302 Introduction to internal combustion engines

Another approach to VVT is to switch between two different cam profiles, and
this is how the Honda VTEC engine disables an inlet valve (chapter 4, section
4.2.3). Figure 6.22 shows the Honda VTEC engine valve gear, with a cross-
sectioned diagram to show how the rocker arms for the two inlet valves can be
locked together (Rorie and Nishizawa 1992). The engine has a central single
overhead camshaft, with valve operation through rocker arms with roller
followers. There are two separate profiles for the inlet cams, the secondary one
having a very low lift (of about 0.5 mm, to prevent liquid fuel accumulating behind
the valve) . In normal operation, the hydraulically controlled piston locks the two
inlet valve rocker arms together. For low-load operation, one inlet valve is
controlled by the secondary cam: this can be much narrower since the lower lift
requires much lower accelerations with correspondingly reduced contact forces . A
similar result could be achieved for this application by having a butterfly valve
(throttle plate) or swirl control valve in one of the inlet ports for each cylinder.
Another approach to cam profile switching has been developed for incorpora-
tion into hydraulic bucket tappets. Figure 6.23 shows how the primary cam profile
acts directly on the valve, and the secondary cam lobes are only utilised when the
hydraulically actuated locking pins connect the inner and outer tappet elements.
(It should be noted that the designation of primary and secondary is the opposite
from that used by Honda on the VTEC engine, and that in both cases the low lift
cam profile has to operate within the envelope of the high lift cam profile.)
Sandford et a!. (1998) report on the use of these tappets for cylinder disablement,
as a means of reducing part-load fuel consumption. Cylinder disablement can be
achieved in a number of different ways. The simplest method is merely to turn the

Secondary profile
Primary profile
cam lobes
cam lobe

Inner co-axial
bucket tappet
Outer co-axial bucket
tappet

Hyd raulic Locking

lash adjuster plus

Figure 6.23
Trilobe tappet and cam for profile switching (courtesy of Lotus Engineering).