Comparative study of diesel engine cylinder deactivation transition strategies

Abstract

Cylinder deactivation is an effective strategy to improve diesel engine fuel efficiency and aftertreatment thermal management when implemented through deactivation of both fueling and valve motion for a set of cylinders. Brake power is maintained by injecting additional fuel into the remaining activated cylinders. The initial deactivation of cylinders can be accomplished in various ways, the two most common options being to trap freshly inducted charge in the deactivated cylinders or to trap combusted gases in the deactivated cylinders. The choice of trapping strategy dictates the in-cylinder pressure characteristics of the deactivated cylinders and has potential to affect torque, oil consumption, and emissions upon reactivation. The effort described here compares these trapping strategies through examination of in-cylinder pressures following deactivation. Proponents of each trapping strategy exist; however, the results discussed here suggest no significant performance differences. As an example, the in-cylinder pressures of both trapping strategies converge as quickly as seven cycles, less than 1 s, after deactivation at curb idle conditions.