Ford Motor Company Limited

Michael G Aimone

V Durga Rao

Vemulapalli D Rao

Wallace R Wade

Julian A LoRusso

William Emil Tobler

An engine valve control system for controlling engine valve lift during an automatic transmission shift. A plurality of engine valve actuation systems are each coupled to an individual engine valve for electronically controlling valve lift. Each valve actuation system includes a hydraulically operated piston coupled to each of the engine valves, and an electronically actuated supply valve responsive to a supply signal and coupled between the hydraulically operated piston and a source of hydraulic fluid, and an electronically actuated drain valve responsive to a drain signal and coupled between the piston and source of hydraulic fluid. A controller responsive to a shift command from a transmission controller, provides the supply and drain signals in appropriate timing and phase relationship to reduce valve lift during the automatic transmission shift. In another aspect of the invention, the controller also reduces the hydraulic coupling force applied to the clutch elements during an automatic transmission shift.

Engine valve control during transmission shifts

An ignition system is disclosed for regenerating a particulate trap (40-400 cells per lineal inch) used to filter the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, the particulate trap having an entrance face for receiving a gaseous flow therethrough. The system comprises: (a) flow guide means effective to direct a gaseous flow to such entrance face during filtration and during regeneration of the trap; (b) an open cell ceramic foam body (10-30) cells per lineal inch) extending across such flow guide means and having (i) a radially outer ring exit surface in contact with the radially outer portion of the entrance face, and (ii) an entrance throat remote from the particulate trap, the open cell foam body being effective to trap an ignitable collection of particulates from the exhaust gas during filtration; and (c) electrically energized resistance heating means stationed in a radially central portion of the open cell body adjacent to the entrance throat effective to heat the body during regeneration to a temperature effective to ignite the ignitable collection. The foam body is preferably shaped in a frusto-conical configuration having a neck to for said entrance throat at one end and an opposite end having a base perimeter defining the outer periphery of the ring surface; the neck of the foam body preferably has cast-in-place therein electrical resistance heating wires; the cross-sectional area of the neck is no greater than 20% of the cross-sectional area of the trap entrance face.

Electrical ignition device for regeneration of a particulate trap

Particulate trap system for engine exhaust using electrically powered

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Westland, MI, United States of America

Michael G Aimone