Abstract: A injection control device for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection valve directly injecting a fuel into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, and a drive current setting unit setting a drive current of the fuel injection valve according to a fuel pressure that is a pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel injection valve, using a drive current profile specifying a relation between the fuel pressure and the drive current. When a compression stroke injection injecting the fuel in a compression stroke or an expansion stroke injection injecting the fuel in an expansion stroke is executed, the drive current setting unit sets the drive current using a predetermined profile having no hysteresis in change characteristics of the drive current with respect to the fuel pressure in a fuel pressure region of the compression stroke injection or the expansion stroke injection, as the drive current profile.

Abstract: Method and systems are provided for adjusting an engine torque in response to changes in a desired engine torque. In one example, a method may comprise responsive to increasing desired engine torques, monotonically decreasing an alternator torque to a first level from a second level when not injecting fuel to engine cylinders, and stepping up the alternator torque from the first level to the second level while initiating engine combustion, and then monotonically decreasing the alternator torque from the second level to the first level in response to the alternator torque reaching the first level. In this way, a method may comprise adjusting a load exerted on an engine by an alternator mechanically coupled to said engine during both cylinder combustion, and during non-fueling conditions.

Abstract: In some aspects, a spark plug includes a spark gap in an enclosure of the spark plug. The spark plug includes a passage in the interior of the enclosure. During operation of the engine, the passage directs flow through the spark gap, primarily away from a combustion chamber end of the enclosure. The passage can direct flow at a velocity of 5 meters/second or greater.

Abstract: A method for controlling an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system which is provided with an intake throttle valve and an EGR valve driven by a motor may include detecting an engine speed and an amount of intake air for each cylinder of an engine while the engine is operating, determining an amount of air flow supplied to the engine based on the engine speed and the amount of intake air for each cylinder, determining an equivalent cross-section of the EGR valve based on the amount of air flow, determining an opening angle of the EGR valve based on the engine speed, the amount of intake air for each cylinder, the amount of air flow, and the equivalent cross-section of the EGR valve, and controlling the EGR valve according to the opening angle of the EGR valve.

Abstract: When an air-fuel ratio detection performed by detecting an output of a downstream sensor, which is a limiting-current type air-fuel ratio sensor arranged at a downstream side of a catalyst in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, and calculating an air-fuel ratio at the downstream side of the catalyst in accordance with the output, if the output is within a predetermined range including an output corresponding to a theoretical air-fuel ratio, a relationship between the output and an air-fuel ratio that is calculated by calculation means is shifted more to a rich side relative to a correspondence relationship between an output of an upstream sensor, which is a similar sensor to the downstream sensor arranged at an upstream side of the catalyst in the exhaust passage of the engine, and an air-fuel ratio.

Abstract: A secondary fueling system for a diesel internal combustion engine includes an injector which injects an oxygen-containing secondary fuel into the engine's air intake system, a pump which pumps the secondary fuel to the injector, a sensor which senses pressure in the air intake system, and a secondary fuel controller which receives output signals from the sensor and pump, operator inputs for the engine, and data signals pertaining to operation of the engine from the main engine controller, determines an injection amount of the secondary fuel based thereon, and controls the pump based on the determined injection amount. A position of the injector in the engine's air intake system is distant from the engine's intake valves and is based on the engine's displacement, e.g., it relates to approximately equal to one quarter of the engine's displacement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the operation of an engine of a motor vehicle is disclosed in which the engine is restarted while the vehicle is in motion by bump starting it if the speed of the vehicle falls within predetermined speed limits but is otherwise restarted using a starter motor. The number of starts for which the starter motor is used is thereby reduced advantageously reducing wear of the starter motor and increasing the life and/or reducing the duty cycle of the battery or source of power used for the starter motor.

Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine is described in which a combustion air ratio (?) is determined and used to determine a deviation of this combustion air ratio from an in particular default or determined set point combustion air ratio. Spontaneous ignition of the internal combustion engine are detected based on the determined deviation (??) and used to control the operation of the engine.

Abstract: A method for automatically operating a cam-driven pump is disclosed. The pump is monitored to determine whether a specified detachment condition or potential detachment of an actuator of the pump from a driving cam is occurring. The pump is operated in a minimal pressure holding mode to provide a minimal pressure within a working chamber of the pump so as to bias the actuator towards the cam if it is determined that the detachment condition is occurring.

Abstract: An engine compression brake device is disclosed. The brake device has at least one camshaft which has at least one cam group with at least one firing cam and at least one brake cam, and has at least one cam follower which is functionally assigned to the firing cam and which is provided for actuating at least one gas exchange valve in a firing mode, and has a cam follower which is functionally assigned to the brake cam and which is provided for actuating at least one gas exchange valve in a braking mode. The brake device further has a switchover device which is provided for the switchover between the firing mode and the braking mode, where the switchover device is provided for converting a torque of the camshaft into a force for the switchover between the firing mode and the braking mode.

Abstract: A method for operating a boosted internal combustion engine is provided. The engine includes a first cylinder in a first cylinder group and a second cylinder in a second cylinder group, each of the first and second cylinders having two activatable outlet openings adjoined by an exhaust line, one of the outlet openings of each of the first and second cylinders coupled to a first turbocharger including a first turbine and one of the outlet openings of each of the cylinders coupled to a second turbocharger including a second turbine, the method comprising: if engine load is less than a threshold load value implementing a first operating mode that includes deactivating the second cylinder, deactivating one of the activatable outlet openings in the first cylinder, and activating one of the activatable outlet opening in the first cylinder.

