Engine Intake Control Switching Valve Characteristics for Power Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing intake-air quantity control systems for engines face fluctuations in power output due to disturbances like intake-air flow pulsations and temperature variations, particularly in high-load ranges, leading to reduced performance.

Innovation Solution

An intake-air quantity control system that employs a variable valve operating device to switch between different target operating characteristics of the intake valve, using a high-load period valve operating characteristic preset for full-load operations and a basic target operating characteristic calculated for other engine operating ranges, to stabilize engine power output.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the intake-valve operating characteristic is calculated based on target intake-air quantity using disturbance-affected processing, then the control system can adapt to varying engine conditions, but the engine power output fluctuates and reduces in high-load range

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to varying engine conditionsVSAvoidengine power output stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control system divides the engine operating range into two segments: high-load range and other ranges. In the high-load range, a predetermined valve operating characteristic is used, while in other ranges, the calculated characteristic based on target intake-air quantity is applied. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by avoiding disturbance-affected calculations when reliability is most critical.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The predetermined valve operating characteristic for high-load conditions is established in advance through optimization, rather than being calculated in real-time during operation. This preliminary action ensures that the most reliable, pre-validated parameters are used when the engine operates in the critical high-load range, preventing power output fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If the calculated target operating characteristic is used in high-load range, then the target intake-air quantity can be achieved, but the engine power output performance is compromised due to disturbance signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget intake-air quantityVSAvoidengine power output performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically selects between two different control strategies based on the current operating condition. When the engine is in the high-load range, it switches to the predetermined characteristic mode to ensure power performance. When operating in other ranges, it uses the calculated characteristic mode to achieve target intake-air quantity. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction by applying the appropriate control method for each operating condition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP1837508B1Intake-air quantity control system of engine
Publication Date: 2009.05.13 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP1837508B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1837508B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP1837508B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In an intake-air quantity control system of an engine employing a variable valve operating device capable of controlling a cylinder intake-air quantity by variable control of an operating characteristic of an intake valve, in a normal intake-valve operating mode a target operating characteristic of the intake valve is determined based on a target cylinder intake-air quantity calculated based on a target engine torque. In a predetermined high-load range, in particular, at full-load operation, the target operating characteristic is switched to a high-load period valve operating characteristic, preset to be suitable for the predetermined high-load range.