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Cylinder deactivation is a fuel consumption reduction technology for throttled internal combustion engines and other engines with thermal efficiency loss at part cylinder load. Recent production implementations, deactivating fixed sets of cylinders under part-load operating conditions, have had limited “fly zones” due to issues with drivability and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Dynamic skip firing, which in its ultimate form incorporates anytime, any-cylinder deactivation, continuously varies the number of firing cylinders, along with cylinder load, obtaining flexible control of acoustic and vibrational excitations from the engine, and allowing an expanded operational envelope with fewer drive ability/NVH issues. This paper outlines design considerations of dynamic skip fire operational strategies, discusses implementation of the system on a vehicle, and presents benefits to fuel economy and NVH.

Dynamic skip fire is a control method for internal combustion engines in which engine cylinders are selectively fired or skipped to meet driver torque demand. In this type of engine operation, fueling, and possibly intake and exhaust valves of each cylinder are actuated on an individual firing opportunity basis. The ability to operate each cylinder at or near its best thermal efficiency, and to achieve flexible control of acoustic and vibrational excitations has been described in previous publications. Due to intermittent induction and exhaust events, air induction and torque production in a DSF engine can vary more than conventional engines on a cycle-to-cycle basis. This paper describes engine thermofluid modeling for this type of operation for purposes of air flow and torque prediction.