VVT i Variable Valve Timed VVT i Variable Valve Timed

intelligent system intelligent system

Contents: Page Abstract 4 Chapter 1: Introduction 5 Chapter 2: Variable Valve timing 7 Chapter 3: Valve timing 14 Chapter 4: Research 16 Chapter 5: Conclusion 17 Extended reading 18 References 18

Abstract: Modern Trends in IC Engines & Automobiles

VVT-i:

As we know the current global scenario, there is only a little amount of crude o il left on the earth. This crude oil can hold things together just for another 30 years. So , it is the need of the hour to devise a bail-out for the human race from this blow of energy crisis . The introduction starts by acknowledging Rudolf Diesel and Karl Benz for the inv ention of the internal combustion engine, which made some of man s most cherished dreams, become reality; the aircraft, the motor car, the submarine, the tank and many other inv entions before they could be born in their practical form. However now, the internal combustion engi ne (ICE) is on the way out and electric motors are on the way in, but ICEs have been around for so long that we should be careful about announcing their demise. They're going to stick around a while longer, and so it's very important to make them as efficient and clean as possible. Since we have to manage with the ICE for much more time, it would be wise to mak e it cleaner & powerful. In other words, engines must be made more efficient. From th e day ICEs were invented, the work of improvisation started. Various researches were conduc ted. Finally, the best method to improve it, was a lot on the chemistry part, i.e., on the fue l. Among the other methods, include cylinder de-activation, turbo-charging etc.; the best method wh ich can be very efficiently used and is being used is the variable valve timing intelligent (VVT -i) system. Variable valve timing and lift allows the valves to open and close to allow air and fuel to enter cylinders and for the products of combustion to exit. Different valve timi ngs produce different results (more power, better fuel economy). This allows a smaller displacement en gine to produce more peak power, so it allows for downsizing and fuel savings.

Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1. Defining the VVT i: Variable valve timing and lift allows the valves to open and close to allow air and fuel to enter cylinders and for the products of combustion to exit. Different valve timi ngs produce different results (more power, better fuel economy). This allows a smaller displacement en gine to produce more peak power, so it allows for downsizing and fuel savings. 1.2. The growth of IC engine: Petroleum fuels are very widely used in many engines. From automobile engines to the rocket, power is provided by the fossil fuels. The most common prime mover power ed by fuel is the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine has been with us for a long time -since about 1885. Familiar layouts soon appeared with, for example, six cylinde rs seen as early as 1902. Multiple valves per cylinder, double overhead cam-shafts, super-charger s, turbochargers, and fuel injection are all well and truly before the World War 2 period. Though they were convincing in the design level, only on paper, still they gathered no heat. After that, it might be said that there was no very novel and lasting engine concept until the oil crisis and stricter anti-pollution laws started a movement towards greater engine efficienc y. 1.3. The search for improvement: In the quest for better & improved ICEs, researchers, inventors, scientists have stumbled upon different types of ICEs. However, they still work basically on the same pri nciple as they ever did. But the old 4-cylinder engines which produced about 20 horsepower, hav e evolved into ones which can generate up to 250 hp while being cleaner and burning less fuel. So, the top five or the best five improvements that could have ever happened in the field of auto motive engine technology are the following:

6 . Clean Fuel: The best method of cutting on emissions and obtaining good power is by using fue l of the best quality. Various advances such as the availability of ultra low sulfur dies el fuel, better catalysts and particulate matter traps, better control over combustion are making diesel e ngines cleaner, have made it possible. Diesel engines are certainly far from perfect, b ut they have inherently better thermal efficiency than gasoline engines, and they are usually more durab le. Another benefit is that they can run on biodiesel. . Direct injection: Before direct injection, the fuel was mixed with air in the car's intake manifol d. Now, with direct injection, the fuel is mixed with air inside the cylinder, allowing for better control over the amount of fuel used, and variations depending on demand (acceleration v s. cruising). This makes the engine more fuel efficient. . Cylinder deactivation: The name says it all. ICEs with this feature can simply deactivate some cylinder s when less power is required, temporarily reducing the total volume of the engine cyli nders and so burning less fuel. This feature is found on V6 and V8 engines. . Turbochargers: Turbochargers increase the pressure inside cylinders, cramming more air and allo wing combustion to generate more power. This doesn't make the engine more economical in itself, but since a smaller displacement engine can generate more peak power, you can more e asily downsize and save there. The 5th best method is the incorporation of a Variable Valve Timed (VVT) system, which is explained further in the report.

