240 Landmarks Top ＞ Equipment and Part ＞ Active vibration noise control systems for variable displacement engines 　Active vibration noise control systems for variable displacement engines Variable displacement is one of the new technologies to improve engine fuel efficiency. It dramatically improves fuel efficiency by closing the intake and exhaust valves of the 3 cylinders on one bank of a V6 engine to stop combustion and reduce pumping loss when a vehicle is driving at a constant speed or decelerates on an expressway. However, this technology has the disadvantage of deteriorated and noise and vibration performance. Marketability for users who expect the quietness of a V6 is particularly affected when the engine switches from 6-cylinder to 3-cylinder operation. One feature of this technology is that it allows mass production of active engine mount and active noise control systems at a reasonable price as standard equipment. These systems ensure marketable levels of vibration noise, and users will not notice that a V6-engined vehicle equipped with this variable displacement technology is driving with cylinders deactivated. For the active control engine mount system, a completely new control technology with a linear solenoid type actuator was developed that does not require a load sensor. The active noise control system was realized by developing a control algorithm to substantially reduce calculation volume. It uses a low-cost 1-chip microcomputer and is integrated into the audio system. As a result, both high fuel economy and good levels of vibration noise could be achieved, and the systems are widely used in many vehicles in Japan and North America. Storage location : Mounted on current production vehicles (Honda Inspire, Elysion V6, US Odyssey, and others) Year manufactured : 2003 Manufacturer : Honda Motor Corporation Classification : Catalogue, etc. of 2003 Honda Inspire Current status : In mass production Familiar name : Active control engine mount system/Active noise control system Technical applications : Dramatic improvement of fuel efficiency due to the variable displacement mechanism, and high levels of vibration noise marketability in a V6 engine where vehicle users do not notice that cylinders have been deactivated Applied model : The following Honda models: 2003 Inspire, 2004 Elysion (V6), 2005 US Odyssey, 2005 US Accord IMA 2006 Pilot, (2005 Legend) Year manufactured : 2003 Application year : 2003 Designed by : Toshio Inoue, Hideki Matsuoka, Hisashi Sano Collaboration : Hirotomi Nemoto, Tetsuo Mikasa, Akira Takahashi, Satoru Minowa Device structure : Engine ECU (engine control information), mount control unit, engine mount with actuator noise control unit, audio system, microphones for interior noise detection Performance function : The active engine mount system estimates engine vibrations based on the crank and TDC pulses. This estimation is used to generate signals at a control unit to reduce engine vibrations transmitted to the vehicle body. Solenoid actuators in the engine mounts are activated by the signal, thereby reducing steering vibrations and interior noise caused by vibrations from the engine mounts. The active noise control system generates signals at a control unit to reduce interior noise based on the engine speed pulse and interior noise signals from microphones set inside the vehicle. The control then activates the speakers of the audio system based on these signals. These combined functions improve both fuel consumption and vibration noise in variable displacement engines. Effect : Application of these systems allows substantial reduction of interior booming noise and vehicle body vibration when cylinders are deactivated (driving on 3 cylinders). Users can drive without noticing that 3 cylinders of the V6 engine have been deactivated. Points of interest, topicality : At the beginning of the research into this technology, priority was placed on performance, but in terms of actual application to mass produced vehicles, there is always a fight against cost. Consequent cost reduction improved the value of the system. Furthermore, the technology was developed to meet important needs such as mass reduction and energy saving. Its application to mass produced vehicles as standard equipment was a reward for years of the research. People concerned with the engine development welcomed the technology, saying that engineers in the noise and vibration field had greatly contributed to improving fuel economy. Topics: 2004 JSAE Technological Development Award 2005 ASJ Outstanding Technological Development Award Features : The active engine mount system was realized by developing a new sensor-less vibration estimation control and combining it with low-cost solenoid actuators. Conventional control technologies required expensive arithmetic processors such as DSP. In contrast, the active noise control system uses a low cost microcomputer with a control algorithm developed to dramatically reduce calculation volume based on the characteristics of engine booming noise. Moreover, the audio system shares use of the amplifier and speakers. Therefore, the system can be applied to mass produced vehicles as standard equipment. Reference materials : Honda R&D Technical Review April 2003 Proceedings for JSAE 2003 Annual Congress (Autumn) Proceedings for 2004 SAE World Congress Proceedings for Active 2004 Proceedings for 2005 Autumn Meeting of ASJ Introduction : Active control engine mount and active noise control technology that is used as standard equipment on new models equipped with a V6 engine that use variable displacement to enhance fuel efficiency. These technologies provide a solution to noise and vibration generated when cylinders are deactivated, and achieves good fuel economy and marketability. 240 Landmarks Top ＞ Equipment and Part ＞ Active vibration noise control systems for variable displacement engines