Abstract: A segmented rotor blade for a wind turbine includes a first rotor blade segment, a second rotor blade segment, at least one thermoplastic material, and an internal pressure source. The first rotor blade segment includes a first joint end. The second rotor blade segment includes a second joint end. The first and second joint ends are arranged together in an end-to-end orientation so as to form at least one scarf joint. The at least one thermoplastic material is arranged at each of the first and second joint ends. The first and second joint ends of the first and second rotor blade segments are bonded together via thermoplastic welding of the at least one thermoplastic material. The internal pressure source provides pressure to the scarf joint during the thermoplastic welding. The internal pressure source remains within the rotor blade after thermoplastic welding is complete.

Abstract: A cold start control system for a vehicle having a spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engine includes a startup control module and a fuel actuator module. The startup control module sets a mode of operation to a cold start mode. In response to setting the mode to the cold start mode, the startup control module determines target combustion parameters and a predetermined amount of fuel, wherein the predetermined amount of fuel is less than an amount of fuel required to initiate a combustion stroke of the SIDI engine. The startup control module controls injection of the predetermined amount of fuel, during cranking of the SIDI engine, based on the target combustion parameters. The fuel actuator module injects the predetermined amount of fuel, during cranking, based on the target combustion parameters.

Abstract: A recoil starter (103) includes a pull rope reel (22), a ratchet wheel (31), a pulley (32), a ratchet pawl (33), and an outer wall (32e). The ratchet pawl (33) is capable of swinging between an engaged position where the ratchet pawl engages with a protruding part (31a) and a disengaged position where the ratchet pawl does not engage with the protruding part, and is always urged toward the engaged position. A support surface (32d) of the outer wall (32e) supports the base end portion of the ratchet pawl (33) when the ratchet pawl (33) is in the engaged position. The internal space of the pulley (32) and the external space of the pulley (32) are communicate with each other through the foreign matter discharge portion (32f) of the outer wall (32e).

Abstract: Provided are an electromagnetic valve control unit and a fuel injection control device using the same that can precisely detect a change of an operating state of an electromagnetic valve, that is, a valve opening time or a valve closing time of the electromagnetic valve, precisely correct a drive voltage or a drive current applied to the electromagnetic valve, and appropriately control opening/closing of the electromagnetic valve, with a simple configuration. In an electromagnetic valve control unit for controlling opening/closing of an electromagnetic valve by a drive voltage and a drive current to be applied, the drive voltage and the drive current applied to the electromagnetic valve are corrected on the basis of a detection time of an inflection point from time series data of the drive voltage and the drive current when the electromagnetic valve is opened/closed.

Abstract: A method and a device for determining the minimum hydraulic injection interval of a piezo-servo injector are described. The closing time of the nozzle needle of the injector is determined on the basis of the characteristic pressure profile in the control spring chamber of the injector. By incrementally reducing the injection interval of a subsequent injection by successively advancing the timing of the start of actuation of a subsequent injection and continuing to observe the pressure profile in the control spring chamber, the smallest injection interval is obtained from the last iteration step in which closing of the nozzle needle of the preceding injection could still be detected in the characteristic pressure profile. Particularly precise determination of the minimum injection interval is possible with this method.

Abstract: A body of an oil jet is provided with: an oil supply port; a cylinder; and an oil injection port. A piston valve is accommodated in the cylinder. The piston valve forms in the cylinder a differential pressure room which is a closed compartment. In the piston valve, an orifice which makes the differential pressure room being communicated with a side of the oil supply port is formed. The piston valve is biased toward a position at which the oil injection port is closed by a spring. A first oil injection nozzle is connected to the oil injection port. A leak hole which allows oil to be leaked outside of the cylinder from the differential pressure room is open at the side surface of the cylinder. Further, a second oil injection nozzle is connected to the leak hole.

Abstract: Systems and methods for activating and deactivating cylinders of an engine that may activate and deactivate one cylinder independent of other cylinders are presented. In one example, an engine cylinder firing fraction and a remainder value that is based on the engine cylinder firing fraction are a basis for activating and deactivating engine cylinders. The systems and methods also provide for transitioning between different cylinder firing fractions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine with an oil pump that supplies engine oil to various oil consumers in an engine are presented. In one example, a displacement of a variable displacement engine oil pump is adjusted to provide sufficient oil pressure throughout the engine, but low enough to conserve fuel.

Abstract: A powertrain assembly includes an engine having at least one cylinder and at least one electric machine operatively connected to the engine. A motor speed sensor is operatively connected to and configured to obtain motor speed data of the electric machine. A controller is operatively connected to the motor speed sensor. The controller including a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for detection of firing irregularities in the at least one cylinder. Execution of the instructions by the processor causes the controller to obtain the motor speed data at a predefined time interval from the motor speed sensor, until a predefined time window is reached. A fast Fourier transform of the motor speed data during the predefined time window is obtained. The controller is configured to control the engine based at least partially on the fast Fourier Transform.

Abstract: A system and method for fast control of the timing of combustion in an internal combustion engine, comprising actuating a fast-acting fuel-additive supply valve to meter a variable amount of fuel additive into a fuel stream, thereby forming an additive-enhanced fuel with an additive concentration that can be dynamically adjusted as fast as each engine cycle; injecting the additive-enhanced fuel directly or indirectly into a combustion chamber or into an intake port; and combusting the additive-enhanced fuel.

