New Actuation Control for Hybrid Electromagnetic Valve Train

Abstract

Nowadays, vehicle industries are trying to introduce actively controllable variable valve trains to achieve maximumly efficient internal combustion engines. The electromagnetic valve train (EMV) is one of the promising valve actuators. A traditional electromagnet valve needs to be continuously supplied with current and consumes more energy during valve opening and closing, and the permanent magnet-assisted valves have a demagnetization issue. Thus, this study presents a hybrid permanent magnet electromagnetic valve (PMEMV), which needs a power supply only for a short interval of time during valve opening or closing; eventually, this PMEMV consumes much less energy than conventional EMVs. This paper proposed an improved control approach for this hybrid PMEMV to achieve variable valve actuation. Magnetic stimulation was performed on the proposed valve train to analyze the direction of the magnetic circuit during the valve actuation. An improved magnetic circuit control method was introduced to achieve the release and attraction of the armature. This innovative magnetic circuit control can make the armature effectively attract at each apex, so that the PMEMV can be effectively and completely actuated. The prototype of the valve train and the experimental platform were developed to test and validate the real-time performance of the composite EM valve. Peripheral sensor components were used to measure the valve displacement. The experimental results proved that the concept of the innovative magnetic-circuit drive and control can enable the successful operation of the hybrid compound EM valve.