Abstract: An ignition source for initiating combustion is provided. The ignition source includes an electrical delivery conductor mounted in a delivery conductor mounting structure. An electrical ground conductor is mounted in a ground conductor mounting structure and extends from the ground conductor mounting structure to a point proximate the delivery conductor to define an ignition spark gap between the delivery conductor and the ground conductor. At least one of the delivery conductor and the ground conductor is mounted so as to be positionable with respect to the other one of the delivery conductor and the ground conductor to selectively adjust a width of the ignition spark gap.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for detecting an auto-ignition in a spark-ignited internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, wherein values for the combustion chamber pressure are measured during a compression stroke of the internal combustion engine at defined crankshaft angles within an evaluation window, a filtered pressure value is determined from the measured values for the combustion chamber pressure, theoretical pressure values in the combustion chamber that would arise if no combustion took place in the combustion chamber are determined for the defined crankshaft angles, the value of the pressure difference between the filtered pressure value and the theoretical pressure values is calculated, the value of the pressure difference is compared with a specified threshold value, and, if the threshold value is exceeded, an auto-ignition in the combustion chamber is inferred.

Abstract: An engine system is disclosed. The engine system may have an engine including at least one cylinder. The engine system may also have a first source configured to supply fuel for combustion in the engine and a second source configured to supply an ignition promoter material for combustion in the engine. The engine system may have a droplet injector configured to generate at least one droplet of the ignition promoter material, apply an amount of charge on the at least one droplet, and deliver the at least one droplet to the at least one cylinder. The engine system may also have a controller. The controller may be configured to determine an engine parameter, and to determine the amount of charge based on the engine parameter. In addition, the controller may be configured to adjust the droplet injector to apply the determined amount of charge to the at least one droplet.

Abstract: An engine starting apparatus is equipped with a starter which, when it is required to start an engine, moves a pinion to establish engagement with a ring gear coupled to the engine and energizes an electric motor to produce and transmit torque to the ring gear through the pinion for cranking the engine. When the rate of decrease in current flowing in the electric motor or the rate of rise in voltage appearing at a terminal of the starter or a power supply for the electric motor exceeds a given value after the engine starts being cranked, the engine starting apparatus works as a firing-up determiner to determine that the engine has been fully fired up.

Abstract: An intake device is provide for drawing in fresh gas and feeding the same to an internal combustion engine with internal combustion, wherein the intake device is suited for the formation of a fresh gas vortex in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The intake device includes a first manifold section, from which all first parts of fresh gas line groups branch off to a fresh gas outlet end, and a second manifold section, from which all second parts of the fresh gas line groups branch off to the fresh gas outlet end, which are fluidically separated from each other from the separation point to the fresh gas outlet end. A vortex throttle assembly is provided in a first manifold section and the amount throttle device is provided in the second manifold section.

Abstract: A method for operating a common-rail system of a motor vehicle that includes a common-rail-pressure sensor configuration having at least two signal paths, and that can be operated at a maximally permissible common-rail pressure and at a minimally permissible common-rail pressure. Sensor signals are read out in each case in response to a pressure measurement in a common rail of the common-rail system via the at least two signal paths, and a signal deviation value is ascertained that characterizes a deviation between the pressure values that are each determined on the basis of the sensor signals. The method includes reducing the maximally permissible common-rail pressure by a correction value to a maximally permissible emergency common-rail pressure and/or increasing the minimally permissible common-rail pressure by a correction value to a minimally permissible emergency common-rail pressure in response to the signal deviation value exceeding a predefined value.

Abstract: When the temperature in a cylinder of an engine is low, the fuel injection amount of fuel that has a low vapor pressure and is less likely to be vaporized is increased, and the fuel injection amount of fuel that has a high vapor pressure and is more likely to be vaporized is reduced, so that the start timing of the engine can be kept constant. When the temperature in the cylinder is high, the fuel injection amount of the fuel that has a low vapor pressure and is more likely to be decomposed is reduced, and the fuel that has a high vapor pressure and is less likely to be burned (decomposed) is increased, so that the start timing of the engine can be kept constant. Thus, the start timing of the engine is kept constant irrespective of the fuel property, and deterioration of the drivability can be curbed.

Abstract: In certain embodiments with large size prechambers and/or with prechambers that have large spark-gap electrode assemblies, a poor scavenge of the crevice volume may cause deterioration of the preignition margin, which then may limit the power rating of the engine, may cause the flow velocity field of the fuel-air mixture to be excessively uneven and may result in the deterioration of the misfire limit. One or more auxiliary scavenging ports may allow admission of fuel rich mixture to the crevice volume, thereby cooling the residual gases and preventing occurrence of preignition. More organized and powerful flow velocity fields may be obtained in the spark-gap electrode assembly region. This condition may result in a significant extension of the flammability limit and may significantly improve the combustion efficiency of the prechamber. Passive prechambers using the active scavenge concept may increase the engine power output and reduce the emission of pollutants from engine combustion.

Abstract: A controller of an engine with a supercharger includes, for each of cylinders, fuel supply system and an ignition plug. The controller includes an electronic control unit that is configured to: (i) set a basic ignition timing depending on an operation state of the engine, (ii) detect, for each cycle, an abnormal combustion generation cylinder in which an abnormal combustion is generated in a supercharged region, (iii) execute a fuel cut to stop a fuel supply by the fuel supply system for the abnormal combustion generation cylinder, (iv) change an ignition timing of the abnormal combustion generation cylinder to expand a crank angle width between a compression top dead center and the basic ignition timing for several cycles after start of the fuel cut, and (v) execute an ignition cut that prohibits a spark from being generated by the ignition plug, further after elapse of the several cycles is executed.