Abstract: An operating mode for an internal combustion engine, in particular a directly injected internal combustion engine featuring a plurality of combustion chambers, in particular for a direct-injection gasoline engine, for example in a motor vehicle, an operating mode having at least in part low-NOx combustion (NAV) and having a plurality of partial operating modes whereby it is switched between a RZV partial operating mode having pure controlled auto-ignition (RZV) and a NAV partial operating mode, whereby in the case of said NAV partial operating mode, at an ignition point (ZZP) a largely homogeneous, lean fuel/exhaust gas/air mixture in the respective combustion chamber having a combustion air ratio of ??1 is spark ignited by means of an ignition device, where the flame front combustion (FFV) initiated by the spark-ignition transitions to a controlled auto-ignition (RZV).

Abstract: In an exhaust gas recirculation arrangement in which condensate is discharged from an exhaust gas recirculation path of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a motor vehicle, wherein, due to a pressure difference between a condensate collection region arranged in the EGR path and a condensate discharge region, collected condensate is discharged at least partially from the condensate collection region into the condensate discharge region, when the pressure level prevalent in the condensate collection region is greater than in the condensate discharge region in a secure manner and with low environmental impact.

Abstract: In a method for operating an air-compressing fuel-injection internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas post-treatment system with a particle filter and a nitrogen oxide reduction catalytic converter, a plurality of internal combustion engine operating settings are provided, each having respective predefined values for predefined internal combustion engine operating parameters. A heating operating setting is set when the internal combustion engine is warming up, while a basic operating setting is set in the warmed-up state. When the temperature in the exhaust gas system exceeds a predefinable first value, the heating operating setting is changed over to the basic operating setting. In the warmed-up state, at least one further (third) operating setting, with an exhaust gas recirculation rate that is reduced compared to the basic operating setting, is provided in addition to the basic operating setting.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, having a cylinder housing in the form of a light metal alloy casting with working cylinder sections including cylinder liners which consist of rough-surface iron castings and which are integrally cast into the working cylinder sections with housing webs formed between adjacent liners, the cylinder housing has cooling channels formed in the housing webs between adjacent cylinder liners and the working cylinder sections of the cylinder housing for directly cooling the cylinder liners.

Abstract: In an operating method for a direct-injection gasoline internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers with at least partially low-NOx combustion (NAV) and a plurality of partial operating modes with at least one partial operating mode having controlled auto-ignition (RZV), a reduction in the reactivity of exhaust gas recirculated into the respective combustion chamber is achieved by means of an external exhaust gas recirculation using exhaust gas which has been conducted through an oxidation catalyst thereby improving the operating stability of the engine particularly in the auto-ignition partial operating mode.

Abstract: A carbon supported catalyst composition for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells is disclosed that shows a high mass activity and favorable stability and durability. The catalyst composition comprises an intermetallic phase or alloy comprising Pt and a metal selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, V and Mo, and comprises an oxide of the metal. The carbon supported catalyst composition can be prepared at relatively low temperature either by first depositing and heating an oxide precursor of the metal on a suitable carbon to make a hybrid support, and then depositing and heating a Pt precursor on the hybrid support, or by depositing both an oxide precursor of the metal and a Pt precursor on a suitable carbon support, and directly heating to a final temperature.

Abstract: In a method for adapting an electric control of a fuel injector with a nozzle needle, with which fuel is metered for injection into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, wherein a momentary operating state of the internal combustion engine is monitored and the electric control is adapted in dependence thereon, the momentary operating state is monitored based on a pressure prevailing in the respective combustion chamber, wherein an actual work value of a cylinder is determined based on the measured pressure, the determined actual work value is compared with a target work value assigned to the momentary operating state, and the adaptation of the electric control of the respective fuel injector is carried out dependent on the target-actual comparison of the momentary work of the respective combustion chamber and the lift of the nozzle needle of the fuel injector is corrected dependent on the target—actual comparison.

Abstract: In a turbine for an exhaust gas turbocharger of an internal combustion engine comprising a turbine housing part, which has at least two spiral channels with respective inlets through which exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is directed onto a turbine rotor disposed in the turbine housing part, the turbine housing part is disposed in an accommodating chamber, which is formed by a further housing part of the turbine, and from which accommodating chamber exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine can flow through the channel inlets into the spiral channels.

Abstract: In a method for operating a supercharged internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, at the same time an internal exhaust gas recirculation and an external exhaust gas recirculation are carried out in an engine operating range with lean burn operation modes, wherein the exhaust gas recirculation rate of the internal and the external exhaust gas recirculation is increased with increasing load and/or speed of the internal combustion engine in the lean engine operating range and, at high engine speeds and loads, a homogenous mixture operation is carried out. The invention also reside in an internal combustion engine for performing the method.

Abstract: A proton conducting copolymer electrolyte with competitive voltage versus current density characteristics and superior durability comprises a proton conducting hydrophilic domain comprising a sulfonated poly(phenylene) polymer, and a hydrophobic domain comprising a main chain comprising a plurality of bonded arylene groups wherein essentially all of the bonds in the main chain of the copolymer are carbon-carbon or, to a certain extent, carbon-sulfone bonds. More particularly, none of the bonds in the chains of the copolymer are ether bonds. Due to the absence of ether bonds, the copolymer electrolyte is less susceptible to degradation in solid polymer fuel cells.

Abstract: In a motor vehicle camshaft adjusting device which comprises an open- and/or closed-loop control unit for adjusting the camshaft phase position in a normal operating mode to a temporarily intermittently constant phase position, the open- and/or closed loop control unit has an engine start operating mode in which the camshaft phase position is advanced during opening of the valve so as to provide a valve opening angle range which is smaller than a geometric normal opening angle range based on a crankshaft angle range.