Abstract: A fuel injector provided with: an injection valve comprising an injection nozzle; a mobile needle for regulating the fuel flow through the injection valve and ending with a shutting head, which engages a valve seat of the injection valve, is arranged externally with respect to injection valve and presents a predetermined sealing diameter; an actuator for displacing the needle between a closing position and an opening position of the injection valve; a closing spring which tends to maintain the needle in the closing position of the injection valve pushing the shutting head against the valve seat itself in a sense contrary to the feeding sense of the fuel; and a supporting body having a tubular shape and presenting a feeding channel within which a needle is arranged; the needle, at an opposite end of the shutting head, is coupled to a balancing channel, which is at ambient pressure.

Abstract: A bracket for transporting and assembling an actuation system of a servo-assisted mechanical gearbox, which actuation system presents a plurality of reciprocally connected assemblies; the bracket presents a first part adapted to support a first assembly of the actuation system and at least a second part, which is adapted to support a second assembly of the actuation system and is movable with respect to the first part.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing and controlling a butterfly valve for an internal combustion engine; the manufacturing and control method includes the steps of: establishing a maximum gaseous flow rate value which may flow through the feeding pipe when the butterfly plate is in the closing position; determining a conventional closing position at which the gaseous flow rate which flows through the feeding pipe is essentially equal to the maximum gaseous flow rate value; driving an actuator device so as not to normally pass the conventional closing position; and dimensioning the position of a catch element, so that when a rotational shaft abuts against the catch element the gaseous flow rate which flows through the feeding pipe is essentially lower than the maximum gaseous flow rate value.

Abstract: A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle during regenerative deceleration, the method including: determining deceleration of the vehicle; upon determining deceleration of the vehicle, operating a reversible electric machine as a generator to regenerate part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle; establishing a respective minimum speed of an internal combustion engine for each gear of a servocontrolled mechanical power train; determining and engaging the highest gear which, combined with the current state of motion of the vehicle, runs the internal combustion engine at higher than the respective minimum speed; keeping the gear engaged as long as the internal combustion engine runs at higher than the respective minimum speed; and downshifting by one gear when the internal combustion engine runs at lower than the respective minimum speed.

Abstract: A method of driving a hydraulic actuator provided with a pressure-controlled proportioning solenoid valve; the method includes the steps of: determining a first open-loop contribution according to a pressurized oil flow rate which crosses the proportioning solenoid valve and according to the desired load pressure inside the actuation chamber; determining a second open-loop contribution according to the desired position of the spool of the proportioning solenoid valve; determining a third closed-loop contribution according to the difference between a desired value of the position of the mobile piston and a real value of the position of the mobile piston; and calculating a desired electric driving current value of the proportioning solenoid valve by means of an algebraic sum of the three contributions.

Abstract: A method for controlling an electric motor by using the PWM technique including the steps of: applying to the clamps of the electric motor an electric voltage varying in time, which displays a square waveform and consists of a sequence of pulses having a uniform wave period and a variable width; adjusting the average value of the electric voltage by varying the width of the pulses; determining the overall required width variation; subdividing the overall required width variation in a determined number of partial variations, the overall sum of which is equivalent to the overall required width variation; and gradually varying the width amplitude of the pulses of the electric voltage by applying in a sequence a corresponding partial variation to each pulse, so that the difference between the width amplitude of a pulse and the width of a following pulse is equivalent to the corresponding partial variation.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling an internal combustion power train, whereby the values of various operating parameters of the power train are measured by means of a number of sensors, and operation of the engine is monitored by means of at least one control unit, which is physically separate from the engine block and connected to the sensors; at least one pressure sensor is housed in the control unit, is physically separate from the engine block, and determines the intensity of pressure waves generated by the power train; and the control unit determines the value of at least one operating parameter of the power train as a function of the intensity of the pressure waves generated by the power train.