Chapter 2: Variable valve timing 2.1. Introduction: Variable valve timing, or VVT, is a generic term for an automobile piston engine technology. VVT allows the lift / duration / timing of the intake or exhaust valves (or both ) to be changed while the engine is in operation. Two-stroke engines use a Power valve s ystem to get similar results to VVT. Fig 2.1: The VVT system found in the Honda K20Z3 Piston engines normally use poppet valves for intake and exhaust. These are driv en by cams on a camshaft. The cams open the valves for a certain amount of time during each intake and exhaust cycle. The timing of the valve opening and closing is also important . The camshaft is driven by the crankshaft through timing belts, gears or chains. The profile, or position and shape of the cam lobes on the shaft, is optimized for a certain engine RPM, and this t rade off normally limits low-end torque or high-end power. VVT allows the cam profile to change, w hich results in greater efficiency and power. At high engine speeds, it provides the engine with large amounts of air, which is the major advantage. The peer pressure to meet environmental goals and fuel efficiency standards is forcing car manufacturers to turn to VVT as a solution.

2.2. History: The earliest variable valve timing systems came into existence in the 19th centu ry on steam engines. Stephenson valve gear, as used on early steam locomotives support ed variable cutoff. Admission and exhaust cutoff were decoupled with the development of the Corliss valve. These were widely used in constant speed variable load stationary engines. As po ppet valves came into use, simplified valve gear using a camshaft came into use. s first passenger car diesel engine that features a variable valve timing system . With such engines, variable cutoff could be achieved with variable profile cams that were shifted along the camshaft by the governor. The earliest Variable valve timing s ystems on internal combustion engines were on the Lycoming R-7755 hyper engine, which had cam p rofiles that were selectable by the pilot. This allowed the pilot to choose full take of f and pursuit power or economical cruising speed, depending on what was needed. Fiat was the first auto manufacturer to patent a functional automotive variable valve timing system which included variable lift. Developed by Giovanni Torazza in the la te 1960s, the system used hydraulic pressure to vary the fulcrum of the cam followers (US Pate nt 3,641,988). In September 1975, General Motors (GM) patented a system intended to vary valve lift. Alfa Romeo was the first manufacturer to use a variable valve timing system in produc tion cars (US Patent 4,231,330). Honda's REV motorcycle employed on the Japanese market-only H onda CBR400F in 1983 provided a technology base for VTEC. The 2008 Dodge Viper uses M echadyne's concentric camshaft assembly to help boost power. In 2009 Porsche introdu ced an enhanced version of VarioCam Plus on its 911 GT3 including the previous variable v alve timing and two stage valve lift on the intake valves but with additional variable timin g of the exhaust valve. In 2010, Mitsubishi developed and started mass production of its 4N13 1.8 L DOHC I4 world' 2.3. VARIABLE VALVE TIMING INTELLIGENT (VVT-i) SYSTEM: VVT-i system is a computer controlled mechanism that continually varies the timi ng for opening and closing the intake valves in accordance with the vehicle's operating conditions. The VVT-i system is designed to control the intake camshaft within a range of 50 (of crankshaft

