Systems and methods for bypassing a failing engine cylinder via cylinder deactivation

Abstract

Systems and methods for bypassing a faulty engine cylinder via cylinder deactivation are described according to various embodiments herein. The system includes an engine coupled to a controller. The controller includes at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to determine that one or more of the engine's multiple cylinders are faulty based on data regarding the operation of the engine, and to operate the engine in a modified engine operating mode, whereby the operation of the faulty one or more cylinders is modified.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This PCT international patent application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 987,700, filed November 15, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to engine systems that include or may be coupled to exhaust aftertreatment systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for detecting potentially faulty engine cylinders and using cylinder deactivation to bypass or skip operation of the potentially faulty cylinders to achieve one or more predefined objectives. [Background technology]

[0003] An engine includes one or more engine cylinders for combusting fuel and generating power. However, cylinders can deteriorate in performance and require maintenance and / or replacement. On-board sensors and diagnostic systems can be used to monitor cylinder performance to determine when a cylinder may have failed, is likely to have failed, or is otherwise not performing within expected or desired operating parameters. A failed or likely to have failed cylinder can adversely affect engine performance by, for example, increasing harmful exhaust gas emissions (e.g., nitrous oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides, particulate matter, etc.), reducing fuel efficiency, reducing engine power output, etc. Therefore, timely and accurate diagnosis and maintenance can be important to help keep the engine system, along with its various systems and devices, operating as desired. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] One embodiment relates to an apparatus including a controller including at least one processing circuit having at least one memory coupled to at least one processor, wherein the controller is configured to determine, based on data regarding operation of the engine, that one or more cylinders of a plurality of cylinders of the engine are faulty, and to operate the engine in a modified engine operating mode, whereby operation of the faulty one or more cylinders is corrected.

[0005] Another embodiment relates to a system. The system includes an engine coupled to a controller. The controller includes at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to determine, based on data regarding operation of the engine, that one or more cylinders of a plurality of cylinders of the engine are faulty, and to operate the engine in a modified engine operating mode, whereby operation of the faulty one or more cylinders is modified.

[0006] Yet another embodiment relates to a method that includes determining that one or more cylinders of a plurality of cylinders of an engine are faulty based on data related to operation of the engine, receiving an operational objective, and operating the engine in a modified engine operating mode, whereby operation of the faulty one or more cylinders is modified based on the received operational objective.

[0007] Numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter. The described features of the presently disclosed subject matter may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments and / or implementations. In this regard, one or more features of one aspect of the invention may be combined with one or more features of a different aspect of the invention. Also, additional features may be recognized in some embodiments and / or implementations, which may not be present in all embodiments or implementations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a block diagram of a vehicle system, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0009] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a block diagram of an engine of the vehicle system of FIG. 1A, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0010] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the controller of FIG. 1A, according to an example embodiment.

[0011] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring and controlling one or more cylinders of the engine of FIG. 1B according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0012] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring and controlling one or more cylinders of the engine of FIG. 1B according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0013] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring and controlling one or more cylinders of the engine of FIG. 1B according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Detailed Description The following description provides a more detailed description of various concepts related to and implementations of methods, apparatus, and systems for monitoring one or more parameters of one or more cylinders of an engine and controlling one or more of the cylinders based on the monitored one or more parameters. The system may include an engine having one or more cylinders and an exhaust aftertreatment system coupled to the one or more cylinders. Beneficially, as described herein, a controller or control system may detect one or more problematic / failed cylinders of the engine and initiate a cylinder deactivation mode of operation to achieve one or more objectives (e.g., emissions targets, mission objectives such as reaching a destination, etc.) and avoid further issues (e.g., deterioration, etc.) related to the one or more failed cylinders. Before turning to the figures illustrating certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for purposes of description only and should not be considered limiting.

[0015] As used herein, "parameter," "parameter value," and similar terms, in addition to the plain meaning of these terms, refer to an input, output, or other value associated with a system described herein and / or a component of the system or components thereof. For example, a parameter may include a sensor value detected by an actual sensor or determined by a virtual sensor. A parameter may include a value, control setting, or other control signal used by a control system to control one or more components described herein. Thus, a parameter may include data or information.

[0016] As used herein, the terms or phrases “operational objective,” “operational objective,” and similar terms refer, in addition to the plain meaning of these terms, to target values ​​associated with or constraints imposed on the systems and / or components thereof described herein. For example, operational objectives, or in some cases constraints, may include target torque values, target power values, maximum allowable power output, target fuel economy values, target emissions values ​​(e.g., emissions constraints for the system, such as NOx limits, greenhouse gas limits, etc.), or other target / constraint values ​​described herein. An operational objective may be defined by a user input, such as pressing an accelerator pedal (e.g., a desired vehicle speed). An operational objective may be or include a mission characterized by one or more mission characteristics, such as a target distance for the system (e.g., to reach a desired location), a target destination, a target fuel economy for the trip, etc. An operational objective may be defined by a third party, such as a governmental or regulatory agency, which may correspond to the location of the system. For example, a governmental agency may set a maximum emissions output value for the system while the system is in a certain area. Thus, an operational objective may include one or more target values, a system mission, a third party defined target value, and the like.

[0017] As described herein, an engine system may include an engine and an exhaust aftertreatment system in exhaust gas receiving communication with the engine. The engine may include a cylinder block coupled to one or more components, such as an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, etc., and having one or more cylinders. The exhaust aftertreatment system may include one or more components, such as a particulate filter configured to remove particulate matter, such as soot, from exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust aftertreatment system, a dosing module (e.g., a dosing device) configured to supply a dosing fluid to exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust gas system, and one or more catalytic devices configured to promote the conversion of exhaust gas constituents (e.g., nitrogen oxides, NOx) to less harmful elements (e.g., water, nitrogen), such as a diesel oxidation catalyst, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, a three-way catalyst, etc. A control system or controller may monitor one or more parameters of components of the engine system using one or more sensors (e.g., real sensors and / or virtual sensors) to collect and / or determine sensor data. The control system may analyze the sensor data and compare the analyzed sensor data to one or more thresholds. The control system may determine that one or more of the cylinders may be malfunctioning (e.g., not functioning as intended, experiencing one or more error / fault conditions, failing or likely to fail, etc.) based on the analyzed sensor data exceeding a maximum threshold, falling below a minimum threshold, or otherwise not falling within a predefined desired / acceptable range. A malfunctioning cylinder may adversely affect engine and overall system performance by, for example, increasing harmful exhaust gas emissions (e.g., nitrous oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides, particulate matter, etc.), reducing fuel efficiency, reducing engine power output, and / or otherwise.As described herein, the control system may account for and address a failing cylinder or cylinders by initializing a modified engine (or more generally system) operating mode and temporarily disabling the failing engine cylinders.

[0018] Technically and advantageously, the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein provide an improved control system that uses sensor data to determine a modified operating mode for an engine system. The control system described herein advantageously utilizes a specific control strategy to determine one or more parameters of the modified operating mode to meet one or more target operating objectives, such as a NOx conversion target (e.g., a target amount of NOx reduced by SCR, also referred to as deNOx) and / or engine output (e.g., engine output torque, speed, power, etc.). Furthermore, the systems and methods described herein advantageously provide a technical solution to the technical problem of enabling a modified operating mode for an engine system when one or more components (e.g., one or more cylinders) of the engine system are faulty or potentially faulty by using a specific computer-based process that optimizes both aftertreatment efficiency (e.g., deNOx) and engine output. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the modified operating mode is enabled automatically (e.g., without user input) and dynamically adjusted based on operating conditions of the engine system.

[0019] In an exemplary scenario, a control system (e.g., a controller, a vehicle controller, etc.) is configured to determine whether one or more components (e.g., one or more cylinders) of an engine system are faulty or potentially faulty. The control system may utilize one or more sensors (e.g., real sensors and / or virtual sensors) to detect (receive or determine) data (e.g., “cylinder data”) corresponding to one or more cylinders. The cylinder data may include one or more operating parameters indicative of the performance of each of the cylinders (e.g., cylinder pressure via a cylinder pressure sensor, cylinder temperature, a heat map of the cylinder via an IR camera, etc.). The control system may analyze the cylinder data and compare one or more parameters to individual thresholds (e.g., determine whether a parameter exceeds an individual maximum threshold, whether a parameter falls below a minimum threshold, or otherwise fails to meet a threshold range) by using one or more of a lookup table, a statistical model (e.g., a regression model, a machine learning model, etc.), and / or another process. The control system may determine that one or more of the cylinders are faulty or potentially faulty based on analyzing the cylinder data. The control system may initialize a modified operating mode for the engine based on determining that one or more of the cylinders is faulty or potentially faulty.

[0020] In some embodiments, the modified operating mode may include adjusting one or more operating parameters of the engine. In these embodiments, the control system may analyze the fault or potential fault type of the failing cylinder and determine whether the fault type can be repaired, or is likely to be repaired. For example, the control system may determine that the fault type can be repaired by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the cylinder or engine, such as air-to-fuel ratio, spark timing, etc. In some embodiments, such as when the control system determines that the fault type cannot be repaired, or is likely to be unable to be repaired, by adjusting one or more operating parameters of the cylinder, the control system may initialize a modified operating mode for the engine.

