Abstract: A system for detecting spark plug failures in an engine is provided. The system may include one or more sensor devices coupled to the engine and configured to measure engine data, a controller in communication with the sensor devices, and an output device. The controller may be configured to determine at least a misfire count, a secondary transformer voltage, and an exhaust port temperature based on the engine data, identify a fault condition based on one or more of the misfire count, the secondary transformer voltage, and the exhaust port temperature, and perform a corrective action responsive to the fault condition. The output device may be configured to generate a notification corresponding to the fault condition.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a charge motion control valve mounted within a flow passage in an intake manifold coupled to an engine. In one example design, a control valve comprises a valve plate with a pivot axis mounted in a body coupled to a manifold runner, the plate having a rear portion overhanging the pivot; and a first sealing surface in the manifold runner to receive a surface of the rear portion of the valve plate when fully opened; and a second sealing surface in the body to receive an opposite surface of the rear portion of the valve plate when fully closed. In this way, the valve plate may be adjusted to block a portion of a flow passage within the body to minimize air leakages at a periphery of the passage while redirecting air flow to create swirl motion downstream of the valve plate.

Abstract: A method for monitoring an actuator device of a reciprocating piston engine, wherein the actuator device is designed to actuate, particularly reversibly displace, a sliding cam device of the reciprocating piston engine, particularly substantially parallel to a camshaft of the reciprocating piston engine, with the steps S1 Feeding of actuation energy to the actuator device, whereupon the actuator device undergoes a first state change, S2 Monitoring of the actuator device and detection of a second state change of the actuator device, S3 Determining of a first angle of rotation ? of a camshaft or of the camshaft of the reciprocating piston engine on the basis of the second state change.

Abstract: A fuel injector has a storage volume, wherein the storage volume is variable in operation by a control signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an engine in a variety of different cylinder operating modes are presented. In one example, an actual total number of available cylinder modes is increased in response to a vehicle's suspension setting and road roughness. By increasing the available cylinder modes, the engine may be operated in a higher number of modes where one or more engine cylinders may be deactivated to conserve fuel. The number of cylinder modes is increased during conditions where vehicle occupants may be less likely to object to operating the engine with fewer active cylinders.

Abstract: Provide is a PCV valve which can be quickly defreezed and provides a favorable sealing to the heater against the blow-by gas. The PCV valve (2) comprises a housing (6) defining a flow passage (4) for blow-by gas, a valve member (30) positioned in the flow passage to cooperate with a valve seat (18) formed in the housing, a spring (38) biasing the valve member toward the valve seat, a heat transmission member (40) including a heat dissipating part (42) surrounding the valve member, and a heating unit (52) including a heating element (66) for heating the heat transmission member, the heating element being separated from the flow passage in an air tight manner.

Abstract: A heat-ray type of airflow meter has a signal processor for converting a detected intake air quantity into a frequency signal. An engine controller has a conversion table for converting the frequency signal into an air quantity. The signal processor and the conversion table have features such that the frequency increases as the magnitude of a positive air quantity increases, and the frequency decreases as an absolute value of a negative air quantity increases. In the conversion table, a prescribed positive air quantity value is assigned a dummy output for frequencies lower than a prescribed threshold value. Under normal circumstances, frequencies lower than a minimum value are not used. The frequency decreases to near 0 Hz when there is a disconnection or a short circuit, the dummy output is therefore output, and an injection quantity equal to or greater than a misfire limit is ensured.

Abstract: A fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector is installable in a cylinder head bore of a cylinder head of the engine and has a body region arranged to be received within the cylinder head bore, and a head region arranged to extend outside the cylinder head bore to protrude from the cylinder head when the injector is installed in the cylinder head bore. The injector includes a first valve needle arranged to control the injection of a gaseous fuel from a first outlet, a second valve needle arranged to control the injection of a liquid fuel from a second outlet, a gaseous fuel inlet for admitting the gaseous fuel to the injector, and a liquid fuel inlet port for admitting the liquid fuel to the injector. The gaseous fuel inlet is disposed in the body region of the injector, and the liquid fuel inlet port is disposed in the head region of the injector. The injector can also include an internal accumulator volume so that an external fuel rail is not necessary.

Abstract: A pump assembly and a propulsion system that utilizes the pump assembly includes a casing defining an opening. The pump assembly also includes a first member at least partially disposed in the opening. The first member is movable linearly relative to the opening. The pump assembly further includes a biasing member disposed in the opening. The biasing member is movable independently of the first member. The first member is movable in a first direction that applies a load to the biasing member which creates a torque on the biasing member. The pump assembly also includes a second member that separates the first member and the biasing member such that the torque on the biasing member is transferred to the second member without transferring the torque to the first member when the first member applies the load to the biasing member.

Abstract: An engine starting system includes an electronic control unit configured to: automatically stop an engine in response to an engine stop request, and restart the engine in response to an engine restart request; calculate, in the course of automatically stopping the engine, a throttle opening degree based on at least one of a vehicle speed or an input rotational speed of a transmission, such that the throttle opening degree when the at least one of the vehicle speed or the input rotational speed is high is larger than the throttle opening degree when the at least one of the vehicle speed or the input rotational speed is low; carry out scavenging of each cylinder by opening a throttle valve to the calculated throttle opening degree in the course of automatically stopping the engine; and restart the engine through ignition-based engine starting in response to the engine restart request.

