Abstract: A capacitive ignition system for an internal combustion engine includes a voltage converter which has two primary terminals and two secondary terminals a primary voltage source has two voltage source terminals (A+, A?) which are connected in each instance to one of the primary terminals so that a primary circuit is formed; a switch which is incorporated within the primary circuit and a controller so that the switch can be closed and opened; a first control device constructed to actuate the controller in accordance with an ignition pattern for closing and/or opening; an electrical capacitance (C1, C2) within the primary circuit; and a second control device (25) constructed to maintain constant a voltage rise at the secondary terminals, which occurs in order to reach the ignition voltage, as the ignition energy requirement of an ignition device connected to the secondary terminals changes.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus performs energy input control in which energy is continuously inputted to an ignition coil to enable a spark discharge in a predetermined energy input period after interrupting a primary current by an ignition switch and generating a discharge of a spark plug by a secondary current. A combustion state determination circuit determines a combustion state by comparing a combustion pressure P detected by a combustion state detector. When the combustion pressure P is smaller than a second threshold Pth2, and there is room for improving the combustion state with respect to the present energy input condition, the energy input period IGW is increased or a target secondary current I2* is increased. By compensating the condition of the energy input control in accordance with the combustion state, a target combustion state can be achieved with just enough energy consumption.

Abstract: In an ignition control apparatus, a control unit controls switching elements so as to supply a primary current to the other end side of a primary winding opposite to one end thereof connected to a DC power source by discharging (which is performed by turning on a second switching element stored energy from a capacitor during ignition discharge (which is started by turning off a first switching element. In particular, the control unit controls the second switching element or the third switching element so as to provide variability to the amount of stored energy discharged from the capacitor according to an operating state of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In a valve device (1), when a valve (33) is closed, an output shaft of an actuator unit (10) is connected to the valve (33). A control unit of the valve device (1) determines a control constant to be a value by which a response speed of the actuator unit (10) is smaller as ambient temperature is higher, and performs feedback control.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for calibrating engine port injectors. After pressurizing a low pressure fuel rail, a lift pump may be disabled and port injector variability may be correlated with a measured fuel rail pressure drop at each port injection event by sweeping injection pressure while maintaining injection voltage, and then sweeping injection voltage while maintaining injection pressure. A port injector variability map learned as a function of injection voltage and injection pressure is then transformed into a map learned as a function of injection current and injection pressure by accounting for injector variability caused due to changes in injector temperature.

Abstract: A method for controlling an internal combustion engine, comprising a number of cylinders and wherein the air mass trapped inside each cylinder is adjusted by means of a respective intake valve; the control method includes determining the total target torque; determining a target number of active cylinders; determining a target supercharge pressure such to guarantee the total target torque and controlling the intake valves of the target number of active cylinders (3) according to the target supercharge pressure such as to guarantee the total target torque.

Abstract: A vaporized fuel treatment device includes a sealing valve disposed in a vapor passage between a fuel tank and a canister and is configured to include a valve element moves forward and backward in an axial direction to a valve seat, a cut-off valve configured to cut off a communication between the canister and an atmosphere, a tank internal pressure sensor detects an internal pressure of the fuel tank, and a canister internal pressure sensor that detects an internal pressure of the canister, a controller programmed to change an axial distance between the valve element and the valve seat in a state where the cut-off valve cuts off the communication between the canister and the atmosphere and to learn a valve opening start position of the sealing valve based on changes in the internal pressures of the fuel tank and the canister depending on a change in the axial distance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for injecting fuel to an engine in response to a fuel injection delay are presented. The method includes determining fuel delay in a fuel injected engine with cylinders that may be deactivated. In one example, the fuel injection delay is determined via a cylinder firing schedule array when the cylinder firing schedule array is available. The fuel injection delay is determined via a weighted average of a fuel injection delay of a present engine cycle and a fuel injection delay of a past engine cycle when the cylinder firing schedule array is not available.

Abstract: During a catalyst rapid warm-up at a time of a cold start of an engine, a fuel is injected by a required injection quantity through a multi-stage injection consisting of a fuel injection by a full lift injection during an intake stroke and a fuel injection by a partial lift injection during a compression stroke. In a case where a deterioration of a combustion state is confirmed, a correction for increasing the required injection quantity, which is to enrich an air-fuel ratio, is performed. At a time of the enriching quantity increase, a sum of injection quantities of the multi-stage injection is increased by the amount of the correction for increasing the required injection quantity without the injection quantity and an injection timing of the fuel injection by the partial lift injection being changed from a base time.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a flow of coolant through a coolant system including a rear axle heat exchanger. In one example, a method may include flowing coolant through the coolant system while an engine is not operating. In another example, a method may include increasing a flow of coolant to the rear axle heat exchanger while the engine is not operating when a rear axle oil temperature exceeds a threshold temperature.

