Method and device for improving charged engines

1. Method to operate a charged internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder and a plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder, the method comprising:

monitoring an unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder;

monitoring operation of the engine;

determining a delay closing timing for a first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder to remain open at an end of an intake stroke past bottom dead center to achieve a desired effective compression ratio based upon the monitored operation of the engine and the unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder;

controlling the first intake valve based upon the determined delay timing for the first intake valve; and

controlling a second intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored unmodified timing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder comprises:

monitoring a desired residual gas level of the cylinder; and

determining the unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the desired residual gas level of the cylinder.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder comprises:

monitoring a speed of the engine;

monitoring a load of the engine; and

determining the unmodified timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the speed of the engine and the load of the engine.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining a timing for an exhaust valve for the cylinder based upon the speed of the engine and the load of the engine.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring operation of the engine comprises monitoring an engine load, and wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored operation of the engine comprises determining the delay timing for the first intake valve based upon the monitored engine load.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring operation of the engine comprises monitoring a desired effective compression ratio, and wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored operation of the engine comprises determining the delay timing for the first intake valve based upon the desired effective compression ratio.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is configured with a geometric compression ratio based upon fuel efficiency;

wherein the monitoring operation of the engine comprises monitoring a engine throttle level; and

wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored operation of the engine comprises determining the delay timing for the first intake valve based upon the monitored engine throttle level approaching wide open throttle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring operation of the engine comprises:

monitoring a knock sensor;

monitoring an actual spark timing;

monitoring an open-loop spark timing; and

comparing the actual spark timing and the open-loop spark timing; and

wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve comprises a closed-loop determination of the delay timing based upon the monitored knock sensor and the comparison of the actual spark timing and the open-loop spark timing.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining an exhaust-cam position based upon the monitored operation of the engine;

determining an intake-cam position based upon the monitored operation of the engine;

determining a boost pressure based upon the monitored operation of the engine;

determining an air fuel ratio based upon the monitored operation of the engine;

determining a fuel injection strategy and timing based upon the monitored operation of the engine;

determining a fuel pressure based upon the monitored operation of the engine; and

determining a nominal spark timing based upon the monitored operation of the engine.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring operation of the engine comprises monitoring a fuel quality sensor;

wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve comprises an open-loop determination of the delay timing based upon the monitored fuel quality sensor; and

the method further comprising determining a boost pressure calibration based upon the monitored fuel quality sensor in an open-loop determination.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring operation of the engine comprises:

monitoring a knock sensor; and

monitoring modeled in-cylinder conditions;

wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve comprises a closed-loop determination of the delay timing based upon the monitored knock sensor and the monitored modeled in-cylinder conditions; and

the method further comprising determining a boost pressure based upon the monitored knock sensor and the monitored modeled in-cylinder conditions in a closed-loop determination.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring modeled in-cylinder conditions comprises:

monitoring an actual spark timing;

monitoring an open-loop spark timing;

comparing the actual spark timing and the open-loop spark timing; and

monitoring a model of charge contents within the cylinder.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring modeled in-cylinder conditions comprises:

monitoring base CA50 value;

monitoring an in-cylinder pressure;

determining a CA50 value based upon the in-cylinder pressure; and

comparing the determined CA50 value to the base CA50 value.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring operation of the engine comprises:

monitoring a knock sensor; and

monitoring in-cylinder pressure;

wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve comprises a closed-loop determination of the delay timing based upon the monitored knock sensor and the monitored in-cylinder pressure; and

further comprising determining a boost pressure based upon the monitored knock sensor and the monitored in-cylinder pressure in a closed-loop determination.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring operation of the engine comprises:

monitoring an actual spark timing;

monitoring an open-loop spark timing;

comparing the actual spark timing and the open-loop spark timing; and

monitoring a fuel quality sensor;

wherein determining the delay timing for the first intake valve comprises

a closed-loop determination of the delay timing based upon the monitored knock sensor and the comparison of the actual spark timing and the open-loop spark timing, and

an open-loop determination of the delay timing based upon the monitored fuel quality sensor.

16. System for operating a charged internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder and a plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder, the system comprising:

the cylinder;

the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder;

a control module

monitoring a first timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder,

monitoring operation of the engine,

determining a delay closing timing for a first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder to remain open at an end of an intake stroke past bottom dead center to achieve a desired effective compression ratio based upon the monitored operation of the engine,

controlling the first intake valve based upon the determined delay closing timing for the first intake valve, and

controlling a second intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves for the cylinder based upon the monitored first timing; and

wherein the delay closing timing for the first intake valve of the independently controllable intake valves is selected to lower an effective compression ratio in the cylinder to achieve the desired effective compression ratio in the cylinder.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first timing for the plurality of independently controllable intake valves is selected based upon a desired residual gas level in the cylinder.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a controllable exhaust valve for the cylinder; and

wherein the control module further controls the controllable exhaust valve for the cylinder based upon the desired residual gas level in the cylinder.

19. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a charging device; and

wherein the control module further controls a boost pressure from the charging device based upon the monitored operation of the engine.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a fuel quality sensor; and

wherein the control module monitoring operation of the engine comprises the control module monitoring the fuel quality sensor; and

wherein the control module determining the delay timing for the first intake valve based upon the monitored operation of the engine comprises the control module determining the delay timing for the first intake valve based upon the monitored fuel quality sensor.

21. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

an independently controllable cam controlling each of the independently controllable intake valves.