SGER: A Feasibility Study on Camless Engine Valve Sensing, Actuation, and Control for Synchronization with Varying Engine Speed

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this SGER project is to conduct a feasibility study on innovative design and control methods for variable valve actuators needed for high performance camless engine operations. The fully flexible camless valve actuator and control can enable more fuel efficient and less polluting vehicles. The project will encompass two aspects: a novel actuator and sensor design for satisfying fully flexible camless engine valve motion requirement, and control of the actuator for generating precise valve lift profile as a function of the engine crank angle. The actuator, sensor, and control design will deal with mixed electromagnetic, hydraulic, and electromechanical systems of similar time scales. The results can be applied to a broad range of applications, where the requirements for actuator/sensor size, stroke, dynamic motion, and the master-slave type electronic cam synchronization control are as challenging as those of the camless engine application addressed in this project.