Abstract: A method for reducing an exhaust gas of a mild hybrid system may include determining by an electronic control unit (ECU) whether an engine enters a full load region or a partial load region, based on a position of an accelerator pedal, controlling, by the ECU, the operation of an electric supercharger, based on information on an engine rotational frequency, when a vehicle is driven while being accelerated in a state in which the engine enters the full load region, and controlling, by the ECU, the operation of the electric supercharger by determining whether the vehicle is accelerated, based on an incremental slope of the position of the accelerator pedal, when the engine enters the partial load region.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided which works to control an electric motor to start the engine through a belt transmission system. The control apparatus restricts rotation of the electric motor so as to keep a speed of the electric motor below a speed at which the electric motor is capable of producing a maximum torque until a given period of time passes since the electric motor is actuated to start in the motor mode. This enables the electric motor to generate the maximum torque when it is required to crank the engine.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (“EGR”) power module configured for a wire harness of an altimetric/barometric pressure sensor of an EGR system for an engine includes a set of wires and a circuit. The set of wires is configured to match the wire harness on the altimetric/barometric pressure sensor for the engine. The circuit provides a resistance to the wire harness through the set of wires.

Abstract: The invention relates to an exhaust gas heat exchanger for transferring heat between the exhaust gas of a combustion engine of a motor vehicle and a coolant. The exhaust gas heat exchanger has a housing with connections for supplying and discharging coolant. According to the invention, one connection is formed by a pipe section which has a joining surface, formed on the outer circumference thereof, for fixing on the housing of the exhaust gas heat exchanger and a transfer opening, which is aligned transversely to the longitudinal axis (LA) of the pipe section and communicates with a passage opening in the housing.

Abstract: A method for regulating a common rail injector, the method including acquiring a signal of a sensor, which signal is proportional to a pressure in a valve space of the common rail injector; evaluating a change in the signal over time in order to detect at least one operating event of the common rail injector; and modifying at least one operating variable of the common rail injector as a function of the at least one operating event, the at least one operating variable being selected from an opening duration, a closing duration, an opening point in time, and a closing point in time of a switching valve of the common rail injector, and from an opening duration, an opening point in time, and a closing point in time of a needle valve of the common rail injector.

Abstract: A sparkplug assembly having a prechamber volume is operatively associated with the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine such that the prechamber volume is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. To purge exhaust gasses from the prechamber volume prior to ignition, the sparkplug assembly is operatively associated with a high-pressure air/fuel source that directs a pressurized air/fuel purge charge to the prechamber volume. The pressurized air/fuel purge charge may be at stoichiometric conditions. The high-pressure air/fuel source is configured to direct the pressurized air/fuel purge charge during at least a portion of the compression stroke to maintain a largely stoichiometric mixture of air and fuel in the prechamber volume.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided with an EGR device and is configured to be capable of executing an operation based on a first air-fuel ratio and an operation based on a second air-fuel ratio leaner than the first air-fuel ratio. In a case where an ECU decreases the amount of air flowing into a combustion chamber and decreases an EGR rate in response to a predetermined torque reduction request for the internal combustion engine, the ECU performs the operation based on the first air-fuel ratio in a case where an immediately preceding EGR rate immediately before the torque reduction request is made is lower than a first threshold and performs a stratified combustion operation based on the second air-fuel ratio in a case where the immediately preceding EGR rate is equal to or higher than the first threshold.

Abstract: To provide a control device capable of setting a plurality of combustion parameters changing a combustion state of an internal combustion engine to appropriate values and improving a fuel consumption rate regardless of an operation state. An engine ECU 70 sets a combustion parameter (main injection timing, pilot injection timing, fuel injection pressure, turbocharging pressure, or the like) such that a center-of-gravity position of a heat generation rate becomes a constant target crank angle regardless of a load of an engine 10, In addition, the ECU 70 estimates the center-of-gravity position of a heat generation rate based on an output of an in-cylinder pressure sensor 64 and feedback-controls the combustion parameter such that the estimated center-of-gravity position of a heat generation rate becomes equal to the target crank angle.

Abstract: A fuel vapor recovery apparatus includes an adsorbent canister capable of capturing fuel vapor, a vapor passage connecting the adsorbent canister to a fuel tank. In addition, the apparatus includes an atmospheric air passage communicating the adsorbent canister with the atmosphere, a purge passage coupling the adsorbent canister to an intake pipe of an internal combustion engine, a purge pump configured to generate a gas flow from the adsorbent canister to the intake pipe through the purge passage, and a flow control valve provided at the purge passage downstream of the purge pump in a direction of the gas flow and configured to regulate the gas flow through the purge passage. Further, the apparatus includes a decompressor configured to decrease pressure upstream of the flow control valve when the pressure upstream of the flow control valve in the direction of the gas flow is higher than the atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: An integrated air shroud assembly is provided for a motor vehicle. That air shroud assembly includes a body having a radiator opening, a charge air cooler opening and a cooling fan opening. The charge air cooler opening is offset from the radiator opening and the radiator opening and the charge air cooler opening are in parallel communication with the cooling fan opening.