Abstract: A method for calculating the mass of an overlap gaseous flow (MOVL), wherein the exhaust pressure is higher than the intake pressure, or in the case of scavenging (SCAV), wherein the intake pressure is higher than the exhaust pressure. The overlap gaseous flow (MOVL) is the flow which flows, in overlap conditions, through the intake valve and the exhaust valve of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. At least one intake valve is driven so as to vary the lift (H) of the intake valve in controlled manner. The overlap condition is a condition in which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both at least partially open. The method comprises calculating the mass of the gaseous flow (MOVL) which flows through the intake valve and the exhaust valve on the basis of the relation: MOVL=PERM*?(P/P0,n)*P0/P0_REF*(T0_REF/T0)1/2/n.

Abstract: A fuel injection system for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders, where a plurality of respective main combustion chambers are defined; a number of first injectors and spark plugs coupled to the cylinders; a number of combustion pre-chambers, each obtained in the area of a respective spark plug; a number of extraction ducts, which originate from a respective cylinder to extract the gas mixture present inside the respective main combustion chamber; a reserve, where the gases extracted by the extraction ducts are mixed with the quantity of fuel needed to obtain a combustion under stoichiometric conditions inside the combustion pre-chambers; and a number of second injectors, each coupled to a respective combustion pre-chamber, into which it injects the gas-and-fuel mixture coming from the reserve.

Abstract: Injection method and system for the injection of water in an internal combustion engine; the following steps are substantially comprised: operating, when the internal combustion engine is turned on, a reversible pump in order to suck water from a tank and feed the water under pressure to an injector through a feeding duct; cyclically opening, when the internal combustion engine is turned on, the injector in order to inject the water towards at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine; and draining the water, when the internal combustion engine is turned off, from the injector and the feeding duct by using a release valve connecting the feeding duct to the outside.

Abstract: A method for generating an audio signal representing the dynamic state of a land vehicle as a function of the value of at least one first parameter comprises the steps of receiving an input audio signal and dividing the input audio signal into a set of audio frames of given duration; selecting, an audio frame representing the input audio signal; subdividing the selected audio frame into a set of audio sub-frames; determining a probability of transition between orderly pairs of the audio sub-frames and synthesizing the audio signal representing the dynamic state of a land vehicle by generating a sequence of audio sub-frames; computing a centre frequency of the selected audio frame and carrying out a frequency shift of the centre frequency as a function of the centre frequency of the selected audio frame and of the value of at least one first parameter that indicates the dynamic state of the vehicle, thereby generating a frequency-shifted subsequent audio sub-frame.

Abstract: A pin header connector having: a peripheral frame having, at the centre, a series of through openings; and a plurality of modules, each of which engages a corresponding through opening and is provided with a series of electrical pin contacts and with a support plate, which is made of a plastic material and has a series of first through holes engaged by the corresponding electrical pin contacts. The peripheral frame has a plurality of linear sliding guides, each of which is arranged in the area of a through opening, is designed to guide an insertion of the support plate of a module into the through opening allowing the support plate to only make a translation in a mounting direction, and is provided with a limit stop ending the insertion. An interlocking connection system is provided, which is activated when the support plate of each module strikes against the limit stop.

Abstract: A method for determining the mass m of air trapped in each cylinder of an internal combustion engine comprises determining, a value for each quantity of a first group of reference quantities comprising at least intake pressure P measured inside the intake manifold, engine rotation speed n, mass of gases produced by the combustion in the previous operating cycle (OFF) and present in the cylinder, determining, the actual inner volume V of each cylinder as a function of the engine rotation speed n, of the lift H of the intake valve and of the closing delay angle IVC of the intake valve, and determining the mass m of air trapped in each cylinder as a function of the first group of reference quantities and of the actual volume V inside each cylinder, on the basis of the aforesaid quantities P, V, OFF.

