Engine Management - Overview: Specifications MINI Cooper I

Torque Management

Internal combustion engines generate torque by being supplied with a correctly mixed quantity of fuel and air, which is ignited at a precisely calculated time. By varying the quantity of air/fuel and the timing of the spark, the torque output can be altered. However, altering the quantity of fuel relative to the airflow can adversely affect catalyst life, combustion chamber and piston temperatures.

Therefore, when the EMS2000 varies the torque in response to the demands of the previously mentioned systems, it achieves this by altering only the ignition timing and/or throttle position. Certain characteristics are involved in these two methods of torque alteration

1. Ignition Timing - Ignition Timing can be altered rapidly and gives an instant torque change however, because under normal circumstances the EMS2000 always ensures that the engine runs at peak efficiency.
2. Throttle Position - By changing the Throttle Position (airflow) the engine torque can be increased or deceased. If airflow is increased or decreased the EMS2000 automatically maintains the correct fuel mixture by balancing the fuel input. Unlike the rapid torque change achieved by altering the ignition, changes in throttle position take longer to achieve torque variation. Each system can demand either a slow or fast torque variation.

Torque Control

The Engine Management System (EMS2000) has the ability to vary the torque output of the engine in response to demands from several systems. These demands can be divided into three categories

1. Engine running demands: torque variation is requested internally from within the EMS 2000 to support the following: Idle Control Catalyst 'light up' and overheat protection Limp home control
2. Powertrain and chassis demands: torque variation is requested externally from the following systems: Dynamic stability control Automatic Stability Control + Traction Control (ASC) ECVT Automatic transmission Cruise control
3. Driver demand The EMS2000 is programmed to decide which of the torque variation demands is the most important and will then act upon that demand. This task is performed by the EMS2000 'Torque Manager' which performs two main functions
4. Torque selection: this function decides which of the torque demands shall be acted upon.
5. Torque coordination: this function determines the ignition and throttle settings needed to produce the required torque.