A continuous variable valve duration apparatus may include a camshaft, a plurality of wheels mounted to the camshaft, of which a wheel key is formed thereto respectively, a plurality of cam portions of which a cam and a cam key are formed thereto respectively, of which the camshaft is inserted thereto, of which relative phase angle with respect to the camshaft is variable, a plurality of inner brackets connected with the each wheel key and the each cam key, a plurality of slider housings of which the each inner bracket is rotatably inserted thereto, and movable up and down direction of an engine, a control portion selectively moving the slider housings to adjust relative position of a rotation center of the inner brackets and a guider guiding movement of the sliding housings.

Internal combustion engine having cam actuated valves that can be controlled to facilitate the use of different air charge levels in different cylinders or sets of cylinders are described. In one aspect a first set of cylinders is operated in a skip fire manner in which the corresponding cylinders are deactivated during skipped working cycles. Cam actuated intake valves associated with a second set of cylinders are operated differently so that the air charge in the cylinders in the second set is different than the air charge in fired cylinders subject to the skip fire control. According to another aspect, an engine having cam actuated intake valves is operated in a dynamic firing level modulation mode. During the dynamic firing level modulation operation, the cam actuated intake valves are controlled in at least two different manners to such that different cylinder working cycles have different air charges.

A control method for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism includes: controlling a continuously variable valve lift mechanism to enter a limp mode when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism fails and disables an automatic valve lift changing function; driving and forcing the continuously variable valve lift mechanism to move to a maximum lift position; and triggering a self locking function to self lock the continuously variable valve lift mechanism at the maximum lift position when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism reaches the maximum lift position. A control system for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism, and a vehicle are also provided.

Internal combustion engine having cam actuated valves that can be controlled to facilitate the use of different air charge levels in different cylinders or sets of cylinders are described. In one aspect a first set of cylinders is operated in a skip fire manner in which the corresponding cylinders are deactivated during skipped working cycles. Cam actuated intake valves associated with a second set of cylinders are operated differently so that the air charge in the cylinders in the second set is different than the air charge in fired cylinders subject to the skip fire control. According to another aspect, an engine having cam actuated intake valves is operated in a dynamic firing level modulation mode. During the dynamic firing level modulation operation, the cam actuated intake valves are controlled in at least two different manners to such that different cylinder working cycles have different air charges.

A control method for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism includes: controlling a continuously variable valve lift mechanism to enter a limp mode when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism fails and disables an automatic valve lift changing function; driving and forcing the continuously variable valve lift mechanism to move to a maximum lift position; and triggering a self locking function to self lock the continuously variable valve lift mechanism at the maximum lift position when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism reaches the maximum lift position. A control system for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism, and a vehicle are also provided.

A variable system of an internal combustion engine spaces a closing timing IVC of an intake valve apart from an intake bottom dead center BDC by a variable actuation valve mechanism and also increases a mechanical expansion ratio E by a variable compression ratio mechanism when an engine torque increases to around a maximum engine torque. The variable system sets the closing timing IVC of the intake valve to a closing timing IVCd spaced apart from the intake bottom dead center BDC around the maximum engine torque. Due to this control, the variable system can reduce an effective compression ratio to enhance a knocking resistance capability, and, further, achieve improvement of thermal efficiency and also reduce a temperature of exhaust gas to prevent or reduce thermal damage on an exhaust-system component by increasing the mechanical expansion ratio.

An internal combustion engine capable of cylinder deactivation or skip fire control in combination with variable valve lift control. One bank of cylinders can be deactivated while the air induction of the other bank of cylinders is regulated using variable valve lift control to increase engine efficiency. An internal combustion engine with two cylinder banks, where control of one cylinder bank using skip fire control can be operating at an appropriate firing fraction in combination with variable valve lift control on the other cylinder bank. A single bank of cylinders can be controlled in a skip fire manner in conjunction with variable valve lift control.

A continuous variable valve duration apparatus may include: a camshaft; first and second cam portions on which a cam is formed respectively, to which the camshaft is inserted and of which relative phase angles with respect to the camshaft are variable; first and second inner brackets transmitting rotation of the camshaft to the first and second cam portions respectively; a slider housing in which the first and second inner brackets are rotatably inserted, and on which a control slot is formed; a cam cap rotatably supporting the first and the second cam portions and to which the slider housing is slidably mounted; a control shaft which is parallel to the camshaft and on which a control rod is eccentrically formed; an eccentric plate rotatably connected to the control rod and rotatably inserted into the control slot; and a control portion selectively rotating the control shaft.

A continuous variable valve duration apparatus may include a camshaft, a first and second cam portions on which a cam is formed respectively, of which the camshaft is inserted thereto and of which relative phase angles with respect to the camshaft are variable, a first and second inner brackets transmitting rotation of the camshaft to the first and second cam portions respectively, a slider housing in which the first and second inner brackets are rotatably inserted, of which a relative position with respect to the camshaft is variable, and on which a control slot is formed, a cam cap rotatably supporting the first and the second cam portions and to which the slider housing is slidably mounted, a control shaft parallel to the camshaft and on which a control rod is eccentrically formed, an eccentric plate rotatably connected to the control rod and rotatably inserted into the control slot, a separation prevention pin disposed to inhibit the eccentric plate from being separated from the slider housing and a control portion selectively rotating the control shaft so as to controlling a position of the slider housing.

A continuous variable valve duration apparatus may include a camshaft, a first and second cam portions on which a cam is formed respectively, of which the camshaft is inserted thereto and of which relative phase angles with respect to the camshaft are variable, a first and second inner brackets transmitting rotation of the camshaft to the first and second cam portions respectively, a slider housing in which the first and second inner brackets are rotatably inserted, of which a relative position with respect to the camshaft is variable, and on which a control slot is formed, a cam cap rotatably supporting the first and the second cam portions and to which the slider housing is slidably mounted, a control shaft parallel to the camshaft and on which a control rod is eccentrically formed, an eccentric plate rotatably connected to the control rod and rotatably inserted into the control slot, a separation prevention pin disposed to inhibit the eccentric plate from being separated from the slider housing and a control portion selectively rotating the control shaft so as to controlling a position of the slider housing.