Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Giuseppe Conte

Vincenzo Alfieri

Carmen Pedicini

Yue-Yun Wang

Ibrahim Haskara

Giuseppe Mazzara Bologna

Alberto Bemporad

Daniele Bernardini

Francesco Castorina

Gennaro Merlino

Maria Camuglia

Carlos Ildefonso Hoyos Velasco

Francesco Di Gennaro

David Tulli

Stefano Sarinelli

Corrado Possieri

Ezio Spessa

Roberto Finesso

Provided is a processor-implemented method and a processor in a vehicle for estimating the value of a quantity for which a physical sensor is not available for measurement. The method includes: receiving a plurality of measured signals representing values of measurable variables; computing, in real-time, time derivatives of the measured signals; and applying a trained feedforward neural network, in real-time, to estimate values for a plurality of unmeasurable variables, the unmeasurable variables being variables that are unmeasurable in real-time, the feedforward neural network having been trained using test data containing time derivatives of values for the measurable variables and values for the unmeasurable variables; wherein the vehicle uses the estimated values for the unmeasurable variables for vehicle operation.

Virtual sensor for estimating online unmeasurable variables via successive time derivatives

A system or method for determining virtual data of a system, relative to a measurement point having a sensor located nearby, is determined by a controller. The system calculates modeled data at the measurement point, filters the modeled data to determine filtered data, and calculates a differential between the modeled data and the filtered data to determine a compensation term. The system also determines raw-sensed data from the sensor at the measurement point, and combines that raw-sensed data with the compensation data to calculate the virtual data at the measurement point. In some configurations, the modeled data is determined from a physics-based model. Furthermore, filtering the modeled data may include using a low-pass filter, and a time constant for the low-pass filter may be calculated based on operating conditions of the system.

Data sensing and estimation

Methods and systems are provided for controlling the operation of an air charging system of an internal combustion engine. A plurality of actuators include an electric motor of an air compressor. Output parameters of the air charging system are monitored by a plurality of sensors. An error between each one of the output parameters and a target value thereof is calculated by a processor. The calculated errors are applied to linear controllers that yield virtual inputs. Input parameters for the air charging system are calculated using the virtual inputs. The input parameters affect all of the output parameters. The input parameters are calculated with a non-linear mathematical model of the air charging system, configured such that each one of the virtual inputs is in a linear relation with only one of the output parameters. The actuators are operated using the input parameters.

Method and system of air charging for an internal combustion engine

Embodiments of the present invention described herein include a control system for a vehicle. The control system includes a control module that dynamically computes a first power value (P) to be generated by a compressor based on an estimation model of the compressor. The control system further includes a power term estimator module that dynamically computes a second power value (P) based on a measured compressor pressure ratio (&#x3b2;c) of the compressor. The control module further computes an amount of power to be generated by an engine (Pt) by adding the first power value and the second power value. The control module further adjusts an actuator position to generate the amount of power to be generated.

Compressor pressure ratio control

A two-stage air charging system for an internal combustion engine with mixed exhaust gas recirculation includes a high pressure exhaust gas recirculation loop, a low pressure exhaust gas recirculation loop, an air throttle system, a turbo air charging system, and an electric air charging system. A method to control the system includes monitoring desired operating target commands and operating parameters. Feedback control signals are determined based upon the monitored desired operating target commands and the monitored operating parameters. The two-stage air charging system is controlled based on system control commands for each of the high pressure exhaust gas recirculation loop, the low pressure exhaust gas recirculation loop, the air throttle system, the turbo air charging system and the electric air charging system.

Method and apparatus for controlling a two-stage air charging system with mixed EGR

An engine assembly includes an engine and a plurality of actuators. The plurality of actuators includes a first turbine serially connected to a second turbine, the first turbine being a relatively high pressure turbine and the second turbine being a relatively low pressure turbine. A controller is configured to transmit respective command signals to the plurality of actuators. The controller is programmed to obtain respective transfer rates for the plurality of actuators based at least partially on an inversion model. The controller is programmed to control an output of the engine by commanding the plurality of actuators to respective operating parameters via the respective command signals. Prior to obtaining the respective transfer rates, the controller is programmed to determine a respective plurality of desired values and respective correction factors for the plurality of actuators.

