Abstract: To improve a heat conductance of an center electrode of a spark plug in which its center electrode protrudes to a combustion chamber from the defining surface of the chamber, the ignition plug includes a center electrode to where high voltage for spark discharge is applied; an insulator having a penetration hole to where the center electrode is fit; and an earth electrode that forms a discharge gap between the center electrode at where the spark discharge is generated. The center electrode protrudes from a defining surface of an internal combustion engine to a combustion chamber when the ignition plug is attached to the engine. The entirety of a main body of the center electrodes that is fixed by fitting into a penetration hole of the insulator is made of high heat conductance material having heat-conductivity of 250 W/mK or more.

Abstract: In order to provide an ignition control device 30 which can efficiently control timing of thermal ignition of gaseous mixture in a combustion region 10, the peak estimation part 32, the ignition timing determination part 33, the control timing determination part 34, and the plasma control part 35 control timing of thermal ignition of the gaseous mixture in the combustion region 10 by controlling the pulse generator 36, the electromagnetic wave oscillator 37, the mixer circuit 38, and the spark plug 15 so as to increase the amount of OH radicals in the combustion region 10 during a low-temperature oxidation preparation period that occurs prior to a peak of a heat release rate before the thermal ignition of the gaseous mixture.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus of an internal combustion engine is provided which includes: exhaust gas purifying means, provided in an exhaust passage of the engine, for adsorbing NOx in an exhaust gas when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas is lean. The exhaust gas apparatus releases or reduces the adsorbed NOx when the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas is reduced. A light-off catalyst is provided upstream of the exhaust gas purifying apparatus in the exhaust passage, which has a lower O2 storage capability than the exhaust gas purifying apparatus. There is a control device for controlling the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas so that an atmosphere having a reduced oxygen concentration is produced around the exhaust gas purifying apparatus when the NOx conversion efficiency of the exhaust gas purifying apparatus is decreased.

Abstract: When an increase in a temperature of an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is demanded, a temperature-increase control section in an electronic control unit accomplishes stratified combustion by causing each fuel injection valve to inject fuel directly into the associated combustion chamber in a compression stroke in such a way that the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is in a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. This allows the temperature of the exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device to be maintained or increased without increasing fuel consumption.

Abstract: A direct injection type internal combustion engine has an intake and exhaust mechanism for intaking and exhausting air for a predetermined period of time between a second half of a second expansion stroke and a first half of a first compression stroke following the second expansion stroke so that the first compression stroke, a first expansion stroke, a second compression stroke, and the second expansion stroke can be repeated sequentially along with rotation of a crank shaft; and a control device for controlling fuel injection. The control device injects first fuel during the first compression stroke and injects second fuel during the first expansion stroke or the second compression stroke. Therefore, the first fuel executes the first combustion process, and the second fuel is then injected into burnt gases generated in the first combustion process to enable a second combustion process following the first combustion process.

Abstract: When an increase in a temperature of an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is demanded, a temperature-increase control section in an electronic control unit accomplishes stratified combustion by causing each fuel injection valve to inject fuel directly into the associated combustion chamber in a compression stroke in such a way that the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is in a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. This allows the temperature of the exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device to be maintained or increased without increasing fuel consumption.

Abstract: When an increase in a temperature of an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is demanded, a temperature-increase control section in an electronic control unit accomplishes stratified combustion by causing each fuel injection valve to inject fuel directly into the associated combustion chamber in a compression stroke in such a way that the air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is in a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. This allows the temperature of the exhaust-gas purifying catalyst device to be maintained or increased without increasing fuel consumption.

Abstract: An electronic control unit (40) for controlling an internal combustion engine drive executes a first operation mode for injecting a fuel in a suction stroke while making an air/fuel ratio feedback control, when a demand for improving output characteristics is made in a medium/high load drive state of the engine. In response to a demand for raising the temperature of a catalyst, moreover, the first operation mode is switched to a second operation mode in which the fuel is injected in a compression stroke while making an air/fuel ratio feedback control performing a predetermined air/fuel ratio in the vicinity of a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio as a target value.

Abstract: A starting device for a direct-injection internal combustion engine by which starting can be completed swiftly, and trouble caused by self-ignition and sudden combustion by carrying out a normal spark-ignition can be prevented surely upon starting. The starting device has compression stroke cylinder identifying unit for identifying a cylinder whose piston is in its compression stroke while the internal combustion engine is stopped; start request determining unit for determining whether there is an engine start request; and start control unit for, when it is determined by the start request determining unit that there is an engine start request, injecting fuel into the compression stroke cylinder identified by the compression stroke cylinder identifying unit.

Abstract: A direct injection type internal combustion engine has an intake and exhaust mechanism for intaking and exhausting air for a predetermined period of time between a second half of a second expansion stroke and a first half of a first compression stroke following the second expansion stroke so that the first compression stroke, a first expansion stroke, a second compression stroke, and the second expansion stroke can be repeated sequentially along with rotation of a crank shaft; and a control device for controlling fuel injection. The control device injects first fuel during the first compression stroke and injects second fuel during the first expansion stroke or the second compression stroke. Therefore, the first fuel executes the first combustion process, and the second fuel is then injected into burnt gases generated in the first combustion process to enable a second combustion process following the first combustion process.

Abstract: An in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine, which includes a main fuel injection control unit that drives a fuel injector to inject fuel directly into a combustion chamber, is provided so that premixed combustion or stratified charge combustion takes place depending upon operating conditions of the engine. The engine further includes an additional fuel injection control unit that drives the fuel injector to inject additional fuel during an expansion stroke after the fuel injector is driven by the main fuel injection control unit, when it is necessary to increase the temperature of a catalyst provided in an exhaust passage for purifying exhaust gas. An exhaust manifold includes an exhaust chamber, in which the exhaust gas remains, and the additional fuel that is left unburned is re-burned in the exhaust chamber.