[0021] In some embodiments, the modified operating mode may include a cylinder deactivation (CDA) mode. Cylinder deactivation (CDA) mode is a broad term that encompasses a variety of related, but distinct, cylinder deactivation operating modes. A first type of CDA operating mode is known as a “fixed cylinder CDA.” In a fixed cylinder CDA operating mode, the same cylinder is active / inactive in each engine cycle during the fixed cylinder CDA operating mode. A second type of CDA operating mode is known as a “skip fire” or “dynamic skip fire” (DSF) operating mode. In a DSF CDA mode, one or more cylinders are deactivated / inactive (e.g., no combustion occurs) in each cycle. Thus, a cylinder may be inactive for a first engine cycle and active for a second engine cycle. An “active” cylinder means that combustion is enabled in that cylinder. An “inactive” or “deactivated” cylinder means that combustion is not enabled in that cylinder. In any of the types of CDA operating modes described above, one or more cylinders may be deactivated until a reactivation condition is met. Reactivation thresholds may include a torque or power demand threshold for the engine, an increase in torque or power demand, a service event, an indication that a fault code has been cleared, and / or an indication that the deactivated cylinder is not malfunctioning or is likely not malfunctioning. This disclosure is applicable to each type of CDA operating mode, and the terms CDA mode or CDA operating mode are meant to encompass all such operating modes unless otherwise indicated.

[0022] Thus, the control system may automatically deactivate a cylinder in response to detecting and / or determining a mechanical and / or combustion problem. The mechanical and / or combustion problem may be a recurring problem (e.g., a problem occurring over a predefined period, such as a predefined time period, a predefined number of engine cycles, etc.). Furthermore, the mechanical and / or combustion problem may be specific to a particular cylinder (e.g., at least one cylinder of a plurality of cylinders). As described in more detail herein, the mechanical problem may include one or more of the following functions: a piston, a piston ring, a cylinder liner, an intake valve, an exhaust valve, an overhead activation system, a fuel injector, a glow plug, or a spark plug. The problem may result in undesirable results, such as misfire, low torque output, high cylinder exhaust NOx, high cylinder exhaust particulate levels, etc.

[0023] In some embodiments, the control system may report faulty or potentially faulty cylinders to one or more remote computing systems. In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to communicatively couple to one or more computing systems external to the engine system, such as a cloud computing system. The controller may provide engine data to the external computing system, including information indicative of the faulty cylinders. In some embodiments, the controller may determine that the engine has been tampered with based on one or more parameters exceeding a maximum threshold, falling below a minimum threshold, or otherwise not falling within a predefined desired / acceptable range. For example, the controller may determine that the engine system has been tampered with, or is likely to have been tampered with, when the controller detects (e.g., via one or more sensors) that the number of faulty or potentially faulty cylinders exceeds a predefined threshold amount. In some embodiments, the tampering may include unauthorized adjustment of the air-to-fuel ratio (AFR). Information regarding the tampering may also be provided to one or more remote computing systems.

[0024] Referring now to FIG. 1A , a system 100 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. System 100 includes an engine system 118, including an engine 101 and an aftertreatment system 120, an operator input / output (I / O) device 130, a vehicle subsystem 135, and a controller 140, which is communicatively coupled to each of the aforementioned components. In the configuration of FIG. 1 , system 100 is contained within a vehicle. The vehicle may be any type of on-road or off-road vehicle, including, but not limited to, a wheel loader, a forklift truck, a long-haul truck, a medium-duty truck (e.g., a pickup truck), a sedan, a coupe, a tank, an aircraft, a watercraft, and any other type of vehicle. In another embodiment, system 100 may be embodied in a stationary piece of equipment, such as a generator or generator set. All such variations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0025] Engine 101 may be any type of internal combustion engine. The engine may produce exhaust gases. Engine 101 may be fueled with gasoline (e.g., a spark ignition engine), natural gas, diesel fuel, or another type of fuel. In some embodiments, engine 101 may be part of a hybrid engine system (e.g., a combination of an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors). In some embodiments, engine 101 is configured as a spark ignition (SI) engine. In other embodiments, engine 101 is configured as a compression ignition (CI) engine. In the depicted example, engine 101 is a diesel-powered compression ignition engine.

[0026] The aftertreatment system 120 may include various components and systems used to reduce exhaust emissions, such as a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a diesel particulate filter (DPF), a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) dosing device with a source of diesel exhaust fluid, multiple sensors for monitoring the aftertreatment system (e.g., nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensors, temperature sensors, etc.), and / or still other components.

[0027] Still referring to FIG. 1A , operator input / output (I / O) devices 130 are also shown. The operator I / O devices 130 may be coupled to the controller 140 such that information can be exchanged between the controller 140 and the I / O devices 130, the information may relate to one or more components of FIG. 1A or decisions of the controller 140 (described below). The operator I / O devices 130 allow an operator of the system 100 to communicate with the controller 140 and one or more components of the system 100 of FIG. 1A . For example, the operator I / O devices 130 may include, but are not limited to, a two-way display, a touchscreen device, one or more buttons and switches, a voice command receiver, etc. In this manner, the operator I / O devices 130, such as a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL), may provide one or more indications or notifications to the operator. Additionally, the vehicle may include a port that allows the controller 140 to connect or couple to a scan tool so that fault codes and other information about the vehicle can be obtained.

[0028] Vehicle subsystems 135 may include one or more components, including mechanically or electrically driven vehicle components, including, but not limited to, HVAC systems, lights, pumps, fans, etc.

[0029] Controller 140 is structured to control, at least in part, the operation of system 100 and associated subsystems, such as engine 101 and operator input / output (I / O) devices 130. Communication between and among components may be via any number of wired or wireless connections. For example, wired connections may include serial cables, fiber optic cables, CAT5 cables, or any other form of wired connection. By comparison, wireless connections may include the Internet, Wi-Fi, cellular, radio, etc. In one embodiment, a controller area network (CAN) bus provides for the exchange of signals, information, and / or data. A CAN bus includes any number of wired and wireless connections. Controller 140 is communicatively coupled to the systems and components of FIG. 1A such that controller 140 is structured to receive data from one or more of the components shown in FIG. 1A. The structure and functionality of controller 140 are further described with respect to FIG. 2.

[0030] 1A are shown embodied in system 100, controller 140 may be structured as one or more electronic control units (ECUs), such as one or more microcontrollers. Controller 140 may be separate from or included with at least one of a transmission control unit, an exhaust aftertreatment control unit, a powertrain control module, an engine control module, etc.

[0031] As shown, one or more sensors 125 are included in system 100. The number, placement, and types of sensors included in aftertreatment system 120 are shown for illustrative purposes only; that is, in other configurations, the number, placement, and types of sensors may differ. Sensors 125 may be exhaust gas emission constituent sensors (e.g., NOx sensors, temperature sensors, particulate matter (PM) sensors, etc.), flow sensors, pressure sensors, some combination thereof, etc.

[0032] Sensor 125 may be located within or proximate engine 101, after engine 101 and before aftertreatment system 120, after aftertreatment system 120, within the aftertreatment system (e.g., coupled to one or more components of aftertreatment system 120, etc.), upstream of engine 101, etc. It should be understood that the location of the sensor may vary. In one embodiment, there may be sensor 125 located both before and after aftertreatment system 120. As shown in FIG. 1B , sensor 125 may be located within or proximate intake manifold 102 and / or exhaust manifold 104 of engine 101. In one embodiment, at least one of the sensors is configured as an exhaust gas constituent sensor (e.g., a sensor for CO, NOx, PM, SOx, etc.). In another embodiment, at least one of sensors 125 is configured as a non-exhaust gas constituent sensor (e.g., temperature, flow, pressure, etc.) used to estimate exhaust gas emissions. Additional sensors may also be included with system 100. The sensors may include engine-related sensors (e.g., torque sensors, speed sensors, pressure sensors, flow sensors, temperature sensors, etc.). The sensors may further include sensors associated with other components of the vehicle (e.g., turbocharger speed sensors, fuel quantity and injection rate sensors, fuel rail pressure sensors, etc.).

[0033] Sensors 125 may be real or virtual (i.e., non-physical sensors structured as program logic within controller 140 that makes various estimates or decisions). For example, an engine speed sensor may be a real or virtual sensor arranged to measure or otherwise obtain data, values, or information indicative of the speed of engine 101 (typically expressed in revolutions per minute). The sensor (when structured as a real sensor) is coupled to the engine and structured to send a signal indicative of the speed of engine 101 to controller 140. When structured as a virtual sensor, at least one input may be used by controller 140 in an algorithm, model, lookup table, etc. to determine or estimate a parameter of the engine (e.g., power output, etc.). Any of sensors 125 described herein may be real or virtual.

[0034] Controller 140 is coupled to, and in particular communicatively coupled to, sensors 125. As such, controller 140 is structured to receive data from one or more of sensors 125 and provide instructions / information to one or more sensors 125. The received data may be used by controller 140 to control one or more components within system 100 and / or to monitor system 100 and / or to control one or more components of system 100.

[0035] Referring now to FIG. 1B, a schematic diagram of the block diagram of the engine 101 of FIG. 1A is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The engine 101 includes an intake manifold 102, a cylinder block 103, and an exhaust manifold 104. The cylinder block 103 includes at least one cylinder 110. As shown in FIG. 1B, the cylinder block 103 includes six cylinders 110. However, it should be understood that the engine 101 may include more or fewer cylinders (e.g., four cylinders, eight cylinders, etc.). Furthermore, the cylinders 110 may be arranged in any cylinder configuration (e.g., in-line cylinders, V-arrangement, etc.). Also, as shown in FIG. 1B, the cylinders 110 are separated into a first group or bank 108 and a second group or bank 109. It should be understood that the cylinders may be separated into more or fewer groups than shown in FIG. 1B.

