An internal combustion engine may be equipped with an air charging system designed for supplying air into the combustion chambers. The air charging system generally includes an intake pipe that conveys air from the ambient environment to an intake manifold in fluid communication with the combustion chambers. An intake valve is generally disposed in the intake pipe. The intake valve has an actuator arranged to move a valve member that regulates the mass flow rate of the air that flows towards the intake manifold.
The air charging system may also comprise a turbocharger provided for increasing the pressure of the air in the intake manifold. The turbocharger comprises a compressor located in the intake pipe and a turbine that rotates the compressor by receiving exhaust gasses from an exhaust manifold in fluid communication with the combustion chambers. To regulate the rotational speed of the compressor, the turbine may be a variable geometry turbine (VGT) having an actuator arranged to alter the angular position of the turbine inlet vanes. The air charging system may comprise an additional air compressor located in the intake pipe and driven by an electric motor.
The air charging system may further comprise one or more exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) pipes for recirculating a portion of the exhaust gasses from the exhaust manifold back into the intake manifold. Each EGR pipe is generally provided with an EGR valve having an actuator arranged to move a valve member that regulates the mass flow rate of the recirculated exhaust gasses.
During the operation of the engine, the actuators of the air charging system, such as the EGR valve actuator(s), the VGT actuator, the intake valve actuator and the electric motor of the air compressor, are used to regulate a number of output parameters of the air charging system, for example the pressure inside the intake manifold, the oxygen concentration inside the intake manifold and the pressure inside the exhaust manifold, according to performance and emissions requirements.
To perform this function, these actuators are conventionally controlled according to separated and uncoordinated control strategies, which enable each individual actuator to be operated in any desired or required position, independently from one another.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved control strategies for an air charging system. In addition, it is desirable to coordinate the control strategies of the actuators in the air charging system. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.