Abstract: A control method of a fuel feeding system in a bi-fuel internal combustion engine; the feeding system presents: a least a first injector adapted to inject a first fuel type; a least a second injector adapted to inject a second fuel type; a common electronic control unit adapted to drive both injectors; and a switching device, which is controlled by the common electronic control unit and is adapted to electrically connect both injectors to the common electronic control unit by means of at least a first relay adapted to connect/disconnect the first injector to/from the common electronic control unit and by means of at least a second relay adapted to connect/disconnect the second injector to/from the common electronic control unit.

Abstract: Control method for the mixture ratio in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, the control method providing for the following: reading a first real value of the mixture ratio via a master lambda sensor associated with a first cylinder group, reading a second real value of the mixture ratio via a slave lambda sensor associated with a second cylinder group, calculating a first amount of fuel to inject into the cylinders of the first cylinder group to track a mixture ratio target value by using the first real value of the mixture ratio as a feedback variable, calculating the mean of the second real value of the mixture ratio in the detection window, calculating a correction value for the amount of fuel to inject based on the difference between a target value and the mean of the second real value of the mixture ratio, and calculating a second amount of fuel to inject into the cylinders of the second cylinder group by applying the correction value to the first amount of fuel to inject into the cylinders of t

Abstract: Electromagnetic fuel injector for gaseous fuels comprising: an injection nozzle controlled by an injection valve; a movable shutter to regulate the flow of fuel through the injection valve; an electromagnetic actuator, which is suitable to move the shutter between a closed position and an open position of the injection valve and comprises a fixed magnetic pole, a coil suitable to induce a magnetic flux in the magnetic pole, and a movable anchor suitable to be magnetically attracted by the magnetic pole; an absorption element, which is made of an amagnetic elastic material and is arranged between the magnetic pole and the anchor; and a protective element, which is made of a magnetic metal material having high surface hardness and is interposed between the absorption element and the anchor.

Abstract: Described herein is a hydraulic servo for a gear change provided with a control shaft; the servo has: a frame; a first hydraulic actuator, which is carried by the frame and has two first chambers, which are alternatively filled with a pressurized fluid for displacing the control shaft axially in the two directions; two first solenoid valves, which control filling of the two first chambers; a second hydraulic actuator, which is carried by the frame and has at least one second chamber that is filled with a pressurized fluid for rotating the control shaft about its central axis; a second solenoid valve, which controls filling of the second chamber; and a supporting body, which is fixed to the frame, houses the solenoid valves, and has inside it a series of hydraulic circuits, which connect the solenoid valves themselves both to the chambers of the actuators and to a supply of the pressurized fluid.

Abstract: A fuel pump for an internal-combustion engine; the fuel pump is provided with: a variable-volume chamber for containing fuel; an intake valve connected to the variable-volume chamber; a delivery valve connected to the variable-volume chamber; and a pumping device for varying the volume of the first variable-volume chamber. The intake valve has a disk provided with a plurality of through supply holes, and a deformable lamina, which is fixed to the disk in a position corresponding to a peripheral edge thereof and is provided with a series of flaps, each of which is coupled to a respective supply hole.

Abstract: A variable geometry intake manifold for an internal combustion engine; the intake manifold presents: at least one intake pipe which connects the intake manifold to at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine; and a choking system to vary the geometry of the intake manifold and comprising at least one choke valve provided with a choke body, which is arranged within the intake pipe and is turnably mounted about an axis of rotation; the choke valve integrates therein a pair of mechanical stoppers, which respectively determine the location of an active position and of a home position of the choke body.

Abstract: A fuel injector equipped with an injection valve comprising a mobile plunger ending with a sealing head; a support body having a tubular shape and comprising a feed channel; and a sealing body, in which is defined a valve seat of the injection valve; the sealing head is of a frustoconical shape, is arranged externally relative to the guide element, is thrust by a spring against said guide element in a direction contrary to the direction of feed of the fuel; the valve seat has a frustoconical shape which is a negative reproduction of the frustoconical shape of the sealing head in order to impart an internally hollow conical shape to the injected fuel.

Abstract: A control method of a road vehicle; the control method includes the steps of: detecting the position of an accelerator control which is displaced along a predetermined stroke; using the position of the accelerator control to control the generation of a torque generated by the engine of the road vehicle so that the torque is generated according to the position of the accelerator control; detecting the current driver's ability by means of a driving ability recognition device; and limiting the generation of torque according to the current driver's ability.

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: 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 for recognizing the fuel type in a diesel engine; the method envisages determining a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio of the last type of fuel used; determining a quantity of fresh air fed to a number of cylinders of the engine; determining a quantity of fuel injected in the cylinders; determining a theoretical air/fuel ratio of combustion according to the quantity of fresh air fed to cylinders, according to the quantity of fuel injected into cylinders, and according to the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio of the last type of fuel used; determining an actual air/fuel ratio of combustion; comparing the theoretical air/fuel ratio with the actual air/fuel ratio; and recognizing the fuel type actually used according to the comparison between the theoretical air/fuel ratio and the actual air/fuel ratio.

