Hybrid Engine Cylinder Suppression with Residual Gas Valve Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines in hybrid vehicles face challenges during suppression phases, leading to increased fuel consumption, energy inefficiency, and uncontrolled combustion due to unknown gas composition and contamination of the catalyst, resulting in jolting and reduced comfort and increased pollutant emissions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a control device with exhaust switching cam followers that closes exhaust valves early to enclose residual gas, then opens them to expel the gas before reintroducing a defined amount of fresh air for proper injection and combustion, ensuring a smooth transition and reducing engine drag torque through synchronized control of intake and exhaust valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rich fuel mixture is set after suppression to ensure catalyst function, then the catalyst is protected from oxygen contamination, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust valve is closed before the suppression phase begins, preparing the combustion chamber to enclose residual gas. This preliminary action prevents fresh air from entering during suppression, eliminating the need for rich mixture correction and avoiding the associated fuel consumption penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The residual gas that would normally be wasted during suppression is instead enclosed and reused. By closing the exhaust valve, the residual gas acts as a buffer that prevents oxygen contamination of the catalyst, converting what would be a harmful waste product into a beneficial protective element.
2Reliability
If air is pumped through the engine during suppression, then the catalyst may be contaminated with oxygen, but this requires rich operation which increases fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful element (fresh air/oxygen) is excluded from the combustion chamber during suppression by closing the exhaust valve. This extraction of oxygen prevents catalyst contamination without requiring rich mixture operation, thereby maintaining energy efficiency.
3Speed
If the transition from suppression to conventional operation is made quickly, then responsiveness is improved, but uncontrolled combustion occurs due to unknown gas composition causing jolting
Solution Approach 1:
The control device monitors the transition phase and adjusts the timing of exhaust valve opening and fuel injection based on the enclosed gas composition. This feedback mechanism allows for controlled transition despite unknown gas composition, preventing jolting while maintaining responsive behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve timing and fuel injection are dynamically adjusted during the transition from suppression to conventional operation. The exhaust valve opening timing is optimized based on real-time conditions, allowing smooth transition without fixed predetermined schedules, thereby eliminating jolting while maintaining speed.
4Reliability
If the exhaust valve is kept closed during suppression, then fresh air is enclosed instead of residual gas, but this requires precise control to avoid catalyst contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The control of the exhaust valve is merged with the intake valve control and fuel injection timing. By coordinating these functions as an integrated system rather than separate controls, the patent simplifies the overall control architecture while achieving precise coordination needed to enclose the correct gas mixture and protect the catalyst.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes fuel consumption, enhances energy efficiency, reduces jolting, and maintains catalyst cleanliness by ensuring defined combustion, while the electric motor compensates for torque irregularities during suppression transitions.
Implementation Method 1
the exhaust valve is kept closed for at least one exhaust stroke, which takes place before, during, and/or after the suppression of the cylinder
Implementation Method 2
During the suppression, the enclosed gas (in particular, residual gas from the last combustion) can be repeatedly compressed. This is achieved, in particular, in that the combustion chamber remains completely closed during the suppression. The suppressed cylinder consequently acts like a gas spring.
Implementation Method 3
the electric motor compensates for torque irregularities during suppression transitions
Implementation Method 4
a fuel mixture can be injected into the enclosed fresh air and ignited, in order to prevent 'contamination' of the catalyst
Data Source
AI summary
A device for controlling an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, in particular, an electrified hybrid vehicle with a traction electric machine. The internal combustion engine has multiple cylinders, each of which is equipped with at least one outlet valve which can be switched to two stages. An electronic control unit controls: i) suppression of each of a plurality of cylinders of the internal combustion engine for at least one work cycle, wherein the outlet valves are kept closed, ii) actuation of the outlet valves and the inlet valves of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine in a synchronized manner, and iii) after the suppression process has ended, opening of the outlet valve at least in the first cylinder when the inlet valve is closed, and the enclosed gas is pushed out without being injected and ignited.