A variety of methods and arrangements for improving the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines are described. Generally, an engine is controlled to operate in a skip fire variable displacement mode. Feedback control is used to dynamically determine the working cycles to be skipped to provide a desired engine output. In some embodiments a substantially optimized amount of air and fuel is delivered to the working chambers during active working cycles so that the fired working chambers can operate at efficiencies close to their optimal efficiency. In some embodiments, the appropriate firing pattern is determined at least in part using predictive adaptive control. By way of example, sigma delta controllers work well for this purpose. In some implementations, the feedback includes feedback indicative of at least one of actual and requested working cycle firings. In some embodiments, the appropriate firings are determined on a firing opportunity by firing opportunity basis. Additionally, in some embodiments, an indicia of the current rotational speed of the engine is used as a clock input for a controller used to selectively cause the skipped working cycles to be skipped.

Internal combustion engine control for improved fuel efficiency

An engine is coupled to an input member of a hybrid transmission and the hybrid transmission is operative to transfer torque between the input member and a torque machine and an output member to generate an output torque in response to an operator torque request. The torque machine is connected to an energy storage device. A method for controlling the engine includes determining a preferred input torque from the engine to the hybrid transmission based upon operator inputs to an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal, determining maximum and minimum allowable input torques from the engine to the hybrid transmission, controlling the engine at the preferred input torque when the preferred input torque is within the maximum and minimum allowable input torques, and controlling the engine based upon the maximum and minimum allowable input torques when the preferred input torque is outside one of the maximum and minimum allowable input torques.

Method and apparatus for determination of fast actuating engine torque for a hybrid powertrain system

In an internal combustion engine, a hydrocarbon feed valve (15) and an exhaust purification catalyst (13) are arranged in an engine exhaust passage. A first NO X removal method which injects hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon feed valve (15) within a predetermined range of period so that the reducing intermediate generated thereby reduces the NO X contained in the exhaust gas and a second NO X removal method which makes the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst (13) a first target rich air-fuel ratio by a period which is longer than this predetermined range are used. When the NO X removal method is switched from the second NO X removal method to the first NO X removal method, the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst (13) is made a second target air-fuel ratio which is smaller than the first target rich air-fuel ratio.

Exhaust purification system of internal combustion engine

A navigation device has a route re-calculation function. This is activated by the user touching the screen to task away from the normal navigation map mode to a menu screen which displays multiple types of route re-calculation options.

Navigation device and method for displaying alternative routes.

A method and apparatus for inferring and controlling the temperature of a NOx trap located downstream from a three-way catalyst that employs a temperature sensor to correct a temperature estimation model under relatively steady-state conditions to provide a more accurate estimate of NOx trap temperature and three-way catalyst temperature. In a second embodiment, the three-way catalyst also includes a temperature sensor for improving the instantaneous catalyst temperature estimation.

Adaptive exhaust temperature estimation and control

An electronic engine controller limits the maximum temperature of a midbed point within a catalytic converter by determining an instantaneous temperature of the midbed point as a function of a temperature of exhaust gas at an exhaust flange, of a temperature variation of exhaust gas from the exhaust flange and exhaust gas inlet to the catalytic converter, of exhaust gas at an exhaust gas inlet to the catalytic converter, and as a function of a predetermined value indicative of a temperature rise of exhaust gas in the catalytic converter. The temperature is compared to a maximum midbed temperature range and a first air/fuel modulation variable is altered by a predetermined amount if the temperature of the midbed point is within the maximum midbed temperature range and the first air/fuel modulation variable is set to a predetermined value if the midbed temperature is below the maximum midbed temperature range. The first air/fuel modulation variable is compared to a second air/fuel modulation variable which corresponds to an air/fuel ratio required to produce a predetermined engine response and the rate of fuel delivery to the engine is altered to generate an air/fuel ratio corresponding to the air/fuel modulation variable which represents the richer air/fuel mixture.

Method and apparatus to limit a midbed temperature of a catalytic converter

A method, for use with a vehicle including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having exhaust valves, for controlling the temperature of the exhaust valves during fuel cutoff modes of engine operation utilizing a bit pattern representation of the engine cylinders. The method includes cutting off the fuel delivered to the cylinders in an indexed cylinder firing pattern to vary which cylinders receive fuel, so as to maintain acceptable exhaust valve temperature levels. The method may also include operating the engine with a lean air/fuel ratio, so as to maintain acceptable catalytic converter temperature levels.

Method and apparatus for maintaining temperatures during engine fuel cutoff modes

A method for reducing the engine torque being produced by an internal combustion engine to a desired engine torque through coordinated control of spark retard, cylinder cut-out and air/fuel scheduling. The method is for use with a vehicle including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine capable of generating torque, each cylinder having an associated fuel injector for providing fuel to the cylinder and an associated spark timing control for providing a spark for combustion of the fuel with fresh air during engine operation. The method includes identifying the desired engine torque to which the engine torque being produced is to be reduced, and determining a first torque reduction to be achieved by defueling at least one of the engine cylinders. The method also includes determining a second torque reduction to be achieved by lean air/fuel scheduling, the second torque reduction being adjusted for the number of cylinders defueled, and determining a third torque reduction to be achieved by spark retardation, the third torque reduction being adjusted for the number of cylinders defueled and for the lean air/fuel scheduling.

Method and apparatus for controlling engine torque

An electronic driveline controller and traction control method for an engine driven vehicle wherein the tractive effort of the driving wheels is controlled to avoid excess slip of the traction wheels relative to the vehicle road surface, the traction control being achieved by total powertrain torque management whereby the torque delivered to the driving wheels is a control parameter that depends upon the magnitude of sensed operating variables for the vehicle driveline.

Michael Alan Weyburne

Papers

Method and apparatus to limit a midbed temperature of a catalytic converter

Method and apparatus for maintaining temperatures during engine fuel cutoff modes

Method and apparatus for controlling engine torque

Torque managed traction control for the drive wheels of an automotive vehicle

Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Aufrechterhaltung der Temperatur während Kraftstoffzufuhrunterbrechungen