Abstract: A system for bringing an internal combustion engine to a stop at a predetermined angular position of an engine shaft, such as a crankshaft or a camshaft, with respect to the engine's valves. The optimum shaft stop position is the point wherein the fewest lifters are collapsed the least amount. Exemplary methods and apparatus include using the engine starter motor to jog the stopped engine to the desired position; using the engine alternator to impose a variable electromagnetic load on the engine to bring the engine to a stop at the desired position; using variable firing of cylinders to control the deceleration profile to bring the engine to a stop at the desired position; and providing one or more detents formed in the shaft and using a shaft follower to control the stop position of the shaft by engaging the follower into a detent.

Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine, in which an erroneous lift of an intake valve of a cylinder is directly determined. The lift of an intake valve of at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine is diagnosed. A value for a specific cylinder which is representative of the air/fuel ratio in the respective cylinder is determined in an exhaust system branch of the internal combustion engine. At least one such value is compared to a predefined value. An erroneous lift of the intake valve is diagnosed as a function of the deviation of this at least one value from the predefined value.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of cranking and/or operating an engine that eliminates the need for use of a cam sensor. The methods implemented with internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of cylinders whose firing sequence occurs over two revolutions of a crankshaft with a first set of cylinders comprising a power stroke during the first crankshaft revolution and a second set of cylinders comprising the power stroke of a second crankshaft revolution. The methods involve manipulating fuel injection command signals to occur out of their proper sequence, monitoring and engine indicator responsive to firing and non-firing of cylinders, and identifying correct engine phase based on fluctuations in the engine indicator. Also disclosed herein are software product embodiments comprising program code modules that cause a engine control unit to manipulate the generation of fuel injection command signals to take place outside their correct sequence.

Abstract: The period required to start a rope-start, two-cycle engine is reduced by enabling the engine's firing sequence to be initiated immediately upon determining the absolute rotational position of the engine and before determining the engine's direction of rotation. The rotational direction of the engine is then determined, and the firing sequence is disabled if the engine is counter-rotating. In this manner, the firing sequence is enabled much sooner in the engine's cycle than if the engine's rotational direction were determined before the firing sequence is enabled. The engine therefore starts more quickly. The method is particularly useful in battery-less engines which experience a delay in start-up due to the fact that the engine must rotate through at least part of a revolution before generating enough electrical power to operate the computer controlling operation of the engine.

Abstract: A system and method for actuating one or more engine valves to produce an engine valve event is disclosed. The system may comprise: a housing; an accumulator disposed in the housing having a first open end and a second open end; a master piston slidably disposed in a first bore formed in the housing; a valve train element(s) for imparting motion to the master piston; and a slave piston slidably disposed in a second bore formed in the housing, the slave piston in fluid communication with the master piston through a high pressure hydraulic passage, wherein the first open end and the second open end of the accumulator are in communication with the high pressure hydraulic passage to selectively modify the imparted motion.

Abstract: A distributed multi-user system for real time data access during cardiology procedures. The system includes an interactive computer network which can be used to simultaneously display data from a cardiology procedure on a plurality of devices and at a plurality of locations. The system is implemented through various replication topologies which allow the simultaneous access a cardiology study during the procedure. The study can be displayed at any of the plurality of locations, which may be local or remote, during the procedure.

Abstract: A liquid quantity visual confirmation device comprises a first reservoir-forming member, and a second reservoir-forming member forming a liquid reservoir in combination with the first reservoir-forming member. The second reservoir-forming member is at least partially transparent to allow visual confirmation of the internal liquid level from an outside thereof. The second reservoir-forming member has a liquid-feeding port for feeding the liquid into the liquid reservoir. The quantity of liquid in the liquid reservoir can be confirmed by looking at the internal liquid level in the second reservoir-forming member from the outside. It is also possible to reliably feed the liquid into the liquid reservoir from the liquid-feeding port while confirming any rising of the liquid level through the transparent portion.

Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling an object that is modeled using at least one model parameter is provided. The control apparatus comprises an identifier, a controller and a modulator. The identifier identifies the model parameter. The controller is coupled to the identifier and uses the model parameter to determine a reference input so that an output of the object converges to a desired value. The modulator is coupled to the controller and applies any one of a delta-sigma modulation algorithm, a sigma-delta modulation algorithm and a delta modulation algorithm to the reference input to determine an input into the object. The model parameter is identified based on the output of the object and the reference input. Since the identifier determines the model parameter based on the reference input, the model parameters is prevented from vibrating.

Abstract: For an internal combustion engine including an in-cylinder injector and an intake port injector, when a request to change a fuel injection ratio to a requested fuel injection ratio is made and a difference between a proper ignition timing value corresponding to the fuel injection ratio before the change and a proper ignition timing value corresponding to the requested fuel injection ratio after the change exceeds a predetermined value, a magnitude of the change of the fuel injection ratio to the requested fuel injection ratio is limited and the ignition timing value is set to an ignition timing value corresponding to a fuel injection ratio changed by the limited magnitude of change.