Abstract: An exhaust purifying apparatus for an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine causes exhaust gas temperature to rise reliably, thereby desorbing reliably a sulfur component (SOx) adhered to an NOx catalyst and enhancing the durability of the NOx catalyst. For this reason, the exhaust purifying apparatus for an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine comprises an NOx catalyst (9A) for adhering NOx to itself in an excess oxygen concentration condition and desorbing NOx in an oxygen concentration reduction condition, and sulfur component desorption means (107) for desorbing a sulfur component from the NOx catalyst (9A). The sulfur component desorption means (107) injects additional fuel during an expansion stroke in addition to main injection and burns the additional fuel again so that exhaust gas temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature or beyond, whereby the sulfur component is desorbed.

Abstract: In order to securely prevent knocks from occurring upon starting and the like, while enhancing the compression ratio in a spark ignition type in-cylinder injection internal combustion engine which includes a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber, fuel is injected during a compression stroke in a specific operation region under an intermediate to high load to perform stratified combustion. Further provided is a control unit for driving and controlling the fuel injection valve such that, in the stratified combustion, prior to the fuel injection during the compression stroke, fuel is injected from the fuel injection valve during an intake stroke by such an amount that fuel fails to self-ignite.

Abstract: An exhaust gas heating system for an in-cylinder injection internal combustion engine is disclosed. The system includes a fuel injection device for injecting fuel directly into a combustion chamber of the engine, a spark plug for subjecting fuel, which has been injected as primary fuel from the injection device, to spark ignition such that the primary fuel undergoes primary combustion, an exhaust gas purification device arranged in an exhaust passage of the engine, a purification device temperature computing unit for determining a temperature of the purification device by detecting or estimating the temperature of the purification device, and an additional fuel injection control unit for controlling the injection device when the purification device is found to require activation from the temperature determined by the computing unit, such that an injection of fuel as additional fuel is performed during a flame lasting duration that a flame of the primary combustion remains.

Abstract: An exhaust-gas temperature raising system for a spark-ignition, in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine includes an electronic control unit. In case that the engine is in an operating condition where the exhaust-gas temperature is required to rise, on an occasion of a main-fuel injection in a compression stroke, the electronic control unit controls engine control parameters such as ignition timing and air-fuel ratio to cause a cool-flame-reaction product, which remains in a combustion chamber in a middle stage or a subsequent stage of an expansion stroke, to have a concentration close to an inflammable concentration limit, and then causes an additional fuel to be injected into the combustion chamber from the fuel injection valve in the middle stage or the subsequent stage of the expansion stroke.

Abstract: An exhaust-gas temperature raising system, installed in an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine adapted to spark-ignite fuel injected from a fuel injection valve directly into a combustion chamber, includes an electronic control unit which controls the fuel injection valve to inject the fuel, at a delayed fuel-injection timing in a compression stroke of the engine, in such an amount as to form an overrich air-fuel mixture locally around an ignition plug together with air in the combustion chamber, when the engine is in an operating condition in which an exhaust-gas temperature is required to rise.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an ignition timing of a cylinder-injection gasoline engine includes an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the operation of an ignition coil. The ECU advances the ignition timing in accordance with the throttle opening in consideration of a delay in increase of the wall temperature of a combustion chamber when the acceleration of a vehicle is detected by the change of the throttle opening. In order to prevent knocking of the engine attributable to the increase of the wall temperature, the ECU gradually decreases an advance angle for the ignition timing to 0 with the passage of control time. When the engine is reaccelerated during the advance angle correction, the ECU newly sets an advance angle for the ignition timing and a control time, corresponding to the increase of the wall temperature.

Abstract: This invention relates to an in-cylinder injection internal combustion engine. A lower wall of a cylinder head, said lower wall defining an upper wall of a combustion chamber, is configured in the form of a pentroof composed of an intake-valve-side, tilted, lower wall and an exhaust-valve-side, tilted, lower wall. A spark plug is arranged in the vicinity of a top part of the pentroof-shaped upper wall of the combustion chamber. A top wall of a piston, said top wall forming a lower wall of the combustion chamber, is configured in the form of a pentroof having an intake-valve-side, tilted, top wall and an exhaust-valve-side, tilted, top wall formed so that they correspond the intake-valve-side, tilted, lower wall and the exhaust-valve-side, tilted, lower wall of the cylinder head. A recessed portion is arranged in the intake-valve-side, tilted, top wall in the top wall of the piston.

Abstract: This invention relates to a 4-cycle in-cylinder injection internal combustion engine in which fuel is injected directly into a combustion chamber, and specifically to an in-cylinder injection internal combustion engine suited for use as an internal combustion engine which performs premixed combustion at the time of a high power output but stratified combustion at the time of a low power output and switches the state of each of the combustions depending on an operation state of the engine.

Abstract: A vertical vortex, namely, a reverse tumble flow is formed inside a cylinder of an internal combustion engine to form an intake air flow for smooth intake and exhaust in the internal combustion engine and also to promote atomization of fuel and mixing of air and fuel in a combustion chamber. To form this reverse tumble flow, a downstream portion of an intake passage is formed extending toward a central axis of the cylinder. To promote the formation of the swirl and further to form the combustion chamber as an efficient compact combustion chamber, a recessed portion is formed in a top wall of a piston. The top wall of the piston is provided with a raised portion at a location adjacent to the recessed portion, whereby, in the vicinity of top dead center of the piston, a squish is produced in a direction flowing toward a side of a spark plug in the efficient combustion chamber.