Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling fuel injections by a fuel injector in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. First and second fuel injections are applied in each cycle of a piston in the cylinder. First and second electronic control signals are applied to the fuel injector to generate first and second fuel injections by the fuel injector during a first cycle of the piston. A hydraulic fusion state of the generated first and second fuel injections is determined. A parameter of the applied first and second electronic control signals is adjusted in response to determining the hydraulic fusion state and applied to the fuel injector to generate first and second fuel injections by the fuel injector during a second cycle of the piston subsequent to the first cycle.

Abstract: A fuel injection control system is usable with an engine, e.g., a diesel engine of a mild hybrid electric vehicle. The control system includes an auxiliary battery, a high-voltage (HV) battery, e.g., 48 VDC, a switching circuit with first and second switching pairs, a controller, and a fuel injector system. The controller opens and closes the switches to command an electrical current from the auxiliary or HV battery according to a predetermined injector current profile. The fuel injector system has one or more control solenoids. Windings of the solenoids are electrically connectable to the HV battery during a boost phase of the profile via opening of the first switching pair and closing of the second switching pair, and to the auxiliary battery during peak, by-pass, hold, and end-of-injection phases of the profile via closing of the first switching pair and opening of the second switching pair.

Abstract: A fuel injection control system is usable with an engine, e.g., a diesel engine of a mild hybrid electric vehicle. The control system includes an auxiliary battery, a high-voltage (HV) battery, e.g., 48 VDC, a switching circuit with first and second switching pairs, a controller, and a fuel injector system. The controller opens and closes the switches to command an electrical current from the auxiliary or HV battery according to a predetermined injector current profile. The fuel injector system has one or more control solenoids. Windings of the solenoids are electrically connectable to the HV battery during a boost phase of the profile via opening of the first switching pair and closing of the second switching pair, and to the auxiliary battery during peak, by-pass, hold, and end-of-injection phases of the profile via closing of the first switching pair and opening of the second switching pair.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling a fuel injector included in a fuel injection system of an engine of a vehicle. A method includes receiving vehicle sensor data that is indicative of air measurement data and engine sensor measurement data. A combustion model is used to estimate, through an iterative approach, a total fuel amount for satisfying a torque request and to estimate start of injection degree based upon the received vehicle sensor data. The estimated total fuel amount and the start of injection degree are outputted for controlling the fuel injector.

Abstract: An automotive internal combustion engine combusts an air/fuel mixture to generate a drive torque. An engine control unit (ECU) determines a torque request to output a fuel request signal indicative of an amount of the fuel to inject into a cylinder of the engine. The ECU includes neural network controller installed with a neural network to generate a fuel setpoint signal based on the torque request and to define a combustion model of the engine. The neural network generates a start of injection (SOI) signal indicating a start time at which to inject the fuel based a crankshaft angle. The ECU further outputs the fuel request signal based on the fuel setpoint and the SOI. A fuel injector injects the fuel into the cylinder based on the fuel request signal to generate the drive torque indicated by the torque request.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an automotive system having an internal combustion engine equipped with an exhaust gas aftertreatment system including a Lean NOx Trap (LNT) upstream of a Selective Catalytic Reduction washcoated particulate filter (SCRF). A LNT inlet temperature is monitored. A parameter representative of a quantity of NOX stored in the LNT is also monitored. A map correlating the LNT inlet temperature and the quantity of NOX stored in the LNT is used to estimate an ammonia quantity produced during a LNT regeneration. A LNT regeneration is performed, if the estimated ammonia quantity is greater than a threshold value thereof.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling fuel injections by a fuel injector in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. First and second fuel injections are applied in each cycle of a piston in the cylinder. First and second electronic control signals are applied to the fuel injector to generate first and second fuel injections by the fuel injector during a first cycle of the piston. A hydraulic fusion state of the generated first and second fuel injections is determined. A parameter of the applied first and second electronic control signals is adjusted in response to determining the hydraulic fusion state and applied to the fuel injector to generate first and second fuel injections by the fuel injector during a second cycle of the piston subsequent to the first cycle.