Angle) to provide valve timing optimally suited to the engine condition .This im proves the torque in all the speed ranges as well as fuel economy and reducing exhaust emissions. This system controls the intake camshaft valve timing so as to obtain balance between the en gine output, fuel consumption & emission control performance. 2.3.1. VVT-I control system: Fig: 2.2 VVT-I control system The Variable Valve Timing (VVT) system includes the Electronic Control Module (ECM), Oil Control Valve (OCV) and VVT controller. The ECM sends a target duty-c ycle control signal to the OCV. This control signal regulates the oil pressure supplied to the VVT controller. Camshaft timing control is performed according to engine operati ng conditions such as the intake air volume, throttle valve position and engine coo lant temperature. The ECM controls the OCV, based on the signals transmitted by several sensors. T he VVT controller regulates the intake camshaft angle using oil pressure through th e OCV. As a result, the relative positions of the camshaft and crankshaft are optimized, the engine torque and fuel economy improve, and the exhaust emissions decrease under overall driving c onditions. The ECM detects the actual intake valve timing using signals from the cam shaft and crankshaft position sensors, and performs feedback control.

10 Fig 2.3 Electronic Control Module (ECM): The ECM optimizes the valve timing using the VVT system to control the intake ca mshaft. The VVT system includes the ECM, the OCV and the VVT controller. The ECM sends a target duty-cycle control signal to the OCV. This control signal regulates the o il pressure supplied to the VVT controller. The VVT controller can advance or retard the intake camsh aft. After the ECM sends the target duty-cycle signal to the OCV, the ECM monitors the OCV current to establish an actual duty-cycle. The ECM determines the existe nce of a malfunction and sets the DTC when the actual duty- cycle ratio varies from the target dutycycle ratio. 3.3.2. Important parts . VVT-i Controller: This controller consists of the housing driven from the timing chain and the van e coupled with the intake camshaft. The oil pressure sent from the advance or retard side path at the intake camshaft causes rotation in the VVT-i controller vane circumferential direction to vary the intake valve timing continuously. When the engine is stopped, the intake camshaft will be in the most retarded state to ensure start-ability. When hydraulic pressure is not applied t o the VVT-i con

11 troller immediately after the engine has been started, the lock pin locks the mo vement of the VVT-i controller to prevent a knocking noise. Fig 2.5 Different parts of VVT i . Camshaft Timing Oil Control Valve: This camshaft timing oil control valve controls the spool valve position in acco rdance with the duty-cycle control from the ECM. This allows hydraulic pressure to be a pplied to the VVT-i controller advance or retard side. When the engine is stopped, the camshaf t timing oil control valve is in the most retarded state. Fig 2.6 Camshaft Timing Oil Control Valve

12 3.4. Operation: The camshaft timing oil control valve selects the path according to the advance, retard or hold signal from the ECM. The VVT-i controller rotates the intake camshaft in th e timing advance or retard position or holds it according to the position where the oil pressure is applied. . ADVANCE: When the camshaft timing oil control valve is positioned as illustrated below by the advance signals from the ECM, the resultant oil pressure is applied to the vane chamber of advance side to rotate the camshaft in the timing advance direction. . RETARD: When the camshaft timing oil control valve is positioned as illustrated below by the retard signals from the ECM, the resultant oil pressure is applied to the vane chamber of retard side to rotate the camshaft in the timing retard direction. Fig 2.7 Camshaft Timing Oil Control Valve in Fig 2.8 Camshaft Timing Oil Control Valve in retard position

13 . HOLD: After reaching the target timing ,the valve time is held by keeping the camshaft timing oil control valve in the neutral position unless the traveling state changes. This a djusts the valve timing at the desired target position & prevents the engine oil from running out when i t is necessary. Fig 2.9 Camshaft Timing Oil Control Valve in hold position In proportion to the engine speed, intake air volume throttle position and water temperature, the ECM calculates optimal valve timing under each driving condition & controls the camshaft timing oil control valve. In addition ECM uses signal from the camshaft position sensor & the crankshaft position sensor to detect the actual valve timing, thus performin g feedback control to achieve the target valve timing.

