A valve control device controls an opening degree of a valve provided in an intake passage, an exhaust passage, or a passage connected one of these and includes an observed value acquisition unit, an inlet temperature acquisition unit, a target calculation unit, an equilibrium opening degree calculation unit, an observer, a correction opening degree calculation unit, an instruction opening degree calculation unit, and an output unit. The target calculation unit calculates an equilibrium state value and a target property value. The correction opening degree calculation unit calculates a correction opening degree by multiplying a gain matrix by a deviation vector including, a deviation between the equilibrium state value and the estimated state value and an integrated value of a deviation between the target property value and the estimated property value.

A fluidic subsystem disposed on a vehicle includes an electric motor, a motor driver, and a fluidic pump that is disposed in a fluidic circuit that is monitored by a pressure sensor. A controller includes an instruction set that is executable to dynamically observe operation of the fluidic subsystem, from which it determines a plurality of observed parameters associated with the operation of the fluidic subsystem and a plurality of estimated parameters associated with the fluidic subsystem. A plurality of fault isolation parameters are determined based upon the observed parameters and the estimated parameters, and a fault in the fluidic subsystem is isolated based upon the fault isolation parameters. The isolated fault is communicated via the controller.

An engine system incorporating an engine, one or more sensors, and a controller. The controller may be connected to the one or more sensors and the engine. The one or more sensors may be configured to sense one or more parameters related to operation of the engine. The controller may incorporate an air-path state estimator configured to estimate one or more air-path state parameters in the engine based on values of one or more parameters sensed by the sensors. The controller may have an on-line and an off-line portion, where the on-line portion may incorporate the air-path state estimator and the off-line portion may configure and/or calibrate a model for the air-path state estimator.

A lean operation fault detection and isolation (FDI) technique involves receiving, from a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor, a measured MAP, detecting a lean operation fault where an engine is operating with a lean air/fuel ratio, estimating, using an observer, (i) an air/fuel ratio of an exhaust gas produced by the engine and (ii) the MAP, monitoring first and second residual values indicative of differences between (i) the estimated air/fuel ratio of the exhaust gas and a measured air/fuel ratio of the exhaust gas from an exhaust O2 sensor and (ii) the estimated MAP and the measured MAP from the MAP sensor, respectively, and, based on the monitoring of the first and second residual values, determining which of (i) an air intake of the engine, (ii) the exhaust O2 sensor, and (iii) a fuel injector of the engine is malfunctioning and causing the lean operation fault.

Methods and systems are provided for determining condition of an air filter coupled to an intake passage of an engine system. In one example, a method may include estimating a resistance of the air filter based on a manifold air charge value. The manifold air charge value may be either a mass air flow or a manifold air pressure.

A method of operating a dedicated-EGR engine includes providing a rich air-fuel mixture to a dedicated cylinder; combusting the rich air-fuel mixture in the dedicated cylinder; modeling the combustion of the rich air-fuel mixture in the dedicated cylinder; estimating the composition of the combustion products in the dedicated cylinder based on interpolation of chemical reaction models of stoichiometric and rich combustion. The method further includes mixing the combustion products from the dedicated cylinder with air to produce an intake mixture; estimating a mass fraction of reformate and a mass fraction of burned gas in the intake mixture; providing the intake mixture to the intake ports of all of the cylinders of the dedicated-EGR engine; combusting an air-fuel mixture in a non-dedicated cylinder of the engine; and controlling an engine control parameter based on the estimated mass fractions of reformate and burned gas in the intake mixture.

The present invention relates to a method for determining a manipulated variable for adjusting an intake manifold pressure in an internal combustion engine on the basis of a target intake manifold pressure, whereby the target intake manifold pressure is corrected as a function of a limit value of the manipulated variable and/or as a function of a variable that has been influenced by the limit value of the manipulated variable. Moreover, the invention relates to a control circuit for carrying out such a method.

A method of operating a dedicated-EGR engine includes providing a rich air-fuel mixture to a dedicated cylinder; combusting the rich air-fuel mixture in the dedicated cylinder; modeling the combustion of the rich air-fuel mixture in the dedicated cylinder; estimating the composition of the combustion products in the dedicated cylinder based on interpolation of chemical reaction models of stoichiometric and rich combustion. The method further includes mixing the combustion products from the dedicated cylinder with air to produce an intake mixture; estimating a mass fraction of reformate and a mass fraction of burned gas in the intake mixture; providing the intake mixture to the intake ports of all of the cylinders of the dedicated-EGR engine; combusting an air-fuel mixture in a non-dedicated cylinder of the engine; and controlling an engine control parameter based on the estimated mass fractions of reformate and burned gas in the intake mixture.

An engine system incorporating an engine, one or more sensors, and a controller. The controller may be connected to the one or more sensors and the engine. The one or more sensors may be configured to sense one or more parameters related to operation of the engine. The controller may incorporate an air-path state estimator configured to estimate one or more air-path state parameters in the engine based on values of one or more parameters sensed by the sensors. The controller may have an on-line and an off-line portion, where the on-line portion may incorporate the air-path state estimator and the off-line portion may configure and/or calibrate a model for the air-path state estimator.

An internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a control device, and at least one injector for liquid fuel. The injector(s) can be controlled by the control device via an actuator control signal. The injector(s) include an injector outlet opening for the liquid fuel which can be closed by a needle. A sensor is also provided for measuring a measurement variable of the injector(s). The sensor is or can be in a signal connection with the control device. An algorithm is stored in the control device, which algorithm calculates a state of the injector(s) based on input variables and an injector model, compares the state calculated via the injector model with a target state, and produces a state signal in accordance therewith. The state signal is characteristic of a change in the state of the injector(s) that occurs during intended use of the injector(s) and/or an unforeseen change in the state of the injector(s). The input variables include at least the actuator control signal and the measurement values of the sensor. A method for operating such an internal combustion engine and an injector is also provided.