Abstract: An engine control system includes a prediction module that, during an exhaust stroke of a first cylinder of an engine, determines a predicted intake manifold pressure at an end of a next intake stroke of a second cylinder following the first cylinder in a firing order of the cylinders. An air per cylinder (APC) module determines a predicted mass of air that will be trapped within the second cylinder at the end of the next intake stroke of the second cylinder based on the predicted intake manifold pressure. A fueling module controls fueling of the second cylinder during the next intake stroke based on the predicted mass of air.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for vaporizing fuel. A method for vaporizing fuel includes providing a fuel vaporizer. The fuel vaporizer includes a chamber for receiving a liquid, the chamber comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The fuel vaporizer also includes a driver module coupled with the chamber, and a oscillator disposed within the chamber and configured to be driven by the driver module. The method includes feeding water through an inlet of the at least one inlet into the chamber. The method includes driving the oscillator using the driver module at a predetermined frequency, wherein a mist is created from the liquid. The method also includes introducing the mist from the chamber via an outlet of the at least one outlet into an intake of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for using a crankcase vent tube pressure or flow sensor for diagnosing a location and nature of crankcase system integrity breach. The same sensor can also be used for diagnosing air filter plugging and PCV valve degradation. Use of an existing sensor to diagnose multiple engine components provides cost reduction and sensor compaction benefits.

Abstract: A maximum value of a discharge current from a capacitor 13, detected by a primary-side current detection means 24 disposed at a grounded end of the capacitor 13, is controlled such as not to exceed a predetermined first control value Y1. The first control value Y1 is derived based on magnetic saturation of a primary winding 3, with the control being performed by controlling the on-off state of an energy injection switching means 20. As a result, magnetic saturation of the primary winding 3 can be prevented, and the reliability of an ignition apparatus which incorporates an energy injection circuit 6 can be increased.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continually and rapidly adjusting the output torque of an engine according to a torque demand uses an active tappet to vary the instant air charge in a combustion chamber. The invention allows substantially efficient combustion throughout the engine operating map. Various methods of changing the charge of air are disclosed.

Abstract: Based on respective signals from the combustion pressure sensor and a crank angle sensor, heat generation amount data in which a heat generation amount and a crank angle are related to each other is generated, and an estimated heat generation amount is calculated based on a fuel amount in the combustion cycle. When a final value of a heat generation amount in the combustion cycle is smaller than the estimated heat generation amount, the combustion state parameter is calculated based on the heat generation amount data to a crank angle corresponding to the final value of the heat generation amount. When the final value of the heat generation amount is equal to or larger than the estimated heat generation amount, the combustion state parameter is calculated based on the heat generation amount data to a crank angle at which the heat generation amount reaches the estimated heat generation amount.

Abstract: When high-pressure purge (the first purge control) (d-f) in which fuel evaporative gas in the fuel tank is emitted until internal pressure in the fuel tank decreases to a second predetermined pressure by closing a vapor solenoid valve, opening a fuel tank shutoff valve and a purge control valve when an engine is running finishes, connecting passage purge (the second purge control) (f-g) in which the fuel evaporative gas in vapor piping and purge piping is emitted up to a second predetermined volume (a second predetermined value) or above is performed, and then the fuel evaporative gas in a canister is emitted by opening the vapor solenoid valve (the third purge control) (g-h).

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring cylinder air/fuel imbalances are provided. In one example approach, a method comprises, identifying a cylinder with a potential air/fuel imbalance based on crankshaft accelerations generated by a series of rich, lean, and stoichiometric conditions in the cylinder while keeping the engine at stoichiometry.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling an engine exhaust with an upstream sensor and a downstream sensor. The method comprises adjusting a set-point for the downstream sensor based on a rate of change of air mass flow upstream of the engine and adjusting fuel injection to control exhaust fuel-air ratio (FAR) at the downstream sensor to the adjusted set-point, and to control exhaust FAR at the upstream sensor to an upstream sensor set-point.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder block includes a first blowby gas passage and a first oil return passage. The cylinder head includes a second blowby gas passage connecting the first blowby gas passage with a connection passage connected with a gas-liquid separator, an oil return chamber separated from a valve operating chamber and the second blowby gas passage by first and second partition walls, respectively, and provided with a first oil return hole connected with the gas-liquid separator, and a second oil return passage connecting the valve operating chamber with the first oil return passage. The first partition wall is formed with a second oil return hole connecting the oil return chamber with the valve operating chamber. The second partition wall is formed with a ventilation hole connecting the oil return chamber with the second blowby gas passage at a higher position than the second oil return hole.