[0036] Each cylinder 110 includes at least one corresponding intake valve 112 and at least one corresponding exhaust valve 114. The intake valve 112 is positioned at least partially within the cylinder 110 and is configured to selectively open to allow air (or an air mixture including other fluids or gases) to enter the cylinder and close to prevent air (or an air mixture including other fluids or gases) from entering the cylinder. The exhaust valve 114 is positioned at least partially within the cylinder 110 and is configured to open to allow at least exhaust gases from combustion to exit the cylinder. For example, an actuator controlled by the controller 140 may operate the intake valve 112 and / or the exhaust valve 114 between an open position and a closed position. In this manner, the intake valve 112 and / or the exhaust valve 114 may be selectively opened or closed to control the amount of air (e.g., ambient air) flowing from the intake manifold 102 into the cylinder 110. For example, in an at least partially open position, intake valve 112 allows air (e.g., ambient air) to flow from intake manifold 102 into cylinder 110. In a closed position, intake valve 112 prevents, or substantially prevents, air from flowing into cylinder 110. In an open position, exhaust valve 114 allows exhaust gases to flow out of cylinder 110 and into exhaust manifold 104. In a closed position, exhaust valve 114 prevents, or substantially prevents, exhaust gases (or other trapped gases) from flowing out of cylinder 110.

[0037] The intake manifold 102 may be structured to route ambient air to the cylinder block 103. In some embodiments, the intake manifold 102 includes an intake air throttle (IAT) valve 106 for controlling the flow of ambient air or charge air to the cylinder block 103. The IAT valve 106 may be operable between a closed position and an open position. For example, an actuator controlled by the controller 140 may operate the IAT valve 106 between the open position and the closed position. In this manner, the IAT valve 106 may be positioned to control the amount of air (e.g., ambient air) flowing into the intake manifold 102. In some embodiments, intake valves 112 may be positioned within the intake manifold 102 such that each intake valve 112 controls the flow of air from the intake manifold 102 to a corresponding cylinder 110 in the cylinder block 103.

[0038] The exhaust manifold 104 may be structured to route exhaust gases from the cylinder block 103 to the aftertreatment system 120. In some embodiments, the exhaust manifold 104 may include one or more exhaust valves to control the flow of air from the cylinder block 103 to the aftertreatment system 120. In some embodiments, each of the one or more exhaust valves controls the flow of air to a corresponding cylinder 110 of the cylinder block 103.

[0039] 2, a schematic diagram of the controller 140 of the system 100 of FIG. 1 is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown, the controller 140 includes at least one processing circuit 202 having at least one processor 204, at least one memory device 206, a sensor management circuit 210, an engine control circuit 212, and a communication interface 216. The controller 140 is configured to monitor the engine 101 and the aftertreatment system 120 and to enable a modified engine operating mode based on monitoring the engine and / or the aftertreatment system 120. More specifically, the controller 140 may determine one or more failed or potentially failed cylinders and operate the engine 101 in a modified engine operating mode such that the engine 101 meets or attempts to meet one or more operational objectives while mitigating continued use of the potentially failed cylinders and preventing potential further damage.

[0040] In one configuration, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 are embodied as a machine- or computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor, such as processor 204. As described herein, the machine-readable medium, among other uses, facilitates the performance of certain operations to enable the receipt and transmission of data. For example, the machine-readable medium may provide instructions (e.g., commands, etc.) for, for example, obtaining data. In this regard, the machine-readable medium may include programmable logic that defines the frequency of data obtaining (or data transmission). The computer-readable medium instructions may include code, which may be written in any programming language, including, but not limited to, any conventional procedural programming language, such as Java® or equivalent, and the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program code may be executed on one processor or multiple remote processors. In the latter scenario, the remote processors may be connected to each other through any type of network (e.g., CAN bus, etc.).

[0041] In another configuration, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 are embodied as hardware units, such as one or more electronic control units. Accordingly, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 may be embodied as one or more circuitry components, including, but not limited to, processing circuitry, network interfaces, peripheral devices, input devices, output devices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 may take the form of one or more analog circuits, electronic circuits (e.g., integrated circuits (ICs), discrete circuits, system-on-chip (SOC) circuits, microcontrollers, etc.), telecommunications circuits, hybrid circuits, and any other type of “circuitry.” In this regard, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 may include any type of component for performing or facilitating the accomplishment of the operations described herein. For example, a circuit as described herein may include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, etc. The sensor management circuit 210 and / or engine control circuit 212 may also include or be a programmable hardware device such as a field programmable gate array, programmable array logic, programmable logic device, or the like. The sensor management circuit 210 and / or engine control circuit 212 may include one or more memory devices for storing instructions executable by a processor of the sensor management circuit 210 and / or engine control circuit 212. The one or more memory devices and processor may have the same definitions as provided below with respect to memory device 206 and processor 204.In some hardware unit configurations, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 may be geographically distributed throughout separate locations within the vehicle. Alternatively, as shown, the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 may be embodied in or within a single unit / enclosure, shown as the controller 140.

[0042] In the illustrated example, controller 140 includes a processing circuit 202 having a processor 204 and a memory device 206. Processing circuit 202 may be structured or configured to execute or implement the instructions, commands, and / or control processes described herein with respect to sensor management circuit 210 and / or engine control circuit 212. The depicted configuration represents sensor management circuit 210 and / or engine control circuit 212 embodied as a machine- or computer-readable medium that stores instructions. However, as noted above, this illustration is not meant to be limiting, as the present disclosure contemplates other embodiments in which at least one of sensor management circuit 210 and / or engine control circuit 212 is configured as a hardware unit. All such combinations and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] The processor 204 may be implemented as one or more single or multi-chip processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or suitable processors (e.g., other programmable logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.) for performing the functions described herein. The processor may be a microprocessor, a collection of processors, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, one or more processors may be shared by multiple circuits (e.g., the sensor management circuit 210 and / or the engine control circuit 212 may comprise or otherwise share the same processor, which in some exemplary embodiments may execute instructions stored or otherwise accessed via different areas of memory). Alternatively, or in addition, one or more processors may be structured to perform or otherwise execute certain operations independently of one or more coprocessors. In other exemplary embodiments, two or more processors may be coupled via a bus to enable independent, parallel, pipelined, or multi-threaded instruction execution. All such variations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0044] The memory device 206 (e.g., memory, memory unit, storage device) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage) for storing data and / or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes, layers, and modules described in this disclosure. For example, the memory device 206 may include dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The memory device 206 may be communicatively connected to the processor 204 to provide computer code or instructions to the processor 204 for executing at least some of the processes described herein. Also, the memory device 206 may be or include tangible non-transitory volatile or non-volatile memory. Thus, the memory device 206 may include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described herein.

[0045] Communication interface 216 may include any combination of wired and / or wireless interfaces (e.g., jacks, antennas, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, wire terminals) for communicating data with various systems, devices, or networks structured to enable in-vehicle communication (e.g., between and among components of the vehicle) and out-of-vehicle communication (e.g., with a remote server). For example, with respect to out-of-vehicle / system communication, communication interface 216 may include an Ethernet card and port for transmitting and receiving data over an Ethernet-based communication network and / or a Wi-Fi transceiver for communicating over a wireless communication network. Communication interface 216 may be structured to communicate over a local area network or a wide area network (e.g., the Internet) and may use various communication protocols (e.g., IP, LON, Bluetooth, ZigBee, wireless, cellular, near field communication).

[0046] In some embodiments, communications interface 216 may be structured to communicatively couple to external computing system 190. External computing system 190 may be external to system 100 and may include a cloud computing system and / or other external computing system. External computing system 190 may be associated with a manufacturer of system 100 or its components (e.g., an OEM), a customer of the manufacturer, an operator of system 100 such as a fleet operator, an inspection / engineer computing system, a government agency (e.g., an emissions compliance agency, etc.), and / or any other entity or individual. Thus, controller 140 may selectively provide information to external computing system 190 via communications interface 216 for remote tracking, diagnostics, and other purposes.

[0047] The sensor management circuit 210 is structured or configured to control the operation of the sensors 125. For example, the sensor management circuit 210 may be structured to generate one or more control signals (e.g., to obtain data, etc.) and transmit the control signals to one or more sensors 125. The control signals may cause one or more sensors 125 to sense and / or detect sensor data and / or provide the sensor data to the sensor management circuit 210. In some embodiments, the sensor management circuit 210 may be structured to estimate sensor data (e.g., when the sensors 125 are virtual sensors). “Sensor data” may include temperature data (e.g., fluid temperature such as exhaust gas temperature or engine oil temperature, component temperature such as engine temperature, etc.), flow data (e.g., exhaust gas flow data, intake air flow, etc.), pressure data (e.g., engine cylinder pressure, coolant pressure, etc.), and / or other data related to the operation of the system 100.

[0048] Engine control circuit 212 is structured to control, at least in part, the operation of engine system 118 (e.g., engine 101, aftertreatment system 120, and / or components of engine 101, aftertreatment system 120). For example, engine control circuit 212 may be structured to regulate the operation of one or more components of engine 101, such as cylinder 110. In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 includes a valve circuit 214 and a CDA circuit 215.

