Abstract: An optoelectronic measuring device for monitoring combustion processes in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine during operation includes optical sensors assigned to the combustion chamber and connected to an evaluation unit, the sensor ends on the side of the combustion chamber being essentially positioned in a plane and the sensors being aligned so that the individual viewing angles of the sensors will uniformly cover at least one predefined measuring sector of the combustion chamber. A simple way of localizing the origin of engine knocking in the combustion chamber is ensured by positioning the optical sensors in an essentially cylindrical component projecting into the combustion chamber with the sensor ends positioned essentially radially along the wall of the component.

Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine run on Otto fuel which may be compression ignition operated in a first operational range (HCCI) and spark ignition operated in a second operational range (SI), with means for adjusting valve timing of at least one intake valve (7) and of at least one exhaust valve (8), with at least one ignition equipment (18) and at least one direct injection equipment (17) in each cylinder (1). To permit in the easiest possible way compression ignition and spark ignition operation on Otto fuel, there is provided at least one intake camshaft (9) for actuating the intake valves (7) and at least one exhaust camshaft (10) for actuating the exhaust valves (8), that at least one intake valve (7) in each cylinder (1) is movable between a first and a second lift position by a device for changing the valve lift (11), and that at least one exhaust valve (8) is actuatable by a residual gas recirculation system (13) during the intake lift.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine that is operated, in at least one operational range, with a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode, combustion history being monitored and evaluated by measuring at least one parameter relevant to combustion selected from the group comprising the start of combustion, the duration of combustion and the rate of combustion, and at least one parameter relevant to combustion being controlled, for subsequent combustion events, on account of the evaluation of the combustion. In order to stabilize combustion in the homogeneous charge compression ignition mode of operation in the easiest possible way, the inventors propose to vary the level of turbulence in the combustion chamber for the purpose of controlling combustion, the level of turbulence being temporarily raised to stabilize combustion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine operated with a self-ignitable fuel, with an approximately homogeneous fuel-air mixture being produced in the combustion chamber in the self-ignition ranges (CI), a high compression ratio suitable for a self-ignition of the fuel being provided and the combustion occurring in the self-ignition ranges (CI) predominantly by self-ignition. In order to control the start of combustion in the self-ignition range (CI) in the easiest possible way it is provided that in the self-ignition range (CI) the pressure and/or temperature of the homogeneous fuel-air mixture are set in such a way, preferably depending on the charge composition and/or charge temperature, that the self-ignition would be achieved only after the actually desired start of combustion in the zone of the upper dead center and the combustion of the homogeneous fuel-air mixture is initiated locally in the self-ignition range (CI) by an external energy impulse.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a direct injection internal combustion engine operated on both spark-ignitable and autoignitable fuel, more specifically on gasoline, wherein the operational range of the engine is allocated autoignition ranges and spark-ignition ranges, an at least nearly homogeneous fuel-air mixture being produced in the combustion chamber in autoignition ranges, a high compression ratio suitable for spontaneous ignition of the fuel being provided and the combustion in the autoignition range being mostly initiated by spontaneous ignition, and wherein, in the ranges of spark ignition, combustion is initiated by spark ignition of said air-fuel mixture and a spark ignition range is assigned to the full load range and an autoignition range assigned to at least part of the part load range and wherein the effective compression ratio is lowered in spark ignition ranges and combustion controlled by regulating the residual gas content in the ranges of spontaneous ignition.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation cooler (EGR cooler) provided in an exhaust gas recirculation line departing from an exhaust system and opening into an intake system of an internal combustion engine is configured as a heat pipe heat exchanger including at least one enclosed and evacuated heat pipe filled with a working medium, the first end of the heat pipe being subject to exhaust gas from the exhaust gas recirculation line and the second end being in contact with a heat sink. In order to provide a compact design which will permit simple and effective cooling of the recycled exhaust gas, the longitudinal axis of the EGR cooler is aligned in parallel with the axis of the at least one heat pipe, so that an essentially axial flow of exhaust gas is obtained in the EGR cooler.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating an internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber defined by the inner wall of a cylinder, a cylinder head and the upper surface of a piston moveable longitudinally within the cylinder, the engine further comprising a pre-combustion chamber in communication with the combustion chamber. The method comprises supplying to the combustion chamber a first combustible mixture of a first hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen; supplying to the pre-combustion chamber a second combustible mixture of a second hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen, the second combustible mixture being auto-ignitable; and compressing the first and second combustible mixtures by moving the piston within the cylinder; wherein under operating conditions in which the aforementioned steps are insufficient to operate the engine and keep it running, the method further comprises the step of generating a spark to cause ignition of the compressed first combustible mixture in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a variable swirl generating intake manifold with at least one longitudinally oriented partition wall that forms at least one swirl generating first manifold section and one swirl stopping second manifold section, said manifold sections only meeting again in the valve area, at least the second manifold section being, for the purpose of increasing the swirl, at least partially closable in the entrance area by means of a control flap that is pivotal about an axis, said axis being substantially arranged in the plane of the partition wall, said control flap having two arms and said two manifold sections being at least partially closable in a first rotational end position and open in a second rotational end position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for analyzing the driving behavior of motor vehicles on a roller type test stand, with the following steps: performance of a predetermined operating cycle in a motor vehicle which is disposed on a roller type test stand; determination of a first longitudinal acceleration signal from a speed signal which is tapped from the power train of the motor vehicle or the roller type test stand; determination of a second longitudinal acceleration signal by an acceleration sensor attached to the motor vehicle; superposition of the first and second longitudinal acceleration signal into a composite signal; determination of a parameter representative of the driveability of the motor vehicle from the composite signal.

