Model-based predictive control of an Electro-Pneumatic exhaust valve for Internal Combustion engines

Variable valve actuation of internal combustion (IC) engines is capable of significantly improving their performance. Variable valve actuation can be divided into two main categories: variable valve timing with cam shaft(s) and camless valve actuation. For camless valve actuation, research has been centered in electro-magnetic, electro-hydraulic, and electro-pneumatic valve actuators. This research studies the control of the electro-pneumatic valve actuator. The modeling and control of intake valves for the Electro-Pneumatic Valve Actuators (EPVA) was shown in early publications and this paper extends the EPVA modeling and control development to exhaust valves for both valve timing and lift control. The control strategy developed utilizes model-based predictive techniques to overcome the randomly variable in-cylinder pressure against which the exhaust valve opens.