[0049] Valve circuit 214 is structured or configured to control the operation of IAT valve 106, intake valve 112, and / or exhaust valve 114. For example, valve circuit 214 may control one or more actuators to adjust the position of IAT valve 106, intake valve 112, and / or exhaust valve 114 (e.g., between an open position and a closed position). In some embodiments, valve circuit 214 is configured to adjust valve timing (e.g., when an actuator opens or closes a valve) and / or adjust intake valve lift (e.g., the position of the valve when opened by an actuator). In some embodiments, valve circuit 214 may close one or more of intake valves 112 to deactivate a cylinder for CDA by preventing air or charge air from entering the cylinder. In some embodiments, valve circuit 214 is configured to selectively open / close intake valve 112 and / or exhaust valve 114 to switch between active and deactivated cylinders.

[0050] CDA circuit 215 is structured or configured to control CDA mode operation for the engine. CDA circuit 215 may command valves, such as intake valves, to close to deactivate a cylinder (or command valve circuit 214 to close the intake valve to deactivate the cylinder and at least partially open the intake valve to activate the cylinder). CDA circuit 215 may additionally control operation of the fuel delivery system of engine 101. In some embodiments, CDA circuit 215 may adjust fuel injection values ​​(e.g., fuel injection quantity, fuel injection timing, etc.) of fuel injectors. For example, CDA circuit 215 may control fuel injectors to change the amount and / or timing of fuel delivered to a cylinder. In some embodiments, CDA circuit 215 is configured to disable fuel injection to deactivate a cylinder. In some embodiments, the CDA circuit 215 may adjust the spark ignition values ​​(e.g., spark timing, spark duration, etc.) of the spark assist device to enable CDA in a spark ignition engine (disable the spark assist device for one or more cylinders selected to be deactivated).

[0051] In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may operate engine 101 in a modified mode of operation in response to determining that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty or likely to be faulty. The modified mode of operation may include adjusting one or more parameters of the operation of one or more cylinders 110 and / or deactivating one or more cylinders 110 that are faulty or likely to be faulty as part of initiating a CDA / DSF mode of operation for the engine. In particular, valve circuit 214 and / or CDA circuit 215 are configured to modify the operation of one or more components of engine system 118. As briefly described above, valve circuit 214 may control the operation of IAT valve 106, intake valve 112, and / or exhaust valve 114. In non-CDA / DSF mode operation, both intake valve 112 and exhaust valve 114 selectively open and close during an engine cycle to allow air to enter the cylinders, undergo combustion, and direct exhaust gases out of active cylinders. When the engine system is in CDA / DSF mode, the intake valves 112 of the deactivated cylinders may remain closed, thereby preventing at least air from entering the deactivated cylinders, combining with fuel, and causing combustion. In some embodiments, the exhaust valves 114 of the deactivated cylinders remain closed because no exhaust gases are produced in the deactivated cylinders. In other embodiments, during CDA / DSF mode, the intake valves 112 and exhaust valves 114 of the deactivated cylinders are allowed to selectively open and close, similar to operation during non-skip-fire CDA mode, but combustion does not occur because no fuel is injected into the deactivated cylinders (compression ignition engines) or a spark is commanded in the deactivated cylinders (spark ignition engines) (e.g., by CDA circuit 215). In these embodiments, air circulates through the deactivated cylinders but is not combusted.Thus, relative to a normal or unmodified operating mode, a modified operating mode may result in different operating parameters that may be desired according to received operational objectives (e.g., keeping emissions below predefined values, etc.).

[0052] Advantageously, engine control circuit 212 may operate engine 101 in a modified operating mode to enable system 100 to achieve or attempt to achieve operational objectives even when one or more of cylinders 110 are faulty. The modified operating mode may prevent the faulty cylinder 110 from becoming worse and / or adversely affecting engine 101 or overall system performance (e.g., causing undesirable emissions, etc.). Adverse effects may include increasing exhaust emissions above a predefined maximum threshold, increasing engine vibration above a predefined maximum threshold, decreasing fuel economy below a predefined minimum threshold, etc. For example, the modified operating mode may reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) associated with the faulty cylinder 110 and protect mechanical components of engine 101.

[0053] The controller 140 may determine that one or more cylinders are faulty or potentially faulty based on data corresponding to the cylinders 110 (e.g., “cylinder data”). The cylinder data may include information indicative of mechanical issues with the cylinders 110 (e.g., issues related to the functioning of the pistons, piston rings, cylinder liners, etc.). For example, issues with the piston rings may result in insufficient compression for air-fuel moisture combustion within the cylinders 110. In some embodiments, when the engine is configured as an SI engine, the cylinder data may include information indicative of mechanical issues with the cylinders 110 (e.g., issues related to the functioning of the pistons, piston rings, cylinder liners, spark plugs, glow plugs, etc.). In any of the embodiments described above (e.g., in either a CI engine or an SI engine), the cylinder data may include information indicative of mechanical or other issues with the cylinders 110 (e.g., issues related to the intake valves 112, exhaust valves, fuel injectors, overhead activation systems, etc.) that adversely affect the operation of the cylinders.

[0054] As an example, a fuel injector may be configured to provide a predefined amount of fuel to one of the cylinders 110 at a predefined fuel injection timing. The controller 140 may determine that a fuel injector is faulty based on determining (e.g., via one or more fuel pressure and / or flow sensors) that the fuel injector is providing fuel above a predefined amount, that the fuel injector is providing fuel below a predefined amount, that the fuel injector is providing fuel at an incorrect fuel injector timing, that fuel is leaking or “dripping” out of the fuel injector, and / or other issues corresponding to the fuel injector. As another example, issues with the intake valve 112 and / or exhaust valve may include a valve activation issue, in which the valve is stuck in a position (e.g., a closed position, an open position, or therebetween). Further examples of a faulty or potentially faulty cylinder may include cylinder misfire (e.g., based on knock sensor readings), reduced cylinder torque output, high cylinder exhaust NOx, and / or high cylinder exhaust particulate levels. In some embodiments, the controller 140 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty, potentially faulty, or likely to be in a faulty state based on comparing the cylinder data to one or more thresholds. In some embodiments, the cylinder data may include sensor data such as engine torque output, engine speed, and / or waste manifold pressure. The controller 140 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty, potentially faulty, or likely to be in a faulty state based on comparing the engine torque output to a requested amount of torque (e.g., the requested amount of torque is a minimum threshold). If the engine torque output is less than the requested amount of torque, the controller 140 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty, potentially faulty, or likely to be in a faulty state.In some embodiments, a crank engine position and / or speed sensor may be used to measure engine speed (e.g., engine RPM). The controller 140 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty, potentially faulty, or likely to be in a faulty state based on an increase or decrease in engine speed (e.g., detecting “roughness” in the engine speed signal). In some embodiments, pressure values, such as engine cylinder pressure, exhaust manifold pressure, etc., may be detected by pressure sensors or determined by virtual sensors. One or more of the pressure values ​​may be “pulses” or changes in pressure corresponding to cylinder fire events. The pressure values ​​may be compared to pressure thresholds to determine whether a particular cylinder 110 is faulty, potentially faulty, or likely to be in a faulty state. In yet another embodiment, the pressure value may be a crankcase pressure value. If the crankcase pressure value exceeds a maximum crankcase pressure threshold, the controller 140 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty, potentially faulty, or likely to be in a faulty state.

[0055] As indicated above, cylinder data may include sensor data (e.g., data received from sensors 125). Thus, cylinder data may include one or more operating parameters related to the engine system (e.g., target air-to-fuel ratio, target fuel pressure, target fuel quantity, target engine or cylinder temperature, target cylinder pressure, etc.). In some embodiments, sensor data may include data from sensors 125 that are physically separate from cylinder 110 but correspond to the input or output of one or more cylinders. Sensor data may include exhaust gas constituent values ​​(e.g., NOx values, oxygen values, particulate matter values, etc.), exhaust gas temperature values, exhaust gas pressure values, cylinder pressure values, cylinder air intake values, and / or other data indicative of one of the types of faulty cylinders described above. Additional and / or alternative examples of sensor data include cylinder pressure values, crankcase blow-by gas values ​​(e.g., temperature values, pressure values, flow values, etc.), pressure values ​​in the exhaust manifold 104, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, the sensor data may include data corresponding to each cylinder 110. As shown in FIG. 1B , sensors 125 may be positioned in the intake manifold 102 and / or the exhaust manifold 104. In these embodiments, sensors 125 may be configured to detect the sensor data such that controller 140 can correlate the sensor data with a particular cylinder 110. For example, sensors 125 may be configured to detect the sensor data such that controller 140 can associate the sensor data with an ignition event for the corresponding cylinder 110. In other embodiments, sensors 125 may be positioned at the inlet and / or outlet of each cylinder 110 to obtain sensor data specific to each cylinder 110 or a subset of cylinders.

