Abstract: A regulating device for regulating the air intake of an internal combustion engine, and comprising at least one throttled body having at least one air feed conduit connectable to the engine, and a first and second throttle housed in said at least one feed conduit to regulate air intake of the engine on command; the regulating device comprises a manually operated accelerator control device connected mechanically to the first throttle to rotate the first throttle about a first axis of rotation into an operating angular position related to the engine torque demanded by the user operating the accelerator control device; and electric control means for rotating the second throttle about a second axis of rotation into a target angular position determined as a function of the operating angular position of the first throttle.

Abstract: A method for recognising 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 recognising the fuel type actually used according to the comparison between the theoretical air/fuel ratio and the actual air/fuel ratio.

Abstract: A method for the production of a butterfly valve which comprises a valve body housing a valve seat engaged by a butterfly disc keyed on a shaft in order to rotate under the action of an electric motor, the shaft being coupled to an inductive position sensor of the “contact-free” type provided with a rotor which is rigid with the shaft and is housed in a chamber of the valve body, and a stator which is borne by a detachable cover adapted to close the chamber and is disposed, in operation, facing the rotor, the method comprising the coupling of the rotor to the shaft, the mounting of the stator on the cover, the completion of any remaining machining operations on the butterfly valve, the coupling of the cover to the valve body in order to close the chamber in a substantially permanent manner, and the calibration of the position sensor by disposing the shaft in a sequence of predetermined positions.

Abstract: A method for estimating the sulfur content in the fuel of an internal combustion engine equipped with a catalyser; the percentage of sulfur present in the fuel supplied during a specific measurement time interval is estimated by dividing the quantity of sulfur stored in the catalyser during the measurement time interval by the product of a fixed conversion constant and the mass of fuel supplied to the cylinder in the measurement time interval.

Abstract: An intake manifold with a swirl system for an internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders; the intake manifold has, for each cylinder, an intake conduit connecting the intake manifold to the cylinder and in turn having two parallel channels; the swirl system has, for each intake conduit, a throttle valve housed inside a channel of the intake conduit to vary the air flow section of the channel, and which has a throttle mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation.

Abstract: A choke device for an intake system of an internal combustion engine; the choke device has at least one choke body fitted movably inside an intake conduit, and an actuating device for moving the choke body to and from a work position in which the choke body reduces the cross section of the intake conduit; and the actuating device has a filiform actuating member made of a shape-memory material that changes shape when subjected to physical external stress, and having a first portion embedded in the choke body, and a second portion located outside the choke body and secured mechanically to a fixed part.

Abstract: A control method for a direct fuel injection system into an internal combustion engine provided with a number of cylinders; the method presents the stages of: supplying pressurised fuel to a common rail by means of a high-pressure pump; cyclically driving a number of hydraulically actuated injectors having an hydraulically actuated needle to inject fuel into the cylinders; establishing a desired fuel pressure level within the common rail; determining a threshold value for the injectors so that no fuel is injected by each injector if it is driven for a time interval shorter than the threshold value; and reducing the actual fuel pressure within the common rail by driving the injectors for a driving time interval shorter than the threshold value.

Abstract: A fuel manifold for the direct injection of fuel into an internal combustion engine comprising a head provided with a number of cylinders, a number of injectors, each of which is connected to the fuel manifold and is adapted directly to inject the fuel into a respective cylinder, and an intake manifold, which is connected to the head in order to supply fresh air to the cylinders, the fuel manifold being formed by a single monolithic body which is made from thixotropic aluminum by means of a pressure die casting process and comprises a supply duct adapted to distribute the fuel to the injectors, and a flange disposed laterally to the supply duct, the flange being adapted to be secured by a plurality of screws to the head of the engine and comprising a number of coupling members each of which is adapted to bring a respective cylinder into communication with the intake manifold.

Abstract: A fuel injector has an injection valve having a movable pin terminating with a shutter head; a tubular supporting body having a feed channel; and a sealing body, in which a valve seat of the injection valve is defined; the shutter head is truncated-cone-shaped, is located outside the sealing body, and, in a closed position, is pushed against the sealing body in the opposite direction to the fuel feed direction; the pin has a stop member, which is integral with the pin and comes to rest on a top surface of the sealing body, when the pin is in the open position opening the injection valve, so as to determine travel of the pin.

