Diesel Engine Cylinder Deactivation for Improved System Performance over Transient Real-World Drive Cycles

Effective control of exhaust emissions from modern diesel engines requires the use of aftertreatment systems. Elevated aftertreatment component temperatures are required for engine-out emissions reductions to acceptable tailpipe limits. Maintaining elevated aftertreatment components temperatures is particularly problematic during prolonged low speed, low load operation of the engine (i.e. idle, creep, stop and go traffic), on account of low engine-outlet temperatures during these operating conditions. Conventional techniques to achieve elevated aftertreatment component temperatures include delayed fuel injections and over-squeezing the turbocharger, both of which result in a significant fuel consumption penalty. Cylinder deactivation (CDA) has been studied as a candidate strategy to maintain favorable aftertreatment temperatures, in a fuel efficient manner, via reduced airflow through the engine. This work focuses on prediction and demonstration of fuel economy benefits of CDA when implemented at idle and low load portions of the emission certification cycles, such as the heavy duty federal test procedure (HD-FTP), and other real-world drive cycles, including the Orange County bus and port drayage creep cycles. A 3.4% benefit in fuel economy has been demonstrated over the HD-FTP, while maintaining tailpipe-out NOx emissions. Greater improvements in fuel economy have been predicted over the real world cycles, with a 5.6% reduction predicted over the Orange County bus cycle and 35% reduction predicted over the port drayage creep cycle.