Identification of solenoid valve dynamics in a variable valve timing system

The automotive industry is continuously developing technologies and strategies for increasing the efficiency in fuel consumption and reducing the emission of pollutants. The variable valve timing (VVT) system provides such a solution for internal combustion engines. Researches in this area are mainly devoted both to improved layouts and to new operation control techniques. To this aim, modeling, identification and validation are important preliminary steps. This paper focuses on the modelling of an electro-actuated solenoid, fast-acting valve, which is a key component of the VVT system. The valve is used to regulate the pressure that commands the lift of engine intake valves. An identification method is applied to represent the valve dynamics in a complete VVT model. The results are compared to the output from an analytical model and to real data available in certain operating conditions.