Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Gary J Patterson

Alan William Hayman

William Conrad Albertson

Frederick J Rozario

Richard Stephen Davis

James B Hicks

Ronald J Herrin

James C Elmslie

A valve train for use in an engine is provided. The valve train includes a rocker arm assembly having a valve side arm and a cam side arm. A valve is coupled to the engine and is in contact with the valve side arm. A pushrod is reciprocatable by a camshaft and is in contact with the cam side arm. An overload feature is located on at least one of the rocker arm assembly or the pushrod. The overload feature has a reduced cross-sectional area calibrated to activate at a predefined load.

Valve train with overload features

A vehicle may include a drive axle, an engine assembly, a coupling device, and an engine load management system. The engine assembly may include a valvetrain including a fixed-lobe camshaft and intake and exhaust valves supported by the engine assembly. The fixed-lobe camshaft may include a first lobe engaged with the intake valve to open the intake valve and a second lobe engaged with the exhaust valve to open the exhaust valve. The first and second lobes may be fixed relative to one another to define a constant valve overlap condition that provides for opening of the intake valve before the exhaust valve is fully closed, creating an engine operating condition that results in combustion instability below an engine load limit. The engine load management system may be in communication with the engine to prevent engine operation below the engine load limit.

High overlap camshaft for improved engine efficiency

Fuel consumption in a vehicle engine is reduced by varying charge dilution in an intake manifold of the engine to maintain a pressure in the intake manifold within a predetermined range. Pumping work performed by engine cylinders is reduced, which reduces fuel consumption.

Controlling engine charge dilution for fuel efficiency

An internal combustion engine includes a plurality of cylinders each having intake and exhaust valves and at least one camshaft timed to operate the valves with a high performance fixed overlap. Each camshaft has a cam phaser controlled to equally vary the intake and exhaust valve timing for superior full throttle performance over the engine speed range; Valve deactivation mechanisms operate to deactivate up to half the cylinders during idle and light load operation for increasing fuel efficiency and emission control and maintaining stable operation of the operating cylinders. The engine may also be started with half the cylinders cut out and then run with stable operation in this mode during idle and light load because the increased load on the operating cylinders gives stable operation with an increased valve overlap permitting increased performance and emission control at higher load operation on all the cylinders.

Engine operating method and apparatus

A method for extending the operating range of engine fuel injectors fed by a pressurized fuel system includes operating the fuel system at a controlled lower fuel pressure during engine operation in a lower power range, and operating the fuel system at a controlled higher fuel pressure during engine operation above the lower power range. An engine embodying the method may include a fuel distributor connected with the injectors for supplying the pressurized fuel and a pressure control operative in response to a prescribed engine condition, such as supercharger boost pressure, to maintain injector fuel supply pressure at a lower value during engine operation in a lower portion of the power range and at a higher value during engine operation in a higher portion of the power range. The dual or multiple fuel pressures provide greater fuel output for increased power in the higher power range with consistent fuel delivery for stable idle and engine operation in the lower power range.

Engine with injector fuel control system and method

An engine control system in a vehicle including a variable displacement internal combustion engine, a controller for controlling the displacement of the variable displacement internal combustion engine, an exhaust manifold coupled to the variable displacement internal combustion engine, a NOx trap coupled to the exhaust manifold, and where the controller varies the displacement of the variable displacement internal combustion engine to optimize the regeneration of the NOx trap.

Cylinder deactivation system and NOx trap regeneration

A vehicle engine control system controls an engine that includes a plurality of cylinders and that generates exhaust gas. An air-assisted direct injection fuel system supplies an air/fuel mixture to the cylinders. A catalytic converter reduces harmful emissions from the exhaust gas after the catalytic converter reaches a light-off temperature. A controller communicates with the engine, the catalytic converter and the air-assisted direct injection fuel system. The controller optimizes cam phasing, the air/fuel mixture and spark angle for full and partial engine operating modes. The controller deactivates at least one of the cylinders of the engine before the catalytic converter achieves the light-off temperature to hasten light-off of the catalytic converter.

Utilization of air-assisted direct injection, cylinder deactivation and camshaft phasing for improved catalytic converter light-off in internal combustion engines

Growing community of inventors

Utica, MI, United States of America

Gary J Patterson