged to modulate compressed air flow provided to the air control device into the intake, and
• a passage open to the intake on the engine side of the intake block-off element through which exhaust gases passing through the exhaust gas recirculation passage are introduced into the intake;
• a compressed air source arranged to provide compressed air flow to the air control device;
• a pneumatic booster injection controller;
• wherein the pneumatic booster controller is programmed to
• control a pneumatic boost event by coordinating the operation of the at least one compressed air flow control valve and the intake block-off element to supply compressed air to the engine via the intake,
• control the at least one compressed air flow control valve to provide the compressed air injection by adjusting at least two of compressed air injection rate, duration and timing of at least two air injection pulses during said pneumatic boost event, and
• determine whether an amount of torque being produced by the engine exceeds a predetermined torque output level;
• and
• send a signal to a transmission controller to direct the transmission controller to execute an upshift of a transmission of the vehicle from a current gear ratio to a higher gear ratio if the amount of torque being produced by the engine exceeds the predetermined torque output level.

A system for increasing vehicle performance using pneumatic boosting, comprising:

• an engine having an intake, an exhaust and an exhaust gas recirculation passage for recirculation of a portion of exhaust gases from the engine from the exhaust to the intake;
• an air control device located in the intake, the air control device including
• an intake block-off element located in an intake passage of the air control device, the intake block-off element being arranged to move at least between open and closed positions to selectively block or allow air flow through the air control device toward the engine,
• at least one compressed air injection passage open to the intake on an engine side of the intake block-off element, the compressed air passage having at least one compressed air flow control valve arranged to modulate compressed air flow provided to the air control device into the intake, and
• a passage open to the intake on the engine side of the intake block-off element through which exhaust gases passing through the exhaust gas recirculation passage are introduced into the intake;
• a compressed air source arranged to provide compressed air flow to the air control device;
• a pneumatic booster injection controller;
• wherein the pneumatic booster controller is programmed to
• control a pneumatic boost event by coordinating the operation of the at least one compressed air flow control valve and the intake block-off element to supply compressed air to the engine via the intake,
• control the at least one compressed air flow control valve to provide the compressed air injection by adjusting at least two of compressed air injection rate, duration and timing of at least two air injection pulses during said pneumatic boost event, and
• determine whether an amount of torque being produced by the engine exceeds a predetermined torque output level;
• and
• sending a signal from a transmission controller to a controller of the pneumatic boost system requesting adjustment of the compressed air injection to permit the transmission controller to execute an upshift of a transmission of the vehicle from a current gear ratio to a higher gear ratio if the amount of torque being produced by the engine exceeds the predetermined torque output level.

A method of operating a vehicle equipped with a pneumatic booster system, said pneumatic booster system being configured to inject compressed air into an intake of an engine of the vehicle during a pneumatic boost event and configured to adjust at least two of compressed air injection rate, duration and timing of at least two air injection pulses within said pneumatic boost event, the method comprising the acts of:

• determining at least one of an amount of engine speed drop and an engine torque output drop as a result of an upshift of a transmission of the vehicle;
• setting a pneumatic boost event compressed air injection profile scaled to compensate for the engine torque output drop resulting from the upshift of the vehicle transmission;
• initiating the pneumatic boost event to inject compressed air into the engine at or immediately after a time at which the upshift occurs;
• monitoring at least one operating parameter of the vehicle;
• determining whether the at least one operating parameter is within a predetermined range;
• adjusting, based the determination of whether the at least one operating parameter is within the predetermined range, at least one of the compressed air injection rate, injection duration and injection timing to maintain the at least one operating parameter within the predetermined range.

A method of operating a vehicle equipped with a pneumatic booster system, said pneumatic booster system being configured to inject compressed air into an intake of an engine of the vehicle during a pneumatic boost event and configured to adjust at least two of compressed air injection rate, duration and timing of at least two air injection pulses within said pneumatic boost event, the method comprising the acts of:

• initiating the pneumatic boost event to inject compressed air into the engine;
• determining whether an engine speed exceeds a predetermined engine speed level;
• and
• sending a signal to a transmission controller to direct the transmission controller to execute an upshift of a transmission of the vehicle from a current gear ratio to a higher gear ratio if the engine speed exceeds the predetermined engine speed level.