[0057] Controller 140 may compare cylinder data, which may include sensor data corresponding to a particular cylinder 110, to individual predefined cylinder thresholds to determine whether a particular cylinder 110 is faulty or potentially faulty. In some embodiments, controller 140 may isolate one or more cylinders to analyze cylinder data corresponding to one or more of the isolated cylinders. In some embodiments, sensor 125 may be configured as a “high-speed” sensor capable of detecting sensor data corresponding to a desired cylinder light-off event (where “high-speed” corresponds to a data availability rate above a predefined threshold) so that the high-speed sensor may isolate sensor data from each of the cylinders 110. Sensor data from the high-speed sensor may include emissions values ​​(e.g., NOx output values, oxygen output values, etc.), temperature values, pressure values, etc., corresponding to the isolated / desired cylinder. In some embodiments, the high-speed sensor is positioned within exhaust manifold 104 so that sensor 125 may detect sensor data from each of the cylinders 110 and controller 140 may determine an EONOx value for each cylinder. For example, the controller 140 may compare the NOx output of the isolated cylinder 110 to a cylinder NOx threshold. In another example, the controller 140 may compare the temperature and / or pressure values ​​of the isolated cylinder 110 to a cylinder temperature threshold and / or a cylinder pressure threshold, respectively. If the cylinder data for the cylinder 110 does not meet the corresponding cylinder threshold (e.g., above a maximum threshold, below a minimum threshold, or not within a threshold range), the controller 140 may determine that the cylinder 110 is faulty or potentially faulty. If the cylinder data for the cylinder 110 meets the corresponding cylinder threshold (e.g., below a maximum threshold, above a minimum threshold, or within a threshold range), the controller 140 may determine that the cylinder 110 is not faulty or is likely not faulty.

[0058] In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may be configured to determine whether one or more cylinders 110 are faulty or potentially faulty by using an intrusive diagnostic process. An intrusive diagnostic process refers to the forced operation of one or more components, which may cause the one or more components to operate outside a predefined, calibrated operating range. Intrusive diagnostics may be performed at a repair shop. In contrast, passive diagnostics may be performed while the engine system / vehicle is operating (i.e., it runs / runs in the background). For example, based on detecting that one or more engine outputs (e.g., EONOx, engine output torque or power, engine temperature) exceed a threshold, engine control circuit 212 may use an intrusive diagnostic process to determine the specific cylinder or cylinders that are causing the output to exceed the threshold. In an exemplary embodiment, engine control circuit 212 may selectively deactivate one or more cylinders 110 according to a predetermined sequence of cylinder deactivation patterns. For example, engine control circuit 212 may deactivate each of cylinders 110 in a predetermined sequence over a predetermined period (eg, a time period, a number of engine cycles, a number of cylinder cycles, etc.).

[0059] As an example, when an engine includes six cylinders 110, engine control circuit 212 may isolate each cylinder 110 to determine whether the cylinder is faulty or likely to be faulty. Engine control circuit 212 may deactivate a first cylinder for a predetermined period. Engine control circuit 212 may receive first sensor data (e.g., data corresponding to an active cylinder) corresponding to the first cylinder being deactivated. After the predetermined period, engine control circuit 212 may deactivate a second cylinder for a predetermined period and receive second sensor data corresponding to the second cylinder being deactivated. Engine control circuit 212 may continue to deactivate each cylinder 110 individually until each of the six cylinders 110 has been deactivated and engine control circuit 212 has received sensor data corresponding to each of the deactivated cylinders 110. As described above, the sensor data may include temperature values, pressure values, emissions values, etc. The sensor data may correspond to each active cylinder individually and / or to the cumulative output of all active cylinders. If the undesired phenomenon (e.g., emissions above a predefined threshold) that occurred when the cylinder was deactivated fails to occur, the controller 140 may isolate the potential fault (e.g., failure) to that particular cylinder. If not identified, the controller 140 may then deactivate two cylinders at a time, then three cylinders at a time, progressively working to identify one or more potentially faulty cylinders.

[0060] In this regard, engine control circuit 212 may receive cylinder data corresponding to active cylinders for each cylinder deactivation pattern in a predetermined sequence and compare the cylinder data to one or more thresholds. For example, engine control circuit 212 may compare the NOx output of the active cylinders to a NOx threshold, the temperature output of the active cylinders to a temperature threshold, and so on. Based on comparing the cylinder data to one or more thresholds, engine control circuit 212 may determine whether deactivating one or more cylinders 110 resolved the problem. In response to determining that deactivating one or more cylinders 110 resolved the problem (e.g., reduced emissions below a predefined threshold), engine control circuit 212 may determine that the deactivated cylinders 110 are faulty or potentially faulty (e.g., NOx output above a threshold when the cylinder is active and below the threshold when the cylinder is deactivated may indicate a problem with that cylinder). For example, if deactivating a second cylinder of a six-cylinder engine 101 results in a cylinder data value that previously exceeded a corresponding threshold value falling below the corresponding threshold value, engine control circuit 212 may determine that the second cylinder is faulty. As a specific example, if deactivating a second cylinder of a six-cylinder engine 101 results in the cumulative NOx value of the active cylinders falling below the NOx threshold value, engine control circuit 212 may determine that the second cylinder is faulty or potentially faulty.

[0061] In some embodiments, based on comparing the cylinder data to one or more thresholds, the engine control circuit 212 may determine whether one or more of the active cylinders correspond to a problem / issue. In response to determining that one or more of the active cylinders correspond to a problem, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that the active cylinders 110 are faulty or potentially faulty. For example, if deactivating cylinders 1 and 3-6 of a six-cylinder engine 101 did not result in a cylinder data value that previously exceeded the corresponding threshold falling below the corresponding threshold, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that the second cylinder is faulty.

[0062] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 will be in a potentially faulty state based on the cylinder data. For example, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that a cylinder will be in a potentially faulty state based on comparing the cylinder data to one or more thresholds associated with indications of potential future failures or problems. The cylinder data may include cylinder pressure values, crankcase blow-by gas values ​​(e.g., temperature values, pressure values, flow values, etc.), pressure values ​​in the exhaust manifold 104, etc. Based on comparing the cylinder data to one or more thresholds, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 are degraded and will be in a potentially faulty state (in this case, suffer a failure) in the future. For example, the cylinder data may indicate operational capability at a particular moment, but may be above, below, or within a range indicating a future failure. These thresholds may be stored in a lookup table and retrieved by the circuit 212. In comparison, if the cylinder data is above, below, or outside of a range indicative of operational capability and is undesirable, the controller may determine that the cylinder data indicates a faulty cylinder. With respect to the former and latter situations as described herein, the engine control circuit 212 may take preemptive action to preserve the health of one or more cylinders 110 (i.e., mitigate potential failures). The preemptive action may include activating a CDA operating mode in which one or more potentially faulty cylinders 110 are deactivated. The CDA operating mode may be temporary (e.g., for a predetermined period of time or number of engine cycles) or until a reactivation condition is received or met. Beneficially, the CDA operating mode may mitigate further degradation associated with one or more faulty or likely-failure cylinders.

[0063] In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may be configured to adjust one or more operating parameters of the failing or potentially failing cylinder 110. In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may adjust one or more parameters of IAT valve 106, intake valve 112, and / or exhaust valve 114 (e.g., adjusting intake valve timing and / or adjusting intake valve lift via valve circuit 214). In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may adjust fuel values ​​(e.g., adjusting fuel injection quantity or adjusting fuel injection timing via CDA circuit 215).

[0064] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may adjust a dosing strategy in the aftertreatment system 120 (e.g., if the controller 140 determines that the emissions output of one or more cylinders 110 exceeds a threshold value and the cylinders 110 are not mechanically impaired or potentially mechanically impaired). Adjusting the dosing strategy in the aftertreatment system may include causing a dosing module (dosing device) of the aftertreatment system to adjust a dosing value (e.g., dosing amount, dosing timing, dosing concentration, etc.). For example, the dosing amount may be increased in response to determining that the EONOx value exceeds a threshold value and the cylinders 110 are not mechanically impaired or potentially mechanically impaired.

[0065] In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may adjust the variable geometry turbocharger for one or more cylinder events. For example, engine control circuit 212 may adjust one or more vanes of the turbocharger's turbine. The vanes may be adjusted for each cylinder fire event. In some embodiments, adjusting the VGT may allow for more restriction to the airflow, thereby decreasing the airflow. In other embodiments, adjusting the VGT may allow for less restriction to the airflow, thereby increasing the airflow.

[0066] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may operate the engine 101 in a cylinder deactivation (CDA), particularly a dynamic skip fire (DSF) mode, by selectively deactivating one or more of the cylinders 110. In some embodiments, deactivating one or more cylinders 110 may include deactivating fuel injectors, closing air intake valves, and / or closing air exhaust valves corresponding to the one or more cylinders 110. The engine control circuit 212 may deactivate one or more faulty or potentially faulty cylinders 110. The one or more deactivated cylinders 110 may remain deactivated until the engine control circuit 212 reactivates the one or more deactivated cylinders 110. Cylinder reactivation is described in more detail herein.

[0067] In some embodiments, one or more cylinders 110 are deactivated in response to detecting a recurring problem in one or more cylinders 110. The engine control circuit 212 may determine that one or more cylinders 110 have a “recurring problem” based on analyzing the cylinder data and determining that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty or potentially faulty over at least a predetermined period (e.g., a predetermined period of time, a predetermined number of engine cycles, a predetermined number of cylinder fire events, etc.) (i.e., compared to instantaneous cylinder data indicative of a potential fault). For example, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that a cylinder 110 is potentially faulty based on determining that the cylinder data for the cylinder 110 exceeds one or more thresholds over a predetermined period and designate the problem as a recurring problem (e.g., a cylinder temperature is higher than an associated cylinder temperature of the engine for more than a predefined amount of time or cycles and by more than a predefined amount). The engine control circuit 212 may monitor potentially faulty cylinders 110 over a predetermined period. The engine control circuit 212 may determine that a cylinder is faulty based on determining that the cylinder data for cylinder 110 exceeds one or more thresholds (or otherwise does not meet a desired operating range for a parameter) for the duration of a predetermined period.

