Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Tula Technology, Inc.

Siamak Hashemi

Louis Joseph Serrano

Xin Yuan

Steven E Carlson

Shikui Kevin Chen

Mohammad R Pirjaberi

Vijay Srinivasan

Mark A Wilcutts

Xiaoguo Tang

Andrew W Phillips

Allan Joseph Kotwicki

Matthew Aaron Younkins

William Francis Stockhausen

Joseph Robert Theis

Robert Jay Natkin

Joel D Van Ess

Srihari Kalluri

Ryan A Kuhlenbeck

Michiel Jacques Van Nieuwstadt

Fazal Urrahman Syed

Yonghua Li

Steven Joseph Szwabowski

Mark A Shost

Joseph F Stanek

John Anthony Lockwood

John W Parsels

Yong-Wha Kim

Woong-chul Yang

John H Vanderslice

Yulei Chen

Payam Naghshtabrizi

Robert Scott Bailey

Yin Chen

Geoffrey Routledge

Charles H Loucks

Controllers and methods for managing transitions into and/or out of a cylinder cut off mode are described. In some embodiments, a skip fire based transition into a cylinder cut off mode is used in which the fraction of working cycles that are fired is gradually reduced to a threshold firing fraction. Once the threshold firing fraction has been reached, all of the working chambers are deactivated.

Deceleration cylinder cut-off

Methods and controllers are described that facilitate the determination of an operational skip fire firing fraction for an engine based at least in part noise levels and/or vehicle vibration levels that are not induced by engine operation. In some embodiments, the firing fraction is determined based at least in part of noise or vibrations associated with road roughness and/or cabin noise levels.

Controller system and method for selecting a firing fraction for a skip fire controlled internal combustion engine based at least on non-drive train levels of noise, vibration and harshness

Methods and arrangements are described for controlling transitions between firing fractions during skip fire operation of an engine in order to help smooth the transitions. Generally, firing fractions transitions are implemented gradually, preferably in a manner that relatively closely tracks manifold filling dynamics. In some embodiments, the commanded firing fraction is altered each firing opportunity. Another approach contemplates altering the commanded firing fraction by substantially the same amount each firing opportunity for at least a portion of the transition. These approaches work particularly well when the commanded firing fraction is provided to a skip fire controller that includes an accumulator functionality that tracks the portion of a firing that has been requested, but not delivered, or vice versa. In various embodiments, commanded firing fraction changes are delayed relative to initiation of the change in throttle position to help compensate for inherent delays associated with changing the manifold air pressure.

Skip fire transition control

Methods and arrangements for transitioning an engine between a deceleration cylinder cutoff (DCCO) state and an operational state are described. In one aspect, transitions from DCCO begin with reactivating cylinders to pump air to reduce the pressure in the intake manifold prior to firing any cylinders. In another aspect, transitions from DCCO, involve the use of an air pumping skip fire operational mode. After the manifold pressure has been reduced, the engine may transition to either a cylinder deactivation skip fire operational mode or other appropriate operational mode. In yet another aspect a method of transitioning into DCCO using a skip fire approach is described. In this aspect, the fraction of the working cycles that are fired is gradually reduced to a threshold firing fraction. All of the working chambers are then deactivated after reaching the threshold firing fraction.

Systems and methods for starting an engine are described. In one example, engine cranking speed for an engine of a hybrid vehicle is adjusted in response to operating conditions. The engine cranking speed may be reduced when capability of a battery that supplies power to rotate the engine is less than an amount of power to rotate the engine at a higher speed.

Methods and systems for selective engine starting

A variety of methods and arrangements for determining whether a high pressure exhaust spring is present in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine are described. For spark ignition engines, the electrical properties of the spark plug spark gap may be used to determine whether a high pressure exhaust spring is present.

Determination of a high pressure exhaust spring in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine

A variety of methods and arrangements for detecting misfire in a skip fire engine control system are described. In one aspect, a window is assigned to a target firing opportunity for a target working chamber. A change in an engine parameter is measured during the window. A determination is made as to whether a firing opportunity before the target firing opportunity is a skip or a fire and/or whether a firing opportunity after the target firing opportunity is a skip or a fire. Based at least in part on this skip/fire determination, a determination is made as to whether the target working chamber has misfired. In various embodiments, if the target working chamber is identified as persistently misfiring, the firing sequence is modified so that the target working chamber is deactivated and excluded from the firing sequence. In still other embodiments, a torque model is used to detect engine-related problems.

Misfire detection system

A method and a system for balancing cells of a vehicle battery includes discharging charge from a highest charged cell for a discharge time period dependent on a charge difference between the highest charged cell and a lowest charged cell at a given time. The cells may be charged with the discharge charge during a charge time period.

Active battery cell balancing methods with variable duration discharge

A system includes a vehicle controller having a processor and in communication with a communications device and vehicle display, the controller configured to receive a sensor input containing at least one of a fault trigger and a contextual data captured during the fault trigger. The controller may analyze, via the processor, the fault trigger to determine a fault event. The controller may determine an appropriate service center and transmit, via the communications device, the fault event and contextual data to the service center. The controller may be configured to receive an analysis report and an appointment request and output the analysis report and appointment request to a vehicle display device.

Online vehicle maintenance

A hybrid vehicle is provided that includes a control system that controls the time required for engine shut down. An electric machine or integrated starter-generator may be used to apply a load to the combustion engine after an engine shut down signal is received. By reducing the time required to shut down the engine in a controlled manner, the catalytic converter can be conditioned by providing a desired volume of air and fuel to the catalyst to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy. If an indication is received that it is no longer desirable to shut down the engine, the engine may be restarted conventionally or started in a quick start mode by refueling the engine is the engine operating at a sufficient speed for a quick restart.

Method and apparatus for controlling engine shutdown in hybrid vehicles

A compressed gaseous fuel system for an internal combustion engine includes an electronic engine controller, a common fuel rail, fuel injectors operatively connected with the common-rail and with the engine controller, and a high pressure gaseous fuel source. A control regulator reduces gas system pressure to a final variable control pressure specified by the engine controller and furnishes the fuel at the control pressure to the common-rail. A fuel pump operatively connected with the control regulator and with the engine controller selectively transfers fuel from the fuel rail to a portion of the fuel system located upstream from the downstream pressure regulator in the event that the pressure within the common-rail exceeds a desired pressure.

Compressed gaseous fuel system for internal combustion engine

A hydrogen fueled reciprocating spark ignition engine includes a fuel system for providing gaseous hydrogen to the cylinders of the engine and a lean NOx trap coupled to the engine for treating the engine's exhaust. A controller determines when to purge the lean NOx trap and provides gaseous hydrogen to the lean NOx trap during purging by operating the engine fuel rich or injecting hydrogen upstream of the lean NOx trap.

Hydrogen fueled spark ignition engine

A hydrogen fueled reciprocating spark ignition engine includes a fuel system for providing gaseous hydrogen to the cylinders of the engine and a lean NOx trap coupled to the engine for treating the engine's exhaust. An EGR system provides recirculated exhaust gas to the engine, and a controller operates the fuel system and EGR system during periodic purging of the lean NOx trap such that the engine is operated fuel rich, with the mass of EGR approximating 40%-80% of the mass of air and fuel.

A method and system for computing fuel-to-air ratio for a hydrogen-fueled engine is disclosed. The fuel-to-air ratio is determined based on a signal from an exhaust gas temperature sensor.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Siamak Hashemi