Abstract: A method of operating an aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine having a lean nitrogen-oxides trap and a reductant storage device placed downstream of the lean nitrogen-oxides trap is disclosed. A regeneration of the lean nitrogen-oxides trap is performed. During the regeneration, a reductant concentration between the lean nitrogen-oxides trap and the reductant storage device is measured. An amount of reductant produced by the nitrogen-oxides trap is calculated on the basis of the measured concentration. The amount of reductant produced may be used to stop regeneration of the LNT if this amount reaches the maximum available storage capacity, or to trigger a test of the proper functioning of the reductant storage device if there is at least a minimum amount of reductant available, or to switch to another operation mode of the reductant storage device and/or the LNT, in particular if this amount is larger than a threshold value.

Abstract: An automotive internal combustion engine combusts an air/fuel mixture to generate a drive torque. An engine control unit (ECU) determines a torque request to output a fuel request signal indicative of an amount of the fuel to inject into a cylinder of the engine. The ECU includes neural network controller installed with a neural network to generate a fuel setpoint signal based on the torque request and to define a combustion model of the engine. The neural network generates a start of injection (SOI) signal indicating a start time at which to inject the fuel based a crankshaft angle. The ECU further outputs the fuel request signal based on the fuel setpoint and the SOI. A fuel injector injects the fuel into the cylinder based on the fuel request signal to generate the drive torque indicated by the torque request.

Abstract: A control method is provided for using a feed forward technique. The method includes, but is not limited to using a setpoint value of a controlled variable to calculate a compensation of the closed loop static error, summing said contribution to the setpoint value, operating an estimation of the closed loop error to obtain a feed forward contribution.

Abstract: A method of operating an aftertreatment system of an internal combustion engine having a lean nitrogen-oxides trap and a reductant storage device placed downstream of the lean nitrogen-oxides trap is disclosed. A regeneration of the lean nitrogen-oxides trap is performed. During the regeneration, a reductant concentration between the lean nitrogen-oxides trap and the reductant storage device is measured. An amount of reductant produced by the nitrogen-oxides trap is calculated on the basis of the measured concentration. The amount of reductant produced may be used to stop regeneration of the LNT if this amount reaches the maximum available storage capacity, or to trigger a test of the proper functioning of the reductant storage device if there is at least a minimum amount of reductant available, or to switch to another operation mode of the reductant storage device and/or the LNT, in particular if this amount is larger than a threshold value.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating an automotive system having an internal combustion engine equipped with an exhaust gas aftertreatment system including a Lean NOx Trap (LNT) upstream of a Selective Catalytic Reduction washcoated particulate filter (SCRF). A LNT inlet temperature is monitored. A parameter representative of a quantity of NOx stored in the LNT is also monitored. A map correlating the LNT inlet temperature and the quantity of NOx stored in the LNT is used to estimate an ammonia quantity produced during a LNT regeneration. A LNT regeneration is performed, if the estimated ammonia quantity is greater than a threshold value thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for energizing a solenoidal fuel injector for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The fuel injector is electrically connected to a battery capable of providing a battery voltage and to a boost converter capable of providing a boost voltage that is higher than the battery voltage. The boost voltage is applied to a solenoid of the fuel injector to perform a first opening phase of the injector, the energy from the solenoid of the fuel injector is then discharged. A second opening phase of the fuel injector is performed, and followed by a hold phase using the battery voltage (Vbatt). Lastly, a closing phase of the fuel injector is performed.

Abstract: A control method is provided for using a feed forward technique. The method includes, but is not limited to using a setpoint value of a controlled variable to calculate a compensation of the closed loop static error, summing said contribution to the setpoint value, operating an estimation of the closed loop error to obtain a feed forward contribution.