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US 9,175,626 B2Granted
Method and system for controlling engine vacuum production
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRalph Wayne Cunningham, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling engine vacuum production is disclosed. In one example, one or more air sources to an engine intake manifold are closed so as to increase an amount of air drawn from another air source. The method may increase a rate of vacuum supplied to a vacuum actuated device so as to improve operation of the vacuum actuated device.
Claims20
An engine operating method, comprising:
- closing air sources, including a throttle, to an engine intake manifold and deactivating one or more engine cylinders in response to a vacuum level;
- evacuating air from an air source supplying air to the engine intake manifold that is not closed;
- and
- opening at least one of the closed air sources in response to engine combustion stability degrading below a threshold level.
1 more element
An engine operating method, comprising:
- closing air sources to an engine intake manifold in a predetermined order and deactivating one or more engine cylinders in response to a vacuum level, the air sources including a throttle;
- evacuating air from an air source supplying air to the engine intake manifold that is not closed;
- opening closed air sources in a predetermined order in response to engine combustion stability degrading below a threshold level.
An engine system, comprising:
- an engine with an intake manifold and at least one cylinder;
- a plurality of air sources providing air to the intake manifold, the plurality of air sources including an engine air intake throttle;
- and
- a controller, the controller including instructions for closing at least one of the plurality of air sources and deactivating one or more engine cylinders in response to a vacuum level and for opening the at least one of the plurality of air sources in response to engine combustion stability degrading below a threshold level.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.