Patent ID: 7370633

Claim:
Method for control of a direct-injection controlled auto-ignition lean burn engine during load transient operations, the method comprising: operating the engine at steady state, within a homogeneous charge compression-ignition (HCCI) load range, with fuel-air-diluent mixtures at predetermined conditions, for each speed and load, of fueling mass flow rate, injection timing (FI), spark timing (SI) and exhaust recompression obtained by negative valve overlap (NVO) between closing of the exhaust valves and opening of the intake valves in each cylinder; and at least one of a) controlling the engine during rapid load increase from steady state at lower load to a desired steady state at higher load by synchronizing inputs to the engine, including at least two of FI, SI and NVO, to the current fueling mass flow rate, and b) controlling the engine during rapid load decrease from steady state at higher load to a desired steady state at lower load by synchronizing inputs to the engine, including at least two of FI, SI and NVO, to the current fueling mass flow rate.