# US 8,543,312 B2 · System for controlling continuous variable valve lift actuator of diesel engine, and method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,312 B2 - Document ID: US8543312B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/623,160 - Filed: 2009-11-20 - Published: 2010-12-16 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-06-12 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Jong Won Lee - Inventors: Jong Won Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543312B2 ## CPC - F02D 13/0211: {the change of valve timing is caused by the change in valve lift, i.e. both valve lift and timing are functionally related} - F01N 13/009: {having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series} - F02D 35/021: {using an ionic current sensor} - F02D 35/023: {by determining the cylinder pressure} - F02D 41/0002: {Controlling intake air} - F02D 41/1441: {Plural sensors} - F02D 41/1446: {the characteristics being exhaust temperatures} - F02D 41/146: {the characteristics being an NOx content or concentration} - F02D 41/1461: {of the exhaust gases emitted by the engine} - F01N 3/021: by means of filters - F01N 3/035: with catalytic reactors - F01N 3/2066: {Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]} - F02B 3/06: with compression ignition (compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02) - F02B 37/00: Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust - F02D 13/0269: {Controlling the valves to perform a Miller-Atkinson cycle} - F02D 2013/0292: {in the start-up phase, e.g. for warming-up cold engine or catalyst} - F02D 2041/001: {for engines with variable valve actuation} - F02D 2200/501: Vehicle speed - Y02A 50/20: Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) - F01N: GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; GAS-FLOW SILENCERS OR EXHAUST APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with gas exhaust of propulsion units in vehicles B60K13/00; combustion-air intake silencers specially adapted for, or arranged on, internal-combustion engines F02M35/00; protecting against, or damping, noise in general G10K11/16) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A system for controlling a continuous variable valve lift actuator of a diesel engine and a method thereof stabilize exhaust gas and improve performance by variably controlling lift and timing of intake and exhaust valves based on combustion state and driving purpose. The method may include, recognizing a driving purpose and combustion state by detecting driving conditions, temperature of exhaust gas at predetermined locations on an exhaust pipe, and NOx concentration contained in the exhaust gas, determining target position and timing of intake and exhaust valves by applying the driving purpose and the combustion state to a predetermined map table, controlling position and timing of the intake and exhaust valves by actuating a CVVA, detecting combustion pressure in a combustion chamber, and modifying fuel injection amount according to the combustion pressure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for controlling a continuous variable valve lift actuator (CCVA) of a diesel engine, comprising: a driving condition detecting portion that detects driving conditions of a vehicle; a temperature detecting portion that detects temperature of an exhaust gas at predetermined locations on an exhaust pipe; a nitrogen oxide (NOx) detecting portion that detects NOx concentration contained in the exhaust gas; a combustion pressure detecting portion that detects combustion pressure in a combustion chamber; a valve position detecting portion that detects positions of intake and exhaust valves, lift and timing of which are varied continuously; a control portion recognizing a driving purpose based on the driving conditions and combustion state of the engine based on the temperature of the exhaust gas and the NOx concentration, determining target position and timing of the intake and exhaust valves according to the driving purpose and the combustion state by applying a predetermined map table, and variably controlling the positions and timing of the intake and exhaust valves; and an actuator operating the intake and exhaust valves according to control signal of the control portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the driving condition detecting portion includes: a vehicle speed sensor detecting a vehicle speed; an RPM sensor detecting a rotation speed of the diesel engine; and an accelerator pedal sensor detecting a position of an accelerator pedal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature detecting portion includes: a first temperature sensor detecting temperature of the exhaust gas operating a turbocharger; a second temperature sensor detecting temperature of the exhaust gas at an inlet of a warm-up catalytic converter (WCC); a third temperature sensor detecting temperature of the exhaust gas at an inlet of a diesel particulate filter (DPF); and a fourth temperature sensor detecting temperature of the exhaust gas at a position where a reducing agent is dosed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the NOx detecting portion includes first and second NOx sensors respectively disposed at an inlet and outlet of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control portion modifies fuel injection amount according to the combustion pressure in the combustion chamber in order to stabilize the exhaust gas in a state of variably controlling the position and the timing of the intake and exhaust valves. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control portion controls open timing of the intake valve to be fixed and controls close timing of the intake valve to be retarded so as to stabilize the exhaust gas and to enhance fuel mileage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control portion controls opening timing of the exhaust valve to be advanced so as to raise the temperature of the exhaust gas, to reduce time required for activating the WCC, the DPF, and the SCR unit, and to improve torque responsiveness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control portion controls opening timing of the exhaust valve to be retarded so as to increase an expansion ratio of the combustion chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the control portion controls close timing of the exhaust valve to be advanced so as to improve cold-startability. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method for controlling the system for the continuous variable valve lift actuator (CCVA) of claim 1, comprising: recognizing driving purpose and combustion state by detecting the driving conditions, the temperature of the exhaust gas at the predetermined locations on the exhaust pipe, and the NOx concentration contained in the exhaust gas; determining target position and timing of the intake and exhaust valves by applying the driving purpose and the combustion state to a predetermined map table; controlling position and timing of the intake and exhaust valves by actuating the CVVA; detecting combustion pressure in the combustion chamber in a case that current positions of the intake and exhaust valves correspond to the target position there; and modifying fuel injection amount according to the detected combustion pressure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the driving conditions include a vehicle speed, a rotation speed of the engine, and a position of an accelerator pedal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the temperature of the exhaust gas is detected at an inlet of a turbocharger, an inlet of a warm-up catalytic converter (WCC), an inlet of a DPF (diesel particulate filter), and a position where a reducing agent is dosed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the timing of the intake and exhaust valves includes: controlling opening timing of the intake valve to be fixed and close timing of the intake valve to be retarded so as to stabilize the exhaust gas and to enhance fuel mileage; controlling opening timing of the exhaust valve to be advanced so as to raise the temperature of the exhaust gas, to reduce a time required for activating catalysts, and to improve torque responsiveness; controlling opening timing of the exhaust valve to be retarded so as to increase expansion ratio of the combustion chamber; and controlling close timing of the exhaust valve to advance so as to improve cold-startability. ### Claim 14 A method for controlling a system for a continuous variable valve lift actuator (CVVA) of a diesel engine, comprising: recognizing driving purpose and combustion state by detecting driving conditions, a temperature of an exhaust gas at predetermined locations on an exhaust pipe, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentration contained in the exhaust gas; determining target position and timing of intake and exhaust valves by applying the driving purpose and the combustion state to a predetermined map table; controlling position and timing of the intake and exhaust valves by actuating the CVVA; detecting combustion pressure in a combustion chamber in a case that current position of the intake and exhaust valves corresponds to the target position thereof; and modifying fuel injection amount according to the detected combustion pressure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the driving conditions include a vehicle speed, a rotation speed of the engine, and a position of an accelerator pedal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the temperature of the exhaust gas is detected at an inlet of a turbocharger, an inlet of a warm-up catalytic converter (WCC), an inlet of a DPF (diesel particulate filter), and a position where a reducing agent is dosed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein controlling the timing of the intake and exhaust valves includes: controlling opening timing of the intake valve to be fixed and close timing of the intake valve to be retarded so as to stabilize the exhaust gas and to enhance fuel mileage; controlling opening timing of the exhaust valve to be advanced so as to raise the temperature of the exhaust gas, to reduce a time required for activating catalysts, and to improve torque responsiveness; controlling opening timing of the exhaust valve to be retarded so as to increase expansion ratio of the combustion chamber; and controlling close timing of the exhaust valve to be advanced so as to improve cold-startability.