Abstract: A corona igniter (20) comprises a central electrode (22) surrounded by an insulator (26), which is surrounded by a conductive component. The conductive component includes a shell (34) and an intermediate part (36) both formed of an electrically conductive material. The intermediate part (36) is typically attached to a lower ledge (52) of the insulator outer surface (50) prior to inserting the insulator (26) into the shell (34). The shell firing end (56) is typically aligned with the lower edge and the intermediate firing end. The conductive inner diameter (Dg) is less than an insulator outer diameter (Dio) directly below the lower ledge (52) such the insulator thickness (ti) increases toward the electrode firing end (40).

Abstract: A fuel door and a sliding door are on the same side of a vehicle. The sliding door has power locking and power child locking. To prevent the sliding door from interfering with the fuel door during refueling, a lock controller responds to the fuel door moving to the open position by 1) preserving a current outside locked or unlocked state and a current inside locked or unlocked state of the sliding door, 2) initiating or maintaining the outside locked state and inside locked state, and 3) after the fuel door moving to the closed position, restoring or maintaining the preserved current outside locked or unlocked state and the preserved current inside locked or unlocked state.

Abstract: An engine operable using flash steam expansion comprising one or more cylinders each having a piston and one or more water injection ports, the pistons driven by flash steam expansion when injected water rapidly change state from liquid to gas. Another engine operable in an internal combustion mode and a flash steam expansion mode comprising one or more cylinders having a piston, an air intake port and valve, and first and second exhaust ports and valves, first, second, and third cam shafts, wherein the engine is selectably operable in a four-cycle mode or a two-cycle mode. A method of operating an engine in a four-cycle internal combustion mode and a two-cycle flash steam expansion mode comprising the steps of using internal combustion in a four-cycle sequence, detecting when a temperature of the engine reaches a predetermined temperature; and terminating internal combustion and using flash steam expansion in a two-cycle sequence.

Abstract: An object of this invention is, even when executing WGV control, to stably control an air-fuel ratio in parallel therewith. An ECU calculates a WGV correction coefficient Kv based on a degree of opening of a waste gate valve (WGV) and calculates a wall-surface fuel adherence amount FMW that is an amount of fuel adhering to a wall surface of an intake port by adding a base wall-surface adherence amount FMWB, the WGV correction coefficient Kv, a water temperature correction coefficient Kt, and a load factor change correction coefficient Kdl. The calculated wall-surface fuel adherence amount FMW is added to a fuel injection amount ETAUout. Thus, a state of a blowback amount of exhaust gas that varies with the degree of opening of the WGV can be reflected in the fuel injection amount.

Abstract: A straight port and a swirl port supply low-oxygen-concentration gas and high-oxygen-concentration gas into a combustion chamber of an engine such that high-level-oxygen-concentration gas and low-level-oxygen-concentration gas are formed from the high-oxygen-concentration gas and the low-oxygen-concentration gas in an adjacent region of the combustion chamber, which is adjacent to a fuel mist injected from an injection hole of a fuel injection valve. The high-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a corresponding area of the adjacent region, which is generally opposite from the fuel injection hole, and the low-level-oxygen-concentration gas is located in a remaining area of the adjacent region, which is other than the corresponding area of the adjacent region.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling an automatic stop-start system of an automotive vehicle is disclosed. The system monitors the status of the parking brake to determine if the parking brake is in a state of transition between an applied state and a released state (in either direction). If the parking brake is in a state of transition, then the automatic re-starting of the engine is inhibited until the parking brake is no longer in a state of transition.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control apparatus of the present invention comprises an inverse direction spike introducing section and an inverse direction spike interval setting section. The inverse direction spike introducing section introduces, while an air-fuel ratio correction required by an output of a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor is being carried out, an inverse direction spike which is an air-fuel ratio spike to temporarily change an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas toward a direction opposite to a direction of the air-fuel ratio correction with respect to a target control air-fuel ratio. The inverse direction spike interval setting section sets, based on an operating state of an internal combustion engine system, an inverse direction spike interval which is an interval between two of the inverse direction spikes next to each other in time.

Abstract: A fuel control system and fuel control method of gasoline direct injection engine can improve noise vibration harshness (NVH) by preventing fuel from flowing backward into a low pressure pump by determining whether the ignition of the engine is turned off and maintaining the operation of an inlet valve of a high pressure pump for a predetermined time when the ignition of the engine is determined to be turned off.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating coupling of a fan and a flywheel, as well as an internal combustion engine and other applications for such apparatus and method are described herein. In one example embodiment, an apparatus for facilitating coupling of a fan and a flywheel includes a plurality of protrusions formed on the fan, wherein each of the protrusions defines a respective hole therewithin, a plurality of receiving structures formed in the flywheel, and a plurality of pins. The receiving structures are positioned so that, when the fan is axially aligned with and adjacent to the flywheel, the protrusions are respectively received by the receiving structures. Further, when the pins are inserted into the holes, portions of the protrusions expand outwardly so that interference is created between surfaces of the protrusions and the receiving structures, whereby due to the interference the fan and flywheel are rotationally coupled.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to appropriately control the state of a corona discharge in accordance with an exhaust air-fuel ratio, and always purify particulate matter (PM) in exhaust gas efficiently. An engine is equipped with a corona discharge-type exhaust emission control device. The exhaust emission control device purifies PM in exhaust gas by generating a corona discharge between a center electrode and an earth electrode. When the air-fuel ratio is in a rich region, an ECU controls an applied voltage that is applied between the electrodes. It is thereby possible to obtain a maximum PM purification rate while preventing an arc discharge. When the air-fuel ratio is in a lean region, a discharge current flowing between the electrodes is controlled. It is thereby possible to suppress power consumption while compensating for a decrease in the PM purification rate caused by a reduction in the PM amount in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: An engine assembly includes an engine and an intake assembly. The engine defines a combustion chamber and a crankcase, and the intake assembly includes an intake manifold in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. An air-oil separator is provided with the engine and defines a separator volume, an inlet and an outlet, where each of the inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with the separator volume. The inlet of the air-oil separator is provided in fluid communication with the crankcase, and the outlet of the air-oil separator is provided in fluid communication with the intake manifold. The air-oil separator further includes an interior surface that abuts and surrounds the separator volume, and defines a plurality of depressions, and each depression is respectively configured to retain a respective volume of fluid.

