EGR system using dedicated EGR cylinders

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an intake manifold configured to receive air and exhaust gas;
• eight or more cylinders each configured to receive an air/exhaust mixture from the intake manifold through respective intake ports and to expel exhaust gas through respective exhaust ports, wherein the eight or more cylinders are arranged in first and second cylinder banks arranged at approximately a 90 degree angle with respect to each other;
• a first exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) exhaust pipe coupling an exhaust port of a first dedicated EGR cylinder of the first cylinder bank to the intake manifold;
• a second EGR exhaust pipe coupling an exhaust port of a second dedicated EGR cylinder of the second cylinder bank to the intake manifold;
• and
• one or more exhaust manifolds connected to exhaust ports of a remainder of the eight or more cylinders, the one or more exhaust manifolds being separate from the first and second EGR exhaust pipes;
• wherein the engine is configured to operate according to a specific cylinder firing order in which the first and second dedicated EGR cylinders are each preceded by or followed by another cylinder in a same respective cylinder bank;
• and
• wherein operating the engine according to the specific cylinder firing order with the first and second dedicated EGR cylinders decreases exhaust blowdown interference by recirculating exhaust gas from the first and second dedicated EGR cylinders separate from the one or more exhaust manifolds.