Chapter 3 Valve Timing 3.1. Valve Timing: Since the entire issue is in improvising the engine based on its valve positioni ng, the following valve positions can be obtained thru the VVT-i system. Based on the power requir ement, load, speed, the ECM varies the valve position. It also provides a good overlap to generate enough power. 14

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Chapter 4 Research 4.1. Research practicality test: An experiment was undertaken on Toyota 1JZ-GTE engine. Using the existing engine as a base, a continuously variable valve timing mechanism (VVT-i) was adopted for t he intake camshaft. Also, because of the increase of the compression ratio, a further impr ovement of fuel economy was possible. Lastly, an electronically controlled throttle was adopted that achieves safe and smooth operation of the throttle. Engine Toyota 1JZ -GTE New Previous Displacement (cc) 2491 same Configuration In-line 6 cylinder same Valve Mechanism DOHC 4-valve same Fuel System Electronic Fuel Injection same Fuel Requirement Unleaded Premium same Compression Ratio 9.0 8.5 Bore x Stroke 86 x 71.5 same Maximum Power (kW @ RPM) / [PS @ RPM] (206 @ 6200) / [280 @ 6200] same Maximum Torque (Nm @ RPM) / [kgm @ RPM] / {lb-ft @ RPM} (378 @ 2400) / [38.5 @ 2400] / {278 @ 2400} (363 @ 4800) / [37.0 @ 4800] / {268 @ 4800} Fuel Consumption Rate (g/kWh @ RPM) 278 @ 2000 285 @ 2000 4.2 Result: i) We can see from the table that the VVT-i engine produces a torque of 378 Nm, which is obtained at a speed of 2400 RPM, whereas a lower torque (363 Nm) is obtained from a regular engine at double the same speed. ii) Also, the fuel efficiency is increased with a lower fuel consumption rate of 278 g/kWh is achieved, rather than 285 g/kWh at the same speed.

Chapter 5: Conclusion The report started with the elaboration of the need of an efficient engine, in t he purview of energy crisis. It was made clear that internal combustion engines (ICE) canno t be directly disused, but has to be improved to serve the purpose. The trend followed in the evolution of ICE was also briefly traced. Out of the best five techniques for a good engine, vari able valve timing (VVT) system was selected for the research. The further chapters explained in detail the working of VVT-i system. In brief, Variable valve timing allows the relationship between the separate inlet and exhaust cams hafts to vary the valve timing overlap. In doing so it overcomes the side effects described above by using a computer to continuously vary the intake valve timing and overlap. The valve timing and o verlap are adjusted through a series of simple mechanisms to ensure the optimum conditions apply across all the working rev range. The advantages are lower fuel consumption, lower exha ust emissions and higher power output. Since the system is continuously variable, an i for intell igent has been added to the abbreviation. Lastly, excerpts of ered in the report. From s achieved at lower rpm & even the fuel a VVT-i engine is achieved. So, it an a conventional engine. an experiment conducted by Toyota on VVT-i system was consid the observation table, it can be seen that a higher torque i consumption is also decreased. Hence the purpose of adopting would be a wise decision to opt for a VVT-i engine rather th

Extended reading Some cars with VVT-I system in India: 1. TOYOTA Camry 2.4 VVT-I 2. TOYOTA Innova 2.5V 3. TOYOTA Fortuner 4. TOYOTA Corolla Altis -1.8L VVT-i Petrol Engine 5. Maruti Suzuki SX4 with VVT engine 6. Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 VVT References 1. www.wikipedia.org 2. www.etoyotaindia.com/flashpopup/vvti.htm 3. 4. 5. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR63IrKHv7E http://kereta.info/how-toyota-vvti-engine-works-variable-valve-timing-intelligen t/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VVT-i www.economicexpert.com/a/VVT:i.html www.team-bhp.com www.howstuffswork.com 6. 7. 8. 9. www.vicky.in/compare.html 10. Automotive technology Srinivasan 11. World of automobiles Singh