Abstract: An intake manifold with integrated canister circuit for a supercharged internal combustion engine; the intake manifold is provided with: a tubular body in which a plenum is defined; a sorting chamber, which is obtained in a wall of the tubular body; a canister solenoid valve, which is arranged in the sorting chamber and is adapted to adjust the introduction of gasoline vapours into the sorting chamber itself; a first pipe, which is obtained in the wall of the tubular body, puts the sorting chamber into communication with the plenum, and defines a first branch of a recovery pipe; a one-way valve, which is arranged in the sorting chamber at the first pipe; and a second pipe, which is obtained in the wall of the tubular body, puts the sorting chamber into communication with the intake pipe upstream of a compressor, and defines an initial portion of a second branch of the recovery pipe.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder provided with at least one glow plug adapted to heat a variable volume combustion chamber within the cylinder, and an electronic control unit which in turn comprises an estimation module adapted to estimate the temperature of the glow plug within the combustion chamber and a control module which is adapted to drive the glow plug as a function of the estimated temperature.

Abstract: A fuel volatility recognition method during the post-cranking step of an internal combustion engine; the recognition method contemplates the steps of: starting the internal combustion engine; adjusting the enrichment of the mixture burnt in the cylinders of the internal combustion engine according to a previously determined historic fuel volatility value; detecting the time evolution of the angular speed of a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine during the post-cranking step; determining the noise contained in the angular speed of the crankshaft by filtering the angular speed itself by means of a high-pass filter; comparing the noise contained in the angular speed of the crankshaft against at least one predetermined threshold value; and recognizing the fuel volatility according to the result of the comparison between the noise contained in the angular speed of the crankshaft and the predetermined recognition threshold.

Abstract: A control method of a direct injection system of the common-rail type provided with a shut-off valve for controlling the flow rate of a high-pressure fuel pump; the control method contemplates the steps of: feeding the pressurized fuel to a common rail by means of a high-pressure pump which receives the fuel through a shut-off valve; cyclically controlling the opening and closing of the shut-off valve for choking the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump; adjusting the flow rate of fuel taken in by the high-pressure pump by varying the ratio between the duration of the opening time and the duration of the closing time of the shut-off valve; determining a lower limit value of the opening time of the shut-off valve; and adjusting the driving frequency of the shut-off valve so that the real opening time of the shut-off valve is always over the lower limit value.

Abstract: A method for estimating the sulfur content in the fuel of an internal combustion engine equipped with a catalyser capable of storing a quantity of sulfur and NOx groups. The method provides use of a current sulfur concentration value (Sold) and a correction of the current sulfur concentration value (Sold) in order to obtain a new sulfur concentration value (Snew). The method includes the steps of estimating a first value (NOxstored1) of the total quantity of NOx groups stored in the catalyser (11) by means of a model of NOx group production by the engine, estimating a second value (NOxstored2) of the total quantity of NOx groups stored by the catalyser by means of a model of storage of the catalyser, and determining an additive correction coefficient (D) as the difference between the first estimated value (NOxstored1) and the second estimated value (NOxstored2).

Abstract: Described herein is a servo for a gear change provided with a control shaft; the servo has: a first actuator, which displaces the control shaft axially along a central axis thereof and is directly coupled to the control shaft; and a second actuator, which renders a cam engaged by a pin projecting from the control shaft angularly fixed to a fixed frame to cause rotation of the control shaft about its central axis during the axial displacement; a cylindrical tubular element is provided, which is coaxial to the control shaft, receives inside it an end portion of the control shaft, supports the cam, and is pushed axially by the second actuator against the fixed frame.

Abstract: An estimation method of the crank angle at which 50% of the fuel mass has been burnt in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine with spontaneous ignition of the mixture provided with a drive shaft coupled to a phonic wheel presenting a number N of teeth; the method contemplates the steps of: reading the passage of each tooth of the phonic wheel in front of a sensor; determining the angular speed of the drive shaft at each tooth event of the phonic wheel; determining at least one harmonic of the speed signal; determining an inverse mechanical model of the transmission; determining at least one torque harmonic by applying the inverse mechanical model to the speed signal harmonic; determining an algebraic function which puts a combustion index into relation with the phase of the nth torque harmonic; and determining the combustion index by applying the algebraic function to the nth torque harmonic.

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 method for estimating the sulfur content in the fuel of an internal combustion engine equipped with a catalyser, using a current sulfur concentration value (Sold) and a correction of said current sulfur concentration value (Sold) in order to obtain a new sulfur concentration value (Snew). The method includes the steps of measuring a first time interval (t1-t0) which is actually necessary in order to complete a regeneration process to remove sulfur; determining a quantity (SOxstored) of sulfur stored in the catalyser before the regeneration process to remove sulfur using the current sulfur concentration value (Sold); estimating a second time interval (t2-t0) which is theoretically necessary to complete the regeneration process, on the basis of the estimated quantity (SOxstored) of sulfur stored in the catalyser; and determining a multiplicative correction coefficient as a ratio between the first time interval (t1-t0) and the second time interval (t2-t0).