Abstract: A vehicle instrument cluster including a monochromatic display having a matrix of pixels which can be independently controlled by a control unit to inhibit or to allow the passage of light. The instrument cluster has a back-lighting device that emits at least a monochromatic light beam toward a rear surface of the display and through a filter, which is light-permeable and is provided with a coloured graphic representation whose contours have a resolution higher than the one of the display.

Abstract: A throttle valve having: a valve body; an intake duct obtained in the valve body; a throttle plate arranged in the intake duct; a shaft mounted so as to rotate, supporting the throttle plate; an electric motor; a gear transmission, which couples the electric motor to the shaft and has an end gear which is integral with the shaft; a return spring, which is designed to rotate the throttle plate towards a closing position; a striking element, which is obtained in the valve body and establishes an intermediate position of partial opening; and a countering spring, mounted on the end gear, which is designed to rotate the throttle plate towards the intermediate position and has one end which is designed to rest against the striking element during the rotation of the end gear.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to control a fuel pump for a direct injection system of a heat engine provided with a common rail comprising the steps of determining a minimum threshold based on the pressure in the common rail and on the speed of the heat engine, on the temperature of the high-pressure pump and on the inlet pressure of the high-pressure pump; calculating the objective fuel flow rate to be fed by the high-pressure pump to the common rail instant by instant in order to have the desired pressure value inside the common rail; comparing the objective fuel flow rate with the minimum threshold; and controlling the high-pressure pump based on the comparison between the objective fuel flow rate and the minimum threshold.

Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment device for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine; the treatment device is provided with: a tubular duct, which is delimited by a first tubular side wall and has a first exhaust gas inlet opening, a first exhaust gas outlet opening, and an injection opening; and a mixing body, which is arranged inside the tubular duct, is hollow on the inside so that the exhaust gases can flow through it, and has a first perforated base wall with a circular shape, which faces the first outlet opening, a second base wall with a partially circular shape, which faces the first inlet opening, and a second tubular side wall, which joins the first base wall to the second base wall and has a second inlet opening leading into the mixing body.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine (2) which comprises at least one cylinder provided with a combustion chamber, in which, following the combustion, exhaust gases are generated; an exhaust duct, which is flown through by the exhaust gases; and a water-based operating liquid system which includes a tank, which is designed to contain a quantity of water-based operating liquid, and a heating device, which is coupled to the tank and is designed to heat the water-based operating liquid.

Abstract: A method for vehicle (V) environment mapping, comprising the operations of: receiving a set of input values from a plurality of sensors, applying temporal fusion processing to the set of input values, resulting in a respective set of occupancy grid maps, applying data fusion processing to the set of occupancy grid maps, resulting in at least one fused occupancy grid map, detecting discrepancies by comparing occupancy grid maps in the set of maps, resulting in a set of detected discrepancies, processing the at least one fused occupancy grid map and outputting a fused occupancy grid map of drivable spaces. The processing operation includes the step of performing an arbitration of conflict in the at least one fused occupancy grid map. The compound fused occupancy grid map of drivable spaces is supplied (IA) to a user circuit, such as a drive assistance interface.

Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid drive system for a road vehicle provided with at least a pair of drive wheels; the hybrid drive system comprises: an internal combustion heat engine, which is designed to transmit the motion to the drive wheels and is provided with a turbocharger equipped with a turbine; a first electric machine, which is able to transmit the motion to the drive wheels; and a second electric machine, which is mechanically connected to the turbine of the turbocharger. In a possible operating mode, the internal combustion heat engine is controlled to pursue a target torque by completely opening a throttle valve, operating the second electric machine as an electric generator and the first electric machine as a motor, and varying the electric power generated by the second electric machine so as to adjust the flow rate of fresh air fed to the cylinder of the internal combustion heat engine.

Abstract: A method to control the combustion of an internal combustion engine comprising determining a combustion model providing a spark advance value depending on an objective value of a quantity representing the incidence of a low-pressure EGR circuit, of the rotation speed, of the intake efficiency and of an open-loop contribution of a combustion index; calculating a first closed-loop contribution of the spark advance depending on the combustion index; calculating a second closed-loop contribution of the spark advance depending on a quantity indicating the knocking energy; and calculating the objective value of the spark advance angle to be operated through the sum of the spark advance value provided by the combustion model and of the first closed-loop contribution or, alternatively, of the second closed-loop contribution.