Abstract: A method for the automatic optimization of an output quantity of a system that is dependent on a plurality of input quantities (for example, an internal combustion engine) with maintenance of secondary conditions determines a theoretical value for the output quantity and for the secondary conditions on the basis of a respective model function having the input quantities as variables, and thereby respectively modifies, in successive individual steps, one of the input quantities within a variation space having a dimension corresponding to the number of input quantities, whereby values, corresponding to the respective input quantities, for the output quantity and for the secondary conditions are also determined directly at the system and are used for the correction of the model functions, until the model function has achieved its optimal value, satisfying the secondary conditions, for the output quantity.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a level plate that is arranged between a cylinder head and a cylinder, is adjacent to a combustion chamber and is provided with at least one opening for at least one inlet valve and/or one outlet valve and/or at least one injection equipment or the like, the plate bordering on a level cylinder head bottom. In order to reduce the introduction of heat into the cylinder head in the easiest possible way, the diameter of the opening is larger than the valve seat for the inlet valve and/or for the outlet valve and the valve seat for the inlet valve and/or for the outlet valve is formed by the cylinder head or by a valve seat ring that is solidly connected thereto.

Abstract: A spark-ignition internal combustion engine with direct injection into the combustion chamber which operates according to the jet-guided combustion method, and includes at least one injection device and one ignition device per cylinder. In order to increase the stratification capabilities and the service life of the injection device, the ignition device is disposed centrally, preferably in the zone of the of the cylinder axis, and the injection device is disposed laterally offset in the direct vicinity of the ignition location, with the distance between the orifice of the injection device and the ignition location being 0.1 to 0.24 times the piston diameter.

Abstract: A process is provided for measuring the opacity in gases, especially in exhaust gases or in the atmosphere, at or near the maximum of the eye sensitivity in the green wavelength range with a central wavelength lying between 550 and 570 nm. In order, in a simple manner, to separately determine the components which are responsible for clouding in the visible wavelength range, or to make a correction possible by taking into consideration further components that have an effect in the visible range, the opacity in at least one second wavelength range which is located in the spectral between 200 nm and 2&mgr;, and which overlaps at most slightly with the first wavelength range is additionally measured.