Abstract: A sealing system for a shaft, in particular for a combustion engine, with a motor casing cover having a clearance hole for take-up of a carrier is shown having at least one dynamically and at least one statically effective sealing area and is equipped with a centering area that allows centering relative to the clearance hole, when the carrier is securely connected to the motor casing cover by means of a quarter-turn fastener. The centering area is arranged on the level of the quarter-turn fastener in such a way that the dynamic sealing area is aligned with a shaft and the static sealing area with given pressure can be used in a corresponding section of the motor casing cover.

Abstract: A dual coil half bridge converter adapted to be coupled to a dual coil actuator of a cylinder valve in an internal combustion engine is described. In one example, the converter has a first and second capacitor and a voltage source, where the converter is actuated via switches to individually energizing coils in said dual coil actuator. A voltage regulator is also shown for maintaining midpoint voltage during unequal loading of different actuator coils in the converter.

Abstract: An engine starting fuel enriching system provides a valve that is located downstream of an air feed conduit that is connected in fluid communication with a first fuel conduit. The fuel conduit is connected between a fuel reservoir and the valve. When the valve is in a closed position, both fuel and air are inhibited from flowing in a direction from the fuel reservoir and the air feed conduit toward the air intake manifold of the engine. A heater circuit is used to activate a valve actuator as a function of the temperature of the engine.

Abstract: A method for computing the quantity of injected fuel for an automobile engine equipped with an electronically controlled fuel injection system and an apparatus for detecting an exchange period for lubricating oils and constitutional parts are capable of informing a driver of an exchange period for an engine oil per use of a proper fuel quantity by calculating a total of the accumulated quantity of injected fuel for the automobile engine equipped with the electronically controlled fuel injection system. The method and apparatus are also capable of informing the driver of the exchange period for various lubricating oils and constitutional parts in accordance with the number of exchange of the engine oil and of allowing-the driver to exchange various lubricating oils and constitutional parts on a basis of accurate information under in an optimum condition. The method and apparatus also prevent the driver from being confused and extend the life span of the automobile engine.

Abstract: In a combustion control system of an engine employing an exhaust purifying device, a control unit determines, based on an operating condition of the exhaust purifying device, whether a request for an exhaust temperature rise is present. The control unit executes, by way of fuel injection control in presence of the request of the exhaust temperature rise, a split retard combustion mode in which a main combustion needed to produce a main engine torque and at least one preliminary combustion occurring prior to the main combustion are both achieved, and the preliminary combustion occurs near top dead center on a compression stroke, and the main combustion initiates after completion of the preliminary combustion. The control unit executes a fail-safe process that an injection timing of main fuel injection is phase-advanced, when a predicted temperature value of the exhaust purifying device exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: When an engine restart request is given in an engine stopping period which begins at a point of fuel supply interruption and ends at a point of complete engine stop, an engine starting system judges whether TDC engine speed detected immediately before is equal to or lower than a specific value “A”, the counted number of reverse running motions of the engine is 0, and a piston in an expansion stroke cylinder is relatively close to TDC. If the judgment result is in the affirmative with all these conditions satisfied, the engine starting system injects fuel into the expansion stroke cylinder and then ignites and combusts a mixture produced therein. The engine starting system also injects the fuel into a compression stroke cylinder and then ignites and combusts a mixture produced therein when a piston in the compression stroke cylinder has gone beyond TDC.

Abstract: A fuel property determination system for an internal combustion engine is arranged to determine a fuel property indicative that fuel in use is heavy or light, on the basis of a degree of change of a revolution speed during a period from an expansion stroke of a first fuel injection cylinder at engine start to an expansion stroke of a final fuel injection cylinder in a first round as to all cylinders of the engine.

Abstract: A control method for modulating the torque in an internal combustion engine with mechanical power transmission and with pneumatically, hydraulically or electromagnetically controllable valves that are open and closed based on signals from a control system, by which method a torque that is requested in an operative situation at a certain moment is provided by a selection of the frequency with which power strokes are performed by controlling the number of power strokes in relation to the number of idle strokes. The power strokes take part in 2-stroke cycles or 4-stroke cycles, and one or more 2-stroke cycles are alternated with or more 4-stroke cycles.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine has a motor control apparatus (1) and a sensor unit with an interface (21) to the motor control apparatus. An evaluating unit (211) is integrated into the interface for digitalizing measurements of the sensor.

Abstract: A multi-cylinder engine comprises a cylinder block (1) provided with a side water passage (3) oriented in a front and rear direction and passing by each of cylinder walls 12 so as to introduce cooling water from a radiator into a cylinder jacket 4 laterally through the side water passage (3). The side water passage (3) has front and rear end portions provided with front and rear openings (3a), (3b) which communicate the side water passage (3) with a water pump (10). Thus even if the water pump (10) is arranged at either of the front and rear end portions, the opening of the side water passage 3 near the end portion where the water pump (10) is arranged can communicate the side water passage (3) with the water pump (10). And a method for alternatively producing multi-cylinder engines, uses the cylinder block (1) as a common part.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder, in which combustion of a fuel-air mixture compressed in the cylinder by a piston is initiated by time-controlled external ignition, wherein there is provided at least one laser light source for time-controlled external ignition and the laser light is focussed in the combustion chamber (32) on to at least two real focal points (19). Use of a holographic optical element for focussing of the laser light.