Air charging control of engine assembly with multiple turbines

A method of controlling the operation of an air charging system is disclosed. A plurality of output parameters of the air charging system are monitored. An error between each one of the monitored output parameters and a target value thereof is calculated. Each one of the calculated errors is applied to a linear controller that yields a virtual input which is used to calculate a plurality of input parameters for the air charging system. Each one of the input parameters is used to determine the position of a corresponding actuator of the air charging system and operate of the actuators according to the determined position thereof. The inputs parameters are calculated with a non-linear mathematical model of the air charging system configured such that each one of the virtual inputs is in a linear relation with only one of the output parameters.

Method of controlling the operation of an air charging system of an internal combustion engine

An automotive internal combustion engine combusts an air/fuel mixture to generate a drive torque. An engine control unit (ECU) determines a torque request to output a fuel request signal indicative of an amount of the fuel to inject into a cylinder of the engine. The ECU includes neural network controller installed with a neural network to generate a fuel setpoint signal based on the torque request and to define a combustion model of the engine. The neural network generates a start of injection (SOI) signal indicating a start time at which to inject the fuel based a crankshaft angle. The ECU further outputs the fuel request signal based on the fuel setpoint and the SOI. A fuel injector injects the fuel into the cylinder based on the fuel request signal to generate the drive torque indicated by the torque request.

Engine control system including feed-forward neural network controller

A method is disclosed for controlling an injector for injecting a reductant into a selective catalytic reduction system of an internal combustion engine. A value of a concentration of nitrogen-oxides in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system downstream of the selective catalytic reduction system is measured, and a first difference is calculated between the measured value of the nitrogen-oxides concentration and a predetermined reference value thereof. A value of a concentration of ammonia in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system downstream of the selective catalytic reduction system is measured, and a second difference is calculated between the measured value of the ammonia concentration and a predetermined reference value thereof. A quantity of reductant to be injected by the injector is calculated as a function of the calculated first difference and second difference, and the injector is operated to inject the calculated quantity of reductant.

Method for controlling an injector for injecting a reductant into an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine

A method and apparatus is disclosed to control the operation of an air charging system of an internal combustion engine. A plurality of output parameters of the air charging system are monitored. An error is calculated between the monitored output parameters and a target value thereof. The calculated errors are applied to a linear controller that yields a virtual input used to calculate a plurality of input parameters for the air charging system. The input parameters is used to determine the position of a corresponding actuator of the air charging system for operating the actuators according to the determined position thereof. The inputs parameters are calculated with a non-linear mathematical model of the air charging system configured such that the virtual inputs are in a linear relation with only one of the output parameters and vice versa.

An automotive vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and an exhaust system. The exhaust treatment system includes a dosing system that injects NHinto an exhaust gas stream generated by the engine. An SCR device stores an amount of the NHand converts NOx into diatomic nitrogen (N) and water (HO) based on the stored amount of the NH. The vehicle further includes an SCR status estimator device and a controller. The SCR status estimator device determines an NHcoverage ratio (R), which indicates a stored amount of NHwith respect to a maximum NHstorage capacity of the SCR device. The controller determines a target NOx reduction efficiency (&#x3b7;) of the SCR device, and an NHcoverage ratio set point (R) based on the &#x3b7;. The controller also generates an NHcontrol signal (u) that controls the dosing system based on a comparison between the R and the R.

Exhaust after-treatment system including sliding mode ammonia controller

An internal combustion engine includes an air charging system with a boost air system. A method to control the boost air in the air charging system, decoupled from the air and EGR system controls, includes monitoring a reference boost pressure and operating parameters of the air charging system; creating a turbocharger energy balance model of the air charging system; applying feedback linearization control to the turbocharger energy balance model to create an approximately linearized feedback system; and determining a boost control command for the air charging system using the approximately linearized feedback system based on the monitored reference boost pressure and the monitored operating parameters of the air charging system. The boost air in the air charging system is controlled based upon the boost control command.

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Turin, Italy

Giuseppe Conte