Abstract: An intake port configuration (1) for an internal combustion engine wherein the swirl (D) of at least one intake flow entering the combustion chamber via an intake port controlled by an intake valve (5) can be varied, two or more flow paths are associated with at least one intake port, which paths join in the valve region (4), and the flow rate (Q) in at least one of the two flow paths is variable by means of a control element (9), and the two flow paths are constituted by two completely separate intake passages, i.e., a primary passage (2) and a secondary passage (3), the primary passage (2) having a helical form. In order to obtain a high flow rate (Q) at a high swirl level in addition to a wide range over which the swirl D may be varied, the intake valve axis (5a) intersects or is tangent to the secondary passage (3) at least at one point.

Abstract: A single-track motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder which is arranged in an inclined manner approximately horizontally relative to the driving direction, with at least one intake valve being arranged above at least one exhaust valve. In order to achieve the most compact possible design, the exhaust valve is triggered by way of a rocker lever.

Abstract: The invention relates to a two-stroke internal combustion engine with crankcase scavenging, with an exhaust passage controlled by the piston and at least two first transfer passages and at least one second transfer passage, each with a corresponding transfer window into the cylinder chamber and a window on the crankcase side for communication between the cylinder chamber and the crankcase, the transfer windows of the first transfer passages being controlled by the upper edge of the piston, and the crankcase-side window of the second transfer passage being disposed in a region of the cylinder wall that is swept by the piston skirt of the piston. The cylinder wall comprises at least one recess, which is arranged in close vicinity to the transfer window of the second transfer passage and which is in flow communication with the second transfer passage, wherein a narrow passage is arranged between the recess and the second transfer passage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for the conduction of liquid media, for example fuels, between a tank and a delivery point, especially fuel consumption measuring systems or fuel conditioning systems, which includes a bubble-separating arrangement, as well as a filter element for use in such a system. For the simple and effective detection and separation of bubbles and further contaminations of every type in the particular liquid medium and, if necessary, the further development for additional simple and rapid determination of their volumes and therewith consideration in possible measurements, it is provided that the bubble-separating arrangement is formed by a filtering device and in the filtering device the connection for the liquid medium is arranged in a zone outside the filtering element.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block with cooling fins cast integral therewith, and a cylinder head bolted on top of the cylinder block, first coolant passages being provided in the area of at least one cylinder contained in the cylinder block, which passages are connected to second coolant passages located in the cylinder head. Cooling efficiency is increased by providing heat exchange passages in an outer region of the cooling fins, which together with the first coolant passages and the second coolant passages, form a closed loop system within the engine.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an engine block with at least one cylinder, a cylinder head which is fastened to the cylinder, the outside of the cylinder and the cylinder head including cooling ribs in order to discharge the heat produced during operation of the internal combustion engine, and including an oil pump for conveying the engine oil through oil lines to the parts of the internal combustion engine to be lubricated and to an oil cooler for cooling the engine oil. An effective and even cooling of the internal combustion engine is ensured in such a way that the oil cooler is integrated in the cooling ribs of the internal combustion engine and two mutually separated oil conduit systems are provided in the cylinder head, namely lubricating oil system and a cooling oil system.

Abstract: A four-stroke internal combustion engine with at least two inlet valves and an inlet flow path with at least two inlet ports per cylinder which branch off from a common inlet pipe and are guided separately up to the inlet valves and of which at least one inlet port is designed as a charge loading port and at least one inlet port as a volumetric port, with a throttle device for volumetric control being provided in the inlet flow path and the inlet flow path is connected with a fuel supply device. In order to achieve in the simplest possible way an improvement of the exhaust gas quality at low fuel consumption, the fuel supply device is formed by a joint carburetor for both inlet ports, with preferably the carburetor being arranged in the zone of the branching of the inlet ports from the inlet pipe.