FR2833650A1 - Motor vehicle i.c. engine operating system uses gas stored in one mode to enhance performance in others - Google Patents

Abstract

The operating system for a vehicle i.c. engine (1) with cylinders (2) having at least one inlet (4) and one exhaust (5) valve with ducts (10, 11), and a pressurised gas accumulator (14) linked to a control unit (9). The gas accumulator has an intake (15) connected to the chamber's inlet duct (10) through a gas circulation controller (16), and the control unit (9) is able to hold a cylinder's exhaust valve closed while the cylinder is cut out of the operating cycle, allowing gas to be stored during one mode and used to enhance the engine's performance in another.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a motorization system for a motor vehicle.

 More particularly, the invention relates to a motorization system which comprises an internal combustion engine provided with inlet gas inlet means and outlet gas outlet means and associated pressurized gas storage means to charge / discharge control means adapted to implement a charge phase for these, during which the fuel supply to at least certain engine cylinders is cut off to operate the or each cylinder whose l 'power is cut, compressor, and a discharge phase thereof, during which the gas is used to improve engine performance.

 An example of such a motorization system can be found in the document SAE TECHNICAL PAPER SERIES, 1999-01-0623, entitled New Cycles for Automobile Engines by Michael M. SCHECHTER, International Congress and Exposition, Detroit, Michigan, March 1-4 1999.

 The general idea behind the development of such systems is to recover energy during certain engine operating phases, in the form of compressed gas in the means of accumulation and to reuse this energy in other operating phases of it.

 In particular, energy can be recovered during deceleration and braking of the vehicle.

 In Figure 2 of the document mentioned above, there is shown an embodiment of such a system.

 This then comprises means for accumulating pressurized gas, in the form of a gas reservoir, associated with means for controlling their charge / discharge, in the form of a valve provided in the cylinder head of the engine, at a corresponding cylinder thereof, this valve being controlled to implement a phase of charging these accumulation means and a phase of discharging these from and into the cylinder.

 However, it is understood that such a structure has a number of drawbacks, since the corresponding valve requires modification

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 very large engine cylinder head and relatively complex control means.

 The object of the invention is therefore to solve these problems.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is a motorization system for a motor vehicle, of the type comprising an internal combustion engine comprising cylinders each provided with at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve. and means for admitting gas at the inlet and means for exhausting gas at the outlet and means for accumulating gas under pressure, associated with means for controlling their charge / discharge suitable for implementing a phase of charging thereof during which the fuel supply to at least certain cylinders of the engine is cut to operate the or each cylinder whose supply is cut, in compressor, and a discharge phase of these, at during which the gas is used to improve the performance of the engine, characterized in that the gas accumulation means comprise a gas inlet connected to the means for admitting gas into the engine, through means ns for controlling the circulation of gases in these intake means and in that the control means are adapted to maintain the or each exhaust valve of the or each cylinder whose supply is cut, in the closed position, and the or each intake valve thereof, in the open position, to allow the charging of these accumulation means, through the gas intake means and the means for controlling the circulation of the gases in them , from or from each corresponding cylinder.

 According to other characteristics: - the means for controlling the circulation of gases include valve-checking valve means, arranged in the path of admission of gases into the engine and movable under the control of the control means between a first position for opening this path and a second position for closing it, in which the non-return valve is placed in this path; - the winnowing means comprise a rotary plug; the means for controlling the circulation of gases comprise a connection orifice for the inlet of the accumulation means, provided with a non-return valve and placed downstream of the valve means;

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 the engine valves are valves controlled by electromagnetic actuators, the supply of which is controlled by control means under the control of the control means; the means for accumulating gas under pressure comprise a gas outlet connected to the means for admitting gas into the engine, through means forming a valve controllable by the control means, for injecting gas into the engine; - The means for accumulating pressurized gas comprise a gas outlet connected to a turbocharger associated with the engine, through means forming a valve controllable by the control means, for injecting gas therein.

 The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate the structure and operation of a motorization system according to the invention during a charging phase of the means for accumulating gas under pressure; and - Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the structure and operation of such a system during a discharge phase of these accumulation means.

 There is indeed shown in these figures and in particular in Figures 1 to 4, a motorization system for a motor vehicle which comprises an internal combustion engine designated by the general reference 1, comprising cylinders, one of which is designated by the general reference 2 in these figures, in which pistons move, one of which is designated by the general reference 3.