[0068] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may operate the engine 101 in a DSF mode. In DSF mode, one or more failing or potentially failing cylinders 110 may be temporarily deactivated and reactivated during DSF mode. For example, one or more failing or potentially failing cylinders 110 may be deactivated for a predetermined period (e.g., a predetermined period of time, a predetermined number of engine cycles, a predetermined number of cylinder fire events, etc.) and activated after the predetermined period. In some embodiments, the DSF mode may include selectively activating and deactivating one or more failing or potentially failing cylinders 110 in a predetermined pattern or patterns. For example, one or more failing or potentially failing cylinders 110 may be deactivated for a first number of cycles and activated for a second number of cycles.

[0069] In CDA mode and / or DSF mode, engine control circuit 212 may control active cylinders 110 to meet operational objectives (e.g., torque demands) of engine 101 and / or the overall system. For example, one or more operational objectives may include emissions values ​​(e.g., SONOx values, deNOx values, etc.), mechanical loads (e.g., torque values ​​or targets, vibration values, etc.), and / or fuel economy (e.g., fuel consumption per distance (gallons / mile), distance traveled per unit of fuel (miles / gallon), etc.). These objectives may be received from a remote source (e.g., an external computing system) and / or via an operational I / O device. In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may adjust one or more parameters of DSF mode to meet the operational objectives of system 100. For example, engine control circuit 212 may adjust the “fire fraction” of engine 101. As used herein, in one embodiment, the phrase “firing fraction” as used with respect to the cylinders 101 of the engine 101 and the CDA / DSF operating mode refers to the number of active cylinders 110 as a percentage of the total number of available cylinders 110. For example, in this embodiment, a firing fraction of 4 / 6 refers to four cylinders being active out of a total of six cylinders. In another embodiment, “firing fraction” refers to the number of times a cylinder is fired divided by the number of firing opportunities (e.g., the number of engine cycles multiplied by the number of cylinders in the engine). For example, if a six-cylinder engine is fired nine times in three engine cycles, the firing fraction is 9 / 18 or 1 / 2. Firing fraction adjustment allows the number of cylinders 110 that are fired (on average) to be modified by a fractional amount instead of an integer. For example, the firing fraction can be changed from 1 / 3 to 2 / 5, which is equivalent to increasing from two cylinders to 2.4 cylinders in a six-cylinder engine. Therefore, the controller 140 may use a look-up table that contains the DSF firing patterns.The controller 140 may select a DSF firing pattern that corresponds to deactivating the identified problematic cylinder 110 while allowing the system 100 to achieve its operational objectives (e.g., desired power output, fuel economy, exhaust gas temperature for emissions purposes, etc.). For example, the lookup table may include an unmodified DSF firing pattern that defines an unmodified firing ratio (e.g., 1 / 2) and a modified DSF firing pattern that defines a modified firing ratio (e.g., 3 / 7) such that the problematic cylinder 110 is always deactivated, allowing the engine 101 to achieve or attempt to achieve the operational objectives of the system 100. In some embodiments, the firing ratio allows the non-failing cylinder 110 to continue operating above a predefined frequency so that the non-failing cylinder 110 is not damaged due to a vacuum formed within the cylinder 110.

[0070] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may adjust one or more operating parameters of the cylinders 110 to enable the engine 101 to operate at a target engine power output despite the absence of deactivation of one or more cylinders 110. For example, the engine control circuit 212 may adjust one or more of the cylinder fueling values ​​(e.g., air-to-fuel ratio, fuel quantity, fuel injection timing, etc.), engine speed, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) values, and / or other parameters to enable the engine 101 to operate at a target engine power output (which may be based on operational objectives). In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may be configured to adjust the operating parameters of one or more active cylinders 110. For example, the engine control circuit 212 may increase only the fueling in one or more active cylinders 110 to compensate for the one or more deactivated cylinders 110. The engine control circuit 212 may adjust the combustion firing density and / or firing pattern to enable the engine 101 to meet an operator torque demand despite the absence of the deactivated cylinders 110. In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may adjust the ERG value based on the DSF firing pattern to maintain a minimum EGR availability to meet operational objectives.

[0071] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may enable the motor-generator to provide a supplemental torque pulse that may be provided at or near the same time that the deactivated cylinder 110 would have fired, so that the combined torque output of the engine 101 and the motor-generator is not reduced (or reduced in an amount imperceptible to the operator) due to the deactivated cylinder 110.

[0072] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may adjust the variable valve timing (VVT) of the engine 101 (when the engine is equipped with a VVT system). For example, the engine control circuit 212 may close the valve completely. In another example, the engine control circuit 212 may advance or retard the VVT ​​to compensate for one or more identified problems with the failing cylinder 110. The engine control circuit 212 may determine whether to advance or retard the VVT ​​based on a determined or predicted failure of the failing cylinder 110.

[0073] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may reactivate one or more deactivated cylinders 110 based on a received, detected, or determined reactivation condition being satisfied (e.g., by operating the engine 101 in a normal or unmodified operating mode, such as by turning off a CDA / DSF mode). A reactivation condition may be receiving an indication of a service event that may indicate that a faulty cylinder has been addressed. A reactivation condition may also be an indication that a fault code or other indicator associated with the faulty cylinder has been cleared (e.g., by an authorized repair technician). A reactivation condition may therefore include determining that a fault in one or more deactivated cylinders 110 has been resolved, as described below and according to various examples herein.

[0074] In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may reactivate one or more deactivated cylinders 110 (i.e., disable the CDA operating mode) in response to an override condition. When an override condition exists, controller 140 may disable the modified operating mode to meet one or more operational objectives. An override condition refers to a condition identified by controller 140 under which controller 140 determines that the CDA mode should be suspended (e.g., indefinitely or temporarily). Examples of override conditions are described herein below.

[0075] In some embodiments, the reactivation (based on the override condition) is temporary (e.g., for a predetermined time, for a predetermined number of cycles, or until the override condition is discontinued / stopped / no longer satisfied). In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may change the modified engine operating mode in response to the override condition. For example, the engine control circuit 212 may change the modified engine operating mode from CDA mode to DSF mode. The engine control circuit 212 may check whether the override condition is satisfied periodically or in real time (e.g., continuously, every second, every millisecond, etc.). The override condition may include a high engine load (e.g., engine load at or above a predefined high engine load threshold), a system 100 mission, and / or other condition that requires all cylinders 110 to be active to achieve a target torque or power output.

[0076] As briefly described above, the override condition may be based on the mission of system 100. A "mission" of system 100 refers to an activity performed by system 100. The mission and / or one or more characteristics of the mission may define an operational objective of system 100. For example, one or more mission-defined operational objectives may include powering a vehicle to travel to a destination, a fuel economy for the vehicle's route, an emissions target for the vehicle's route, etc. Controller 140 may identify one or more predefined characteristics of a mission as being associated with a "critical mission," a "critical situation," or a "hazardous situation," whereby the mission or situation involves a risk of damage to system 100, a risk of injury to persons, and / or a risk of damage to property. Examples of predefined characteristics of a mission or situation may include situations when the system 100 is in imminent danger (e.g., located on railroad tracks), emergency situations (e.g., when the system 100 is embodied in a fire engine, ambulance, military vehicle, etc.), and / or work missions (e.g., when the system 100 is embodied in a cement mixer, on a vehicle traveling at highway speeds, on a vehicle traveling uphill or downhill, on a vehicle with a heavy load, etc.). For example, if the characteristics of the system 100's mission are associated with a predefined critical mission, the engine control circuit 212 may override a modified engine operating mode. In these embodiments, completing the mission may be more important than any damage caused to the engine 101 (or system) by a faulty cylinder 110, or more important than any increased exhaust gas emissions caused by a faulty cylinder 110 (e.g., getting the vehicle to a certain destination is more important than damage to the engine that may be caused by one or more faulty cylinders).

[0077] In some embodiments, the engine control circuit 212 may determine the severity of a malfunction for one or more cylinders 110. The severity may be determined based on comparing the cylinder data to one or more thresholds (e.g., a low severity threshold, a medium severity threshold, a high severity threshold, etc.). When fault codes / indicators are used to identify malfunctioning or potentially malfunctioning cylinders, the engine control circuit 212 may use a predefined list of fault codes corresponding to low, medium, and high severity ratings / values. In this manner, the controller utilizes fault codes, MILs, or other indicators that are specific to each cylinder (e.g., based on cylinder pressure sensor readings for each cylinder) to diagnose each cylinder. For example, injection timing issues and / or fuel injection quantity issues (e.g., injecting a fuel quantity above a maximum threshold or below a minimum threshold) may correspond to a low severity. In some embodiments, if one or more values ​​of the cylinder data exceed a corresponding threshold by a predefined amount, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that the severity of the malfunctioning cylinder is high. If one or more values ​​of the cylinder data exceed a corresponding threshold by less than a predefined amount, the engine control circuit 212 may determine that the severity of the failing cylinder is medium or low. For example, a high cylinder NOx value may correspond to a high severity if the cylinder NOx value exceeds the threshold by more than a predefined amount (e.g., 10%). In additional examples, structural issues with the cylinder 110, such as a cylinder ring failure, a hole in the cylinder, or the like, may correspond to a high severity. In some embodiments, for a low or medium severity fault, the engine control circuit 212 may first adjust one or more operating parameters of the failing or potentially failing cylinder 110. If the fault is not resolved by adjusting one or more operating parameters, the engine control circuit 212 may operate the engine 101 in a CDA or DSF mode and deactivate the potentially failing cylinder.In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may not activate CDA or DSF mode if the severity is below a threshold (e.g., a low severity failure). In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may determine that the severity is low severity if it is more likely that a sensor 125 failure has occurred rather than a cylinder malfunction. For example, if the fault condition is more likely to be related to a faulty cam position sensor, engine control circuit 212 may determine that the severity is low and that no action is required.

