Abstract: A method for determining the amount of particulate that has accumulated in a particulate filter, comprising calculating an amount of particulate that has accumulated in the particulate filter on the basis of a physical model that uses measured and/or determined physical quantities, and subjecting the calculated particulate amount to validation on the basis of given validation criteria, the latter step envisaging validation of the calculated particulate amount in the case where said criteria are satisfied, and validation of a substitutive particulate amount which is a function of a previously validated amount and of an admissible rate of variation in the case where said criteria are not satisfied.

Abstract: A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising at least one fuel electroinjector, and an electronic control unit configured to supply the fuel electroinjector, in a fuel injection phase in an engine cylinder, with at least a first electrical command to cause a first fuel injection to be carried out, and a second electrical command cause a second fuel injection temporally subsequent to the first fuel injection to be carried out, the first and second electrical commands being separated in time by an electrical dwell time such that the second fuel injection starts without any discontinuity in time with respect to the first fuel injection. The electronic control unit is further configured to cause the first and second fuel injections to be carried out in engine operating conditions characterized by reduced fuel ignition delays, wherein fuel combustion is prevalently diffusive and heat released during fuel combustion is sensitive to fuel injection law.

Abstract: An automotive electronic control unit for an internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder provided with at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve, and a variable intake and/or exhaust valve actuation system. The electronic control unit is programmed to control the variable valve actuation system so as to obtain an internal exhaust gas recirculation through the intake and exhaust valves and to control the internal exhaust gas recirculation based on a mathematical model that models the fluid-dynamic behaviour of an intake or exhaust valve as if this was a nozzle.

Abstract: In an internal-combustion engine with exhaust-gas-recirculation system, electronic control means are provided designed to process an analytical model of the quantities “effective lambda” and “effective EGR percentage”, which is constructed on the basis of the physical laws that regulate the fluid-dynamic conditions in the intake pipe, in the exhaust pipe, and in the recirculation pipe of the engine. On the basis of the deviation between the values of said quantities estimated by the model and the reference values of said quantities associated to the conditions of operation of the engine, an operation of correction on the control of the valve that governs the recirculation circuit is implemented.

Abstract: There is described a method of controlling air intake flow of an internal combustion engine (1), the method including the steps of calculating a reference airflow (AREF) as the sum of a feed-forward contribution (AFF), calculated as a function of the reference air/fuel ratio ((A/F)REF) to be obtained in the combustion chamber, and a feed-back contribution (AFB), calculated as a function of the oxygen concentration (% O2) of the exhaust gas; and closed-loop controlling the air intake flow of the engine so that it equals the reference airflow (AREF).

Abstract: Described herein is a method for managing regeneration of a diesel-particulate filter for a gas-exhaust system of the internal-combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising a first step of regeneration of the diesel-particulate filter during which the diesel-particulate filter is regenerated at a first regeneration rate, and a second step of regeneration of the diesel-particulate filter, during which the diesel-particulate filter is regenerated at a second regeneration rate higher than the first regeneration rate.

Abstract: A device for imparting a whirling motion on the flow of air for supplying a turbo-supercharged internal-combustion engine is designed to be interposed in the duct for supplying the air upstream of the supercharger for supercharging the engine. The device comprises an elbow-shaped portion of duct and partializing means, which are able to limit the section of passage in the upstream branch the aforesaid elbow portion to an area which constitutes a fraction of the total section of the duct and which is adjacent to a wall of the duct. In this way, the downstream branch of the elbow portion is reached by a tangential flow that gives rise to a helical flow of the air in said downstream branch. The device enables creation upstream of the supercharger of a negative pressure sufficient for enabling a recirculation of exhaust gases, upstream of the supercharger, and at the same time imparts on the air flow a whirling movement that enables the supercharger to be exploited in the most efficient way.

