Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.

Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.

Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.

Abstract: A system and a method of facilitating fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine are provided. As one example, the method comprises: closing an exhaust valve of the cylinder; opening an intake valve after the exhaust valve has closed; moving a piston of the cylinder away from top dead center between the closing of the exhaust valve and the opening of the intake valve to expand the cylinder volume and reduce a pressure within the cylinder to below a pressure of an air intake manifold of the cylinder; and initiating an injection of fuel directly into the cylinder via an in-cylinder injector after the exhaust valve has closed.

Abstract: A system and a method of facilitating fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine are provided. As one example, the method comprises: closing an exhaust valve of the cylinder; opening an intake valve after the exhaust valve has closed; moving a piston of the cylinder away from top dead center between the closing of the exhaust valve and the opening of the intake valve to expand the cylinder volume and reduce a pressure within the cylinder to below a pressure of an air intake manifold of the cylinder; and initiating an injection of fuel directly into the cylinder via an in-cylinder injector after the exhaust valve has closed.

Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.

Abstract: A system and a method of facilitating fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine are provided. As one example, vaporization may be improved by coordinating the timing of the directly injected fuel with intake valve opening while also utilizing negative valve overlap between the intake and exhaust valves to generate reduced pressures within the cylinder.

Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder direct injection internal combustion engine include injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber during the exhaust stroke at high engine speeds and loads to reduce the effect of intake airflow on the injection spray and improve fuel-air mixture homogeneity.

Abstract: An engine system for a vehicle, comprising of a combustion chamber, a first in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a first substance including at least gasoline directly to the combustion chamber at a first pressure; and a second in-cylinder direct injector configured to deliver a second substance including at least an alcohol directly to the combustion chamber at a second pressure less than the first pressure.

Abstract: A system and a method of facilitating fuel vaporization in a directly injected internal combustion engine are provided. As one example, the method comprises: closing an exhaust valve of the cylinder; opening an intake valve after the exhaust valve has closed; moving a piston of the cylinder away from top dead center between the closing of the exhaust valve and the opening of the intake valve to expand the cylinder volume and reduce a pressure within the cylinder to below a pressure of an air intake manifold of the cylinder; and initiating an injection of fuel directly into the cylinder via an in-cylinder injector after the exhaust valve has closed.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a multiple cylinder direct injection internal combustion engine include injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber during the exhaust stroke at high engine speeds and loads to reduce the effect of intake airflow on the injection spray and improve fuel-air mixture homogeneity.

Abstract: A virtual vehicle sensor includes a neural network which produces a sensor output based on a linear combination of non-linear physical signals generated by conventional physical sensors. Instead of determining an output directly, the neural network determines the polynomial coefficients as functions of the physical signals indicative of other engine operating parameters. The sensor is manufactured using relatively limited data collection to calibrate a simulation model. The output of the simulation model is used for model-based mapping to generate more comprehensive maps used for training the neural network. The trained neural network is embedded in a controller and acts as the virtual sensor to monitor engine parameters which are difficult to measure or for which conventional physical sensors do not currently exist. The virtual sensor may be used to sense parameters such as in-cylinder residual mass fraction, emission levels, in-cylinder pressure rise during combustion, and exhaust gas temperature.

Abstract: An engine control method for an internal combustion engine having a powertrain control module (PCM). The powertrain control module includes a microprocessor and associated memory. A mathematical model of the engine cycle of the engine system is stored in the PCM memory. The PCM continuously monitors a variety of engine operating parameters. From these inputs, the PCM generates optimized control setpoints for the intake airflow, fueling right, spark timing and EGR flow for the engine using the mathematical model. The setpoints are generated in real-time for every engine cycle, and the engine is then operated in accordance with the generated control setpoints. In another aspect of the invention, the engine model includes submodels for fuel delivery, the in-cylinder processes, the engine heat capacitance and cooling system, engine friction, airflow, engine inertia, and the front-end auxiliary drive.

Abstract: A gasoline distillation apparatus (12) for an engine (14) includes a heated vapor separator (22), a condenser (24), and a controller (28). The heated vapor separator (22) partially vaporizes the engine's primary fuel (16) to generate a fuel vapor (44). The condenser (24) cools the fuel vapor (44) to produce a liquid secondary fuel (18) that is more volatile than the primary fuel (16). The controller (28) determines when the engine (14) is supplied with either primary (16) or secondary fuel (18). The secondary fuel (18) is used only during an initial engine operation period, while the primary fuel (16) is used all other times. After engine operation, the primary fuel (16) is purged from the engine (14) and replaced with the secondary fuel (18) to maximize secondary fuel (18) use during the initial engine operation period.

Abstract: A heated assembly is provided for vaporization of fuel in an internal combustion engine. The heated assembly includes a grid disposed in an inlet runner of the internal combustion engine. The heated assembly also includes structure for heating the grid during cold start of the internal combustion engine and vaporizing fuel in the inlet runner of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A four stroke, spark ignition, high compression ratio, internal combustion engine including at least one intake valve (30), exhaust valve (32) and charging valve (36) per cylinder (16). Each of the valves is actuable by a variable timing mechanism (50), which is controlled by an on-board computer (82) that varies the timing of valve opening and closing depending upon engine operating conditions. Each charging valve port (34) leads to an auxiliary chamber (40) having geometry to cause a swirling motion of the charge entering the chamber and surrounded by a cooling jacket (42) to cool the charge as it swirls before being released back into the cylinder during the next engine cycle.

Abstract: A method of operating a four stroke, spark ignition, high compression ratio, internal combustion engine including at least one intake valve (30), exhaust valve (32) and charging valve (36) per cylinder (16). Each of the valves is actuable by a variable timing mechanism (50), which is controlled by an on-board computer (82) that varies the timing of valve opening and closing depending upon engine operating conditions. Each charging valve port (34) leads to an auxiliary chamber (40) having geometry to cause a swirling motion of the charge entering the chamber and surrounded by a cooling jacket (42) to cool the charge as it swirls before being released back into the cylinder during the next engine cycle.

Abstract: A heated assembly is provided for vaporization of fuel in an internal combustion engine. The heated assembly includes a grid disposed in an inlet runner of the internal combustion engine. The assembly also includes structure for heating the grid during cold start of the internal combustion engine and vaporizing fuel in the inlet runner of the internal combustion engine.