[0078] In some embodiments, one or more of the thresholds used to determine the modified engine operating mode may correspond to a particular location (e.g., a country, state, region, city, etc.). Controller 140 may be configured to determine the location of system 100 (e.g., based on a location positioning system such as GPS). In these embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may selectively activate, deactivate, or adjust the modified engine operating mode based on the location of system 100. More specifically, when the location of system 100 is within a particular geofenced area, engine control circuit 212 may enable a different modified engine operating mode compared to when the location of system 100 is outside the particular geofenced area. For example, the geofenced area may correspond to a region with relatively higher deNOx requirements. Thus, individual deNOx thresholds may change based on the location of system 100. When the system enters or exits a geofenced area, engine control circuit 212 may compare the cylinder data to the thresholds corresponding to the location and determine whether the modified engine operating mode should be adjusted.

[0079] In some embodiments, controller 140 may be configured to determine whether engine 101 (or components thereof) and / or controller 140 (e.g., processing circuitry including hardware and / or software) have suffered a tamper event. For example, if engine control circuit 212 determines that a number of cylinders 110 exceeding a predetermined threshold are faulty or potentially faulty, controller 140 may generate a notification that engine 101 may have suffered a potential tamper event because it is unlikely that this number of cylinders would simultaneously be faulty. As another example, if an operating parameter exceeds a predefined threshold (e.g., torque, power output, speed, temperature, etc., exceeds a predefined maximum allowable calibration threshold), controller 140 may determine a potential tamper event because operation beyond the calibration parameters is not permitted without likely tampering. In that case, controller 140 may command a modified operating mode for the engine (e.g., initiate CDA) to mitigate the tampering.

[0080] In some embodiments, engine control circuit 212 may generate a notification indicating that one or more cylinders 110 are faulty or potentially faulty. In some embodiments, the notification may also include an indication of one or more corrective actions to be taken on the faulty or potentially faulty cylinders 110 (e.g., an indication of the initiation of a CDA or other action). Engine control circuit 212 may provide the notification to operator I / O devices 130 (e.g., fault codes, malfunction indicator lamps) and / or to one or more external computing systems 190 (e.g., via communications interface 216).

[0081] One or more external computing systems 190 may include computing devices (e.g., user devices, cloud computing systems, etc.) located outside of system 100. One or more external computing systems 190 may be associated with an owner or operator of system 100, a vehicle / powertrain fleet manager, a service facility, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of engine 101, and / or a third party not associated with system 100 (e.g., a government agency, etc.).

[0082] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method 300 for monitoring and controlling one or more cylinders 110 or other components of engine 110 of FIGS. 1A-1B , according to an exemplary embodiment. In some embodiments, controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof, such as engine control circuit 212, are configured to perform method 300. For example, controller 140 may be structured to perform method 300 alone or in combination with other devices, such as sensor 125, and / or other components of system 100. In some embodiments, the processes of method 300 may be performed in a different order than as shown in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, method 300 may include more or fewer processes than as shown in FIG. 3 . For example, process 304 may be optional. In some embodiments, the processes of method 300 may be performed in parallel, partially parallel, or sequentially.

[0083] Referring more particularly to method 300, in process 302, controller 140 receives cylinder data. As described above, the cylinder data may include one or more operating parameters of cylinder 110 and / or sensor data from one or more sensors 125. The cylinder data may indicate a cylinder issue (e.g., a failing or potentially failing cylinder). In process 304, controller 140 may receive additional cylinder data that indicates the cylinder issue is a recurring issue. Controller 140 may also receive an operating objective (e.g., fuel economy).

[0084] In process 306, the controller 140 activates a CDA (e.g., DSF) mode. In process 308, the controller 140 deactivates one or more failed or potentially failed cylinders 110 as part of the CDA mode. As explained above, the deactivation may be indefinite (e.g., until a reactivation condition is met) or temporary.

[0085] In process 310, controller 140 generates and provides notification of a faulty cylinder 110 (or other component, such as an intake valve actuator for allowing proper / desired airflow to the engine). The notification may include a fault code, a notification provided to operator I / O device 130, and / or a notification provided to external computing system 190.

[0086] In process 312, controller 140 determines whether one or more operational objectives for engine 101 can be met by activating CDA mode. For example, controller 140 may compare the maximum engine output value of the modified engine operating mode (determined based on the number of cylinders 110 to be deactivated) to the operational objectives for engine 101, including a desired or target engine output (e.g., torque, power, etc.) and / or the grade / inclination of the road the vehicle is traveling on, the gross vehicle weight or vehicle load, etc. If engine 101 cannot meet or is likely to be unable to meet the operational objectives (e.g., if the target value of the objectives exceeds the maximum engine output value possible in CDA mode), method 300 proceeds to process 316. If the modified engine operating mode meets or is likely to have met the operational objectives, method 300 proceeds to process 314. In some embodiments, if an override condition is met, method 300 proceeds to process 316. Override conditions are described herein with respect to FIG. 2. In some embodiments, controller 140 may determine, based on the severity of the fault, whether one or more operational objectives of engine 101 can be met by activating CDA mode. If controller 140 determines that the severity of the failing cylinder 110 is low or medium (based on a predefined list of faults classified as low, medium, or high), controller 140 may not deactivate the failing cylinder 110 but may instead modify one or more cylinder operating parameters (e.g., fuel injection amount, fuel injection timing, etc.). If controller 140 determines that the severity of the failing cylinder 110 is high, controller 140 may deactivate the failing cylinder 110.

[0087] In process 314, controller 140 continues to operate engine 101 in CDA mode. In some embodiments, controller 140 may be configured to operate engine 101 in CDA mode for a predetermined period (e.g., a predetermined period of time, a predetermined distance traveled, a predetermined number of engine cycles, etc.). After the predetermined period, method 300 may proceed to process 316. In other embodiments, the CDA mode is not limited, and controller 140 may continue to operate engine 101 in CDA mode.

[0088] In process 316, controller 140 limits the operation of engine 316. For example, controller 140 may limit the torque or power output of engine 101.

[0089] In process 318, the controller 140 receives an indication that a check event has occurred. As described above, the check event may trigger a reactivation condition such that the controller 140 disables the CDA / DSF mode and activates all cylinders 110 of the engine 101.

[0090] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method 400 for monitoring and controlling the engine system of FIGS. 1A-1B according to an exemplary embodiment. In some embodiments, controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof, such as engine control circuit 212, are configured to perform method 400. For example, controller 140 may be structured to perform method 400 alone or in combination with other devices, such as sensor 125, and / or other components of system 100. In some embodiments, method 400 may include more or fewer processes than those shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the processes of method 400 may be performed in a different order than those shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the processes of method 400 may be performed in parallel, partially parallel, or sequentially. In some embodiments, method 400 may begin after process 302 of method 300 and return to processes 304 and / or 306 of method 300.

[0091] Referring more particularly to method 400, in process 402, controller 140 may determine whether the severity of the cylinder problem exceeds a severity threshold. As described above, the severity threshold may be medium severity. If the severity exceeds the severity threshold here, method 400 may proceed to process 306 (or process 304) of method 300. If the severity does not exceed the severity threshold, method 400 may proceed to process 404.

[0092] In process 404, the controller 140 may enable one or more corrective actions to correct or attempt to correct the cylinder failure. As described above, the controller 140 may adjust one or more operating parameters of the failing or potentially failing cylinder 110.

[0093] In process 406, the controller 140 may determine whether the cylinder issue has been resolved following corrective action (e.g., implementing CDA to deactivate the faulty cylinder, controlling engine operating parameters such as fuel injection values, etc.). If the cylinder issue has not been resolved (e.g., a fault indicator has turned off, an engine operating parameter has changed to be within a desired range such as below a high temperature threshold, etc.), the method 400 may proceed to process 306 (or process 304) of the method 300. If the cylinder issue has been resolved, the method 400 may proceed to process 408. In process 408, the controller 140 generates and provides a notification that the cylinder issue has been identified and corrected. The notification may include a fault code, a notification provided to the operator I / O device 130, and / or a notification provided to the external computing system 190.

