Systems and methods for setting engine speed using a feed forward signal

1. A method for setting an engine speed of an internal combustion engine in a marine propulsion system to an operator-selected engine speed, wherein a feedback controller maintains the engine speed at the operator-selected engine speed, the method comprising:

predicting a position of a throttle valve of the engine that is needed to provide the operator-selected engine speed;

determining a feed forward signal that will move the throttle valve to the predicted position based on an external operating condition of the marine propulsion system;

providing the feed forward signal to the throttle valve, bypassing the feedback controller, to move the throttle valve to the predicted position;

after moving the throttle valve to the predicted position, controlling the engine speed with the feedback controller so as to obtain the operator-selected engine speed; and

adapting the feed forward signal by iteratively adding or subtracting a fraction of an integral term output by the feedback controller so as to more accurately predict the position of the throttle valve that is needed to provide the operator-selected engine speed when the external operating condition is present.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising limiting an amount by which the feed forward signal can be adapted based on an operator input to the marine propulsion system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount by which the feed forward signal can be adapted decreases as an operator demand input increases.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adapting the feed forward signal so as to drive the integral term output by the feedback controller to zero.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external operating condition comprises a load on the marine propulsion system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the feed forward signal that will move the throttle valve to the predicted position based on an operator-selected control mode of the marine propulsion system, wherein the operator-selected control mode comprises a sport mode in which an operator may select a desired aggressiveness of acceleration of the engine speed.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising increasing the feed forward signal by an operator-selected factor when the operator-selected engine speed is between a lower engine speed threshold and an upper engine speed threshold and the sport mode is selected.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external operating condition comprises a barometric pressure of an atmosphere in which the marine propulsion system is operating.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising inputting the barometric pressure and the operator-selected engine speed into a pre-calibrated lookup table to determine the feed forward signal.

10. A marine propulsion system comprising:

an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve;

an input device for inputting an operator demand corresponding to an operator-selected engine speed;

an electronic control unit that predicts a position of the throttle valve that will provide the operator-selected engine speed and that determines a feed forward signal that will move the throttle valve to the predicted position; and

a feedback controller that controls a speed of the engine so as to obtain the operator-selected engine speed after the throttle valve has been moved to the predicted position;

wherein the electronic control unit determines the feed forward signal based on an external operating condition of the marine propulsion system;

wherein the electronic control unit adapts the feed forward signal by iteratively adding or subtracting a fraction of an integral term output by the feedback controller so as to more accurately predict the position of the throttle valve that is needed to provide the operator-selected engine speed when the external operating condition is present; and

wherein the electronic control unit provides the feed forward signal to the throttle valve, bypassing the feedback controller, to move the throttle valve to the predicted position.

11. The marine propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the electronic control unit limits an amount by which the feed forward signal can be adapted based on the operator demand.

12. The marine propulsion system of claim 11 , wherein the amount by which the feed forward signal can be adapted decreases as the operator demand increases.

13. The marine propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the external operating condition comprises a load on the marine propulsion system.

14. The marine propulsion system of claim 10 , wherein the electronic control unit determines the feed forward signal based on an operator-selected control mode of the marine propulsion system, and wherein the operator-selected control mode comprises a sport mode.

15. The marine propulsion system of claim 14 , further comprising a sport mode input device, wherein when the operator-selected engine speed is between a lower engine speed threshold and an upper engine speed threshold, actuation of the sport mode input device allows an operator to select a desired aggressiveness of acceleration of the engine speed.

16. The marine propulsion system of claim 10 , further comprising a barometric pressure sensor for determining a barometric pressure of an atmosphere in which the marine propulsion system is operating, wherein the external operating condition comprises the barometric pressure.

17. The marine propulsion system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic control unit determines the feed forward signal based on the barometric pressure and the operator-selected engine speed.