Abstract: A method for determining the amount of particulate that has accumulated in a particulate filter, comprising calculating an amount of particulate that has accumulated in the particulate filter on the basis of a physical model that uses measured and/or determined physical quantities, and subjecting the calculated particulate amount to validation on the basis of given validation criteria, the latter step envisaging validation of the calculated particulate amount in the case where said criteria are satisfied, and validation of a substitutive particulate amount which is a function of a previously validated amount and of an admissible rate of variation in the case where said criteria are not satisfied.

Abstract: A method of activating regeneration of a nitric oxide adsorber (8) for treating exhaust gas produced by an internal combustion engine (1) of a vehicle, the method including the steps of determining the fill level (FILL) of the nitric oxide adsorber (8); monitoring the running conditions of the vehicle and/or the operating conditions of the engine (1); and activating regeneration of the nitric oxide adsorber (8) when the fill level (FILL) of the nitric oxide adsorber (8) exceeds a maximum fill level (FILLMAX), and the running conditions of the vehicle and/or the operating conditions of the engine (1) are favourable to regeneration.

Abstract: In an internal-combustion engine with exhaust-gas-recirculation system, electronic control means are provided designed to process an analytical model of the quantities “effective lambda” and “effective EGR percentage”, which is constructed on the basis of the physical laws that regulate the fluid-dynamic conditions in the intake pipe, in the exhaust pipe, and in the recirculation pipe of the engine. On the basis of the deviation between the values of said quantities estimated by the model and the reference values of said quantities associated to the conditions of operation of the engine, an operation of correction on the control of the valve that governs the recirculation circuit is implemented.

Abstract: A device for imparting a whirling motion on the flow of air for supplying a turbo-supercharged internal-combustion engine is designed to be interposed in the duct for supplying the air upstream of the supercharger for supercharging the engine. The device comprises an elbow-shaped portion of duct and partializing means, which are able to limit the section of passage in the upstream branch the aforesaid elbow portion to an area which constitutes a fraction of the total section of the duct and which is adjacent to a wall of the duct. In this way, the downstream branch of the elbow portion is reached by a tangential flow that gives rise to a helical flow of the air in said downstream branch. The device enables creation upstream of the supercharger of a negative pressure sufficient for enabling a recirculation of exhaust gases, upstream of the supercharger, and at the same time imparts on the air flow a whirling movement that enables the supercharger to be exploited in the most efficient way.

Abstract: A device for imparting a whirling motion on the flow of air for supplying a turbo-supercharged internal-combustion engine is designed to be interposed in the duct for supplying the air upstream of the supercharger for supercharging the engine. The device comprises an elbow-shaped portion of duct and partializing means, which are able to limit the section of passage in the upstream branch of the aforesaid elbow portion to an area which constitutes a fraction of the total section of the duct and which is adjacent to a wall of the duct. In this way, the downstream branch of the elbow portion is reached by a tangential flow that gives rise to a helical flow of the air in said downstream branch. The device enables creation upstream of the supercharger of a negative pressure sufficient for enabling a recirculation of exhaust gases, upstream of the supercharger, and at the same time imparts on the air flow a whirling movement that enables the supercharger to be exploited in the most efficient way.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for managing regeneration of a diesel-particulate filter for a gas-exhaust system of the internal-combustion engine of a vehicle, comprising a first step of regeneration of the diesel-particulate filter during which the diesel-particulate filter is regenerated at a first regeneration rate, and a second step of regeneration of the diesel-particulate filter, during which the diesel-particulate filter is regenerated at a second regeneration rate higher than the first regeneration rate.

Abstract: A method and a device for controlling the exhaust gas recirculation in an internal-combustion engine are described herein. The engine is provided with an air-intake system, a gas-exhaust system, and an exhaust-gas-recirculation system. A linear oxygen sensor is arranged along the air-intake system in a section traversed, in use, by the air/recirculated-exhaust-gas mixture, for measuring the oxygen concentration in the mixture itself An electronic control unit is connected to the oxygen sensor and to the exhaust-gas-recirculation system for controlling the flow rate of recirculated exhaust gases on the basis of the oxygen concentration in the mixture taken in by the engine. In particular, the oxygen sensor is a UHEGO probe.