[0094] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 for monitoring and controlling the engine system of FIGS. 1A-1B according to an exemplary embodiment. In some embodiments, controller 140 and / or one or more components thereof, such as engine control circuit 212, are configured to perform method 500. For example, controller 140 may be structured to perform method 500 alone or in combination with other devices, such as sensor 125, and / or other components of system 100. In some embodiments, the processes of method 500 may be performed in a different order than shown in FIG. 5. In some embodiments, method 500 may include more or fewer processes than shown in FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the processes of method 500 may be performed in parallel, partially in parallel, or sequentially. In some embodiments, method 500 may be performed in parallel or partially in parallel with method 300. For example, at least process 502 of method 500 is identical to process 306 of method 300.

[0095] Referring more particularly to method 500, in process 502, controller 140 activates CDA / DSF mode. In process 504, controller 140 receives updated operational objectives. The updated operational objectives may include a change in torque or power demand, a change in location (e.g., entering or exiting a geofenced location), a critical mission or situation indication, and / or any of the other objectives described herein.

[0096] In process 506, controller 140 determines whether engine 101 can meet, or is likely to meet, one or more objectives in a modified engine operating mode (e.g., CDA mode). If controller 140 determines that engine 101 can meet, or is likely to meet, the updated objectives, method 500 proceeds to process 508. If controller 140 determines that engine 101 cannot meet the updated objectives, method 500 proceeds to process 510.

[0097] In process 508, controller 140 may continue to operate engine 101 in CDS / DSF mode. In this way, controller 140 advantageously allows system 100 to complete its mission and / or achieve its operational objectives without exacerbating the cylinder problem (e.g., by deactivating the problematic cylinder). In process 510, controller 140 may determine that an override condition is met and override CDA / DSF mode. Once controller 140 overrides CDA / DSF mode, CDA / DSF mode may be deactivated and all cylinders 110 may be activated.

[0098] As used herein, the terms "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning consistent with common and accepted use by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art reviewing this disclosure that these terms are intended to enable the description of the features described and claimed without limiting the scope of those features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Thus, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or insignificant modifications or variations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure as recited in the appended claims.

[0099] It should be noted that the term "exemplary" and variations thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to imply that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or best examples).

[0100] As used herein, the term "coupled" and variations thereof refer to the direct or indirect joining of two members to one another. Such a joining may be fixed (e.g., permanent or fixed) or movable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such a joining may be achieved where two members are directly joined to one another, where two members are joined to one another using one or more separate intervening members, or where two members are joined to one another using an intervening member integrally formed as a single, unitary body with one of the two members. When "coupled" or variations thereof are modified by additional terms (e.g., directly coupled), the general definition of "coupled" provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional terms (e.g., "directly coupled" means the joining of two members without any separate intervening members), resulting in a narrower definition than the general definition of "coupled" provided above. Such a joining may be mechanical, electrical, or fluid. For example, circuit A being communicatively "coupled" to circuit B may indicate that circuit A communicates directly with circuit B (i.e., no intermediate stages) or indirectly with circuit B (e.g., through one or more intermediate stages).

[0101] References herein to the location of elements (e.g., "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower") are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the figures. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

[0102] While various circuits with specific functionality are shown in FIG. 2 , it should be understood that controller 140 may include any number of circuits to complete the functions described herein. For example, the activities and functionality of the post-processing control circuitry may be combined in multiple circuits or as a single circuit. Additional circuits with additional functionality may also be included. Furthermore, controller 140 may also control other activities outside the scope of this disclosure.

[0103] As mentioned above, in one configuration, a "circuit" may be implemented in a machine-readable medium for execution by various types of processors, such as processor 204 of FIG. 2. Executable code may, for example, constitute one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may be organized, for example, as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, executable files need not be physically located together, but may constitute heterogeneous instructions stored in different locations that, when logically joined together, constitute a circuit and achieve the purpose described with respect to the circuit. In fact, a circuit of computer-readable program code may be a single instruction or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices.

[0104] While the term "processor" is briefly defined above, the terms "processor" and "processing circuitry" are meant to be broadly interpreted. In some embodiments, one or more processors may be external to the device (e.g., an on-board vehicle controller); for example, one or more processors may be or be included with a remote processor (e.g., a cloud-based processor). In this regard, a given circuit or component thereof may be located locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computing system, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server, such as a cloud-based server). To that end, a "circuitry" as described herein may include components that are distributed across one or more locations.

[0105] Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising computer- or machine-readable media for carrying or having stored thereon computer- or machine-executable instructions or data structures. Such machine-readable media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. The computer-readable medium may be a tangible computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable program code. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a holographic storage medium, a micromechanical storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that may contain and / or store computer-readable program code for use by and / or associated with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a computer or processing machine to perform a certain function or group of functions.

[0106] A computer-readable medium may also be a computer-readable signal medium. A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium that can communicate, propagate, or transport computer-readable program code for use by or in association with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Computer-readable program code embodied on a computer-readable signal medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, radio frequency (RF), or the like, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0107] In one embodiment, the computer-readable medium may comprise a combination of one or more computer-readable storage media and one or more computer-readable signal media. For example, computer-readable program code may be both propagated as an electromagnetic signal over fiber optic cable for execution by a processor and stored on a RAM storage device for execution by the processor.

[0108] Computer-readable program code for performing operations for aspects of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more other programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program code may execute entirely on a local computer, partially on a local computer, as a stand-alone computer-readable package, partially on a local computer and partially on a remote computer, etc. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the local computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0109] Program code may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, where the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium may instruct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner to produce an article of manufacture, including instructions that implement the function / acts defined in a block or blocks of the schematic flowchart diagrams and / or schematic block diagrams.

[0110] Although the figures and description may illustrate a specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from that depicted and described unless otherwise specified above. Also, two or more steps may be performed in parallel or partially in parallel unless otherwise specified above. Such variations may depend, for example, on the software and hardware systems selected and the choice of the designer. All such variations are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0111] It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the devices and systems as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Additionally, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated into or utilized in conjunction with any other embodiment disclosed herein.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus comprising: a controller comprising at least one processing circuit comprising at least one memory coupled to at least one processor, said controller comprising: determining, based on data relating to operation of the engine, that one or more cylinders of the plurality of cylinders of the engine are faulty; operating the engine in a modified engine operating mode, whereby operation of the one or more faulty cylinders is corrected; and a controller configured to: An apparatus comprising:

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a notification indicating the one or more cylinders are faulty.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the notification is provided to a computing system external to the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modified engine operating mode includes a cylinder deactivation (CDA) mode, during which the one or more failing cylinders are deactivated.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the CDA mode includes a dynamic skip fire (DSF) mode.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the CDA mode is enabled until a reactivation condition is received, the reactivation condition including receiving a notification regarding at least one of a service event or an override condition.

7. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the override condition includes at least one of an engine load at or above a predefined threshold, or a mission characteristic indicative of a mission for the engine.

8. The controller further comprises: determining, based on data regarding operation of the engine, that at least one cylinder of the plurality of cylinders of the engine is likely to experience a fault condition; deactivating the at least one cylinder in response to determining that the severity of the at least one cylinder exceeds a predefined severity threshold; maintaining activation of the at least one cylinder in response to determining that the severity of the at least one cylinder is below the predefined severity threshold; and The apparatus of claim 1 configured to:

9. The modified engine operating mode includes adjusting at least one of an intake valve or an exhaust valve of the one or more faulty cylinders, and adjusting the at least one of the intake valve or the exhaust valve comprises: closing or substantially closing the intake valve; closing or substantially closing the exhaust valve; or adjusting a valve value comprising at least one of a valve timing or a valve lift of the at least one of the intake valve or the exhaust valve; The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modified engine operating mode includes adjusting a fueling value comprising at least one of fuel injection quantity or fuel injection timing.

11. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modified engine operating mode includes adjusting a dosing strategy of a dosing module of an aftertreatment system in exhaust gas receiving communication with the engine in response to determining that the one or more failing cylinders are not failing due to a mechanical issue, the aftertreatment system being in exhaust gas receiving communication with the engine, and the dosing strategy comprising at least one of a dosing amount or a dosing quantity.

12. 1. A system comprising: The engine and a controller coupled to the engine, the controller comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to: determining, based on data relating to operation of the engine, that one or more cylinders of the plurality of cylinders of the engine are faulty; operating the engine in the modified engine operating mode, whereby operation of the one or more faulty cylinders is corrected; and at least one memory that performs the a controller comprising: A system comprising:

13. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to: generating a notification indicating that the one or more cylinders are faulty; providing said notification to a computing system external to said engine; The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

14. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the modified engine operating mode includes cylinder deactivation (CDA), and during the CDA mode, the one or more failing cylinders are deactivated.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the CDA mode is enabled until a reactivation condition is received.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the reactivation condition includes receiving a notification regarding a service event.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the reactivation condition includes receiving an indication that an engine load is at or above a predefined threshold.

18. 1. A method comprising: determining, based on data relating to operation of the engine, that one or more cylinders of the plurality of cylinders of the engine are faulty; receiving an action intent; operating the engine in the modified engine operating mode, whereby operation of the one or more faulty cylinders is modified based on the received operating objectives; and A method comprising:

19. generating a notification indicating the one or more faulty cylinders and the modified engine operating mode; providing said notification to a computing system external to said engine; 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

20. the modified engine operating mode includes a cylinder deactivation (CDA) mode, during which the one or more failing cylinders are deactivated; 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the CDA mode is enabled until a reactivation condition is received, the reactivation condition comprising at least one of a service event or an override condition, the override condition including an engine load at or above a predefined threshold.

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