Abstract: A throttle valve for adjusting the feeding of a gas to a fuel cell, which includes: a valve body, divided into a first and a second portion; a gas feeding duct obtained in the first portion; a throttle plate arranged in the feeding duct; a shaft which is rotatably mounted in the first portion and supports the throttle plate; and an actuator which is mounted in the second portion and is configured to rotate the shaft. The throttle valve further comprises a magnetic joint, which transmits the motion from the actuator to the shaft and is divided into a first half coupled to the shaft, and a second half facing the first half and coupled to the actuator. The throttle valve also includes an insulating wall which insulates the first partition, in a pneumatically sealed manner, from the second portion of the valve body and is arranged between the two halves of the magnetic joint.

Abstract: A method to manufacture a throttle valve for an internal combustion engine comprising a valve body having a seat and a tube for the passage of conditioning fluid; an actuating device, which controls the rotation of a throttle plate; and a substantially uniform layer of a structural and heat-conducting resin interposed between the seat and the tube and applied on the entire available surface of the seat; the method comprising the steps of manufacturing the valve body provided with the seat by causing a first metal material to undergo a die casting process; applying a trace of the structural and thermosetting resin on the bottom of the seat; and inserting the tube into the seat so as to obtain a substantially uniform layer of the structural and thermosetting resin, which is interposed between the seat and the tube.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine having: a cylinder defining a combustion chamber; an exhaust duct that is flown through by the exhaust gases; and a system to supply a water-based operator liquid to the combustion chamber having: a tank designed to contain a certain amount of water-based operator liquid and a heating device designed to heat the water-based operator liquid contained in the tank. The heating device has: a first gas-liquid heat exchanger, which is designed to be flown through by at least part of the exhaust gases flowing along the exhaust duct; a second liquid-liquid heat exchanger, which is designed to heat the water-based operator liquid contained in the tank; and a hydraulic circuit, which is designed to send round an exchange fluid through the first heat exchanger to transfer the heat from the exhaust gases to the exchange fluid and through the second heat exchanger to transfer the heat from the exchange fluid to the water-based operator liquid contained in the tank.

Abstract: A system for feeding water to at least one combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine having: a tank designed to contain a quantity of water; a feeding duct; a pump designed to draw water from the tank and to pump pressurised water into the feeding duct; and at least one silver-containing body which is contained in the tank in contact with the water.

Abstract: An estimation method to determine the concentration of recirculated exhaust gas present in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine; the concentrations of recirculated exhaust gas in a gas mixture flowing through an intake duct are periodically stored in a buffer; a first instant is determined, in which a programming of a following combustion in the cylinder is carried out; an advance time is determined, which elapses between the first instant and a second instant in the future, in which air will be taken into the cylinder for the following combustion in the cylinder; a transport time is determined; a third instant in the past is determined by subtracting from the first instant an amount of time which is equal to the difference between the transport time and the advance time; and the concentration of recirculated exhaust gas present in the cylinder in the second instant is estimated depending on a concentration of recirculated exhaust gas contained in the buffer (30) and corresponding to the third instant.

Abstract: A piston pump for feeding a liquid in a vehicle having at least one piston, which is configured to cyclically slide inside a housing between a top dead centre and a bottom dead centre. The liquid is usually fed along a main feeding direction from a suction duct to a delivery duct. The piston pump has two solenoid valves, which are each arranged in the suction duct and in the delivery duct, respectively, and are designed to be operated by an electronic control unit so as to reverse the liquid feeding direction from the main feeding direction to a secondary feeding direction opposite the main liquid feeding direction and/or so as to adjust the cylinder capacity of the piston pump. The piston is operated by an electromechanical actuator, in particular comprising an electromagnet.