Abstract: A control method of the torque of a road vehicle having a powertrain system provided with an engine and a driveline which transmits the torque generated by the engine to the road surface; the method contemplates the steps of: determining a target torque; modeling the powertrain system as a single physical component which presents a characteristic mechanical inertia and a characteristic torsional elasticity; determining a current load torque of the vehicle; determining a target torsion of the powertrain system according to the target torque and the current load torque; determining a current torsion of the powertrain system and a current torsion speed of the powertrain system; determining a requested torque on the basis of the energy balance according to the target torsion, the current torsion, the current torsion speed, and the current load torque; and using the requested torque on the basis of the energy balance to control the torque generation of the engine.

Abstract: A hydraulic circuit of a servo-assisted mechanical transmission, which is provided with a number of hydraulic actuators provided with corresponding actuation chambers adapted to be filled with pressurized oil; the hydraulic circuit is provided with: a number of solenoid valves, each of which is coupled to a corresponding actuation chamber of a hydraulic actuator; a tank, which contains the oil at atmospheric pressure and is provided with an upper loading aperture; the cap, which closes the loading aperture of the tank and is provided with a through venting hole which puts the tank into communication with the external environment; a filtering element, which is coupled to the cap and is arranged under the venting hole; a hydraulic accumulator containing the pressurized oil; and an electric pump which draws from the tank and feeds the hydraulic accumulator.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a vehicle, according to which it is determined whether the vehicle is on a slope; it is detected whether the internal-combustion engine is turned on; it is detected whether the vehicle is stationary; a parking brake is activated automatically and independently of the action of the driver, by driving a respective servo control if the vehicle is on a slope, if the internal-combustion engine is turned on and if the vehicle is stationary; and the parking brake is disengaged automatically and independently of the action of the driver, by driving the corresponding servo control when the clutch is disengaged by a corresponding servo control for transmitting the torque generated by an internal-combustion engine of the vehicle to the driving wheels.

Abstract: An intake manifold for an internal combustion engine comprising an engine head in which there are obtained a number of cylinders; the intake manifold comprises a central body, wherein there are obtained an intake chamber which receives the intake air and a number of conduits each of which connects the chamber to a corresponding cylinder of the internal combustion engine; first passage through holes obtained in the central body for fastening the intake manifold to the engine head by means of first fastening screws screwed into the engine head; a common rail which receives the pressurized fuel and is connected to a number of injectors, each of which injects the fuel into a corresponding cylinder; second blank threaded fastening holes obtained in the central body for fastening the common rail to the central body itself by means of the second fastening screws screwed into the central body and, for each second fastening hole, a metallic reinforcement bracket, which presents a first assembly through hole arranged o

Abstract: A method and a plant for filling a hydraulic circuit with a control fluid, in which a vacuum is generated within the hydraulic circuit, the control fluid is supplied to a degasification chamber, a vacuum is generated in the degasification chamber containing the control fluid and the control fluid is supplied under pressure from the degasification chamber to the hydraulic circuit while continuing to maintain the vacuum in the hydraulic circuit.

Abstract: A control method for an internal combustion engine supercharged by means of a turbocharger provided with a turbine and with a compressor; the control method contemplates the steps of: establishing at least one operating limit curve on a Reduced Mass Flow Rate/Compression Ratio map; establishing at least one intervention curve of a wastegate valve which adjusts a bypass pipe of the turbine on a Reduced Mass Flow Rate/Compression Ratio map; establishing at least one intervention curve of a Poff valve which adjusts a bypass pipe of the compressor on a Reduced Mass Flow Rate/Compression Ratio map; using the operating limit curve to limit the pressure target downstream of the compressor used by the engine control; controlling the opening of the wastegate valve if the intervention curve of the wastegate valve is exceeded; and controlling the opening of the Poff valve if the intervention curve of the Poff valve is exceeded.

Abstract: A combined actuator provided with: a mobile element; a driver for displacing the mobile element; and a rheological control brake, which is mechanically coupled to the mobile element to adjust the displacement of the mobile element; the rheological control brake has: two contiguous adjustment chambers; a rheological fluid contained in the two adjustment chambers; a sliding piston, which tightly separates the two adjustment chambers and is mechanically connected to the mobile element; at least one external connection pipe, which reciprocally connects the two adjustment chambers; and a driving device which is coupled to the external connection pipe so as to apply a variable electromagnetic field to the rheological fluid contained in the external connection pipe for varying the viscosity of the rheological fluid between a minimum value and a maximum value.