Abstract: There is described a method of controlling air intake flow of an internal combustion engine (1), the method including the steps of calculating a reference airflow (AREF) as the sum of a feed-forward contribution (AFF), calculated as a function of the reference air/fuel ratio ((A/F)REF) to be obtained in the combustion chamber, and a feed-back contribution (AFB), calculated as a function of the oxygen concentration (% O2) of the exhaust gas; and closed-loop controlling the air intake flow of the engine so that it equals the reference airflow (AREF).

Abstract: A method of activating regeneration of a nitric oxide adsorber (8) for treating exhaust gas produced by an internal combustion engine (1) of a vehicle, the method including the steps of determining the fill level (FILL) of the nitric oxide adsorber (8); monitoring the running conditions of the vehicle and/or the operating conditions of the engine (1); and activating regeneration of the nitric oxide adsorber (8) when the fill level (FILL) of the nitric oxide adsorber (8) exceeds a maximum fill level (FILLMAX), and the running conditions of the vehicle and/or the operating conditions of the engine (1) are favourable to regeneration.

Abstract: A device for imparting a whirling motion on the flow of air for supplying a turbo-supercharged internal-combustion engine is designed to be interposed in the duct for supplying the air upstream of the supercharger for supercharging the engine. The device comprises an elbow-shaped portion of duct and partializing means, which are able to limit the section of passage in the upstream branch of the aforesaid elbow portion to an area which constitutes a fraction of the total section of the duct and which is adjacent to a wall of the duct. In this way, the downstream branch of the elbow portion is reached by a tangential flow that gives rise to a helical flow of the air in said downstream branch. The device enables creation upstream of the supercharger of a negative pressure sufficient for enabling a recirculation of exhaust gases, upstream of the supercharger, and at the same time imparts on the air flow a whirling movement that enables the supercharger to be exploited in the most efficient way.

Abstract: There is described a method of controlling injection in a vehicle internal combustion engine, wherein the intake air flow and exhaust lambda are measured to estimate the fuel quantity actually injected into the engine and perform a closed-loop control whereby the estimated fuel quantity is made to substantially equal the nominal fuel quantity calculated to meet vehicle user requirements. More specifically, the difference between the nominal fuel quantity and the estimated fuel quantity is used to calculate a correction factor by which to correct the nominal fuel quantity.

Abstract: A method for balancing the torque generated by the cylinders of an internal combustion engine comprising the stages of: determining for each cylinder quantity which indicates the torque generated by the cylinder in a given engine cycle; determining for each cylinder a nominal fuel amount to be injected in this cylinder in a subsequent engine cycle; determining for each cylinder a correction coefficient of the nominal fuel amount to be injected in the cylinder in this subsequent engine cycle according to the quantity determined for this cylinder; correcting the nominal fuel amount to be injected in each cylinder according to the correction coefficient determined for the cylinder itself; and injecting into each cylinder the corresponding corrected fuel amount.

Abstract: A method and a device for controlling the exhaust gas recirculation in an internal-combustion engine (1) are described herein. The engine (1) is provided with an air-intake system (2), a gas-exhaust system (4), and an exhaust-gas-recirculation system (5). A linear oxygen sensor (25) is arranged along the air-intake system (2) in a section traversed, in use, by the air/recirculated-exhaust-gas mixture, for measuring the oxygen concentration in the mixture itself. An electronic control unit is connected to the oxygen sensor (25) and to the exhaust-gas-recirculation system (5) for controlling the flow rate of recirculated exhaust gases on the basis of the oxygen concentration in the mixture taken in by the engine (1). In particular, the oxygen sensor is a UHEGO probe (25).