 Each of these cylinders is provided with at least one intake valve designated for example by the general reference 4 and at least one exhaust valve designated by the general reference 5 in this figure, in a conventional manner.

 These valves are for example formed by valves controlled by electromagnetic actuators, the supply of which is controlled by control means under the control of control means, as will be described in more detail below.

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 It will simply be noted that the electromagnetic actuators for controlling these valves are designated by the general references 6 and 7 respectively by the intake valve 4 and the exhaust valve 5, and are therefore connected to control means designated by the general reference 8, the operation of which is controlled by control means designated by general reference 9, to ensure the displacement of the valves, that is to say the opening and closing of the latter.

 These control means include for example any suitable computer.

 Also conventionally, the engine 1 is associated with inlet gas inlet means designated by the general reference 10 and outlet gas outlet means designated by the general reference 11, and comprising for example a line exhaust.

 The admission means comprise, for example in a conventional manner, a gas butterfly designated by the general reference 12 associated with an intake plenum designated by the general reference 13.

 Finally, the motorization system according to the invention also comprises means for accumulating gas under pressure designated by the general reference 14 in these figures, associated with means for controlling their charge / discharge formed for example by the means 9 described previously and adapted to implement a charging phase of these during which the supply of fuel to at least certain cylinders of the engine is cut, to operate the or each cylinder whose supply is cut, in compressor, and a discharge phase thereof during which the gas is used to improve the performance of the engine.

 The control means 9 are then adapted to control the fuel supply means for the engine cylinders, in order to cut off the supply of at least some of the engine cylinders.

 In fact, and as illustrated, the gas accumulation means comprise for example a reservoir, a gas inlet designated by the general reference 15 in these figures, is connected to the gas admission means 10 in the engine, through means for controlling the circulation of gases in these intake means, these control means being designated by the general reference 16.

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 During a charging phase of these accumulation means, the control means 9 are adapted to maintain the or each exhaust valve of the or each cylinder whose supply is cut, in the closed position, and the or each valve for admitting the latter, in the open position, to allow the charging of these means of accumulation, through the means for admitting gases into the engine and the means for controlling the circulation of gases in them from the or each corresponding cylinder which then operates as a compressor.

 In the example shown in these figures, the gas flow control means 16 comprise check valve means, arranged in the gas inlet path to the engine, and displaceable under the control of the means control 9 between a first position for opening this path, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and a second position for closing it, in which the non-return valve is placed in this path, as illustrated in Figures 2,3 and 4.

 The valve control means are designated by the general reference 17 in these figures and comprise for example a rotary plug 18 which is therefore movable between a position for opening the path as that illustrated in FIG. 1, and a position for closing that -ci, as shown in Figures 2,3 and 4, in which the corresponding non-return valve designated by the general reference 19, is placed in this path.

 The normal operation of the engine is illustrated in FIG. 1, the admission of the gases entering the engine being done through the intake path and the intake valve which is then in the open position, the plug 18, being in its first position.

 When it is desired to trigger a charging phase of the accumulation means 14, the control means 9 control the means for controlling the circulation of gases 16 to cause the plug 18 to move towards its position for closing the path, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and maintain the exhaust valves of the corresponding cylinder or cylinders, that is to say one or those whose fuel supply is cut, in the closed position, while maintaining the intake valves thereof or these in the open position, which allows, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, to use the corresponding cylinder or cylinders as a compressor, that is to say for

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 compress and discharge the gas admitted into this or these cylinders in the direction of the accumulation means 14, through an orifice for connecting the inlet 15 of these accumulation means 14 to the means 16 for controlling the circulation of gases in the means of admission. This orifice is then fitted with a non-return valve and is placed downstream of the valve means 17.

 In these FIGS. 1 to 4, the orifice for connecting the inlet 15 of the accumulation means 14 to the intake means 10 is designated by the general reference 20, while the corresponding non-return valve is designated by the reference general 21.

