Fuel efficient exhaust thermal management for compression ignition engines during idle via cylinder deactivation and flexible valve actuation

Fuel efficient thermal management of diesel engine aftertreatment is a significant challenge, particularly during cold start, extended idle, urban driving, and vehicle operation in cold ambient conditions. Aftertreatment systems incorporating NOx-mitigating selective catalytic reduction and diesel oxidation catalysts must reach ∼250 °C to be effective. The primary engine-out condition that affects the ability to keep the aftertreatment components hot is the turbine outlet temperature; however, it is a combination of exhaust flow rate and turbine outlet temperature that impact the warm-up of the aftertreatment components via convective heat transfer. This article demonstrates that cylinder deactivation improves exhaust thermal management during both loaded and lightly loaded idle conditions. Coupling cylinder deactivation with flexible valve motions results in additional benefits during lightly loaded idle operation. Specifically, this article illustrates that at loaded idle, valve motion and fuel injection deactivation in three of the six cylinders enables the following: (1) a turbine outlet temperature increases from ∼190 °C to 310 °C with only a 2% fuel economy penalty compared to the most efficient six-cylinder operation and (2) a 39% reduction in fuel consumption compared to six-cylinder operation achieving the same ∼310 °C turbine out temperature. Similarly, at lightly loaded idle, the combination of valve motion and fuel injection deactivation in three of the six cylinders, intake/exhaust valve throttling, and intake valve closure modulation enables the following: (1) a turbine outlet temperature increases from ∼120 °C to 200 °C with no fuel consumption penalty compared to the most efficient six-cylinder operation and (2) turbine outlet temperatures in excess of 250 °C when internal exhaust gas recirculation is also implemented. These variable valve actuation-based strategies also outperform six-cylinder operation for aftertreatment warm-up at all catalyst bed temperatures. These benefits are primarily realized by reducing the air flow through the engine, directly resulting in higher exhaust temperatures and lower pumping penalties compared to conventional six-cylinder operation. The elevated exhaust temperatures offset exhaust flow reductions, increasing exhaust gas-to-catalyst heat transfer rates, resulting in superior aftertreatment thermal management performance.