Vehicle pneumatic booster system operating method and apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for improving vehicle performance by application of pneumatic boost to vehicle engines, including diesel engines having at least one turbocharger supplying air to the engine, in a manner which increases engine torque output while minimizing the potential for exceed various operating limits to the maximum practicable extent. The vehicle's pneumatic booster system controller implements strategies for shaping the rate of the air injection during a boost event, tailoring the air injection to obtain maximum engine torque output while respecting the operating limits, by controlling the timing, duration, quantity and / or injection pattern, during a boost event to achieve a refined distribution of compressed air injection over the course of the boost event to provide desired engine torque output and fuel efficiency while minimizing the potential for exceeding a wide variety of operation limits, regulatory, engineering and passenger comfort limits.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to devices and methods for improving vehicle performance in a number of areas including acceleration, fuel burn efficiency and emission reduction. In particular, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for applying pneumatic boost to vehicle engines, including commercial vehicle diesel engines, having means to increase engine torque output in a manner that meets design, tuning, and other requirements , supplying air to at least one turbocharger of an intake manifold of the engine. Background technique [0002] Internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, are often equipped with exhaust gas turbochargers. E.g, figure 1 A schematic diagram of an internal combustion engine 1 with an exhaust duct 10 connected to an exhaust gas turbocharger 2 is shown. The exhaust gas turbocharger has a turbine 4 driven by exhaust gas from the exhaust line 10 . This turbine 4 is coupled to a compressor 3 (these compon...

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Problems solved by technology

However, this approach has its own problems, including increased cost and weight penalty for larger and more air handling components, increased fuel consumption due to increased vehicle weight, and the need to consume more power from the engine output to drive a larger compressor, and space limitations inhibit the designer's ability to add supplemental vessels

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