Coordinated Cylinder Pressure Based Control for Reducing Diesel Emissions Dispersion

Future demands for very low emissions from diesel engines, without compromising fuel economy or driveability, require Engine Management Systems (EMS) capable of compensating for emissions dispersion caused by production tolerances and component ageing. This paper describes a collaborative project between Ricardo and General Motors (GM), aimed at reducing engine-out emissions dispersion and enabling alternative combustion modes, such as Ricardo’s Highly Premixed Cool Combustion (HPCC), in real-world scenarios. Cylinder pressure based control is a key technology enabler for achieving the necessary high-level coordination of fuel, air and EGR in order to meet the conflicting performance requirements of current and future diesel engines. The paper describes the background to the project, the development toolchain using production intent sensors, control strategies developed for both testbed and vehicle application and preliminary results obtained.