Abstract: A stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) mitigation system includes a detection module, an engine load module, and an evaluation module. The detection module generates a pre-ignition determination signal indicating detection of a SPI event in a cylinder of an engine. The engine load module determines load on the engine and generates an engine load signal based on the load. The evaluation module determines whether to operate in a single-pulse mode or a multi-pulse mode and generating a mode signal to operate in a selected one of the single-pulse mode and the multi-pulse mode based on the pre-ignition determination signal and the engine load signal. The single pulse mode includes injecting a single pulse of fuel into the cylinder during a first per combustion cycle of the cylinder. The multi-pulse mode includes injecting multiple pulses of fuel into the cylinder during a second combustion cycle of the cylinder.

Abstract: An intake manifold is equipped with a sub-stream passage connected to branch passages through respective connection ports to introduce intake-air substream other than intake-air mainstream to the plural branch passages. Two of the branch passages which communicate with each other through the sub-stream passage and successively introduce intake air to the internal combustion engine are defined as a first combination. Of the first combinations, a second combination is defined to have a shortest communication length via the sub-stream passage. Of the second combination, the connection port of one of the branch passages where the intake air is introduced later is narrower than that of the other of the branch passages where the intake air is introduced earlier.

Abstract: A method for determining the temperature of an ignition coil (1), including a primary winding with a winding resistance (Rp), the primary winding being controlled by a control stage (2) with a foot resistance (Rsh), the method including the following steps: a) controlling the control stage in order to establish a primary control current; b) waiting for a predetermined time; c) determining the current Ip by measuring the voltage Vshunt and by dividing this voltage by the foot resistance Rsh; d) acquiring the value of the supply VB and the voltage Vice; e) determining the winding resistance Rp using the formula: Rp = VB - Vce Ip - Rsh f) determining the primary winding temperature using a temperature-resistance correspondence curve.

Abstract: A resonator has a volume chamber, which is communicated with a surge tank through a communication passage. A primary intake passage communicates between a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and the surge tank. A secondary intake passage communicates between the surge tank and one of the cylinder and the primary intake passage. A passage length of the secondary intake passage is shorter than a passage length of the primary intake passage. A variable intake valve is fixed to a shaft. The variable intake valve opens and closes the secondary intake passage. A resonator valve is fixed to the shaft. The resonator valve opens and closes the communication passage. A drive device rotates the shaft to drive the variable intake valve and the resonator valve.

Abstract: An engine assembly includes an engine structure, a crankshaft rotationally supported on the engine structure, a crankshaft isolator assembly and a belt. The crankshaft isolator assembly includes a hub fixed for rotation with the crankshaft, a crankshaft isolator pulley coupled to the hub, and a mechanical clutch. The mechanical clutch is engaged with the hub and the crankshaft isolator pulley. The mechanical clutch fixes the hub for rotation with the crankshaft isolator pulley during a first operating condition and allows relative rotation between the hub and the crankshaft isolator pulley during a second operating condition. The belt is engaged with the crankshaft isolator pulley and an accessory drive system.

Abstract: An assembly is provided that integrates a jet pump with a liquid trap to drain liquid fuel from vapor flow, such as vapor vented from a fuel tank. The assembly includes a housing that has a liquid trap configured to trap liquid carried in vapor flowing through the housing. A jet pump has a venturi nozzle and is in selective fluid communication with the liquid trap so that liquid flow through the venturi nozzle induces draining of the liquid trap.

Abstract: A connecting rod for an engine may include a sleeve portion having a distal end including a distal aperture configured to be coupled to a piston, and a rod portion having a proximal end including a proximal aperture configured to be coupled to a crankshaft. The rod portion may be configured to reciprocate in the sleeve portion, such that a distance between a center of the proximal aperture and a center of the distal aperture is variable. An engine may include the connecting rod, a power train may include the engine, and a vehicle may include the power train.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for addressing pre-ignition that may be induced in response to actions taken to mitigate a cylinder misfire. An amount of engine load limiting applied may be adjusted to reduce the likelihood pre-ignition while also addressing component over-temperature issues. By limiting an engine load while shutting off fuel in a misfiring cylinder, and while combusting a lean air-fuel mixture in the remaining cylinders, pre-ignition induced by the misfire-mitigating lean combustion conditions can be reduced.

Abstract: A method for controlling combustion in an engine is provided. The method comprises under a first condition, adjusting an EGR amount of a total cylinder charge in response to engine out NOx levels being below a first threshold. In this way, NOx levels may be used as feedback to control combustion stability.