It is therefore understood that the compressed gas during the ascent of the piston in the corresponding cylinder cannot flow back towards the butterfly disposed in the gas intake means, due to the presence of the non-return valve 19 of the plug 18 in the path corresponding, while this compressed gas can be admitted into the accumulation means 14 through the non-return valve 21 placed in the connection orifice 20 of these accumulation means 14 to the intake means, to ensure the charge of these means of accumulation
When the need arises, the control means 9 trigger a discharge phase of these accumulation means 14 during which the gas stored under pressure in these accumulation means is used to improve the performance of the engine.

 This operating phase is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

 We recognize in fact in FIGS. 5 and 6, the engine designated by the general reference 1, the control means 9, the means for accumulating pressurized gas designated by the general reference 14, the means for admitting gas into the engine designated by the general reference 10 and the exhaust means 11.

 According to the variant embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the means for accumulating gas under pressure 14 comprise a gas outlet designated by the general reference 22, which is connected to the means for admitting gas 10 into the engine, for example through valve forming means 23 controllable by the control means 9, to allow injection of gas into the engine through these intake means.

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 According to the variant embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the engine is associated with a turbocharger designated by the general reference 24 in this figure and comprising a compressor portion 25 and a turbine portion 26 conventionally associated with the intake means and to the engine gas exhaust means.

 The gas outlet 22 of the accumulation means 14 can then be connected to this turbocharger, through the means forming a controllable valve 23 for injecting gas therein.

 Thus, for example, this pressurized gas outlet can be connected to the turbine portion and / or to the compressor portion of this turbocharger in order to inject gas into one and / or the other thereof. in order to improve the operating performance of the turbocharger and therefore of the engine.

 It is therefore understandable that such a structure has a certain number of advantages compared to that described in the prior document mentioned above.

 Indeed, such a structure does not require modification of the actual motor, insofar as the elements making it possible to ensure the charging and discharging of the energy storage means, are added to the periphery thereof.

 The operation of such a structure remains conventional, insofar as it is possible thanks to it, to implement a phase of charging the means for accumulating gases under pressure, for example during a deceleration phase of the vehicle or during a low-load operating phase and to reuse this accumulated pressurized gas to improve the filling of the engine cylinders in order to improve its operating performance.

 It goes without saying of course that still other embodiments can be envisaged.

Claims (7)

1. Motorization system for a motor vehicle, of the type comprising an internal combustion engine (1) comprising cylinders (2) each provided with at least one intake valve (4) and at least one exhaust valve (5) and gas inlet means (10) at the inlet and gas exhaust means (11) at the outlet and pressurized gas accumulation means (14), associated with control means ( 9) of their charge / discharge adapted to implement a charge phase of these during which the supply of fuel to at least certain cylinders of the engine is cut off to operate the or each cylinder whose supply is cut off , as a compressor, and a discharge phase thereof, during which the gas is used to improve the performance of the engine (1), characterized in that the gas accumulation means (14) comprise an inlet for gas (15) connected to the means for admitting gas into the engine (10), through means (16) for controlling the circulation of gases in these intake means and in that the control means (9) are adapted to maintain the or each exhaust valve (5) of the or each cylinder whose the supply is cut, in the closed position, and the or each intake valve (4) thereof, in the open position, to allow the charging of these accumulation means (14), through the means of gas inlet (10) and the means (16) for controlling the circulation of gases therein, from the or each corresponding cylinder.  2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for controlling the gas circulation (16) comprise valve means (17) with non-return valve (19), arranged in the gas inlet path in the motor and movable under the control of the control means (9) between a first position for opening this path and a second position for closing the latter, in which the non-return valve (19) is placed in this path.  3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the valve means (17) comprises a rotary plug (18).  4. System according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the means (16) for controlling the circulation of gases comprise a connection orifice (20) of the inlet (15) of the accumulation means (14), fitted with a non-return valve (21) and placed downstream of the valve means (17). <Desc / Clms Page number 9>  5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valves (4,5) of the engine (1) are valves controlled by electromagnetic actuators (6,7) whose supply is controlled by means control (8) under the control of the control means (9).  6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressurized gas accumulation means (14) comprise a gas outlet (22) connected to the means (10) for admitting gas into the engine , through valve means (23) controllable by the control means (9), for injecting gas into the engine.  7. System according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pressurized gas accumulation means (14) comprise a gas outlet (22) connected to a turbocharger (24) associated with the engine (1 ), through valve means (23) controllable by the control means (9), for injecting gas therein.