Abstract: A method for determining the angular speed of a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine at each tooth event of a phonic wheel presenting a number N of teeth includes detecting the angular amplitude for each tooth; detecting the time of each tooth; and determining the raw angular speed of each tooth according to the corresponding angular amplitude and time. For each tooth a compensation value is determined which represents the difference between the actual angular amplitude of the tooth and the theoretic angular amplitude of the tooth; and determining the angular speed of each tooth by correcting the raw angular speed based on the corresponding compensation value.

Abstract: A method for controlling the overpressure in a fuel-supply system of a common-rail type for an internal-combustion engine provided with a number of cylinders; the method has the steps of: supplying fuel under pressure to a common rail connected to a number of injectors by means of a high-pressure pump; detecting the effective value of the pressure of the fuel within the common rail; comparing the effective value of the pressure of the fuel within the common rail with a safety value; determining a condition of emergency if the effective value of the pressure of the fuel within the common rail is higher than the safety value; and driving, in the case of emergency, the injectors for discharging part of the fuel present in the common rail so as to contain the increase in pressure of the fuel within the common rail.

Abstract: A fuel injector provided with: an injection valve comprising an injection nozzle; a mobile needle for regulating the fuel flow through the injection valve and ending with a shutting head, which engages a valve seat of the injection valve, is arranged externally with respect to injection valve and presents a predetermined sealing diameter; an actuator for displacing the needle between a closing position and an opening position of the injection valve; a closing spring which tends to maintain the needle in the closing position of the injection valve pushing the shutting head against the valve seat itself in a sense contrary to the feeding sense of the fuel; and a supporting body having a tubular shape and presenting a feeding channel within which a needle is arranged; the needle, at an opposite end of the shutting head, is coupled to a balancing channel, which is at ambient pressure.

Abstract: A method for controlling a power assisted propulsion system in a motor vehicle so as to perform a transition from a lower gear to a higher gear without interrupting a driving torque applied to driving wheels; the propulsion system displays an internal combustion engine provided with a drive shaft and a power assisted transmission including: a power assisted mechanical gearbox provided with a primary shaft connectable to the drive shaft and a secondary shaft coupled to a transmission shaft which transmits motion to the driving wheels; a power assisted clutch interposed between the drive shaft and the primary shaft of the gearbox to couple and decouple the drive shaft to the primary shaft of the gearbox; a power assisted brake; and an epicycloidal gear having three rotating elements: a first rotating element coupled to the drive shaft, a second rotating element coupled to the secondary shaft of the gearbox, and a third rotating element coupled to the brake.

Abstract: An actuation system for a servo-assisted transmission; the actuation system is provided with: a hydraulic circuit comprising a reservoir containing a control fluid, a hydraulic accumulator containing the pressurized control fluid, and a pump which draws from the reservoir and feeds the hydraulic accumulator; at least a hydraulic actuator comprising at least one actuation chamber and a mobile piston which slides within the actuation chamber; a solenoid valve for connecting the actuation chamber of the hydraulic actuator to the hydraulic accumulator and to the reservoir; and a recirculation circuit, which departs from at least one environment bordering with the actuation chamber of the hydraulic actuator and ends in the reservoir.

Abstract: A method for determining fuel volatility and consequently performing cold starting of an internal combustion engine; in the event of cold starting, the method provides for the determination of an enrichment percentage as a function of a stored value for fuel volatility; the determination of a predicted value for starting quality before performing starting; the starting of the engine using the previously determined enrichment percentage; the determination of a measured value for starting quality; the determination of a correction value of the stored value for fuel volatility as a function of the comparison between the measured value for starting quality and the predicted value for starting quality; and the updating of the stored value for fuel volatility by applying the correction value to said stored value, so consequently modifying the amount of enrichment in force.