Abstract: An intake manifold with a swirl system for an internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders; the intake manifold has, for each cylinder, an intake conduit connecting the intake manifold to the cylinder and in turn having two parallel channels; the swirl system has, for each intake conduit, a throttle valve housed inside a channel of the intake conduit to vary the air flow section of the channel, and which has a throttle mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation.

Abstract: The injector has a cylindrical body, which houses an injection nozzle regulated by an injection valve provided with a moveable pin, a fuel supply line, an injection chamber communicating with the supply line, housing a lower portion of the pin and delimited below by a valve seat of the injection valve, a control chamber communicating with the supply line and housing an upper portion of the pin, and a control valve, which is capable of putting the control chamber in communication with a drain for the low-pressure fuel and is controlled by an electromagnetic actuator provided with a pair of electromagnets identical with each other and arranged mechanically in series with each other so that their respective thrust forces are added together.

Abstract: Device for controlling the speed of a turbosupercharger in an internal-combustion engine comprising: a compressor; a turbine for driving the compressor in rotation under the action of the exhaust gases of the engine; and a wastegate valve for regulating the flow rate of the exhaust gases at input to the turbine in such a way as to control the speed of rotation thereof; the control device comprising: a calculating unit, which receives at input a set of parameters comprising a pre-set limit speed of rotation of the turbosupercharger, the air pressure measured at input to the compressor, and the mass flow rate of the compressor, and is designed to process said parameters for determining, through a pre-determined map that characterizes operation of the compressor, a limit supercharging pressure correlated to the air pressure obtainable at output from the compressor in a condition of rotation of the turbine at a speed substantially equal to the pre-set limit speed of rotation; a comparison unit designed to verify

Abstract: An energy storage system for powering electric user devices of a vehicle, the energy storage system having a battery; a capacitive element connected parallel to the terminals of the battery; and an inductive element connected in series to the battery, between the battery and the capacitive element; to effectively regulate power/energy flow between the battery and the capacitive element during transients, the ratio between the capacity of the battery measured in (Ah) and the capacitance of the capacitive element measured in (F) is less than 1, and the ratio between the capacity of the battery measured in (Ah) and the inductance of the inductive element measured in (?H) is less than 1.

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 fuel injector provided with an injection valve comprising a mobile plunger; an injection jet having a plurality of first through-holes made starting from a chamber arranged downstream from the injection valve; a supporting body having a tubular shape and comprising a supply channel; and a sealing body, in which a valve seat of the injection valve is defined and the injection jet is provided; the sealing body is monolithic and has a disc-shaped plug member passed through by the injection jet, and a guide member, which rises up from the plug member, is tubular in shape, receives within it the plunger and has an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the supply channel, so as to define an external annular channel for the fuel; in the lower part of the guide member there are provided a number of second through-holes which open into the valve seat.

Abstract: A method for controlling an injector with verification that plunger movement has occurred; the method providing application of a time-variable voltage to the terminals of an injector drive circuit in order to cause a current wave to flow through said drive circuit; detection of a verification voltage between the terminals of the drive circuit once the current through the drive circuit has died away at the end of the injection phase, measurement of a verification time during which the verification voltage is greater than a first predetermined threshold value and diagnosis of the absence of plunger movement if the verification time is less than a second predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: Unit for supplying combustion air to the cylinders of an endothermic engine is provided with a manifold having an air inlet orifice and a plurality of supply ducts. Each supply duct extends between a first opening communicating with the manifold and an outlet orifice, and has a second opening arranged between the first opening and the outlet orifice. The supply unit is equipped with a valve member that can move between the first opening and the second opening in order to close alternately the first opening and the second opening.

Abstract: A control method for an internal combustion engine provides for the acquisition of a signal correlated with the vibrations transmitted by at least one component of the internal combustion engine moving between two end positions; the vibrations are transmitted by the impact of the moving component against an abutment disposed at the location of at least one of the end positions during the operation of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A choke valve for an intake manifold with a retracting tumble system for an engine provided with a number of cylinders, the choke valve being adapted to vary the passage section of the air through an intake duct which connects each cylinder with the intake manifold and is regulated by at least one intake valve; the choke valve comprises a butterfly mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation disposed transversely and externally with respect to the corresponding intake duct under the thrust of a corresponding rotary electric motor which comprises a stator and a rotor housed directly in the butterfly.

Abstract: A method of controlling the speed of the valves in an electro-hydraulic actuation unit for the valves of an internal combustion engine in which the pressure of the fluid in the hydraulic actuator of the valve is controlled during the final phase of closure of a valve.