Abstract: A cast cylinder head having a port lined with an insulating sleeve is provided. The insulating sleeve includes an inner sleeve disposed within an outer sleeve defining an insulating gap between the inner sleeve and outer sleeve. The inner sleeve includes an inlet flange surface and an outlet flange surface joined to an inlet flange surface and an outlet flange surface of the outer sleeve, thereby providing a sealed insulating gap. The insulating gap may contain an insulating material or a vacuum. The outer sleeve includes an exterior surface onto which a molten metal is casted to form the cast cylinder. The exterior surface of the outer-sleeve includes a shoulder to fix the insulating sleeve within a fixed predetermined position within the casting.

Abstract: Pistons and engines incorporating the same are provided, and include a piston head defined by a top surface, a circumferential side surface, and a thermal insulation coating (TIC) applied to at least a portion of the top surface. A top portion defines the top surface and is made from an aluminum material, and a bottom portion is made from ferrous material. The TIC can be silica. The top surface of the piston head can be anodized to receive the TIC. The TIC can be 0.05 millimeters to about 0.15 millimeters thick. The piston head can includes a crown, having an annular surface defining the top surface, a crown bowl surface, and an inner circumferential surface. The TIC can be further applied to at least a portion of one or more of the crown bowl surface and the inner crown circumferential surface.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, and an exhaust gas recirculation system that recirculates a portion of exhaust gas into at least one cylinder. A throttle body assembly includes a throttle valve movable according to a plurality of angles between an open position and a closed position. The angle of the throttle valve adjusts a pressure differential across the exhaust gas circulation system to modify an amount of recirculated exhaust gas recirculated back to the engine. The vehicle further includes an engine controller configured to determine a target NOx flow rate corresponding to a given driving condition of the vehicle. The engine controller actively adjusts the position of a throttle valve and/or an EGR valve based on a comparison between the measured NOx flow rate and the target NOx flow rate to reduce emissions of NOx exhausted by the vehicle.

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 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.