Abstract: A valve opening and closing timing control apparatus includes a valve opening and closing timing control apparatus provided at a camshaft for an intake valve of an internal combustion engine and a valve opening and closing timing control apparatus provided at a camshaft for an exhaust valve and includes a control unit changing a phase of one of the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus for the intake valve and the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus for the exhaust valve serving as an electric type which malfunctions to a most advanced angle phase and changing a phase of the other of the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus which is inhibited from malfunctioning to an advanced angle side in a case where one of the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus serving as the electric type malfunctions.

Abstract: The compression self-ignition engine fuel injection control device is configured to, during one combustion stroke, perform multiple fuel injections to induce multiple combustions in a cylinder. The fuel injection control device comprises a PCM (70) configured to set an interval between temporally-adjacent two of the multiple fuel injections, so as to allow valley regions of a curve indicative of a frequency characteristic of a combustion pressure wave generated by the multiple combustions to fall within respective ranges of a plurality of resonant frequency bands of a structure of an engine body of the engine, wherein the PCM is operable to increase the interval between the temporally-adjacent multiple fuel injections to 1.7±0.1 msec.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of controlling fuel injection valves while causing valve-closing delay time periods, which occur with the valves actually mounted on the engine, to be reflected thereon, thereby making it possible to improve exhaust emission characteristics and fuel economy performance. The ECU of the control system performs initial value-specific control in fuel injection control and ignition timing control, such that initial value acquisition conditions are satisfied, so as to calculate the initial values of the valve-closing delay time periods when the initial value acquisition conditions are satisfied. When normal-time control is performed, the valve-opening time periods of the valves are calculated using the initial values of the valve-opening time periods, and the valves are controlled to be open over the valve-opening time periods.

Abstract: Method for the operation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders (11 to detect misfires. An exhaust gas sensor at the exhaust gas of every cylinder of the internal combustion engine measures at least one actual exhaust gas value individually for the respective cylinder, and the respective measured actual exhaust gas value is compared with a reference exhaust gas value to determine at least one cylinder-specific deviation between the reference exhaust gas value and the actual exhaust gas value for each of the cylinders. It is determined for every cylinder based on the cylinder-specific deviation or based on every cylinder-specific deviation whether or not misfires are occurring at the respective cylinder.

Abstract: A fuel vapor recovering structure for a vehicle, the vehicle having a side member extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a cross member extending along a vehicle width direction, includes: a canister attached to the side member for absorbing a fuel evaporation gas in a fuel tank of the vehicle; and an atmosphere communicating pipe having a first end connected to the canister, and a second end opened to the atmosphere and inserted in the cross member.

Abstract: A passage through which a fluid can flow is formed in a canister. A first end of the passage includes an evaporated fuel introducing port and a purge port, and a second end of the passage includes an atmosphere release port. A first chamber and a second chamber are provided at the passage. The first chamber accommodates a first adsorbent, and the second chamber accommodates a second adsorbent, both capable of adsorbing and desorbing evaporated fuel. The passage is horizontal when the canister is mounted on the vehicle. A flow dividing plate including a plurality of communicating holes is provided in the second chamber, close to the atmosphere release port. When the canister is mounted, an area of the communicating holes per unit area on a surface of the flow dividing plate is larger at a lower side of the flow dividing plate than at an upper side.

Abstract: A method for detecting a sticking tank vent valve in a motor vehicle, a temperature sensor being situated in a tank vent line between the tank vent valve and an inlet point into an intake manifold or into a turbocharger and sticking of the tank vent valve being detected when the absolute value of a correlation of a calculated tank ventilation mass flow and of a signal value of the temperature sensor violates a predefinable threshold value.

Abstract: A method and a system for transmitting a sensor signal, transmits the sensor signal in such a way that the analog electrical sensor signal is converted with the aid of a system for signal conversion into a converted signal and that this converted signal is transmitted to a control unit. As a result, the sensor signal is able to be transmitted to the control unit in a reliable manner and be evaluated thereby.

Abstract: The ignition control device includes a spark plug that includes a first electrode and a second electrode disposed so as to oppose each other, an ignition coil that includes a plurality of sets of a primary coil and a secondary coil, generates a high voltage in the secondary coil by energizing or interrupting a primary current supplied to the primary coil, and applies the generated high voltage to the first electrode, and a control unit that, in a case where a plurality of the primary coils are driven during a single ignition process, temporarily stops energization of a primary current supplied to a second primary coil when a primary current supplied to a first primary coil is interrupted, and re-energizes the primary current supplied to the second primary coil following the elapse of an energization stoppage period.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for increasing a lift pump voltage to a high threshold voltage responsive to a DI pump efficiency being below a threshold efficiency, and increasing a lift pump voltage to a first threshold voltage less than the high threshold voltage responsive to a main jet pump fuel reservoir level being less than a first threshold reservoir level. The approach increases fuel jet pump performance and thereby reducing engine stalls induced by fuel vaporization, while maintaining DI pump efficiency and fuel economy.